Unit rationale, description and aim
In an increasingly digital world, designing user-centred technologies is vital for inclusive and intuitive solutions. This unit presents fundamentals of user research, prototyping, usability testing, and Human Computer interaction (HCI) methods guided by psychological theories and cutting-edge advancements to evaluate and improve User Experiences (UX). Students will undertake tasks and human-centered projects that combine theoretical knowledge with practical motivations, using user research findings to drive iterative design improvements. By the end of the unit, students will be equipped by competencies needed to conceive, refine, and evaluate interactive systems that address diverse user needs.
Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unit.Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Identify fundamental user groups and interface req...
Learning Outcome 01
Explain the influence of human psychological, cogn...
Learning Outcome 02
Evaluate interfaces using user-centred and heurist...
Learning Outcome 03
Apply established design approaches across differe...
Learning Outcome 04
Communicate user requirements and interface design...
Learning Outcome 05
Content
Topics for this unit include:
- Human Computer Interaction introduction.
- Design Goals and Rules for Interface Design.
- Human perception and cognition, emotion and motivation, and cognitive frameworks.
- Individual Differences and Interaction Design in Practice
- Problem analysis by establishing user groups and their requirements
- Data gathering techniques
- Data analysis, interpretation and presentation.
- Conceptual Design and prototypes.
- Evaluation basics and Planning evaluation.
- Usability Test and prototype presentation.
- Social interfaces.
- Computer supported collaborative work (CSCW).
- Emotional and affective interfaces.
- Ubiquitous Computing, Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality trends.
Assessment strategy and rationale
The assessment process in this course is designed to progressively develop students' understanding and practical skills in HCI and UX. The first assessment involves completing small practical tasks that highlight design decisions, user needs, and research, allowing students to demonstrate their grasp of core concepts during labs. In the second assessment, students critically analyse the design of a selected website and mobile application, applying HCI and UX principles to identify usability challenges and propose improvements. The final assessment is a comprehensive report and prototype project, where students tackle real-world problems by applying critical thinking and problem-solving skills, while focusing on data ethics. This project mirrors professional HCI and UX workflows, requiring students to describe the problem, define objectives, and demonstrate their design solutions through prototyping and user feedback, culminating in a video presentation showcasing the interface and proposed enhancements. To pass this unit, students must demonstrate competence in all learning outcomes and achieve an aggregate mark of at least 50%. Marking will be in accordance with a rubric specifically developed to measure students’ level of achievement of the learning outcomes for each item of assessment. Students will be awarded a final grade which signifies their overall achievement in the unit.
Overview of assessments
Assessment Task 1: Practical Tasks The fir...
Assessment Task 1: Practical Tasks
The first assessment consists of small practical tasks showing why and what is built as design decisions, user needs, and research. The assessment requires students to demonstrate their understanding of the Human Computer Interaction (HCI) and User Experience (UX) concepts.
Submission Type: Individual
Artifact: reports and Program
Due Date: Ongoing, Fortnightly in the lab
20%
Assessment Task 2: Requirements and Design Featur...
Assessment Task 2: Requirements and Design Features Report
The second assessment evaluates students' understanding of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and User Experience (UX) concepts by analysing and critiquing the design of a selected website and mobile application. Students will apply critical thinking to assess interface requirements, identify usability challenges, and suggest design improvements.
Submission Type: Individual
Due Date: Week 7
35%
Assessment Task 3: Applied HCI and UX: Prototype ...
Assessment Task 3: Applied HCI and UX: Prototype Development and Evaluation
The final assessment is a report and a small prototype project. It requires students to apply the critical thinking and problem-solving skills on a real-world problem with consideration of data ethics. This creates a practical process that mirrors real-world HCI and UX workflows.
Students will practice skills of HCI and UX concepts and improve their ability to gain insights from describing the problem, objectives and significance. They will demonstrate the methods used in producing a solution. A short video is submitted to demonstrate the prototype if the designed interfaces. Students will provide user feedback on usability and usefulness with suggestions for further improvement.
Submission Type: Individual
Due Date: Week 11
45%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
Students should anticipate undertaking 150 hours of study for this unit over a twelve-week semester or equivalent study period, including class attendance, readings, online forum participation and assessment preparation.
This unit may be offered in “Attendance” and/or “Online” mode to cater for the learning needs and preferences of a range of participants.
Attendance Mode
Students will require face-to-face attendance in blocks of time determined by the school. Students will have face-to-face interactions with lecturer(s) to further their achievement of the learning outcomes. This unit is structured with required upfront preparation before workshops. The online learning platforms used in this unit provide multiple forms of preparatory and practice opportunities for students to prepare and revise.
Online Mode
This unit utilises an active learning approach whereby students will engage in e-module activities, readings and reflections, and opportunities to collaborate with peers in an online environment. This can involve, but is not limited to, online workshops, online discussion forums, chat rooms, guided reading, and webinars. Pre-recorded lectures will be incorporated within the online learning environment and e-modules. In addition, electronic readings will be provided to guide students’ reading and extend other aspects of online learning.
Representative texts and references
Readings for this unit can be accessed through the ACU Library:
- Preece, J., Rogers, Y., & Sharp, H. (2019). Interaction design: beyond human-computer interaction (Fifth edition.). Wiley.
- Franklin, N. (2013). The UX book: Process and guidelines for ensuring a quality user experience by Rex Hartson and Pardha A. Pyla, San Diego: Morgan Kaufmann. 2012. Communication Design Quarterly Review, 2(1), 67–72. https://doi.org/10.1145/2559866.255987
Additional reading:
- Benyon, D. (2019). Designing User Experience: A Guide to Hci, Ux and Interaction Design (Fourth edition.). Pearson Education, Limited.
- Aykin, Nuray, ed. Usability and Internationalization. HCI and Culture: Second International Conference on Usability and Internationalization, UI-HCII 2007, Held as Part of HCI International 2007, Beijing, China, July 22-27, 2007, Proceedings, Part I. Vol. 4559. Springer, 2007.
- Salgado, L., Pereira, R., Gasparini, I. (2015). Cultural Issues in HCI: Challenges and Opportunities. In: Kurosu, M. (eds) Human-Computer Interaction: Design and Evaluation. HCI 2015. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 9169. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20901-2_6
- Green, T., & Labrecque, J. (2023). A Guide to UX Design and Development: Developer’s Journey Through the UX Process (1st ed.). Apress L. P. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-9576-2