University of Washington Human Centered Design & Engineering

Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering

The Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering (HCDE) is a department in the College of Engineering

University of Washington College of Engineering

The University of Washington College of Engineering is the engineering unit of the University of Washington. The college has ten departments with 5,500 students and 237 faculty.- Departments in the College of Engineering :* * Bioengineering* *...

, located in Sieg Hall on the University of Washington

University of Washington

University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...

campus in Seattle, Washington, USA. The Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering (HCDE) was called the Department of Technical Communication

Technical communication

Technical communication is a method of researching and creating information about technical processes or products directed to an audience through media. The information must be relevant to the intended audience. Technical communicators often work collaboratively to create products for various...

until January 2009.

HCDE offers its students a strong education in user-centered design, user-interface design, usability

Usability

Usability is the ease of use and learnability of a human-made object. The object of use can be a software application, website, book, tool, machine, process, or anything a human interacts with. A usability study may be conducted as a primary job function by a usability analyst or as a secondary job...

research, human-computer interaction, human-centered computing

Human-centered computing

Human-centered computing is an emerging, interdisciplinary academic field broadly concerned with computing and computational artifacts as they relate to the human condition...

, computer-supported cooperative work, and documentation

Documentation

Documentation is a term used in several different ways. Generally, documentation refers to the process of providing evidence.Modules of Documentation are Helpful...

. HCDE students obtain outstanding jobs, primarily in the high-tech industry (e.g., Microsoft, Boeing, IBM, Intel, Amazon, T-Mobile, Google), as user interface

User interface

The user interface, in the industrial design field of human–machine interaction, is the space where interaction between humans and machines occurs. The goal of interaction between a human and a machine at the user interface is effective operation and control of the machine, and feedback from the...

and website

Website

A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...

designers, user interface

User interface

software developers, user experience

User experience

User experience is the way a person feels about using a product, system or service. User experience highlights the experiential, affective, meaningful and valuable aspects of human-computer interaction and product ownership, but it also includes a person’s perceptions of the practical aspects such...

researchers and designers

Designers Against Aids

Designers Against Aids is an international project launched in Belgium in 2004, developed by the non-profit organization Beauty Without Irony, which spreads HIV/AIDS global awareness by using pop culture, celebrities, fashion, and sports to target younger generations, mainly from Western...

, or as developers of software user assistance and other forms of user-centered communication. Our PhD graduates take positions in academia or in industry or government research labs.

HCDE emphasizes student-centered, hands-on learning. Beyond taking traditional classroom courses, students join research groups and work side-by-side internationally recognized faculty to increase the knowledge base of the field. HCDE's educational mission is supported by first-rate facilities. HCDE also has a strong international perspective. From technology adoption in Central Asia to humanitarian logistics in Mozambique to hand-held communication design in Germany, HCDE students and faculty explore what it means to communicate globally.

HCDE prepares students to assume positions of intellectual leadership in industry, government, non-profit organizations, and academia. Whatever their professional direction, HCDE students learn the newest communication technologies and practices, the most effective information-design strategies, and the research skills appropriate to their interests. They also learn the enduring theory and principles that enable them to respond creatively to the constant changes they will encounter throughout their careers. HCDE strives to equip its students to be leaders in designing communication solutions to meet human needs.

The mission of HCDE is to advance design knowledge by using innovative techniques to study human activity and then translating that knowledge into meaningful information and system designs. HCDE's approach to accomplishing this mission is by:

Considering the role of communication and technology in human activity.
Prioritizing the needs, desires, and behaviors of people and communities who interact with technical systems.
Addressing the specifics of design by working with interdisciplinary communities of researchers to build innovative technological solutions.

HCDE Academic Programs

The Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering offers seven academic programs:

Bachelor of Science in Human Centered Design & Engineering
Master of Science in Human Centered Design & Engineering
PhD in Human Centered Design & Engineering
Interdisciplinary Master of Science in Technical Japanese
Certificate in User Centered Design
Certificate in Global Technology & Communication Management
Certificate in Technical Writing and Editing

These programs give students the opportunity to pursue areas of specialization, attend classes while working, or earn a certificate or degree in day and evening progtrams. As part of the College of Engineering, students in HCDE receive a strong foundation in math and science, which is increasingly important in industry. Class sizes are small, and students work closely with faculty members and with other students.

HCDE offers students specialized learning-through-design projects and internships, in which students work with clients to design and deliver products. HCDE also offers a directed research program in which students work in small teams with faculty to do hands-on research and often publish the results.

Degree Programs

The Bachelor of Science

Bachelor of Science

A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...

in Human Centered Design & Engineering builds a foundation in communication and design skills, math, and science. Undergraduate students choose one of three paths of study: Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Technical Communication, or an Individualized Course of Study.

The Master of Science

Master of Science

A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...

in Human Centered Design & Engineering advances students' knowledge and skills in the design and evaluation of information products, technologies, and user interfaces. Students may create their own specialization through elective coursework or enter a formal concentration: User-Centered Design (UCD) or Global Technology and Communication Management (GTCM).

The PhD

PHD

PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...

in Human Centered Design & Engineering provides unparalleled depth and experience for students interested in studying the conception, design, implementation, usability, and evaluation of technologies for specific audiences or user groups. Students work closely with faculty on real-world projects and research questions.

The Interdisciplinary Master of Science

Master of Science

in Technical Japanese is a two-year degree program that combines the study of one of ten engineering disciplines at the University of Washington and Japanese.

Certificate Programs

The HCDE User-Centered Design (UCD) Certificate is an evening graduate-level program for students who want to explore issues in usability and user-centered design.
The Global Technology & Communication Management (GTCM) Certificate is an evening graduate-level program for students who want to master management challenges in localization.
The Technical Writing and Editing (TWE) Certificate is an evening program for students who want to learn practical applications and fundamental concepts in technical communication.

History

HCDE had its beginnings in the "Program in Technical Communication," started in 1974 by Professors James Souther and Myron White of the College of Engineering

University of Washington College of Engineering

's Department of Humanistic-Social Studies (HSS). They extended their teaching of technical writing to include a series of courses for students interested in the profession of technical communication. Students who completed the technical writing series could add it as a "minor" to another degree program or could use it as the focus (in effect a "major") for an interdisciplinary bachelor's degree in Engineering or in the General Studies Program of the College of Arts and Sciences

University of Washington College of Arts and Sciences

The University of Washington College of Arts and Sciences is the liberal arts and sciences unit of the University of Washington. The CAS has 27,500 students and offers 5,600 different classes.-External links:*...

. By the end of the 1978-1979 academic year, 10 "majors" and 32 "minors" had graduated from this University of Washington program.

In 1983, the College of Engineering dissolved the HSS Department, but retained the seven members of the technical communication faculty: Mary Coney, David Farkas, Judy Ramey, Jim Souther, Jan Spyridakis, Mike White, and Tom Williams. They became the nucleus of an Interdisciplinary Program in Scientific and Technical Communication. Professor Souther became the Program's Director. In 1985, Dr. Mark Haselkorn, former Director of Technical and Professional Writing at Louisiana State University, replaced James Souther as Director of the College of Engineering's Program in Scientific and Technical Communication at the University of Washington.

The Program began offering courses for an interdisciplinary master's degree in the College of Engineering, as well as courses for the two bachelor's degrees in 1986. In 1988, the Program began offering a year-long evening program, through the University of Washington Extension Program

University of Washington Educational Outreach

| class="wikitable" border="2"The University of Washington Educational Outreach is the continuing education and professional development unit of the University of Washington , in Seattle, Washington....

, in which science and engineering professionals could earn a Certificate in Technical Writing and Editing. A second section was added to its Certificate in Technical Writing and Editing in 1991, with the program being offered not only in Seattle but also Bothell

Bothell, Washington

Bothell is a city located in King and Snohomish Counties in the state of Washington. It is part of the Seattle metropolitan area. The population was 33,505 as of the 2010 census...

, Washington. (This section was later moved to Bellevue

Bellevue, Washington

Bellevue is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, across Lake Washington from Seattle. Long known as a suburb or satellite city of Seattle, it is now categorized as an edge city or a boomburb. The population was 122,363 at the 2010 census.Downtown Bellevue is...

, Washington.)

In 1989, the Interdisciplinary College Program became the full-fledged Department of Technical Communication (TC), offering its own Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Technical Communication. It also continued to teach courses in technical writing to engineering students in all departments in the College of Engineering. In 1993, the Department of Technical Communication began the graduate-level Technical Japanese Program, with Dr. Michio Tsutsui as Program Director.

In 1997, Dr. Judith Ramey was appointed as Chair of the Department. The TC Minor Program was introduced. In 2000, TC launched its Evening Master's in Technical Communication program. This new degree program graduated its first class in spring 2002. The TC Doctoral Program was launched in 2002, and TC further expanded its programs for professionals by creating the Graduate Certificate in User-Centered Design in winter 2003.

In 2000, Dr. Beth Kolko joined the faculty and in 2001 Dr. Jennifer Turns joined the faculty. In 2004, Donna Sakson, her husband Jonathan Mark, and Sakson & Taylor, Inc., donated $100,000 to set up an endowed scholarship fund to foster diversity among departmental students. In 2006, Dr. Mark Zachry joined the faculty.

In 2008, Dr. Jan Spyridakis was appointed as Department Chair. Four new faculty joined TC that same year: Dr. Sarah Pérez-Kriz, Dr. Charlotte Lee, Dr. Julie Kientz, and Dr. Cynthia Atman, Mitchell T. and Lella Blanche Bowie Endowed Chair, CELT and CEEE Director.

In 2009, TC changed its name to Human Centered Design & Engineering and the Department moved to the 4th floor of Sieg Hall. New HCDE degree titles were approved at the BS, MS, and PhD levels. In 2010, Dr. Cecilia Aragon joined the faculty of HCDE.

A new graduate certification in Global Technology & Communication Management began in fall 2011.

External links

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