Accessibility statement

User Centred Design for Interactive Technologies - COM00125M

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  • Department: Computer Science
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: M
  • Academic year of delivery: 2022-23

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Autumn Term 2022-23

Module aims

The module will provide students the foundations of knowledge to create usable and accessible interactive systems that promote positive experiences for their users.

This module will provide students with an understanding of how users undertake goals and tasks in interactive systems. Students will be exposed to concepts about human perception and cognition, which will be directly related to how to design usable interactive systems.

This module will provide them with the methodological knowledge to capture and represent requirements for interactive systems, to undertake conceptual design that will ground interactive systems in users’ language and skills, to create physical prototypes of designs through low-fidelity means and to evaluate those prototypes for key attributes of quality in interactive systems.

Module learning outcomes

Subject Content:

Relate basic human perceptual, cognitive and memory processes to the design and evaluation of interactive systems

Describe and identify some basic principles of perceptual, cognitive and social psychology

Apply the theoretical knowledge to practical problems in designing and improving interactive systems

Justify a user-centred approach for successful interaction design including how well designed technology can improve the well-being of people who use it in their everyday lives.

Understand how requirements from stakeholders can influence the design of interactive systems. This includes an understanding that all users have different needs and preferences including accessibility for people with disabilities or cross-cultural factors relating to globalisation/localisation of interfaces.

Undertake conceptual design and analysis to understand the people for whom interactive systems are designed and what tasks the technology will support

Apply some user-centred design methods to practical design problems in a context that is similar to existing professional practices

Develop basic prototypes with a range of interaction styles and technologies

Evaluate interactive technologies for usability and user experience criteria through expert inspection and through user studies. This includes an understanding of the ethical issues surrounding working with users, in particular appropriate respect and treatment of participants and informed consent during participation.

Academic and graduate skills

Critique and analyse their own interactive systems

Defend choices made in design and implementation

Indicative assessment

Task % of module mark
Groupwork 100

Special assessment rules

None

Indicative reassessment

Task % of module mark
Essay/coursework 100

Module feedback

Feedback will be provided through the department’s online feedback system that provides provisional marks and written feedback.

Indicative reading

Cooper, A., Reimann, R., Cronin, D., & Noessel, C. (2014). About Face: The essentials of interaction design. John Wiley & Sons.

Preece, Rogers & Sharp, Interaction Design, 4th edn, Wiley & Sons, 2015


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University constantly explores ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary. In some instances it may be appropriate for the University to notify and consult with affected students about module changes in accordance with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.