Courses offered at IIT Guwahati
Courses offered at IIT Guwahati
1) Design Methods
The "Design Methods" course introduces fundamental methodologies and processes used in design. Through hands-on projects and workshops, students learn different components of user-centered design like user study, problem identification, creative ideation, prototyping, and user testing. Emphasis is on developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills to tackle diverse design challenges effectively.
2) Design Research Methods
"Design Research Methods" provides a comprehensive overview of research techniques essential for the design discipline. Students delve into various research methodologies tailored for design contexts, including qualitative and quantitative approaches, user-centered studies, ethnographic research, and data analysis methods. The course emphasizes the application of research findings to inform and enhance the design process, equipping students with the skills to conduct robust research, interpret data effectively, and make informed design decisions.
3) Usability Engineering
"Usability Engineering" explores the principles and practices of designing user-friendly interfaces and systems. This course delves into usability testing methodologies, heuristic evaluations, user feedback analysis, and usability metrics. Students gain hands-on experience in conducting usability studies, identifying usability issues, and iteratively improving designs based on user feedback. The course emphasizes the importance of user-centered design principles, accessibility considerations, and iterative design processes to create products and interfaces that are intuitive, efficient, and enjoyable for users.
4) Systems Analysis and Information Design
"Systems Analysis and Information Design" focuses on analyzing complex systems to inform the design of effective information architectures. Students learn methods for gathering system requirements, conducting workflow analysis, and modelling information structures. The course covers techniques such as data flow diagrams, entity-relationship diagrams, and user story mapping. Emphasis is placed on designing information systems that optimize data flow, support user tasks, and ensure data integrity. Students also explore usability principles, information visualization techniques, and user interface design considerations to create cohesive and user-friendly information designs within complex systems.
5) Design Evaluation Methods
The course delves into assessing and refining design solutions for optimal user experiences. It equips students with techniques to evaluate usability, accessibility, and overall effectiveness of designs. Students learn to conduct usability testing, heuristic evaluations, and analyze user feedback. They explore methods for assessing design aesthetics, cognitive load, and emotional impact. The course emphasizes interpreting evaluation results to improve designs iteratively. Students gain skills in quantitative and qualitative data analysis, creating actionable recommendations for design enhancements. Overall, the course fosters a critical approach to evaluating designs and enhancing user satisfaction and engagement.
6) Information Design using Storytelling
The course explores Information Design through Storytelling, emphasizing the narrative aspects of visual communication. Students learn to craft compelling stories using data and information, enhancing understanding and engagement. They delve into narrative structures, visual metaphors, and storytelling techniques to convey complex information effectively. The course also covers interactive storytelling and multimedia presentations, integrating data-driven narratives into various media platforms. Students develop skills in data visualization, storyboarding, and user-centered storytelling approaches. The course fosters creativity, critical thinking, and effective communication through information design and storytelling strategies.
7) Interaction Design
The course focuses on Interaction Design, aiming to create digital experiences that are user-friendly, engaging, and centered around the user. Students delve into areas like user research, prototyping, usability testing, and interface design principles. They explore the creation of interactive systems, mobile applications, websites, and various digital interfaces, emphasizing understanding user needs, behaviors, and preferences. The curriculum covers topics such as UX/UI design, information architecture, interaction patterns, and usability principles, equipping students with practical skills in wireframing, user testing, and iterative design processes. Overall, the course nurtures creativity, problem-solving abilities, and the capacity to design for human-computer interaction.
Online Courses
NPTEL - Product Design and Innovation
The Product Design and Innovation course aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the product design process. It covers methods, tools, and techniques used in product design, including innovation, user studies, identifying needs/problems, creating design briefs, competitive benchmarking, human factors in design, concept generation, prototyping, and evaluation techniques for user-product interaction. The course utilizes lectures, case studies, and hands-on exercises to facilitate learning and foster creativity in product design while considering human factors.
NPTEL - Usability Engineering
The rapid advancement of Information and Communication Technologies has provided numerous opportunities for startups to introduce innovative products and applications. In today's globalized world, startup competition is fierce, and failing to attract a loyal consumer base can lead to failure. To ensure strong consumer interaction and loyalty, it's crucial to incorporate human factors into these products. This is where Usability Engineering comes into play. Usability focuses on both qualitative and quantitative aspects of effectiveness, efficiency, and user satisfaction in achieving specific goals in particular environments. This comprehensive introductory course delves into users' psychosocial and cognitive parameters, frameworks for identifying individual user parameters, and strategies for designing functional products tailored to their needs.
Coursera - Usability Evaluation
One of the four courses offered as part of the Post Graduate Certificate in UX Design and HCI. This course is a six-week in depth exploration that delves into the principles of achieving heightened user engagement and adoption through effective usability practices. Throughout the program, participants will explore the psychosocial and cognitive parameters of users. Hands-on learning experiences will provide insights into capturing user reactions to various design features of products, equipping you with the skills needed to evaluate and enhance usability effectively.
More details about the course can be found at here.