“One of the most essential qualities of digital media is the ability to respond to changing conditions.  When the changes in conditions are determined by the user’s input, we call this resource, interactivity.” 

—Marie-Laure Ryan, Beyond Myth and Metaphor: The Case of Narrative in Digital Media

COURSE INTRODUCTION

Building on the foundation established by Interactive Design 1, this course will continue exploring core theory, technologies, and processes essential to current practice in interactive digital media. Students will further develop their understanding of interface design principles, visual/communication design, user experience, web workflows, and the unique affordances of designing interactive experiences. Emphasis will be placed on critical thinking, research-based design methodologies, self-initiated research, and the quality of the design process.

The class will be conducted as an intensive studio lab where class critiques, working sessions, lectures, and discussion of professional work examples will be essential components of the learning process.

Questions we will explore:
+ How is designing for an interactive experience similar to / different from developing other design solutions?
+ When communication / graphic design has a core element of interactivity, what is unique about what it can achieve?
+ What is the nature of a designed experience that includes the participation of an audience or user?
+ How do we integrate user testing into the design process?
+ How are the artifacts and systems we design “experiences?”
+ Notions of “experience design” (design of form, content, and behavior)

OBJECTIVES
+ Further develop a vocabulary for web/interactive design and the tools and processes used in the design process
+ Use a rigorous research process to develop design concepts for interactive experiences
+ Synthesize and translate research into visualized work
+ Further develop independence in decision-making, and ability to self-criticise
+ Explore the potential of interactivity and user participation on designed experiences
+ Understand and evaluate design solutions based on principles of visual design,
   user interface design (UI), and user experience design (UX)
+ Hone research and organizational skills
+ Discuss and critique work (your classmates and your own) using appropriate vocabulary and criteria
+ Implement sketching, storyboarding, wireframing, and creation of functional prototypes in the creation of design solutions
+ Utilize online reference material for solving problems and getting answers to specific questions, as well as further learning
+ Set high technical standards

Class Drive

Ochoa_ID2_Syllabus_2026Spring