Interaction Design - Two-Day Workshop

UX pioneer Bruce "Tog" Tognazzini teaches principles, processes, and techniques of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)

Learn to create exciting, successful human-centered products and services from one of the key players in the invention of human-centered design: Bruce “Tog” Tognazzini. Recruited by Steve Jobs in 1978, Tog developed Apple’s—and the world’s—first standard human interface for personal computers.Today, Tog's principles and methodology are routinely applied around the world in university research labs and leading-edge startups alike.

You will work closely with Tog, learning, then experiencing each step of the design lifecycle. You’ll see how to assemble and lead an effective team and, hands-on, carry out a field study, develop scenarios and personas, design, prototype, and, finally, user-test your group project. You’ll leave prepared to apply the theory, methodology, and Apple-honed tricks of the trade that guarantee successful results whether working on traditional apps, websites, mobile, tablets, or the next break-through product.

This is an intense, immersive, and engaging one-semester-equivalent starting course in the theory and practice of Human Computer Interaction. It is down-to-earth, understandable, and delivered by the speaker our attendees consistently report as our most entertaining. Upon completion, you'll be fully prepared to organize for and engage in real-world design.

"Learning the principles of usability from Tog felt like learning about gravity from Newton!"

Brian Patrick Snyder, Whirlpool Corporation

Benefits

Designers

• Get the confidence gained from having a solid foundation in every aspect of HCI whether you’re just arriving from graphic design, psychology, or another entry discipline, or started picking up HCI some time ago along the way.
• Achieve a deep understanding of the entire life-cycle of design by actually experiencing it through five workshops
• Practice the methodology Tog helped develop at Apple, still in use there today, that results in products that are smooth, exciting, and just simply work.
• Get the knowledge you need of information theory, human psychology, physiology and other aspects of HCI science, you’ll be prepared to make intelligent, informed, and effective design decisions
• Learn the trick to “selling” your designs with a minimal amount of stress and effort so you can spend your time doing the work you love. (Managers: This means your designer will be a lot more productive.)

Engineers

• Get armed with proven techniques and approaches that take the guesswork—and anxiety—out of design decisions. This course is biased toward the science of design. For more, see the above write-up for designers.  Then show the following paragraph to your boss.
• The best of the best in the computer industry are engineer-designers. Engineers can be quick to learn design, but design is not engineering. Your investment in giving your engineer the knowledge and tools needed to succeed will be paid back in full with the first change your newly-minted engineer-designer makes to your site.
• This course is given by a world-class designer, former Apple employee #66. Tog was originally recruited by Steve Jobs as an engineer, so he understands the transition to design. He’s built this course to accomplish that transition to engineer-designer in the least possible time while providing the best possible outcome.

Managers & Project Leaders

• Understand how to form and staff an HCI group or a project and how to build the group’s power and influence within your organization
• Learn what resources your group members need, how to set up feedback loops so your designers are discovering problems before they escape into the wild, and you’ll learn how to get the job done right with minimal money and minimal support.  Until you’ve proven how well it all works so you can get the budget you deserve.
• Get a solid foundation in design yourself so that you can lend an intelligent ear and hand when your designers come to you for help.

Topics covered

• Principles of interaction design
  • The fundamental rules that lead to successful products
• Information Theory, Fitts’s Law & other critical elements of HCI’s scientific underpinning
• Choosing effective organizational structures
• Increasing the power and visibility of HCI and your HCI group
  • Learn how to actively “sell” your designs, instead of hoping for the best
  • Learn techniques to influence and control corporate direction
• Proven techniques that result in excellent products in record time
  • The fast track methodology: Reduce time-to-market by up to 75%
  • The counterpoint technique: Avoid chaos while speeding up the process
  • The iterative design process that results in products & services that simply work
• Choosing and engaging an effective project team
• Gathering requirements
  • Interviewing clients
  • Shadowing workers
• Scenarios & Personas
  • The transition from field study to the first iteration of your design
• Fast, informal prototyping techniques
• Fast, inexpensive usability testing

Companion Courses

Each subsequent day of the 2-Day Interaction Design course builds upon the previous day. We recommend that you attend all days to get the most out of the course.

Format

The course alternates between lecture and workshop. You will learn to apply and practice new principles and techniques through in-depth exercises and workshops, while staying grounded in the research that supports them.

You will participate in five workshops covering:

• Interviewing and shadowing
• User scenarios and personas
• Paper prototyping
• Usability testing

The course also includes:

• Findings from our own usability studies
• Case studies of mobile, web & traditional products & processes, good & bad
• Screenshots and videos of mobile, web & traditional products, good & bad

Attendee Feedback

"40 years of usability and design experience condensed in 3 days – Awesome. A must for everybody in the usability realm."

"The tie-ins from psychology and human biology are fantatic and will help give me hard facts to teach my team and inform design. I love the 'teaching to cook' vs 'teaching a recipe' approach to the course. It is challenging and engaging, not just a best practices checklist."

"Tog is an entertaining presenter with a huge wealth of knowledge. He has great stories that really drive his points home. The principles he presented were easy to relate and apply to my existing project."

"It was amazing to learn the ways from a true pioneer in the industry. It was helpful learning that this field is very science and psychology based and more than something "touchy-feely" – helping designers prove our value in this field."