Gilly Leshed is a senior lecturer in the Department of Information Science at Cornell. Her teaching and research interests are in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW), in which she uses quantitative and qualitative methods and technology design to examine how individuals and groups accomplish tasks and socialize and the roles information technology plays in these interactions. She is particularly interested in designing interactive technologies that empower marginalized populations. Some of her works include visually-impaired users of social media, smallholder coffee farmers in Latin America, and Amazon Mechanical Turk workers. She is the Director of the Master of Professional Studies in Information Science, and is the faculty supervisor of the Design & Tech Initiative Project Team.
Human‑Centered Design EssentialsCornell Course
Course Overview
Human-computer interfaces have become a part of everyday life, whether we consider technology that we use at home or at work. People rely on technology to help them achieve a goal or solve a problem, and this idea is central to the emerging and rapidly expanding field of human-centered design: Who is using the interface, and for what purpose? How can we help them do that better? Answering these questions should be at the heart of the design process, as technologies are ultimately for people to use, and designers need to make this as intuitive and smooth as possible.
Design doesn't happen in a lab; it happens in the world, and gathering information about the users of your product ensures better design. In this course, you will be introduced to human-computer interaction design, use practical methods for applying sound design principles, and execute the entire process. You'll discover the basics of how to identify a human need, how and why you need to keep that need at the center of the design process, uncover what can be measured to improve the design, and ensure that you conduct your research fairly and ethically.
Key Course Takeaways
- Identify the elements of human-computer interaction: the technology, the user, and the interface between the two
- Identify good and bad design from a user interaction perspective
- Measure usability and user experience using human-centered design (HCD) terminology
- Articulate the stages involved in the iterative user-centered design (UCD) process
- Follow ethical conduct when interacting with people in the user-centered design cycle
How It Works
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Who Should Enroll
- Product managers
- Web designers
- Software developers
- Marketing professionals
- UI/UX designers
- Graphic designers
- Instructional designers
- Accessibility specialists
- Anyone focused on customer experience evaluation