User Interface Design

Overview

Course description

This is a project-based course providing a comprehensive introduction to user interface (UI) design. Topics include goals and history of UI design, human-computer interactions and user experience, social impact of UI, and the UI design process. Students incorporate major aspects of user interface design, including user research, user interface patterns, prototyping, and evaluation, into a group project that provides them with hands-on experience of UI design disciplines.

Course content

1. The process of interaction design

User-centered methodology
Design quality factors (e.g. user experience & usability)
Interaction design concepts and principles (e.g. Norman's, Nielsen's)

2. Conceptualizing interaction

Conceptual models
Interface metaphors
Interaction types
Paradigms, visions, and frameworks

3. Social and emotional interaction

Face-to-face vs. remote conversations
Expressive and annoying interfaces
Detecting emotions and emotional technology
Persuasive technologies and behavioral change

4. The user interface design process

Interface types
Establishing requirements
Task description and analysis
Prototyping
Conceptual and concrete design
Using scenarios

5. Introduction to user interface design evaluation

Data gathering plans
Interview variations (structured, semi-structured, unstructured)
Observation variations (simple, think-aloud, co-discovery)
Questionnaires & surveys
Budget methods (cognitive walkthroughs, heuristic evaluations)
Usability evaluations
Data analysis, interpretation and presentation
Ethical research with human participants

Learning activities

The topics are covered through in-class lectures, laboratory assignments, projects, readings, and research.

Means of assessment

Assessment will be in accordance with the Douglas College Evaluation Policy. The instructor will present a written course outline with specific evaluation criteria at the beginning of the semester. Evaluation will be based on the following:

Assignments	0-15%
Quizzes	0-15%
Project	25-35%
Term Tests	20-35%
Final Exam	25-35%
Total	100%

In order to receive a D grade (or higher) in the course, students must receive an overall course grade of at least 50% and a grade of at least 50% on the combined weighted examination components (Term Test(s) and the Final Exam).

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

describe the process of interaction and user experience design;
identify the human need supported by an interface and conceptualize human-computer interaction;
identify the role of psychology and human factors in the user interface design process;
describe interface metaphors, models, and paradigms;
identify various types of interaction, including social and emotional interactions;
utilize different user research methods to sketch an effective design;
use theoretical frameworks in data analysis;
evaluate, apply, and adapt various user interface design patterns;
utilize standard tools and techniques to design an appropriate user interface based on the requirements of the specific context and platform of use;
use scenarios to create a conceptual design;
generate prototypes using design rationales;
plan and run an evaluation to assess the quality and usability of a designed user interface.

Textbook materials

Consult the Douglas College Bookstore for the latest required textbooks and materials. Sample textbooks and materials may include:

Sharp, H., Rogers, Y., and Preece, J. (Current Edition) Interaction Design: Beyond Human Computer Interaction. John Wiley and Sons, ISBN: 9781119020752.

Requisites

Prerequisites

CMPT 2300 (C or better) or CSIS 3475 (C or better)

Corequisites

No corequisite courses.

Equivalencies

CMPT 2363

Course Guidelines

Course Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this course and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the course, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

May 2026 (Current)

Course Transfers to Other Institutions

Below are current transfer agreements from Douglas College to other institutions for the current course guidelines only. For a full list of transfer details and archived courses, please see the BC Transfer Guide.

Institution	Transfer details for CMPT 3363
There are no applicable transfer credits for this course.