Design of data, information, and technology systems needs to be rooted in the user experience along with a consideration of the broader societal impacts of design.
This Informatics major concentration will prepare students for a career in user experience, interaction design, human factors, and web and mobile app design. Learn the skills you need to design cutting-edge information technologies that will benefit users and society.
A human-centered approach: User experience design is less about technology and more focused on people, who are the technology's users.
Core Competencies
Students in the User Experience (UX) Design Informatics major concentration will learn to:
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Understand the fundamentals of human perception and cognition and their implications for user experience and interaction design.
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Employ a user-centered approach to the design and development of information technologies that are aligned with the needs and values of end users and other stakeholders.
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Apply user-centered research and design methods for interactive technologies.
User Experience (UX) Design - Informatics Major Concentration
Informatics majors learn the skills and knowledge required to collect, manage, and analyze data and information, and prepare for the great ethical responsibility that comes with these societally transformative roles.
Students develop an understanding of the complex social, cultural, and ethical context related to communicating with digital and social media tools, and to apply this understanding to creating digital solutions and technologies that are effective, inclusive, and responsive to the needs, values, and perspectives of people with many different lived experiences.
User Experience (UX) Design Informatics major concentration requirements include:
I 301 : Introduction to Informatics - 3 HRS
In this introductory course, students will explore the foundational theories, concepts, and challenges in Cultural Heritage Informatics, Health Informatics, Human-Centered Data Science, Social Informatics, Social Justice Informatics, and User Experience Design.
I 310U: Introduction to User Experience Design - 3 HRS
This course introduces students to user experience design foundations. Good understanding of design principles and guidelines and their effective application requires knowledge of their scientific underpinnings, including the psychological theories of human cognition and perception. These theories serve an essential role in generative design, explanatory evaluation, and support the codification of knowledge.
I 310X: Additional Introductory Concentration Course - 3 HRS
In addition to taking the introductory course for their selected Informatics major concentration, students must also complete an introductory course in another Informatics major concentration:
- I 310C - Cultural Heritage Informatics
- I 310M - Health Informatics
- I 310S - Social Informatics
- I 310J - Social Justice Informatics
- I 310U - User Experience Design
I 320U: Advanced Topics in User Experience Design - 9 HRS
Students must complete nine credit hours in Advanced Topics in User Experience Design.
I 379C: Capstone - 3 HRS
Students pursuing the School of Information Honors distinction may substitute I 679H: Honors Thesis (6 HRS).
I Elective - 3 HRS
Students must complete three credit hours of Informatics elective coursework at the School of Information.
iSchool General Education Requirements - 27 HRS
- Informatics 302 - Academic Success in the Digital University (3 hours)
- Informatics 372 - Career Success in the Digital Organization (3 hours)
- Informatics 303 - Ethical Foundations for Informatics or equivalent (3 hours)
- Informatics 304 - Programming for Informatics or equivalent (3 hours)
- Informatics 305 - Research Methods for Informatics or equivalent (3 hours)
- Informatics 306 - Statistics for Informatics​ or equivalent (3 hours)
- Foreign Language: Beginning-level proficiency coursework, or the equivalent, in a foreign language (3 hours)
- Additional liberal arts OR science, technology, engineering, and math coursework (6 hours)
Undergraduate Informatics Program
Leverage insights from data and information technology to solve problems.
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Labs and Research
Information eXperience Lab
The Information eXperience Lab (IX Lab) is a state-of-the-art research facility dedicated to advancing our understanding of human-computer interaction (HCI), human-information processing, user experience (UX), usability, accessibility, and the interactions between humans and information sources. The lab is dedicated to the science of information studies, the empirically-based design of human-information interaction, and the education of students in the process of both.