I am on sabbatical (i.e., not teaching) during the academic year 2024-25. Otherwise, I typically teach two courses:
CS 79 (formerly CS 179): Design of Useful and Usable Interactive Systems
The course covers skills and techniques necessary to design innovative interactive products that are useful, usable and that address important needs of people other than yourself. You will learn how to uncover needs that your customers cannot even articulate. You will also learn a range of design principles, effective creativity-related practices, and techniques for rapidly creating and evaluating product prototypes. You will also have several opportunities to formally communicate your design ideas to a variety of audiences. You will complete two large team-based design projects.
The course is intended to be an introduction to human-computer interaction and it is typically taken by undergraduates. We welcome students from any academic background. There are no prerequisites. This course is also available to some Masters students who need to develop a foundation in design.
Here’s the syllabus from fall 2023 as well as the course timeline and lecture slides.
CS 276: Design, Technology and Social Impact
The course explores major areas of research and practice at the intersection of design, technology, and social impact. Specifically, we explore the current state of research and interesting real-world examples related to the design, evaluation, and implementation of interventions comprising of technical, social, and organizational elements. We also explore leading theories and methods for anticipating broader, indirect societal impacts of such intervention. Course activities involve discussion of primary literature, some guided instruction, assignments, and a major research project.
This is a graduate course intended for Masters and PhD students but advanced undergraduates are also welcome. This course builds on knowledge from many disciplines and we welcome students from all academic backgrounds. In particular, we are happy to accept cross-registrants from other Harvard schools. However, this is a limited enrollment course, so make sure to check out the course information early and apply on time.
Here’s the syllabus from spring 2024 including course timeline and readings.