Lansdown Centre

Two Cultures: Introducing Usability into a “Creative” Design Programme

• Stephen Boyd Davis

Year : 2004

The paper concerns the issues raised by the introduction of usability lab work into a course primarily concerned with ‘creative’ art and design approaches to designing interactive media and products. It touches on the questions of who should be taught usability, how and why. An account is given of the reasons for introducing usability evaluation, the learning methods used, and some reflections on what has been achieved, together with the students’ perspective on their experience.

The novelty of evaluating users’ responses in an art and design institute is emphasised, and the question is asked whether students and staff within this tradition may have ways of thinking about design and its evaluation which are of value in developing the practice of usability studies.

Location : Proceedings of British HCI Group 7th Educators Workshop: Effective Teaching and Training in HCI, 1-2 April 2004, University of Central Lancashire, Preston. ISBN 0-9541927-5-3

RAE Nominated : No

Download 384_hcie-sbd.pdf...

Link to the pages for the workshop