Information Design Strategy, MS UX/UI Specialization

Web design is more than just snazzy messaging and pretty pictures on a webpage. A site that really works fulfills your strategic objectives while meeting the needs of your users. It is essential to understand how to understand strategic objectives and translate them into something that provides a quality user experience. User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) are integral to understand information design. The UX/UI specialization will link the concepts learned in the core classes and connect them more concretely to the profession of UX/UI. This specialization will focus on ideas rather than tools, giving students the ability to understand the big picture, strategy and requirements, content, and visual design. Students will gain skills in design systems, atomic design models, responsive design, prototyping and feedback loops.

Curriculum

Core Courses (9 units)

Course Title
MS_IDS 401-DLModels and Theories of User-Centered Design
MS_IDS 403-DLEffective Communication
MS_IDS 405-DLUser Research
MS_IDS 407-DLInformation and Content Strategy
MS_IDS 409-DLData Science, Management, and Business Strategy
MS_IDS 411-DLInformation Design and Architecture
MS_IDS 413-DLVisual Communication
MS_IDS 481-DLLeadership and Business Strategy
MS_IDS 498-DLCapstone Project
or MS_IDS 590-DL Thesis Research

Specialization Courses (3 units)

Course Title
MS_IDS 462-DLExperience Design
MS_IDS 464-DLInterface Design
MS_IDS 466-DLDesign Systems and Operations

About the Final Project

As their final course, students take either the individual research project in an independent study format (thesis research) or the final project class in which students integrate the knowledge they have gained in the core curriculum in a project presented by the instructor. In both cases, students are guided by faculty in exploring the body of knowledge on information design and strategy while contributing research of practical value to the field. The capstone independent thesis project and capstone class project count as one unit of credit.

Pre-requisite: Students may take one other course simultaneously with MS_IDS 498-DL Capstone Project. All other course requirements must have been completed before the commencement of this course.

Course Title
Choose one
Capstone Project
Thesis Research