• Description

Interaction is the mutual bond that arises between entities, be it between people, objects, or forces. In this course, our journey will focus on the special connection between people and technology. Rather than delving deeply into people or technology on their own, we'll explore how to build that bridge that links them.

Interaction design refers to what happens between those who use products and the products themselves. While there is a vast universe of products out there, here we focus on those from the tech world: user interfaces of websites and apps.

What is an interface? It's that link, that connection between a person and software. It's the visible face of the software, what we directly interact with, whether it's to buy a ticket to an event, book hotels or flights, and more.

In summary, in this course, we will delve into the art and science of designing user-friendly and understandable interfaces that allow users to achieve their goals efficiently. Get ready to acquire the tools and skills necessary to design and evaluate effective interfaces.

• The subject within the syllabus as a whole

This is a compulsory course that helps identify and conceptualize the foundations of the design of interaction and the design of interfaces.

• Professional fields to which it applies

The multidisciplinary nature of the HCI (Human Computer Interaction) course makes its study very useful to both students and professionals from interdisciplinary fields, such as:

• Computer science
• Engineering
• Data Science
• Audiovisual communication
• Graphic design
• Industrial design
• Psychology

• Prior knowledge

The class is independent of the other courses of the degree. However, it is recommended that the student taking the course have basic notions of programming, HTML, CSS, and software engineering, especially the application development life cycle.

• Information prior to enrolment

To enroll this course it is recommended to have completed (or to study in parallel) the "Software
Engineering" course.

• Learning objectives and results

The competencies of the degree concerning the course are:

• Evaluate software solutions and draw proposals for development projects, considering the resources, the available alternatives, and the market conditions.
• Design and build computer applications using development, integration, and reuse techniques.
• Apply specific software engineering techniques to the different stages of a project's life cycle.
• Design people-centric solutions.

The main objective of this course is for the student to be able to design user-centered technological systems. This objective is achieved in the following learning outcomes:

• Understand the fundamentals of Human-Computer Interaction and the human, technological, and design aspects that make up it.
• Understand User-Centered Design, the stages that comprise it, and its iterative process.
• Understand how to apply User-Centered Design in analyzing, developing, and evaluating interactive systems and computer applications.
• Understand how to evaluate the accessibility of websites.

• Content

The contents of the course are structured into the five blocks presented below. All of them use the learning resources of the course as well as complementary readings.

Challenge 1: Research: Exploring the Scenario

• Understand the types of users in our interactive service.
• Explore similar existing tools to understand what is being done and how.
• Analyze how the basics of Human-Computer Interaction are being applied in the given case.

Challenge: Definition: Synthesis of the proposal

• Define major events' flow to find aspects we can improve or clarify.
• Carry out a user test with potential stakeholders involved to analyze their needs.
• Develop the first drafts of possible solutions.

Challenge 3: Generation: implementation of a low-fidelity prototype

• Generating a low-level prototype.
• Draw a user journey following the Happy Path approach.
• Check how we are applying the fundamental concepts of the field of study.

Challenge 4: Evaluation: prototype testing and assessment

• Perform a user test again to evaluate the improvement.
• Evaluate the usability of a colleague's proposal.
• Evaluate the accessibility of our proposal.
• Preparation of the final report.

• View the UOC learning resources used in the subject

• Additional information on support tools and learning resources

The subject's didactic material consists of didactic modules (in multiformat) and complementary readings that the teacher will make available in the classroom.

In addition to the subject's material, it is recommended to consult other books, such as those contained in the recommended bibliography of each module, or links to websites that also appear there or others that may be suggested throughout the course.

The software that the student knows previously and is suitable for completion can be used to carry out the assignment assignments. In addition, the teacher can recommend the tools best suited to the objectives to be achieved in practice.

• Guidelines on assessment at the UOC

The assessment process is based on students' own work and the assumption that this work is original and has been carried out by them.

In assessment activities, the following irregular behaviours, among others, may have serious academic and disciplinary consequences: someone else being involved in carrying out the student's assessment test or activity, or the work being not entirely original; copying another's work or committing plagiarism; attempting to cheat to obtain better academic results; collaborating in, covering up or encouraging copying; or using unauthorized material, software or devices during assessment.

If students are caught engaging in any of these irregular behaviours, they may receive a fail mark (D/0) for the assessable activities set out in the course plan (including the final tests) or in the final mark for the course. This could be because they have used unauthorized materials, software or devices (e.g. social networking sites or internet search engines) during the tests, because they have copied text fragments from an external source (internet, notes, books, articles, other student's projects or activities, etc.) without correctly citing the source, or because they have engaged in any other irregular conduct.

In accordance with the UOC's academic regulations , irregular conduct during assessment, besides leading to a failing mark for the course, may be grounds for disciplinary proceedings and, where appropriate, the corresponding punishment, as established in the UOC's coexistence regulations.

In its assessment process, the UOC reserves the right to:

• Ask the student to provide proof of their identity, as established in the university's academic regulations.
• Request that students provide evidence of the authorship of their work, throughout the assessment process, both in continuous and final assessment, by means of an oral test or by whatever other synchronous or asynchronous means the UOC specifies. These means will check students' knowledge and competencies to verify authorship of their work, and under no circumstances will they constitute a second assessment. If it is not possible to guarantee the student's authorship, they will receive a D grade in the case of continuous assessment or a Fail in the case of final assessment.

  For this purpose, the UOC may require that students use a microphone, webcam or other devices during the assessment process, in which case it will be the student's responsibility to check that such devices are working correctly.

• View the assessment model