DES 3400 Design Entrepreneurship Studio: Prototyping Methods and Evaluation in User Experience Design

  • Instructor: Aaron Yang, Ph.D.
  • Email: aayang@iastate.edu
  • Learn more about your instructor: https://aaronyang.me/

Learning Objectives:

During this course, students will

  • Gain on-hand UI design experience.
  • Understand prototyping process for user experience design.
  • Get familiar with industry-standard prototyping tools.
  • Practice prototyping in different fidelity levels.
  • Practice advanced prototyping techniques.
  • Conduct usability testing for design iteration and evaluation.
  • Manage design project and assets in a collaborative environment.
  • Create development-ready document.

Learning Outcomes:

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

  • Apply UI design principles to create visually appealing and user-friendly interfaces. They will understand the importance of user-centric design and how to incorporate user needs into the design process.
  • Effectively translate design ideas into testable prototypes through a prototyping process from conceptualization to implementation.
  • Utilize industry-standard prototyping tools.
  • Practice prototyping at various fidelity levels, ranging from low-fidelity wireframes to high-fidelity interactive prototypes. They will understand when and how to use different fidelity levels to communicate design concepts and gather user feedback effectively.
  • Apply advanced prototyping techniques and create high-quality prototypes and engaging user interactions.
  • Evaluate their designs by Conducting usability testing, observation, and interviews.
  • Manage Design Projects in a Collaborative Environment. They will learn how to communicate and collaborate with team members effectively, ensuring smooth project execution and timely delivery of design deliverables.
  • Create Development-Ready Documents. Students will learn to use design tools and conventions to ensure clarity and accuracy in design handoffs.

Course Activities:

  • Individual practice for prototyping methods and techniques.
  • Group projects.
  • Group discussion and critique.
  • Case study analysis.

Course Outline:

Week 1:

  • Introduction to prototyping
  • Understanding the purpures of prototype
  • Overview of UI elements

Week 2:

  • User flow
  • Site map
  • Sketch

Week 3:

  • Rapid prototyping
  • Usability testing

Week 4:

  • Introduction to prototyping tool
  • Wireframing and medium-fidelity prototyping

Week 5:

  • Component-based Prototyping for UI

Week 6:

  • Style management for UI design

Week 7:

  • Prototyping techniques for user interaction
  • Animation and transition

Week 8:

  • Prototyping for various devices (responsive design)
  • Prototyping for various technologies

Week 9:

  • Introduction to Design Evaluation
  • Matrix for user experience measurement
  • Observation, survey, and interview

Week 10:

  • Design system
  • Development Handoff

Final Project:

Week 11. User flow, site map, and sketching

Week 12. Low-fidelity prototyping and testing.

Week 13. High-fidelity prototyping and evaluation.

Week 14. Design documentation and delivery.

Week 15 – 16. Final presentation and critique.

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