WRIT 574

Usability and User Experience

4 Undergraduate credits
Effective December 14, 2016 – Present

Graduation requirements this course fulfills

This course focuses on usability and user experience for technical and information products. Students learn concepts, principles, processes, and methods of usability and user experience. Students work in teams and conduct a usability study systematically to improve an information product. Topics also include usability in business and organizational settings, usability workflow and governance. Students will also interact with user experience professionals.

Prerequisites

Special information

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Goal 1 Communication. WRIT 372 Document and Information Design I OR WRIT 373 Writing and Designing for the Web I. Waiving any pre-requisite is at the instructor's or department's discretion.

Learning outcomes

General

  • Via research of academic and professional publications, understand in detail a usability-related concept and write a literature review of that research, demonstrating advanced writing skills.
  • Apply advanced critical thinking skills to usability testing and to analyze the results, write a formal report, and present the results in class.
  • Effectively employ principles of editing, information design, and collaboration at an advanced level.
  • Observe a formal usability lab and be able to discuss team roles and equipment used.
  • Plan, design, and conduct a usability test.
  • Understand and describe at least five different methods for conducting user research and when to use these methods.
  • Understand in-depth concepts of usability testing at an advanced level.