1st course in the Embedded Interface Design Specialization

Instructor: Bruce Montgomery, Ph.D., Senior Instructor

This course is an introduction to usability and user experience (UX) design methods that can be applied to embedded devices and systems. UX methods are presented for user analysis, planning, research, design, and verification with both discount and formal UX processes. Includes specifics on embedded interface components, human factors and cognitive psychology, and applied UX tools for wireframes, sketches, testing, and surveys. In addition, there will be practical design exercises using modern UX tools and methods.

Syllabus

Duration: 3 hours

An introduction to User Experience (UX), User Interface (UI), and usability concepts and definitions as they relate to embedded systems and interface development in particular and in general. Includes a comparison of formal UX studies vs. the discount methods reviewed in the class for practical work on UX in design projects. Also a look at some human characteristics that impact the design of embedded interfaces.

Duration: 3 hours

A walk through early planning and analysis stages for UX projects: why the planning matters, methods that can be used. Introduces the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) as a key approach to scope project tasks. Also includes an early look at potential interface components that may be used in embedded designs.

Duration: 3 hours

Focus for this module is on user research - understanding who the users are, what are they trying to accomplish, how can your interface design support and delight them. We review a number of approaches to structuring, performing, and documenting user research, including a special focus on personas of different types and on use cases, both in text and in UML (Unified Modeling Language) graphical formats.

Duration: 3 hours

This module looks at integrating user needs, tasks, and concerns into our UX and UI design work. Standard methods for UX design will be presented, with a particular focus on usability heuristics, a proven approach to assessing and improving an interface design, and on various forms of sketching, an important design tool for every design engineer's toolkit.

Duration: 3 hours

This final module looks at ways to verify the embedded interface designs we've created are acceptable and valid to our users. A number of common testing and related UX methods are reviewed, with some detailed looks at the use of industry standard surveys, like the SUS (System Usability Scale), and the application of statistics to support qualitative UX work with some quantitative measures where needed.

Duration: 2 hours

Final Exam for this course.

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Grading

Assignment
Percentage of Grade

Week 1: Introduction to UX and UI Quiz

5%

Week 2: UX Analysis and Planning Quiz

5%

Peer Review: Project 1 – UX Project Brief or Overview; WBS for UX tasks

10%

Week 3: UX (and User) Research Quiz

5%

Peer Review: Project 2: UX Research – Persona and UML Use Case Diagram

10%

Week 4: UX Design Quiz

5%

Peer Review: Project 3: Sketches and Wireframe

10%

Week 5: UX Verification and Validation Quiz

5%
Peer Review: Peer review of prior project elements 20%
Week 6: Final Exam 25%

Letter Grade Rubric

Letter Grade 
Minimum Percentage

A

93%

A-

90%

B+

87%

B

83%

B-

80%

C+

77%

C

73%

C-

70%

D+

67%

D

60%

F

0%