WEB AND USER EXPERIENCE DESIGN

The teaching falls within the core educational activities characterizing the degree.
During the course the student will be guided to know the fundamental concepts which characterize the creation of a web site and of the user experience and the basic methodologies for their evaluation.
The acquired knowledge will be used as a starting point to develop appropriate design skills.

Knowledge and understanding.
The student will learn the fundamental concepts related to web design, from the conceptual organization of information to the implementation of a web site based on a CMS (content management system).
The student will learn also the fundamental concepts of the human centered approach, starting from the definition of interface, user experience and related concepts (usability, engagement).In the educational path the student will also learn to use some interactive tools useful for prototyping and sharing, which will then be used in the course's project work.

Ability to apply knowledge and understanding.
The acquired knowledge will be useful for the design of web sites and user experiences based on the use of interactive systems, starting from the definition of project requirements, to the use of prototyping techniques (sketching, storyboarding, low-fidelity prototyping) and the use of heuristics for design and evaluation.

Knowledge of the basic operating mechanisms of the interfaces of modern operating systems based on GUI and touch-screen is required.
The knowledge of the English language is required for the comprehension of texts, extracts of publications and audio-video contributions that the teacher will show in class.

The first part of the course is focused on the design of navigational web sites, from the initial organization of the information to the delivery of responsive web sites.
The course will focus on useful content management tools that allow to maintain the responsive approach but at the same time permits to lower the technical difficulties and to add specific functionalities through a moular approach.
The second part of the course widens the view to the design of the user experience, which takes into account the context in which the interaction happens. The course will focus on the methodologies and tools which allow to design a user experience.
The mobile and the mixed reality paradigms (augmented and virtual reality) and the associated enabling technologies will be considered for exploring a number of case studies which are relevant for the digital humanities. In particular, the access to information related to art exhibitions, museum collections and cultural artifacts such as ancient manuscripts will be considered.

Topics:
defining the structure of web information
defining the navigation
usability and engagement
sketching and prototyping
fundamentals of html and css
UI frameworks
responsive web design
content management tools - plugins
from the web design to the user experience design
sequential, branching and narrative storyboards
interactive tools for designing the user experience
from the augmentation of artifacts to interactive storytelling
technology: mobile and mixed reality
case studies (art exhibitions, museum collection, manuscripts)
evaluating the user experience

Mandatory texts
S. Greenberg, S. Carpendale, N. Marquardt, B Buxton, Sketching User Experiences: The Workbook, Morgan Kaufmann 2011 (free on the university network)
Articles from conferences and scientific journals
Slides of the course

Optional texts
L. Rosenfeld, P. Morville, Information Architecture for the World Wide Web (Fourth Edition) O'Reilly, 2015
E. Marcotte, Responsive Web Design (Second Edition), A Book Apart, 2014
A. Dix, J. Finlay, G. D. Abowd, R. Beale, Interazione uomo-macchina, McGraw Hill, 2004
L. Gamberini, L. Chittaro and F. Paternò, Human-Computer Interaction - I fondamenti dell'interazione tra persone e tecnologie, Pearson, 2012
R. Polillo, Facile da usare - Una moderna introduzione all'ingegneria dell'usabilità, Apogeo, 2010

The assessment of learning will take place through a project work performed in group and focused on the design of a user experience and of a web site supporting it, starting from the definition of the requirements up to the creation of an interactive prototype developed with one of the tools taught in the course.
The project work, which includes intermediate check points, is aimed at measuring how the student has been capable of using concepts and design methodologies learned during the course and at experimenting collaboration, typical of real work situations.
A complementary individual exam, aimed at measuring the student's personal knowledge of the course's topics, is required.
The project work has a fundamental role in defining the final score, which can be increased or decreased up to two points based on the results of the individual exam. Passing the exam requires to obtain at least the passing mark in both tests.
In the initial phase of the course, students will have the opportunity to partecipate, on a voluntary basis, to one or more small experiences focused on interaction design; the exercises performed in a satisfactory way will entitle the students to gain a bonus (up to 1 point) to be added to the final result deriving from the project work and the individual exam.
The course is focused on design practice, therefore students are strongly encouraged to engage themselves in the project work. However, for situations of proven impossibility to participate in group work, an alternative assessment method is offered based on the elaboration of an essay on a theme proposed by the teacher. The essay will require an extensive bibliographic research grounded on scientific literature. In addition to this essay, an individual exam with open questions is required, aimed at measuring the knowledge of the course's topics.

The lessons will include frontal lessons, for acquiring concepts and methodologies, and collaborative lessons for conducting the basic interaction design exercises and the project work.
The course will use tools available in Moodle (chat, wiki, workshop, peer-review) and other complementary online services.

English

written and oral