HCDE 300 Foundations of Human Centered Design & Engineering (5)
Examines principles and practices of human centered design and engineering. Includes overview of conceptual problems in human centered design and engineering, issues related to communicating scientific and technical information to a variety of audiences, and human centered design approaches. Includes attention to social contexts and environments (legal, ethical, cultural).
HCDE 301 Advanced Communication in HCDE (5)
Examines various communication genres in HCDE. Students conduct primary and secondary research; analyze results; write, design, and orally present communications that meet the needs of stakeholders with differing priorities and cultures. The course is taught through the lens of sustainable and ethical HCDE practices. Prerequisite: HCDE 231 or ENGR 231.
HCDE 308 Visual Communication in Human Centered Design and Engineering (5)
Introduces principles of visual communication and design used in human centered design and engineering so that students gain a systematic understanding as they create visual communication components of print, interactive, and video media. Students develop this understanding through hands-on exercises, design critiques, discussions, lectures, and readings in a studio environment.
HCDE 310 Interactive Systems Design and Technology (5)
Provides opportunities to identify and build interactive systems to solve problems in human centered design and engineering. Students specify, design, build, and justify design solutions in terms of user experience and technical design choices. Prerequisite: either CSE 121, CSE 122, CSE 123, CSE 142, or CSE 160.
HCDE 313 Introduction to User Research (5)
Introduces user research methods, such as interviews, surveys, usability tests, content analysis, and focus groups. Reviews selecting an appropriate research method, how to conduct research and analyze results, conveying research data in the form of design requirements, and ethics.
HCDE 315 Inclusive Design and Engineering (4)
Surveys a range of methods that examine, support, and interrogate design and engineering for disability and inclusivity. Students enact inclusive methods, reflect on their capacities to broaden design and engineering goals, and critique and evaluate their effectiveness from a variety of perspectives.
HCDE 318 Introduction to User-Centered Design (5)
Explores the user-centered design paradigm from a broad perspective, with an emphasis on the importance of developing and applying design processes and strategies. Students learn to think like a user-centered designer and carry out activities that are key to user-centered design.
HCDE 321 Professional Portfolio (2)
Prepares students for professional practice by developing expertise and artifacts that make up an effective professional portfolio for careers in human centered design and engineering. Covers job searches, networking, recruiting, and interviewing, as well as development of resumes, cover letters, and online portfolios. Credit/no-credit only.
HCDE 322 Organizational Teamwork (2)
Introduces students to teamwork and leadership competencies of particular significance to interdisciplinary, design-oriented, creative, and distributed work of human-centered design and engineering. Particular emphasis on competencies related to interpersonal interactions, group dynamics, and civic responsibility. Credit/no-credit only.
HCDE 410 Human Data Interaction (4)
Builds data science literacy anchored in the principles and methods of human centered design. Focuses on principles of data science and its human implications, including research ethics; data privacy; legal frameworks; algorithmic bias, transparency, fairness and accountability; data provenance, curation, preservation, and reproducibility; user experience design and research for big data; human computation; social impacts of data science. Prerequisite: either CSE 121, CSE 122, CSE 123, CSE 142, CSE 143, CSE 160, or CSE 163.
HCDE 411 Information Visualization (5) I&S/VLPA
The design and presentation of digital information. Use of graphics, animation, sound, and other modalities in presenting information to the user. Understanding vision and perception. Methods of presenting complex information to enhance comprehension and analysis. Incorporation of visualization techniques into human-computer interfaces. Prerequisites: HCDE 308; HCDE 310.
HCDE 412 Qualitative Research Methods in HCDE (5)
Explores qualitative research methodologies, particularly the use of grounded theory methods to conduct field research for design and engineering. Develops skills for understanding and investigating why and how people experience, make meaning, and participate in their own social worlds, including how to create and iterate research questions, observations, and interviews. Prerequisite: HCDE 313
HCDE 417 Survey of Usability Research Techniques (5)
Introduces usability research methods used in the product-development process; contextual inquiry, surveys and interviews, focus groups, user profiling, usability testing, cognitive walkthroughs, heuristics, and others. Prerequisite: HCDE 313.
HCDE 418 Advanced Projects in Human Centered Design and Engineering (5, max. 10)
Explores advanced topics in human centered design. Students engage with and discuss an advanced topic and then apply it by researching, designing, and implementing a solution to a design challenge. Team-based investigations culminate in a project response to the challenge. Prerequisite: either HCDE 318, INFO 360, or CSE 440; recommended: Students should have completed at least one project-based human centered design or human-computer interaction course (e.g., HCDE 318).
HCDE 419 Survey of Concepts in Human-Computer Interaction (5)
Studies the social, cognitive, behavioral and contextual aspects of information systems and informational dimensions of the human-computer interface, and other user-centered design concepts. Surveys research literature of human information behavior, as well as ethical standards. Prerequisite: HCDE 300.
HCDE 438 Web Technologies (5)
Markup languages and styles, JavaScript, Flash, Photoshop, and the fundamentals of digital sound and video. Includes an introduction to server-side technologies. Students expand their existing design skills to encompass the use of these web technologies.
HCDE 439 Physical Computing (5)
Introduction to engineering and prototyping interactive systems and environments for human-centered applications that employ basic digital electronics components and circuits. Students build systems using micro-controllers and software tools. Provides hands-on experience in a project-based, studio environment. Prerequisite: HCDE 310.
HCDE 440 Advanced Physical Computing (5, max. 10)
Advanced topics in engineering and prototyping interactive systems and environments for human-centered applications that use digital electronics, components, and circuits. Students build advanced systems using micro-controllers, sensors, wireless communications, and software APIs. Projects incorporate investigation of emerging technologies and their social and cultural impact. Provides hands-on experience in a project-based, studio environment. Prerequisite: HCDE 439
HCDE 451 User Experience Prototyping Techniques (5)
Introduces students to a variety of prototyping techniques for different kinds of user experience design problems. Structured as a series of independent explorations, each on a different prototyping methodology, aimed at many platforms. Prerequisite: HCDE 318.
HCDE 485 Material and Cultural Bias in Algorithmic Systems (5)
Project based course which examines the merging of data science, and arts and design practices. Draws from a range of theoretical texts and artistic works, combining textile and statistics literatures. Emphasizes mingling of ideas, multiple interpretations, and translations to critically represent, express, and challenge biased datasets and skewed machine learning systems. Offered: jointly with DXARTS 485.
HCDE 492 Capstone Planning (2)
Helps students define capstone topics, form project teams, and develop initial concepts, deliverables, and schedules for the HCDE capstone project. Credit/no-credit only. Prerequisites: HCDE 300; HCDE 301, which may be taken concurrently; HCDE 308; HCDE 310; HCDE 313; and HCDE 318.
HCDE 493 Senior Capstone (5)
Capstone design experience. Integrates knowledge and skills acquired during major program into one paper or project. Prerequisite: HCDE 492.
HCDE 496 Directed Research in Human Centered Design & Engineering (1–5, max. 10; Current Directed Research Groups)*
Students, working in teams under the supervision of individual faculty members, review relevant literature, pose research questions, design and conduct studies, and present the results in papers prepared either for submission to a professional journal or for presentation at a professional conference. Credit/No Credit only.
Current Directed Research group descriptions
HCDE 498 Advanced Special Topics (1–5, max. 10)
Advanced special topics in human centered design and engineering to be offered occasionally by permanent or visiting faculty members.
HCDE 499 Special Projects (1–5, max. 10)*
Individual undergraduate projects in human centered design & engineering.
*See Variable Credit Registration Policy.
Not Currently Offered
HCDE 210 Explorations in Human Centered Design (3)
Explores the core principles, methodologies, and applications of human centered design practice. Areas of investigation include user research, ideation, interaction design, visualization, prototyping, and usability.
HCDE 231 Introduction to Communication in HCDE (3)
Examines fundamentals of researching, writing, and presenting technical information for diverse audiences and purposes. Students learn to conduct secondary research; design and present information written and orally; revise for content, organization, and style; and work individually and collaboratively in teams. Assignments are framed around ethical and sustainable human-centered design practices. Prerequisite: English Composition Course.
HCDE 303 Project Management and Computer Supported Collaboration and Work (5)
Addresses how to understand and manage communication practices and projects in scientific and technical organizations. Topics include: system design, project design, supporting workflow, communication practices, information structures, and planning. Focuses on CMC and CSC principles and practices.
HCDE 437 Web Design & Web Publishing (5) I&S/VLPA
Design principles and skills including navigation, functional design, visual design, and content development. Includes the ongoing process of Web publishing. Addresses societal issues pertaining to the Web and Internet. Students build a website and plan for ongoing Web publishing. Prerequisite: HCDE 318.
HCDE 455 User Interface Design (5)
Design oriented to cover fundamentals of user interface design; models on human computer interaction, software psychology, input devices, usability, cognitive and perceptual aspects of human-computer interaction, advanced interface, and research methodologies are discussed. Offered: jointly with IND E 455.