IFN591 Principles of User Experience
To view more information for this unit, select Unit Outline from the list below. Please note the teaching period for which the Unit Outline is relevant.
| Unit code: | IFN591 |
|---|---|
| Prerequisite(s): | IFN500 or (IFN552 and IFN558) or (IFQ552 and IFQ558) or Admission to IN15, IN16 or IN17 |
| Equivalent(s): | IFQ591 |
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Timetable | Details in HiQ, if available |
| Availabilities |
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| Domestic tuition unit fee | $3,084 |
| International unit fee | $4,332 |
Unit Outline: Semester 1 2021, Gardens Point, Internal
| Unit code: | IFN591 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Pre-requisite: | IFN500 or (IFN552 and IFN558) or (IFQ552 and IFQ558) or Admission to IN15 or IQ15 or IN16 or IQ16 or IN17 |
| Equivalent: | IFQ591 |
Overview
User Experience (UX) describes how we engage with technology, including how we use, feel, think, and talk about it. It is widely recognized as a key success factor for digital technologies and services that shape how we live, work, socialize, learn, play, and manage our health.
In this introduction to User Experience you will learn methods and theories to understand and characterize what experiences matter to people, to generate ideas and create prototypes, and to evaluate the experiences that people have with technology prototypes. Understanding how to create positive experiences with digital technologies will give students an edge in the market place for jobs as user experience professionals, IT developers, and interaction designers.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Apply methods and theories to study people and technologies in real-world contexts (CLO2)
- Create design specifications, ideas, and prototypes from real-world insights (CLO3)
- Evaluate the usability and user experience of interactive technology and be aware of the strengths and limitations of the evaluation (CLO2, CLO6)
- Work in a collaborative, ethical, and honest manner (CLO4, CLO6)
- Apply communication skills to create professional deliverables through reports, presentations and visual media (CLO5)
Content
User experience methods and theories to study user needs and desires, create design specifications, generate ideas, develop a prototype, and evaluate the usability and user experience of a prototype in a particular context
Learning Approaches
In this unit you will learn through engaging in weekly two-hour workshops held in a collaborative learning space. This is an interactive session combining both lecture segments and hands-on practical exercises. The lecture segments will cover the necessary background on user experience theories and methods. Hands-on exercises will focus on exploring user experience through a human-centred design process to identify needs, generate ideas and prototypes, and to evaluate the usability and user experience with these prototypes.
Unit staff provide a learning environment designed to maximise your learning experience. In order to realise your full potential, it is strongly recommended that you actively participate in all of the learning activities offered in this unit.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
You will gain feedback in this unit by discussing your user experience project with peers and teaching staff at weekly workshops. You will receive written feedback on your assessment submissions, and will be able to have private consultations with the teaching staff at any point during the semester to discuss your progress (arrange an appointment).
Assessment
Overview
The assessment in this unit is based on a user experience project in a real-world context. The project consists of 3 interconnected parts: (1) a research proposal; (2) a report to present research findings and to define the target user experience; (3) prototype development and user experience evaluation. Modelling real-world user experience practice, assignments will be communicated through a combination of reports, presentations, and portfolios.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: User Experience Research Proposal
The aim of this assessment is to prepare a detailed proposal to study people and technologies in a real-world context. The proposal will contain a research plan, research instruments (e.g., interview guide, diary instructions), and ethics documents (participant information sheet, consent form). The proposal will be presented during the workshop.
Assessment: User Experience Definition
The aim of this assessment is to apply user experience methods and theories to discover insights into a real-world problem and to define the target user experience for the design of novel technology. The real-world insights and UX definition will be documented as a 2500-3500-word report.
Assessment: User Experience Evaluation
The aim of this assignment is to develop an interactive technology prototype and to evaluate the usability and experience in a real-world context. This assignment will build on the outcomes of assignment 2. Structured as a portfolio, this work will compile several deliverables: design specifications, design ideas, prototype, evaluation method, evaluation findings. Design specifications and ideas will be presented orally for review and constructive feedback. Teamwork will be reviewed through individual peer assessment.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Requirements to Study
Requirements
Students will need to complete Human Research Ethics Online (HREO) or an equivalent training.
Risk Assessment Statement
This unit involves research with people to study the user experience with digital technology through methods like interviews, observation, and diary research. This research will be covered by a unit level ethics application to protect study participants and students. Students are required to complete Human Research Ethics Online (HREO) or equivalent training, and to prepare a research plan, consent forms, and information sheets before starting data collection