Graphic Information Technology – User Experience (BS)

Web and print publication design and production using industry-standard composition software, proofing, and output devices.

The creative process of generating ideas, conceptualizing projects, planning, designing, story boarding, and presenting interactive multimedia products.

Covers video production, including planning, pre-production, production, post-production and online video technologies and how video is an integral part of the graphic information industry. Concentrates on commercial and client-driven video production.

Digital image capture, and output in a commercial studio emphasizing publishing workflow.

Digital media portfolio design and production to include planning, audience analysis, content selection, authoring tools and formats, production, copyright considerations, marketing and delivery. Should be taken in the last semester of the program.

Business practices related to the graphics industry; business models, cost and rate analysis, marketing and management approaches.

User-centered design principles for visual content on the World Wide Web with emphasis on content strategy, user experience, coding and interactivity.

Design and technology solutions for increasing Website usability and methods of organizing information to improve the user experience.

Design, authoring, standards, protocols, tools and techniques for development for different Web-based technologies.

Reviews human systems integration (HSI), which is basically systems engineering from a human-centered perspective. Research, theory and methodological approach as applied to a variety of systems ranging from transportation systems to medical and military systems. Discusses handbook chapters and specific examples of human systems integration.

Theories, methods, and findings concerning the usability of computer systems and the design of effective user interfaces.

Reviews basics of qualitative research with applications to human systems engineering. Covers fundamental concepts of reliability and validity, and considers best practices in survey, questionnaire, interview and observation methods. Introduces and applies content analysis and grounded theory approaches for analyzing and interpreting qualitative data (e.g., interview transcripts and open-ended survey responses). All concepts are taught with an applied focus and real-world examples.

Foundational concepts and technologies of writing for a variety of digital media.

Covers how to process data and information in ways that help discover what's important about the information and what the clearest way is to communicate that information. Covers how to manage data and use a variety of software tools to communicate patterns and tell visual stories, as well as how to make choices in visualization style in ways that will assist an audience to effectively interact with and process the information.

Explores principles, techniques and tools of user experience (UX), including usability research, user-centered design and usability testing. Teaches how to approach a design problem holistically, going beyond usability and usefulness. Conducts substantial research on, and gains practice in, analyzing users and tasks; planning and designing for UX; and evaluating designs. Assignments focus on hands-on learning.