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Build the skills and connections to launch yourself into a career you love (without breaking the bank). Through hands-on collaborative experiences, you’ll learn the essentials of Interaction (IxD) and User Experience (UX) Design while earning a fully accredited BS degree.
Here’s how you can answer the classic party question, “so what do you do for a living?” Try this: “I create meaningful interactions between people and the products and services they encounter.” From websites to physical devices to entire systems and beyond, Interaction Designers help define the way things look, how they work, and how they fit into people’s lives. Read more about Interaction Design.
Learn skills that unlock a wide range of diverse opportunities in tech, healthcare, finance, and more.
Get one-on-one support from working professionals, mentors, and faculty throughout your learning journey.
Leverage your creativity to real-world problems with industry partners in a classroom setting.
From tech companies to governments and non-profits, our interconnected world needs designers that can translate human needs into innovation. SMC’s IxD program equips you with the tools and mindsets needed to thrive in this rapidly growing profession.
IxD classes will often collaborate with industry partners to tackle real-world challenges. We believe in this approach because it gives students needed industry experience on their resumes as well as real-world projects for their portfolios. These professional projects also prepare you for future team environments.
From tech companies to governments and non-profits, our interconnected world needs designers that can translate human needs into innovation. SMC’s IxD program equips you with the tools and mindsets needed to thrive in this rapidly growing profession.
*Data based on US Bureau of Labor Statistics for US-wide and Coroflot.com for LA-area markets
A whole lot! We want you to graduate with a full portfolio and the experience needed to jump start your career. You’ll learn design history, current practices, methodologies, and tools—all through project-based processes and real-world challenges. Interested? Explore the detailed curriculum below.
The IxD program consists of 55-62 upper division and 60 lower division CSU transferable units. To ensure you meet all lower division requirements, we recommend you to speak with an IxD counselor. You must apply to be considered for the upper division IxD courses. Admission is not guaranteed.
Get hands-on experience designing digital and physical experiences with apps, web, 3D printing, Arduino, IoT, and more. In addition, you’ll experience industry partnerships that tackle real-world challenges, preparing you for future team environments. Learn more below!
The IxD program is located at the brand new Center for Media and Design campus in Santa Monica, CA. You can easily get to campus by train or bus (with special discounted fares for our students). Enjoy the year round beautiful weather by relaxing in the quad or walking to visit nearby companies like Red Bull, Hulu, and Amazon. IxD projects frequently partner with local businesses like these, giving you industry connections to start your career.
You'll navigate the IxD program alongside 20-25 fellow students from a variety of professional and educational backgrounds. As a cohort, students support each other, provide feedback, and create a foundation for a strong professional network. Here you'll connect and create friendships that will last a lifetime.
New students are accepted annually. See key dates below. Contact an SMC IxD counselor with any questions or to get started.
New students are accepted annually. Learn more about our application process by visiting our how to apply page!
To confirm eligibility and to create an academic roadmap, contact an SMC IxD counselor with any questions.
Build the skills and connections to launch yourself into a career you love (without breaking the bank). Through hands-on collaborative experiences, you’ll learn the essentials of Interaction (IxD) and User Experience (UX) Design while earning a fully accredited BS degree.
Here’s how you can answer the classic party question, “so what do you do for a living?” Try this: “I create meaningful interactions between people and the products and services they encounter.” From websites to physical devices to entire systems and beyond, Interaction Designers help define the way things look, how they work, and how they fit into people’s lives. Read more about Interaction Design.
From tech companies to governments and non-profits, our interconnected world needs designers that can translate human needs into innovation. SMC’s IxD program equips you with the tools and mindsets needed to thrive in this rapidly growing profession.
“My design skills help me create improved workflow, communications, and collaboration. I feel great joy when I help entrepreneurs successfully build their dreams and solve actual needs for their customers.”
“In my work as a design strategist I collaborate with nonprofits, for-profits, and everything in between as they work to find innovative ways to benefit their stakeholders and employees alike.”
“I love the new and interesting human centered design challenges in Biotech and the blend of teamwork, creativity, and practical problem-solving that my career in design allows.”
“It’s humbling to use my storytelling, listening, and usability skills in a tangible museum setting. To be inclusive, inspiring, and eye opening for our community we need to get the design of these experiences right.”
“I’m using design to transform HR from a transactional field into more of a creative field. As a society we spend a lot of time at work, and the experiences we have there are hugely impactful on our overall lives.”
“I’m combining the design processes I learned (like scrum and agile) with my existing skills in fabrication and mechanics. That’s been huge and enabled me to push my work further than I ever have before.”
Get hands-on experience designing digital and physical experiences with apps, web, 3D printing, Arduino, IoT, and more. Become versed in service design, organizational communication, and design thinking, and experience class-company partnerships that tackle real-world challenges, preparing you for future team environments.
The IxD program is located at the brand new Center for Media and Design campus in Santa Monica, CA. Easily get to campus by train or bus (with special discounted fares for our students). Enjoy the year round beautiful weather by relaxing in the quad or walking to visit nearby companies like Red Bull, Hulu, and Amazon. IxD projects frequently partner with local businesses like these, giving you industry connections to start your career.
You'll navigate the IxD program alongside 20-25 fellow students from a variety of professional and educational backgrounds. As a cohort, students support each other, provide feedback, and create a foundation for a strong professional network. Here you'll connect and create friendships that will last a lifetime.
“I have always been passionate about teamwork, leadership, and cultural development, but I never wanted to pursue a traditional career in HR. When I started the IxD program, I fell madly in love with the field, mindset, and methodologies of the discipline. It gave me a process and a confidence to take on problems that previously felt too big for me. Today, you find me at the intersection of research, design, and HR working on a project that uses design to help teams co-create more considerate environments.”
“I serve as a Combat Engineer in the California Army National Guard. I had no background in design, but when I heard about the IxD program it just felt like the right fit. I’ve learned to design, but also to be a better public speaker, to know my strengths and weaknesses, and where my passions lie. My dream is to improve lives. Whether I’m designing interfaces, infrastructure, or human interactions; I’m gaining skills that I can take anywhere.”
A whole lot! Interaction (IxD) and User Experience (UX) Design history, practices, methodologies, tools, and project-based processes. All learned through complex, real-world challenges that ensure that you graduate with a full portfolio and the experience needed to jump start your career. Interested? Explore the detailed curriculum below.
Click on each course to learn more.
New students are accepted annually. See key dates below. Contact an SMC IxD counselor with any questions or to get started.
IxD faculty have backgrounds in interaction, graphic, and industrial design as well as cognitive psychology, dance, and new media. They weave their experience, industry connections, and perspectives on emerging technology right into the classroom. Expect to receive the right mix of support and rigor.
“I aim to foster creative problem solvers and empathetic collaborators conscious of the impact they have in the world . My approach has students making, questioning, and synthesizing to create intentional designs. This is solidified through design challenges that demand critical thinking and build confidence to solve real world problems. I hold an MFA in Media Design Practices from ArtCenter College of Design, and a BFA in Graphic Design from Utah State University. Outside the classroom I enjoy trail running and travel adventures with my family.”
Luke Johnson is an Internal Communications and Employee Engagement strategist whose portfolio includes work for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Nokia, and Riot Games. His creative approach to design, strategy, and research maximizes employee engagement, providing customized platforms for companies to tell their stories both internally and externally.
Work examples and additional information can be found at www.lukedjohnson.com.
“My goal is to support students in becoming engaged makers and critical designers. I seek to expose students to technical know-how while creating opportunities for reflexive engagement. My research interests include embodied research methodologies and systems innovations. I hold a Bachelor's degree from Smith College and a Master's of Fine Art from ArtCenter College of Design.”
“I aim to foster creative problem solvers and empathetic collaborators conscious of the impact they have in the world . My approach has students making, questioning, and synthesizing to create intentional designs. This is solidified through design challenges that demand critical thinking and build confidence to solve real world problems. I hold an MFA in Media Design Practices from ArtCenter College of Design, and a BFA in Graphic Design from Utah State University. Outside the classroom I enjoy trail running and travel adventures with my family.”
“My goal is to help students discover what they’re truly passionate about, and give them the tools necessary to pursue that passion. My teaching approach is non-prescriptive and focused on collaboration and self-motivated learning. I’ve worked as a creative technologist and multimedia designer for 13 years and am interested in new media and emerging interfaces for human-computer interaction, like VR and Brain-Computer Interfaces. I hold an MFA in Design and Technology from Parsons and taught in the IxD program of Lawrence Tech University in Detroit.”
New students are accepted annually. Learn more about our application process by visiting our how to apply page!
To confirm eligibility and to create an academic roadmap, contact an SMC IxD counselor with any questions.
This upper–division Cognitive Psychology course addresses how humans learn to process information in their environ-ment as well as how they decide how and when to act on their environment. This course includes a survey of cogni-tive psychology, specifically, the science and study of how people acquire, represent, transform and use verbal and nonverbal information. In this context we will explore sensation and perception of objects, surfaces, space, and motion. Additionally, key cognitive functions are explored including imagery, memory, representations of knowledge, language, decision making, thinking and reasoning, atten-tion and vigilance. Finally, we will review developmental considerations in cognitive psychology from early infant cognition to maturation and cognition as we age.
This course introduces modern business marketing concepts and strategies and familiarizes the student with standards, procedures, and techniques used in marketing. Topics include marketing research; consumer behavior; target marketing; green marketing; and product, pricing, promotion, and distribution strategies.
This course covers the fundamentals of how to organize, finance, and operate a small business. Topics to be covered include business plan development, financing, legal and ethical issues, marketing, entrepreneurial team development, and business models.
CSU General Education or IGETC requirement (as needed).
CSU General Education or IGETC requirement (as needed).
This course focuses on an industry-sponsored project in which students use their integrated skills to create a forward-looking design in response to a real-world brief provided by the industry partner in collaboration with the faculty. This is a capstone course where students work in small teams and build on the knowledge and skills they acquired in earlier course work. The course is organized around a project that requires student teams to explore various design concepts and alternatives as well as explore recent practices, tools, and systems that may be related to the project. Students will design and produce a prototype as part of a team. Considering the pace of the development of the project, this requires students to engage in a considerable amount of independent as well as team- based learning.
I enjoyed Senior Studio because we got to work with a real client. This is our last semester and most of us going into the workforce so I think this is good preparation. We are learning how to apply everything we've learned up until this point to real world projects. For example, we've been creating prototypes, working in teams, iterating on your ideas, not being married to our ideas and learning to pivot at any point.
A favorite moment of mine was our presentation of our solution to visitors from industry. The presentations are sort of a breath of fresh air because you pause to receive valuable feedback from industry which helps stabilize the group's ideas/concepts.
Don't develop senioritis. Hone in on your skills and brush up on your presentation skills. Be sure you're comfortable with presenting to people outside of the class/school environment. Be prepared to receive fresh, valuable and real-world feedback from people outside your class.
From Sasha Bassoiuk
This course introduces the students to a set of emerging technologies, new interfaces and developing mediums which will shape the design landscape 5 to 10 years from now - focusing on machine learning, computer-mediated realities and immersive environments. The goal of the course is to help the students prepare for the jobs that might not even exist yet and to equip them with the tools and methodologies that will help them to quickly learn and adapt to the rapidly changing nature of digital design.
This course provides the interaction design student the opportunity to develop work under the supervision of the instructor on a one-to-one basis and to develop the skill to talk about their body of work in a professional setting. Emphasis is placed on developing a portfolio that displays a comprehensive understanding of industry expectations for a UX/interaction designer.
Previous portfolio classes were focused on how you presented your projects and the Senior Portfolio class focused on helping you create a strong and consistent identity. Selwa won't give you a formula you have to fit into but will give you the guidance to follow your own path while still being professional and following industry standards. Having my portfolio was an afterthought to me but having this class and all of its milestones has pushed me—it's the "kick in the pants" I needed. I learned to how to understand who I am, communicate who I am, and find a place for myself in the real world as who I am. You want your identity to be as authentic as possible so that you're attracting people who want that.
The cool thing about Selwa (the professor) is that she has really challenged us to have group discussions, pair up with others to try things out. She does it in such a way that I'm not reluctant to my involvement and every time I come out of it I'm so happy I did that because I end up having a lot more clarity. I really like how she brings the entire class together through discussion. She has a great way of presenting the information and letting you take that in however way.
At first I was like 'why are we doing this the last semester?' But the timing of this class has been perfect because if I'd done this a year ago, I didn't know myself as well as I do now, my projects weren't at the quality that they are in now, so, it would have been premature. My advice would be to understand the value of the timing of this class and how it lines up with graduation. It gets you in the mindset of going from school to industry by keeping you productive and teaching you how to communicate yourself.Make sure you keep a process of everything you do from the very beginning of your IxD career. Make sure you have a file organization per project and within that you have your documentation, research, and media. If you don't do this from day one, it's really hard to redo all of this at the very end. Attempting to redo it is very tedious and usually you can't capture it in the same way.
From D. Laughton
This course contextualizes project management for interaction designers. Project Management for Design provides a comprehensive overview of current design development processes and tools used to successfully deliver a high- quality project on time. Students will learn to clearly communicate with clients and manage the design process while integrating design objectives into the overall development timeline. Students will develop leadership skills, learn to plan, organize, motivate, and control resources based on project goals.
I learned how to use a gantt chart software to manage projects. I learned to identify all members involved, their roles, and potential salaries. This class taught me how to set up a project, calculate cost and to always leave a margin for error to avoid underestimating projects.
My favorite part of this class was when I had to build a creative brief and a timeline for an app that I had designed in another class. I had come up with an idea for a possible startup and this class taught me to identify the different players that would be involved in the eventual development of the idea, time and cost. This was very valuable.
Don't underestimate your projects. The cost might feel too high but it's that for a reason. Don't be afraid of the software this class has to offer. Just dive in and learn something new.
From Tarelle Butts
Students design for the complexities of large scale systems, services, and digital networks. The course provides a survey of current system design, information architecture, and topics in interaction design such as The Internet of Things. Working in teams modeled after professional studios, students conduct exploratory ethnographic research to form novel strategies, concepts, maps, user narratives, and models for our increasingly complex world of networked objects, spaces, and people. This course encourages students to leverage team brainstorms and critiques in order to develop consistency through an entire ecosystem.
This studio class was interesting because we were given the freedom to find a problem we were interested in and find a solution to that problem.
We decided to go with financial technology. There were a bunch of issues with that space and we all related to those problems so we thought that would be the right link-up. We also had to tie it to emerging technology...so we explored AR (augmented reality). That was pretty fun...and because it was exploratory there weren’t too many guidelines to follow. Everyone was messing around, everyone was having fun - so anything was right.
This third studio course one is completely different from the first two. It wasn't specifically about specific users. It was about how services work and how to design them. Keep that in mind as you go into it.
From Edwin Rodriguez
Students explore the design of user interfaces that blend digital and physical interactions. Working with creative technologies such as microcontrollers, sensors, and actuators, students create functional prototypes that explore new interaction techniques, principles, and strategies. This course immerses students into prototyping through hands-on class workshops and research into contemporary examples such as the Internet of Things, Smart Objects, and Voice User Interface (VUI). Students explore the expressive capabilities of technology through user observations, affordances, and converting physical action into digital information.
I learned so much about hardware and code. I applied my design process to that, and was able to build something tangible to prototype ideas and experienced. It was great to be exposed to this whole world and to have our professor Maxim there to answer my questions.
My most memorable class project was building an automated cat feeder. I liked that because I got to build something for my cat and I got to use a lot of new hardware. It was an advanced learning experience. There's so much more potential with all of this stuff, that's what I realized.
Don't be discouraged or overwhelmed. Just ask questions, the teachers are there to help. The help is there if you ask.
From Michael Coty
In this course, students work with a variety of organizations addressing a community need to design and develop a project with social impact. Students apply a variety of user experience and interaction design skill sets to work collaboratively with community stakeholders in identifying and helping to solve a need. Through this experience, students recognize and demonstrate many interaction design practices related to research, analysis, concept, design and prototyping to work on a project designed to serve a community need.
In Community Change I learned Design thinking. How to rely on that as a process. Just the concept of community change is cool. Designing for social change is always really meaningful. Taking away the process: Design thinking.
Having two projects back to back...was cool. To me that was really helpful. The outcome doesn't have to be perfect, going through that process multiple times, that's what I really enjoyed.
Trust the process. Drop the ego. Get familiar with the concept of Design Thinking. Try to actually do some research on your own about where this might be used in the world...a lot of times it’s helpful to see: This is what they do in industry, and that's why this is important. Because otherwise you think what they teach you is some crazy idea coming from a teacher - it's just something we do in school. But when you look into actual industry projects you realize they're using the same methods and tools to get there...that's when I felt like committing to it.
From Amanda Sanchez
In this course students discuss and apply organizational communication theories with an emphasis on small group dynamics, particularly in diverse workplace environments. Students will investigate numerous theories about organizational communication and case studies to explore the experiences of diverse groups in different workplace environments in history and in contemporary society. Students will identify the problems that diverse groups may face in organizational settings and design programmatic solutions to such problems. The readings and course materials will be used to enhance students’ intercultural awareness and understanding of organizational communication theory in practice.
This class taught me the importance of human relations, improved my communication skills, and broadened my understanding of how communication works in different environments. I learned pros and cons of different management styles and the importance of things like groupthink and inclusivity. The professor (Luis Andrade) is knowledgeable, passionate, fair, always available and goes the extra mile to help you.
For one of the projects, we were told to find an organization that has an internal problem that challenges their overall company goal. We worked with the YMCA to discover and improve communication issues they had around providing enough resources to their front door staff. We communicated with YMCA personnel and members and paired UX methodologies we've been learning in other classes with communication skills form this class to pick apart the organization piece by piece, discover pain points, ideate and create concepts that might help their organization.
Be open minded and expect to have solid and constructive discussions/debates and to learn how to delegate work/tasks. You will have a better understanding of how to deal with conflict and how good communication can lead to failure or success. You’ll learn a lot about your cohort, their strengths and weaknesses and how to work with them.
From Manuel Hernandez
This course provides a hands-on introductory experience to the history, contemporary methodologies, and emerging practices of Product Design. This studio teaches students to think through “making” and includes in-class workshops on 3D modeling and rapid-prototyping. Students cross design disciplines and toolsets, using 3D forms to solve problems, act out new capabilities, and connect to other devices, objects, and people. The projects in this course are fast-paced, collaborative, and experimental.
We thought about how materials interact with each other and got hands-on exploring materials in ways that I would have never done myself. I really enjoyed figuring out different affordances of materials, like foam. I had to come up with 100 verbs for foam! You can squeeze it and form it in your hands and do all sorts of really interesting things with it that I’d never considered before.
We got to build a cardboard chair. I started with a small prototype — three versions of what I wanted to do. I used a simple form made from rolled vertical cardboard. I had to consider its affordances in the process, but cardboard is actually pretty strong. Some people were very hands on with power equipment and created complex shapes/pieces. Other peoples were simpler but very creative. It was cool to see everyone’s projects and to follow through with an idea. I felt like I was doing work, being challenged, following through and getting things done. It was a good lesson for the real world.
I’d really recommend students to always be sketching. Documentation is really important so you should keep a journal or sketchbook for only this class. This class took a lot more time out of my week than others so you have to makes sure to organize your schedule and always jot down items to work on bit by bit throughout the week. It's not one of those classes you want to start working on two days prior to the deadline.
From Chioma Ojini
Written and oral communications vary greatly between disciplines and fields. Building on the critical thinking and writing skills developed at the lower-division level, this course further prepares students in the application of logi-cal reasoning, analysis, and strategies of argumentation in both written and oral communication of content specific information. Students examine scholarly and professional readings and apply theoretical perspectives in a variety of modalities (genres and media) in a way that is targeted to specific audiences. Through critical analysis and review of appropriate literature, as well as complex writing assign-ments, students develop writing as a core aspect of aca-demic and professional practice.
Something I really enjoyed was the focus on speculation. It actually shaped the work I do now and the way I think. Being able to take a step back...and see things in a new light to influence my work. I really liked being exposed to all the literature. I now look at projects and question why we are creating technology, as opposed to just putting technology out in the world and seeing what sticks.
Writing my own speculative fiction was memorable...it was really different. I got to use technological artifacts to communicate a story. Not having to actually think about the logistics of a technology was freeing. I didn't have to think about rules. I could just play. That's important to me.
Read everything. If you are curious about something: ask. Talk about things with your cohort. Have conversations with your professors. Find out more. Don't keep things to yourself!
From Heidi Gaudet, Class of 2018
Microinteractions, found in every user interface, are designed moments (e.g. log in, copy and paste, on or off) that are an integral part of every interface. This course reveals these seemingly invisible interactive controls, providing an overview of specific platforms, paradigms, and affordances. The studio prepares students to create task oriented end-to-end user experiences and interaction flows. Students learn how to design at the micro scale, exploring appropriate forms, states, feedback, and loops based on different contexts and user goals. Through iterative methodologies, students learn to refine the details of a specific feature interaction. Collaborating directly with users and fellow classmates, students prototype, critique, and test existing interaction examples and their own micro- interaction designs. Students develop a critical understanding of how interactive forms communicate and influence a user’s behavior.
This course was really interesting because it forced us to take a look at products for better. We were to design something that would help people and generally we were challenged to look at something personal to us. Working with [the faculty], My intention was to design products that My mom had a heart attack, how could we avoid that? We can't, but I can design something for something. The way she process was pretty great. It's more structured, the week to week progression linear.
Alleye, is a conceptual wearable that I came up with. It is a wearable EAG based on my research, actual technology, and medical adhesives. It notices if something unusual is happening with your heart and alerts you and your family on a mobile device. This is very personal to me as my mom had a heart attack and waited to get help. She had chest pain, and she tried to work through it. If you're wearing something like this, it connects straight to your loved ones in case there’s an emergency.
Make sure you have time to do the work. If you can.
Maile Malin
CSU General Education or IGETC requirement (as needed).
This introductory course examines the medium of video games. The course studies how video games have developed historically, culturally, and technically. Issues of narrative, design, interactivity, and spatiality, which inform both the medium as a whole and individual games in particular, are examined. The function of video games as media texts within popular culture is also assessed.
I grew up playing video games in the arcades, before there were even console games. My interest in interaction design probably stems from playing video games when I was growing up. The class helped me more deeply understand why games are more than just pixels moving around on a screen. They’re thought out, there is narrative, there are concepts behind the actual gameplay. The designers themselves... built on the experiences and knowledge of other game developers and you can see the progression. I'd love to work at a game development company someday.
There was some game-analysis we did, where you teach a game to a friend or family member. It's almost like user testing. I tried teaching my girlfriend how to play Civilization 5...creating warriors and sending them out to attack and defend. Because it was turn based and not very fast-paced she said, "When does this get fun?"As someone who prefers more casual games like Angry Birds, she thought Civ5 was too complicated and tedious. It’s clear that each game genre has its strengths and weaknesses and its own audience.
It's not an easy-A class. You have to pay attention because there's a lot that goes into making a game: sound effects, building a narrative, creating tasks that are both challenging and fun, and way more.
From Doug Dean
This design course focuses on the storytelling component of interaction design with a special focus on prototyping and motion graphics. Exploring different types of prototyping, from paper prototypes to digital, screen-based prototypes (e.g, web-based tools, video prototypes), students use storytelling to describe experiences in interaction design. Students use a hands-on approach to design a better experience for end users by sketching, storytelling, experimenting, making and testing. Students create prototypes at different levels of fidelity using appropriate tools and technologies.
We learned to discuss our ideas as people first, and then as designers. We would use words, visuals, and sketches to place our concepts into setting that brought them to life. Doing this highlighted things you initially didn't think about.
My favorite project was our final. We sorted everyone's interests into categories, and we picked a category to explore. We ended up with the environment and water and designed a hypothetical project called GOTA. We created a story about how this device we designed would communicated to users that their water was polluted. It was quite a complex issue, but I think refining and condensing it into a story helped us...get a better sense of all the various components. Putting it into a story of a single use-case helped us focus our ideas.
Don't be fooled by the title of the class. If you can be open to learning how to tell a good story, it will make you a better designer.
From Stephanie Hawken
CIS 54 Web Development and Scripting or CS 7 Programming for Non-Computer Science Majors or CS 87A Python Programming
This course fulfills the Computer Science requirement for the B.Sc. degree in Interaction Design
With the prevalence of the computer in contemporary culture, Interaction Design has emerged as a practice that determines how people engage with technology. This course examines the specific field of Interaction Design; its history, human-centered design principles, and screen- based interaction patterns. Students learn how to design the behavior of interactive digital interfaces and gain an understanding of how design decisions impact a user’s experience and the overall success of a product. Students analyze historical examples, contemporary user interfaces, and their own designs. Students also learn how to design, justify, and articulate using human-centered design principles and screen-based interaction patterns.
The group projects during the first semester really help prepare you for what the real world is like. As crazy as the project was, it did teach me to work really fast.
I learned about how to narrow down ideas, and focus on what a user finds to be important in a given scenario. Our user research really helped guide us. Initially we had a completely different idea of where we were going...but in the end we designed a wearable that keeps your child in reach in busy places!
Definitely document everything. And do a lot of primary research. Talk to people, they're your best resource for design. I find that what I assume is going to happen, pretty much 90% of the time isn't what happens. Ask a lot of questions. Be an observant person in your world. Cataloging that kind of stuff and thinking that way will help you once you get into the program.
From 1st year cohort member
