DSGN 495-21: Designing Product Interactions
Quarter Offered
Spring : Friday, 9:00am-12:00pm in the Ford Design Studio, Ford 1.230 ; Craig Sampson & Nick Marchuk
Description
Why does that particular button make me feel more confident? Why are microsurgeons who are gamers better surgeons? Why is it nearly impossible to type on a tablet? Designing Product Interactions is an experimental course exploring these questions and bridging engineering design and perceptual psychology. This is where people and products come together. We will take a broad look at the “engineering of experiences,” combining a study of the physical properties and capabilities of objects, with a deeper understanding of how multiple human senses come together to create a human perception, or “experience.” We then use that knowledge to design new interactions that combine vision, hearing, and touch in compelling ways.
The class format includes guest lectures and instructor lectures, with a high degree of student involvement and discussion. Assignments include research and writing, but are primarily “demo projects” in which small teams will build working prototypes which demonstrate various interactions, and present these in class.
Learn more about the instructors, Craig Sampson and Nick Marchuk.
Prerequisites
This course is intended for graduate students in the MS Engineering Design Innovation (EDI) program, though students from other programs will be considered if they demonstrate relevant experience and interest. Due to the interactive nature of the course, enrollment is limited. The instructors seek to create a diverse community of students with a range of skills and backgrounds, who will be organized into a variety of project teams throughout the course. While there are no formal prerequisite courses, we expect students to have at least some experience in the design process, prototyping, and mechanical/electronic/mechatronic design. It is important to understand that this is a project-based course focusing on the design of interactions, and we will spend only limited time teaching skills such as mechatronics. Students with less experience in these areas should expect to devote time beyond the regular course activities to develop these skills.
Interested students should submit a portfolio+resume and a statement of interest via Google form to the instructors, and the instructors will respond regarding enrollment status and issue registration permission numbers. The link and deadline for submission will be established in late winter quarter, and this page will be updated accordingly.
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