Laptop policy
All students enrolled in Human Centered Design & Engineering (HCDE) courses are required to have a laptop they can use in classes and for their studies. Tablets/Chromebooks alone are not acceptable. HCDE recommends following the minimum laptop specifications from the College of Engineering.
Technology learning resources
- UW Information Technology (UW-IT): News and events available through UW-IT.
- LinkedIn Learning: Free online courses on Computing Fundamentals (e.g, Security, Networking); Design and Graphics (e.g., Photoshop, Illustrator); Digital Audio (e.g., Audacity, Garageband); Document Creation (e.g., Word, InDesign); Spreadsheets and Databases (e.g., (Excel, Access); and Web Publishing.
Computer labs on campus
- Technology Facilities: This site provides a list of on-campus labs and facilities available to UW students.
- Virtual student computer lab: The College of Engineering also supports a virtual computer lab that HCDE students can access. (VPN required if off campus)
Discounted or free software for students
- UWare: Software from UW at reduced cost or free (e.g., Office, Overleaf, Qualtrics, Solidworks, SPSS, Tableau).
- As an active student at UW, many companies offer discounts on software such as ATLAS.ti, Axure RP Pro, and Rhino 8.
- Usertesting.com: HCDE may have licenses available to students on a quarterly basis. Please email Melissa Ewing (mewing3@uw.edu) if you are interested in using one of these licenses.