Description: Principles of user interface design. Concepts for objectively and quantitatively assessing the usability of software user interfaces. Outcomes include knowledge of quantitative engineering principles for designing usable software interfaces and an understanding that usability is more important than efficiency for almost all modern software projects, and often the primary factor that leads to product success. Major topics include cognitive models for human perceptions and needs, which are used as a basis for analytical and critical thinking about user interfaces; specific engineering principles for designing usable menus, forms, command languages, web sites, graphical user interfaces and web-based user interfaces. Assessments will include written analytical evaluations of existing user interfaces, exams, and HTML-based design projects.

Learning outcomes:

1. Knowledge of quantitative engineering principles for how to build software interfaces that are usable.
2. Understanding that usability is more important than efficiency for almost all modern software projects, and often the primary factor that leads to product success.
3. The ability to critically analyze existing user interfaces and express their positive and negative aspects in engineering terms, both verbally and written.

Prerequisite: ENGL 101

The course syllabus is on the instructor's website: https://cs.gmu.edu/~offutt/classes/205/