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LIS220 meets Mondays 12pm -1:30pm in 52 LIB
& Wednesdays 12pm -1:30pm in 46 LIB
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The Design of Usable
Information Interfaces
LIS 220 Graduate School of Library
& Information Sciences,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
This course is intended to introduce you to the principles and theories
behind professional user interface design. When a user interacts with
a Web site, software application, or multimedia resource they have only
the interface to tell them what the product has to offer and how they
can make use of it. As a result, interface design has a profound impact
on the usefulness, usability, and enjoyment of any interactive system.
In this course, we’ll take an extensive look at the role of the
interface, interface design principles, and the interface design process.
Our focus will be on Web-based information systems and applications.
Web-based systems are relatively easy to develop and mock-up, familiar
to most users, and represent the bulk of foreseeable information systems
and applications. We’ll walk through the complete design process
for a Web-based information resource, participate in multiple “reviews”
of existing interface designs, and explore specific interface design
issues in depth.
Effective interface designs are a “seamless blend of graphic
arts, technology, and psychology”. As a result, we’ll spend
a considerable amount of time learning about the various cross-disciplinary
considerations that constitute interface design. In particular, we’ll
learn from library & information science, graphic design, human
factors, computer science, and how to bring them all together harmoniously.
We’ll also work in teams that exemplify the diverse interests
of design, development, marketing, and management.
Course Structure
Initially, the course will mostly consist of lectures and readings.
I will be covering a lot of ground each week. This first half of the
course will lay the foundation for the remainder. We will discuss interface
design principles and a user-centered design process as we work in teams
on the design of a Web-based resource (Project
1).
Throughout the second half of the course we will review and improve
upon multiple existing interface designs (Project
2). We’ll draw on the information we have accumulated in the
first half of the class to make informed observations and detailed improvements
to a wide range of information interface designs. Simultaneously, we’ll
work on an individual writing assignment that explores advanced issues
in interface design, and present your findings to the outside design
community (Project 3).
There are no assigned textbooks for the class. Instead, you’ll
be encouraged to obtain resources applicable to your interests. I’ll
provide a list of resources and recommended
readings for each of the topics we cover in class. Once you decide
on a direction, you should obtain the relevant resources.
Education Philosophy
My goal as a teacher is to provide you with the resources and understanding
you need to make informed decisions on your own. As a result, I’ll
be stressing interface design considerations (not solutions), and the
interface design process in my talks. I’ll also be encouraging
you to answer questions, bring up concerns, and share your experiences.
I have high expectations of all of my students, and encourage you to
have high expectations of me.
I firmly believe education does not start or stop in the classroom.
Throughout the course, I’ll be bringing “real-world”
considerations (from professional interface design work) into the fold
as often as possible. Our first two projects will be team-learning activities
based on actual interface designs and our third project is specifically
designed for an audience outside of the classroom.
About the Instructor
Luke is the creative director of LukeW
Interface Designs, the author of Site-Seeing:
A Visual Approach to Web Usability (Wiley & Sons, 2002), and
more.
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