Research and Labs

HCDE is well-known internationally for its research in technical communication and human centered design and engineering. From experimental studies of communication design variables to cultural studies of technology adoption in developing nations, our award-winning research has consistently led the way in broadening the knowledge base of the field.

Directed research in HCDE offers students a wide range of opportunities to do hands-on work with a faculty member, from conducting usability tests for local companies all the way to collecting data on communication issues in Uzbekistan or Mozambique. The department's very active and growing research agenda continually generates new projects and new opportunities for students to be partners in our research endeavor.

We support student and faculty research with cutting-edge facilities like the HCDE Laboratory for Usability Testing and Evaluation (LUTE). LUTE, founded in 1989 with a mission to promote the development of "technology in harmony with human performance," provides tools to support a wide variety of research methods‚ formal experiments as well as usability tests, focus groups, co-design processes, and other approaches. Its extensive digital video equipment and other tools support end-to-end data capture and analysis, report writing, and creation of highlights DVDs.