Course syllabus for Advanced user studies and co-creation

Course syllabus adopted 2021-02-26 by Head of Programme (or corresponding).

Overview

  • Swedish nameAvancerade användarstudier och användarinvolvering
  • CodeIMS015
  • Credits7.5 Credits
  • OwnerMPDES
  • Education cycleSecond-cycle
  • Main field of studyIndustrial Design Engineering
  • DepartmentINDUSTRIAL AND MATERIALS SCIENCE
  • GradingUG - Pass, Fail

Course round 1

  • Teaching language English
  • Application code 16114
  • Maximum participants50
  • Block schedule
  • Open for exchange studentsNo

Credit distribution

0118 Written and oral assignments 7.5 c
Grading: UG		0 c0 c0 c7.5 c0 c0 c

In programmes

Examiner

Eligibility

General entry requirements for Master's level (second cycle)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Specific entry requirements

English 6 (or by other approved means with the equivalent proficiency level)
Applicants enrolled in a programme at Chalmers where the course is included in the study programme are exempted from fulfilling the requirements above.

Course specific prerequisites

Basic course in user studies, such as MMT015 Product requirements engineering, PPU032 User studies - Understanding the user and its requirements, TDA486 Human-Centred Design, or equivalent

Aim

The aim of the course is that the students should further develop their knowledge in user-centred product development, apply new methods for user involvement, as well as develop their ability to handle the user aspect of open-ended design problems. 

Learning outcomes (after completion of the course the student should be able to)

  • Explain the different theories upon which user centred development is built, and reflect on the consequences that the choice of theoretical foundation has on subsequent choice of methods and likely outcomes
  • Reflect upon the ethical dimensions of taking the role as the users' representative in the product development process, as well as inviting users into the product development process
  • Explain how the expected result may differ depending on type of user involvement
  • Plan and carry out user studies to elicit users' needs and requirements for more "difficult problems"
  • Use alternative and innovative methods for data collection (beyond interviews and observations), 
  • Use mediating tools of different types, including immaterial kinds such as design fictions and different forms of enactments 
  • Carry out co-creation activities - to design together with users in order to understand their needs and requirements
  • Transfer knowledge gained in user studies to classmates, colleagues and clients
A more general wish is that the student after the course will have gained some useful tools to be able to dare attack the complex and ill-defined challenges of the future.

Content

  • Different theories that forms the basis of User centred development, e.g. activity theory, behavioural theories
  • Ethical considerations in User centred development
  • How to elicit user needs and requirements for more difficult products such as
    • Entirely novel product categories
    • Product-service systems
    • Products with many conflicting requirements
  • Alternative methods for user requirements elicitation (beyond interviews and observations) such as e.g. contextual inquiry, sensitizing, diaries, cultural probes, artefact analysis, living labs, experience sampling, "data mining", unobtrusive measures, repertory grids
  • Mediating tools of different types, including immaterial kinds such as design fictions and different forms of enactments (e.g. speed dating, setting the stage, small-scale scenarios) 
  • Co-creation, to design and develop together with the user
  • Methods to transfer the knowledge gained in user studies within the design team as well as to a client or other stakeholders

Organisation

The course is organised with lectures and a series of seminars (3-4) where different topics are discussed. Between the seminars the students will make small experimental studies investigating the topics discussed in the seminars. In addition literature on the subject will be read before each seminar. The student is expected to hand in short results reports describing the results of their experimental studies and how those relate to the literature.

Examination including compulsory elements

The examination is based on active participation in the seminars and passed hand-ins
Grading will be Fail/Passed

The course examiner may assess individual students in other ways than what is stated above if there are special reasons for doing so, for example if a student has a decision from Chalmers on educational support due to disability.