Overview of the Undergraduate Major in HCI Human

Overview of the Undergraduate Major in HCI Human Computer Interaction Institute School of Computer Science Carnegie Mellon University Jason Hong Newell Simon Hall 2504 D jasonh@cmu. edu

What is HCII? Our Department’s Mission • Understand create technology that harmonizes with and improves human capabilities, goals, and social environments through interdisciplinary research and education in design, computer science, and behavioral and social sciences

What Makes HCI dynamic? • CMU has the best Human-Computer Interaction program in the country • One of the few with an undergraduate major • Cutting edge, futuristic • Tight integration of – Technology – Behavioral Science – Design • Breadth and Depth – The students themselves – Our interdisciplinary faculty

Our Educational Philosophy at HCII Take excellent students with depth in one discipline relevant to HCI and give them the educational opportunity to “walk in the shoes” of the other disciplines relevant to HCI. This will make the students more effective members of interdisciplinary groups in industry.

On the Philosophy… • A second major in HCI will provide students – Basic skills for designing and implementing user-centered software – Appreciation of the varied skills necessary to make usable interactive products – Ability to communication with specialists in other areas • It will not make software developers into designers or psychologists into programmers

User Centered Design • Multiple iterations, with increasing realism

The Many Disciplines of HCI Human Factors Cognitive Psychology Motivation Group behavior Color Layout Graphic Design Interaction Design Human behavior Evaluation • Think alouds • Heuristic evaluation • GOMs • Interviews • Focus groups • Cognitive walk-throughs • Surveys • Experiments • Statistical analysis Design Implementation Flash, Director, Visual Basic, HTML, Databases, Java, C++, GUI toolkits. UI architectures

HCI Curriculum

Core Courses • Introduction to HCI Methods – Use empirical and analytical methods to figure out what users want, will find easy-to-use, easy to learn, and/or fun • Basic Interaction Design – Translate between problem definitions and innovative designs • Technology core differs by prior experience – Programming Usable Interfaces (PUI) for non-CS majors – Software Architecture for User Interfaces (SAUI) for CS majors • Project Course

Project Course Goals • Apply HCI skills on a large project • Work in interdisciplinary teams (3 -4 people) • Work with real clients • Learn to write reports • Learn to give presentations

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Classroom Controls Now in use in CMU classrooms!

Typical Week for Project • Project meeting with client • One or more internal project meetings among selves • Enrichment lectures • Working towards artifact – Contextual inquiry, lo-fi prototype, hi-fi prototype, user study • Typically 30 -40 hours per team per week

Elective Courses • Can be in any part of the university – Business, CFA, Robotics, H&SS, Entertainment Technologies • Many HCI-specific courses – Building Virtual Worlds – Human Factors – Intelligent Tutoring Systems – Predictive Cognitive Modeling – Rapid Prototyping of Computer Systems – Advanced Topics UI Software – Computer Supported Cooperative Work – Computers in Organizations – Speech Recognition and Understanding – Applied machine learning – Introduction to Product Design – Dramatic Structure of Interactive Games

Other Popular Electives Around the University Business • Marketing Management • Writing and Decision Making • Interactive Marketing Leveraging Technology • Marketing Communications and Buyer Behavior • Introduction to Entrepreneurship • Entrepreneurial Thought and Action • Technology Commercialization Workshop • Managing Intellectual Capital in Knowledge Intensive Businesses • Consulting and Conflict Resolution Language and Communication • On-line Information Design • Film at the Limits of Imagination • Writing for Multimedia • Multimedia Authoring I • Document Design • Professional Writing • Professional Speaking Entertainment Technology • Game Design • Critical Interaction Design Robotics • DARPA Grand Challenge (Red Team) • Introduction to Mobile Robots

More Popular Electives Computer Science Design • Technology Consulting in the Community • Web Application Development • Engineering Software Intensive Systems • Human Aspects of Software Engineering • Architectures for Software Systems • Computers and Security • Artificial Intelligence • Designing Identities • Understanding Perception Through Design • Design‚ Management and Organizational Behavior • Designing for Service • Mapping and Diagramming • Color and Communication • How Things Are Made • Product Planning • Sketching and Modeling • Industrial Design Fundamentals • Conceptual Models • Methodology of Visualization • Typographic Play Behavioral Sciences • Perception • Human Information Processing and Artificial Intelligence • Interpersonal Relationships • Evolutionary Psychology • Research Methods for – Cognitive Psychology – Social Psychology – Developmental Psychology – Learning Sciences • Organizational Behavior • Human Expertise • Applications of Cognitive Science • Cognitive Modeling

Independent Study • Many students do an independent study to explore a particular area in depth • Personalized, a negotiation between the student and a professor – Can be in any department, just like any other elective – Often grows out of personal contacts after taking class with an instructor – I send out announcements at beginning of semester

BHCI vs MHCI Program Requirements MHCI BHCI • 4 Prerequisites – Freshman-level programming – Statistics (thru multivariate regression) – Design – equivalent of CDF – Cognitive psychology • 3 Prerequisites • 4 Core courses – – • • • HCI Methods (no lab) Evaluation Basic Interaction Design HCI Programming (PUI/SAUI) BHCI Project (1 semester) 2 Electives – Freshman-level programming – Statistics (thru multivariate regression) – Design – equivalent of CDF – HCI Methods + Lab – Interface and Interaction Design – HCI Programming (PUI/SAUI) – HCI Pro-seminar • • MHCI Project (2 semesters) 5 Electives (4 if also taking CDF)

Accelerated Masters Option • • Complete a masters degree in 2 semesters past BA or BS More in-depth project course (spring + summer) 5 electives (most at Masters level) Pro-seminar (outside lectures & meetings with visiting HCI researchers and professionals)

Careers In HCI • Undergraduates get good jobs & job offers Degree Median salary offer Bachelors, HCI $73, 000 Computer $72, 000 Psychology $40, 000 Information Systems $58, 600 Communication Design $32, 000 Masters, HCI $83, 000

Recent Job Opportunities (Since Feb 1, 2007) (from Usability Professionals' Association) • • • • • Siemens Medical – User interaction designer Marriott International – Senior user researcher Digitas – Interaction designer Pay. Pal – User experience researcher The KOHL Group – User interaction designer Tec-Ed – User Experience Project Manager & Researcher Insight Enterprises – Customer experience manager College Center for Library Automation – Usability analyst Google – User researcher Lands End – User interface designer Amazon – User interface designer Electronic Arts – Interface designer Travelocity – Information architect Microsoft – Human factors/Interaction designer Whirlpool – Voice user interface designer GE Healthcare – User interface/graphic designer Verizon – User experience manager

Companies Where B/MHCI Alumni Work • • • • • Accenture Adobe Aduna Agitar Software Allstate Insurance Amazon. Com Apple Autodesk Boeing Brulant Carnegie Mellon Citadel Investment Citrix Systems Colorado State University Cook Vascular Corel Doubleclick The Wall Street Journal Online Duda Paine Architects Electronic Arts • • • • • • Endeca Technologies Friendfeed Frog Design General Dynamics Google Guidewire Software Hewlett-Packard Hillcrest Labs Hindustan Times, New Delhi Honeywell Labs Humancentric IBM Intel Johnson Controls Keane Federal Systems, Inc. Linden Lab Linkedin Logical Design Solutions Microsoft Motorola NASA • • • • • • Oracle Corp Pitney Bowes Pixar Qualcomm Ricoh Americas Sapient Scholastic Soar Technology SRI International T-Mobile Tellme Networks The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust The University Of Pittsburgh University Of Michigan UPMC Verizon Wellspring Worldwide, A Company I Co-Founded Before Hcii Yahoo! Zeta Associates Zühlke Engineering Plus ~15% have started their own companies

Admission to the Major • 25 Students / Graduating Year • Applications due by Friday, March 21, 2008 • Follow instructions on the website – Statement of purpose – Why is HCI for you? – Proposed course schedule – Letter of reference (optional) – www. hcii. cmu. edu/Academics/Undergrad/applying. html • Decisions announced by Registration Week • Criteria – – – QPA (threshold 3. 0+) Diversity & courses taken Relevance and clarity in statement of purpose Viable plan for completing major Available Slots

More Information Jason Hong NSH 2504 D (Temporary) Director of Undergraduate Program jasonh@cs. cmu. edu 412 268 1251 Robert Kraut Director of Undergraduate Program NSH 3515 robert. kraut@cmu. edu 412 268 -7694 Nicole Willis Program Coordinator 300 S. Craig Street Room 229 nicolewi@cs. cmu. edu 412. 268 -7971