Algonquin College
MAD9034
User Experience Design
Course Outline
2021-2022
- Pre-requisite(s)
- MAD9020
- Co-requisite(s)
- N/A
- Prepared by
- Steve Griffith
- Approved by
- Dan Pihlainen, Chair, Media Studies
- Approval date
- Thursday, July 22, 2021
- Normative hours
- 56.00
- Grading system
- A+ Through F
| Applicable Program | Level | Core/Elective |
|---|---|---|
| 1515X01FWO - Mobile App. Des. & Dev | 3 | Core |
Course Description
Going beyond the basics of graphics and user interface fundamentals, students learn how to combine these elements to create intuitive, efficient and enjoyable products. Students are introduced to a user-centered approach to designing mobile applications. Students begin with user research and build toward creating interaction design specifications in the form of wireframe documents. Topics such as information architecture, navigation and orientation, and interaction design principles are discussed and applied.
Vocational Learning Outcomes
This course provides the opportunity for you to achieve the following outcomes:
1515X01FWO - Mobile App. Des. & Dev
| VLO 1 | Identify requirements and implement mobile solutions. (T, A) |
|---|---|
| VLO 3 | Create effective user interfaces that leverage evolving mobile device capabilities. (T, A, CP) |
| VLO 11 | Identify and apply discipline-specific practices that contribute to the local and global community through social responsibility, economic commitment and environmental stewardship. (T, A) |
Assessment Levels —T: Taught A: Assessed CP: Culminating Performance
Essential Employability Skills
This course contributes to your program by helping you achieve the following Essential Employability Skills:
| EES 1 | Communicate clearly, concisely and correctly in the written, spoken and visual form that fulfills the purpose and meets the needs of the audience. (T, A) |
|---|---|
| EES 2 | Respond to written, spoken or visual messages in a manner that ensures effective communication. (T, A) |
| EES 5 | Use a variety of thinking skills to anticipate and solve problems. (T, A) |
| EES 8 | Show respect for diverse opinions, values, belief systems and contributions of others. (CP) |
Assessment Levels —T: Taught A: Assessed CP: Culminating Performance
Course Learning Outcomes / Elements of Performance
When you have earned credit for this course, you will have demonstrated the ability to:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of User Experience Design.
1.1
Explain the difference between User Interface and User Experience Design..
1.2
Describe the benefits of User Experience Design
1.3
Explain the difference between interaction design and visual design.
1.4
Describe the Goal-Directed Design Process
2. Conduct user research to determine user requirements.
2.1
Conduct interviews with intended end users.
2.2
Observe users in order to determine their goals, tasks, and context of use.
3. Communicate user requirements in the form of personas and scenarios.
3.1
Identify primary and secondary personas.
3.2
Analyze persona goals to determine ideal task flows.
3.3
Use both text and visual methods to create scenarios.
4. Create interaction design specifications in the form of wireframe documents.
4.1
Apply interaction design principles and guidelines.
4.2
Use personas and scenarios to drive product design.
4.3
Design interactive mobile applications.
4.4
Design interactive mobile web sites.
Learning Resources
- Course notes - BrightSpace LMS
- Web-based readings and resources
- Recommended textbook:
- Cooper, Alan. (2004). The Inmates Are Running the Asylum: Why High-Tech Products Drive Us Crazy and How to Restore the Sanity. Sams Publishing. ISBN-13: 978-0672326141
- Krug, Steve (2009). Rocket Surgery Made Easy: The Do-It-Yourself Guide to Finding and Fixing Usability Problems. ISBN-13: 978-0321657299
This course is part of the Bring Your Own Device (laptop) program initiative at Algonquin College.
Students are required to have a functioning laptop at all lecture and lab classes.
The specifications for the required laptop and additional information about the mobile program initiative can be found at http://www.algonquincollege.com/html/byod
Learning Activities
- Online Lesson notes
- Links to online resources
- In-class lectures and presentations
- In-class group work
- Research and written exercises
- Online exercises
- Contributions to online discussions
Pre-defined Evaluation / Earning Credit
The following list provides evidence of this course's learning achievements and the outcomes they validate:
Assignment(s) (50%)
Validates Outcomes: CLO 1, CLO 2, CLO 3, CLO 4, EES 1, EES 2, EES 5
Practical Assessment (s) (10%)
Validates Outcomes: CLO 1, CLO 4, EES 2, EES 5, EES 8
Presentation(s) (10%)
Validates Outcomes: CLO 1, CLO 3, EES 1
Practical Project(s) (30%)
Validates Outcomes: CLO 3, CLO 4, EES 1, EES 2, EES 5, EES 8
Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition
Students who wish to apply for Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) need to demonstrate competency at a post-secondary level in all outlined course learning outcomes. Evidence of learning achievement for PLAR candidates includes:
- Portfolio
- Performance Test
- Project/Assignment
Other Information
Grade Scheme
| Final Grade | Mark Equivalent | Numeric Value | Final Grade | Mark Equivalent | Numeric Value |
| A+ | 90% - 100% | 4.0 | A | 85% - 89% | 3.8 |
| A- | 80% - 84% | 3.6 | B+ | 77% - 79% | 3.3 |
| B | 73% - 76% | 3.0 | B- | 70% - 72% | 2.7 |
| C+ | 67% - 69% | 2.3 | C | 63% - 66% | 2.0 |
| C- | 60% - 62% | 1.7 | D+ | 57% - 59% | 1.4 |
| D | 53% - 56% | 1.2 | D- | 50% - 52% | 1.0 |
| F | 0% - 49% | 0 | FSP | 0 | 0 |
Course Related Information
Please refer to the Course website weekly schedule for specific course-related information as provided by your professor.
Program Information
1515X01FWO - Mobile App. Des. & Dev
The late policy for assignments is a 10% per day deduction to a maximum of 30%.
If an assignment is still not submitted 10 days after the due date then a grade of zero will be given for the assignment. Students can still submit work for review and feedback after the 10 days but no grade will be given.
Any extensions to due dates must be arranged with the course instructor BEFORE the due date.
If an assignment is still not submitted 10 days after the due date then a grade of zero will be given for the assignment. Students can still submit work for review and feedback after the 10 days but no grade will be given.
Any extensions to due dates must be arranged with the course instructor BEFORE the due date.
Department Information
College Related Information
Algonquin College’s policies have been developed to ensure the health, safety and security of all students, faculty and staff, and the proper and fair operation of the College as an academic institution and employer. Please refer to the Algonquin College Policies website for the most current policy information available at http://www.algonquincollege.com/policies/.
Students are especially encouraged to be aware of the following College expectations
Academic Integrity
Algonquin College is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity, and students are expected to uphold these standards as part of the learning process. Any academic work submitted by a student is expected to be their own work, unless designated otherwise and all sources must be attributed. All students should be familiar with the Algonquin College policy AA48: Academic Integrity . In some courses, online proctoring may be used to discourage cheating. Additional information can be found at https://www.algonquincollege.com/studentsupportservices/student-learning-kit/preparing-to-learn-online/. Students with any questions about the course expectations for academic dishonesty and plagiarism are encouraged to speak to their professor.
Centre for Accessible Learning
Students with visible and/or non-visible disabilities are encouraged to register with the Centre for Accessible Learning (CAL) in order to be eligible for appropriate learning supports and/or accommodations. Students are strongly encouraged to make an appointment at the Centre for Accessible Learning as early as possible when starting a program. Once your needs are identified, a Letter of Accommodation (LOA) will be issued which you can share with your professors. If you are a returning student, please ensure that professors are given a copy of your LOA each semester.
College Email
Students at Algonquin College are provided with a college email account. This is the address that will be used when the College, your professors, or your fellow students communicate important information about your program or course activities. Your network credentials can be found in the ACSIS portal and you are expected to check your Algonquin email regularly and to use it to send and receive college-related email. Support is available through the college Information Technology Service (ITS) at: https://www.algonquincollege.com/its/
Retroactive Accommodations
Students are expected to meet evaluation and completion deadlines as stated in course outline and course section information documents. In circumstances where evaluation and/or completion deadlines are missed or student performance has been affected by a temporary or permanent disability (including mental health), interim or retroactive accommodations may be considered. In such instances, please consult your course faculty member. For other situations where deferral of evaluations may be warranted, please consult Algonquin College Policy AA21: Deferred Evaluation.
Student Course Feedback
Algonquin College’s invites students to share their course experience by completing a student course feedback survey for each course they take. For further details consult Algonquin College Policy AA25: Student Course Feedback.
Use of Mobile Devices in Class
With the proliferation of small, personal mobile devices used for communications and data storage, Algonquin College believes there is a need to address their use during classes and examinations. During classes, the use of such devices can be disruptive and disrespectful to others. During examinations, the use of such devices may facilitate cheating. For further details consult Algonquin College Policy AA32: Use of Mobile Devices in Class
Technology Requirements
As Algonquin College continues to respond to public health guidelines, many courses will be offered through remote delivery. As such, students will be required to have access to a computer and to the internet. There may also be additional technology-related resources required to participate in a course that are not included in the course materials fee, such as headphones, webcams, specialized software, etc. Details on these requirements can be found in the Course Section Information of the course outline for each course available on Brightspace.
Transfer of Credit
It is the student’s responsibility to retain course outlines for possible future use to support applications for transfer of credit to other educational institutions.
Students are especially encouraged to be aware of the following College expectations
Academic Integrity
Algonquin College is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity, and students are expected to uphold these standards as part of the learning process. Any academic work submitted by a student is expected to be their own work, unless designated otherwise and all sources must be attributed. All students should be familiar with the Algonquin College policy AA48: Academic Integrity . In some courses, online proctoring may be used to discourage cheating. Additional information can be found at https://www.algonquincollege.com/studentsupportservices/student-learning-kit/preparing-to-learn-online/. Students with any questions about the course expectations for academic dishonesty and plagiarism are encouraged to speak to their professor.
Centre for Accessible Learning
Students with visible and/or non-visible disabilities are encouraged to register with the Centre for Accessible Learning (CAL) in order to be eligible for appropriate learning supports and/or accommodations. Students are strongly encouraged to make an appointment at the Centre for Accessible Learning as early as possible when starting a program. Once your needs are identified, a Letter of Accommodation (LOA) will be issued which you can share with your professors. If you are a returning student, please ensure that professors are given a copy of your LOA each semester.
College Email
Students at Algonquin College are provided with a college email account. This is the address that will be used when the College, your professors, or your fellow students communicate important information about your program or course activities. Your network credentials can be found in the ACSIS portal and you are expected to check your Algonquin email regularly and to use it to send and receive college-related email. Support is available through the college Information Technology Service (ITS) at: https://www.algonquincollege.com/its/
Retroactive Accommodations
Students are expected to meet evaluation and completion deadlines as stated in course outline and course section information documents. In circumstances where evaluation and/or completion deadlines are missed or student performance has been affected by a temporary or permanent disability (including mental health), interim or retroactive accommodations may be considered. In such instances, please consult your course faculty member. For other situations where deferral of evaluations may be warranted, please consult Algonquin College Policy AA21: Deferred Evaluation.
Student Course Feedback
Algonquin College’s invites students to share their course experience by completing a student course feedback survey for each course they take. For further details consult Algonquin College Policy AA25: Student Course Feedback.
Use of Mobile Devices in Class
With the proliferation of small, personal mobile devices used for communications and data storage, Algonquin College believes there is a need to address their use during classes and examinations. During classes, the use of such devices can be disruptive and disrespectful to others. During examinations, the use of such devices may facilitate cheating. For further details consult Algonquin College Policy AA32: Use of Mobile Devices in Class
Technology Requirements
As Algonquin College continues to respond to public health guidelines, many courses will be offered through remote delivery. As such, students will be required to have access to a computer and to the internet. There may also be additional technology-related resources required to participate in a course that are not included in the course materials fee, such as headphones, webcams, specialized software, etc. Details on these requirements can be found in the Course Section Information of the course outline for each course available on Brightspace.
Transfer of Credit
It is the student’s responsibility to retain course outlines for possible future use to support applications for transfer of credit to other educational institutions.