User Interface Design

COMS 4170 · Spring 2018

Hey! This is an old version of this class.
The examples might be embarrassingly outdated!

Columbia COMS 4170 Spring 2019 is here.

Part 1 Build websites that suit the needs and abilities of users.
Part 2 When the needs and abilities of users are uncertain, design systems by learning from iteration and experimentation.

TAs
  • Tessa Hurr
    OH: Thursday 9:30-11am, CS OH room
  • Eleanor Murguia
    OH: Monday 1:30-3:30pm, CS OH room
  • Lucille Sui
    OH: Friday 10:30am-12pm, CS OH room
Weekly schedule
  • Lecture
    Mon, Wed 4:10–5:25pm, 413 Kent Hall
Grading
The course grade is broken down as follows:
  • Assignments 30%
    • Assignment 1: 5%
    • Assignment 2: 10%
    • Assignment 3: 5%
    • Assignment 4: 10%
  • Team Project 35%
  • Final Exam 20%
  • Participation 15%
Late Policy

All students receive two late days which can be used on Assignments 1-4. Each late day extends the deadline of the assignment by 24 hours and you may use the two late together to submit 48 hours late.

After a student's late days have been used, we cannot accept the assignments.

Note that late days cannot be applied to the team project - only to the four individual assignments in the first half of the class.

Monday Wednesday
January 15

No class
January 17

Introduction
Nielsen's 10 Usability Heuristics slides

Assignment 1 out
January 22

Information Design slides
January 24 due date

Layout and Grids slides

Assignment 1 due
Assignment 2 out
January 29

Color, typography, and gestalt principles slides
January 31

User Interaction Models slides
February 5

Affordances and Direct Manipulation slides
February 7

Events and Feedback slides
February 9 due date
Assignment 2 due
Assignment 3 out
February 12

Menus and Navigation slides
February 14

No class
February 18 due date
Assignment 3 due
Assignment 4 out
February 19

Widgets and JavaScript slides
February 21

Database-Backed Websites slides
February 26

Ubiquitous Computing slides
February 28

Input Techniques slides
March 5

Habit Formation Theory slides
March 7 due date

Guest lecture: Prof. Feiner: AR/VR

Assignment 4 due
March 12

Break — No class
March 14

Break - No class
March 19

Introduction to Project and Brainstorming slides

Milestone 1 (Brainstorming) out
March 21

Snow day - no class
March 26

Iterative Design slides
March 28

Lo-fi Prototyping slides
April 2

Running Prototypes slides
April 4

Technical Feasibility slides
April 9

Giving and Getting User Feedback slides
April 11

Early Feedback slides
April 16

Meetings with staff

April 18

Personas and User Testing slides
April 23

User Testing in class
April 25

Meetings with staff

April 30 due date

Final Exam Review slides

Project due