Creative reflections on interaction design, 7.5 Credits

Contents

This course provides a platform for both theoretical and practical information gathering and individual reflections about the design process and the role of the interaction designer in contributing to sustainable societies.
The course includes reflection on and application of design research practices and individual assignments. The objective of the individual assignments is to identify, map, reflect and propose relevant design spaces and related approaches that could form an initial project brief for a thesis project in the Master's programme in Interaction Design.

Expected learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course the students should be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

• Describe the scope of different design practices and their relationships.

Competence and skills

• Demonstrate ability to draw conclusions from complex information gathering.
• Demonstrate ability to document, articulate and present design spaces and how they address relevant issues in society and in particular how a design space relates to sustainability.

Judgement and approach

• Reflect on relevance of interaction design practice in relation to sustainability issues.
• Identify and argue for relevant design opportunities in complex information gathered.
• Articulate individual perspective on and approach to identified design opportunities.
• Motivate particular design methodologies in relation to identified design opportunities.

Required Knowledge

A Bachelor's degree or equivalent first-cycle qualification comprising of at least 180 ECTS or a corresponding qualification from an internationally recognized university. Specific entry requirements are: 60 ECTS credits in the field of Design. Student must have passed all previous master courses on the Interaction Design Programme, DAIDM, at Umeå Institute of Design. Proficiency in English equivalent to Swedish upper secondary course English B/6.

Form of instruction

Teaching methods include lectures, tutorials and literature studies.

Examination modes

Examination is carried out in the form of oral presentations and individual assignments. In order to pass the entire course, all of the various exercises and obligatory assignments must be completed, submitted and approved. On each assignment and section of the course and for the course as a whole, one of the grades Fail (U) or Pass (G) is given.

Deviations from the course syllabus examination form can be made for a student who has a decision on pedagogical support due to disability. Individual adaptation of the examination form should be considered based on the student's needs. The examination form is adapted within the framework of the expected syllabus of the course syllabus. At the request of the student, the course responsible teacher, in consultation with the examiner, must promptly decide on the adapted examination form. The decision must then be communicated to the student.

For students who have not obtained the grade Pass, other examination sessions will be arranged. A student who for two consecutive examinations for the same course or sub-course
has not been passed, has the right to have another examiner appointed, if there are no special reasons against this (Higher Education Ordinance chapter 6, 22 §). The request for a new examiner shall be made in writing to the Head of Department at Umeå Institute of Design.

ACADEMIC CREDIT TRANSFER
Students have the right to request that previous studies, or equivalent knowledge and skills acquired in a professional, work-related capacity, be validated and transferred into credits on an equivalent course or programme at Umeå University. Applications for credit transfer should be addressed to Student Services/Degree Evaluation Office. More information can be found at the Umeå University student web site (www.student.umu.se/english) and in Chapter 6 of the Higher Education Ordinance. Appeals may be made to the Higher Education Appeals Board (ÖNH) against a decision by the university not to approve an application for credit transfer (Higher Education Ordinance, Chapter 12), even in cases where only a part of the application has been rejected.