Information Design (University of California San Diego)

Week 1

Wireframes & Mock-ups

So you’re ready to lay out an interface. Don’t jump into code just yet. Rapid prototypes help you figure out the look and feel of an interface quickly, before you start implementation. In this week, I’ll introduce both principles and software tools for effective pixel prototyping. These rapid prototypes for communication within a design team and for getting buy-in from stakeholders. If you walk into any design studio, you’ll likely see these fast prototypes adorning the walls. Now you can add your own to the mix.

Week 2

Flexible Layout

There’s more than seven billion people on the planet, and just about that many computing devices. Given that scale and diversity, interface design can’t be one-size-fits-all. In this module, we’ll dive into the rationale and strategies for making designing interfaces more flexibly. We’ll talk about internationalization–i18n for you wonks and 1337 h4x0rs–and the interplay between script direction and interface layout. And we’ll discuss responsive design: having a ‘family’ interface strategy that grows, shrinks, and changes to accommodate a range of device form factors.

Week 3

New devices, big data

In this lecture, you will learn how to design smart things. Visualization expert Ben Fry will discuss what it means to design with usability in mind.