Interaction Design Process FS25

Spring 2025: March 17 - April 17.

Instructors:
Dr Joëlle Bitton
joelle.bitton@zhdk.ch 

Nicole Foelsterl
nicole.foelsterl@zhdk.ch

The module takes place from March 17 - April 17, over 5 weeks, from Monday to Friday each week, 9.00-17.00.
On Mondays, depending on the week, the Method class takes place in mornings or afternoons overlapping with the Process class, and Friday mornings are for your BA theory courses
- See detailed calendar below (room info in Evento). 
**Some sessions may take place via Zoom (although sessions happening both in Zoom and in presence at the same time will not be possible).

Class sessions include lectures, discussions, mentoring sessions, in-class exercises, home assignments and independent study blocks (students are expected to iterate and advance versions in between sessions together).

The studio course runs in parallel with the seminar course "Interaction Design Methods" and is a platform to apply ideas and concepts discussed in the seminar, therefore the two courses are actually an ensemble.
Projects are conducted in groups of 4 students. 

Overview and Objectives

This course puts the students in the context of realising an interaction design outcome from initial idea to final proposal, with a particular emphasis on field research and user-experience.
In this interaction design process, students work through the several stages of project development: Context/User Inquiry, Concept Generation and Iteration, Idea Testing, Prototype Development and Evaluation. 

Within these stages of observation, creation, and evaluation, we discuss and apply situated and user-centered methods (eg. bodystorming, context analysis, video scenarios, etc).

This course is project-based and allow students to have a hands-on experience.
Organised in groups, students develop innovative design concept for a product, a service or an experience. 

Overarching Topic: Absurdity in a world of systemic issues

The topic for this class addresses the typical design premise of interaction designers' wishes to have a societal impact. People-centered design is at the core of interaction design studies and human-computer interaction research. What does this premise actually mean? What are the limitations, frustrations, realities of designing on the ground?  Should we still consider the role of designer as "problem-solver"? And what if we should move away from a human-centric design to a non-human one? We thus uncover the contradictions of a designer's responsibility, agency and idealisation. The class looks indeed at changes not in term of individual behaviours but checking if systemic changes could happen from a design proposal. 

• to design through personal exploration and in communication with others (participatory design)
• to search for new possibilities/opportunites/alternatives for interactive products, rather than responding to a set of given requirements
• to use a variety of methods and tools which can be existing design practices, can be borrowed from other disciplines and can be developed by designers themselves 
• to apply ethical guidelines in co-design 

Course Outline

Your project development is structured in following steps:

• Week 1: Into the Wild!
  User, context and/or technology inquiry
  Methods: direct and participatory observation, video ethnography, interviews, questionnaires, etc.

• Week 2: Idea Transfers
  Researching, Enacting and testing ideas, 
  Methods: sketching, rapid mockups, bodystorming, brainstorming, participatory methods, etc
  
  
• Week 3: Play 
  Creating prototypes and confronting them to the 'real world'
  Methods: creating and testing prototype in specific locations, engaging further with users in participatory methods, with mockups, scenarios, cultural probes, ...

• Week 4: Storytelling 
  How can you use storytelling to prototype your concept and evaluate its relevance? This is also an opportunity to further engage with your users.
  Methods: forms of evaluation, from user-testing to narratives enacting scenarios
  
  
• Week 5: Final Production: last user tests, prototype and film
  Evaluating the relevance of your work with users (has it achieved its goals?), Finalising the prototype and Producing a video
  
  
• (Week 6: Polishing details/Final Documentation)

Mandatory Assignments & Deliverables

• Final Works

The final outcome of the class is in two-parts: a working prototype, user-tested and demoed/exhibited - it can be an interaction design product, service and/or experience. And a short film showing the prototype in use, grounded in the understanding of the users and the context. This film is also as a way to prototype, evaluate and disseminate your proposal.

• • An advanced first cut of the video should be delivered by Monday 14.4 morning on server
    
    

• Home/In-class assignments
  

Throughout the module, various short home & in-class assignments will be given to practice concepts discussed in class.

• Group presentations & regular check-ins

Interval group presentations/check-ins each week present the advancement of the group's project and highlight the specific requirements of that week. For some presentations, all the class attends and for 'check-ins', the session is with each group (see calendar below for details).
Each presentation is structured so that each group member introduces an aspect of the project (all group members are required to attend and to take part). On average, the presentation should be 5-7 minutes.

• • Week 2 check-ins has specific requirements:
    Name of group/project
    Knowledge Inquiry
    5 related works
    Findings from the field / probes
    Where do you want to go
    How do you get there (identify roles, needs, actions)
    Demo of Prototype 1.0
    
    

• Journal/Blog

A separate 'Journal' is developed by each group that reflects on the design process and findings of the project development. It should be in the form of an online blog publicly accessible.

• Final Documentation

Typical IAD requirements to post on server by the end of the course: authors & abstract, high-res images, selected process moments in PDF, video.

Expectations and Grading

Grades will be based on group presentations, class participation, home assignments, documentation (journal) and final work. 
Contributing to constructive group feedback is an essential aspect of class participation.
Regular attendance of 80% is required in all contact sessions. Two or more unexcused absences will affect the final grade. Arriving late on more than one occasion will also affect the grade.

Final work & documentation 50%

Group milestones & engagement with process 30% 

Journal Documentation 20%

Any mandatory assignment (see above) that remains unfulfilled, the student receives a failing grade.  

Course Materials

The course IAD Design Methods provides the background literature for this class.

Teams projects

tba

Calendar

JB: Dr. Joëlle Bitton, NF: Nicole Foesterl