Week One: Starting University

This is my first week of university and my first Interaction Design lesson. I was unsure of what to expect from this module as I did not have any preconceptions. Although I looked through the details of the module before deciding to apply to Middlesex University, the contents of the module still remained a mystery to me. I come from a technical background and I have never needed to concentrate on the design of a device or think about the way people interact with technology, as such interaction design is a refreshingly new concept to me and I expect I will enjoy this module greatly.

For the first week, I expected an introduction and an overview of the module, and I not only got that, but also received my first ever piece of coursework from the university. I am tasked with designing an Interactive Television for a third party and myself and then comparing the two designs. In the lab we discussed the requirements of the coursework, defined Human Computer Interaction (HCI) and discussed usability and user experience.

This week I have learnt that HCI is the study, planning and design of the interaction between users and computers. Poorly defined user interfaces can lead to many unexpected problems for a user, you may have an amazing idea for a piece of technology, however if the way the user interacts with the device isn’t satisfactory then people will not use it. To begin my coursework, I need to know the definition of Interactive Television and how it differs from normal television.