Course Title: Experience Design

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Experience Design

Credit Points: 12

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
VART2494	City Campus	Undergraduate	345H Media and Communication	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2012, Sem 1 2013, Sem 1 2014, Sem 2 2012, Sem 2 2013

Course Coordinator: Jennifer Lade

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 99259674

Course Coordinator Email:jennifer.lade@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 14.11.2

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None

Course Description

This elective course introduces practical and theoretical concepts across a broad range of contemporary and emerging interactive platforms, with a specific focus on the experience design of video games. It will provide an introduction to intermediate skills and concepts around the design of user experience in interactive entertainment and art, including the use of appropriate software to create interactive user experiences. Intermediate skills and concepts of design, mechanics, user experience and technical platforms will be explored with specific reference to a broad range of digital, networked and mobile interactive platforms. Emphasis will be placed on the development of practical skills and analytical understanding in relation to experience design and the role and use of interactive media and games from an experience design perspective.

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

Objectives:
Acquire knowledge and ability in the design of user experience in interactive entertainment and art across a range of platforms.
Acquire ability to use software tools to create user experiences in interactive digital media platforms.

Capabilities:
Produce technical and conceptual professional level output relevant to game design, digital art, interactive entertainment, training and simulation.
Realise creative and innovative outcomes through the use of modeling, imaging and other tools in making games and interactive media content.
Develop knowledge of software to a professional standard and to be technically innovative and resourceful in approaching future versions of software in order to sustain your individual career.
Identify and articulate the requirements of a brief in order to produce appropriate structures and content to fulfill the brief.
Critically analyse and provide feedback on your own and other people outputs in relation to industry and academic standards.

Learning Outcomes:
Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to:

Demonstrate an intermediate level of experience design skills, both technical and conceptual.
Design and execute an interactive experience design commensurate with contemporary cultural and technical expectations.
Analyse the conventions of experience design and be able to communicate this to other diverse practitioners.

Overview of Learning Activities

You will study the use and construction of experience design across a broad range of contemporary and emerging digital, networked and mobile platforms within the context of video games and broader interactive art and ludic culture. The focus of studies will be the understanding, use and construction of mechanics, visual aesthetic, narrative and user experience design with a specific focus on emerging technical platforms.  Presentations and screenings illustrating key concepts in experience design will be followed by group discussion and design activities. You will be expected to prepare for and contribute to class sessions via formal presentations and participation in discussion. To develop an intermediate level of experience design and analysis skills, you will be expected to create and analyse experience design examples. The course includes work-integrated learning, with an emphasis on gaining real-world experience in a studio setting creating relevant experience design projects.

Overview of Learning Resources

Studio classes will consist of a mixture of conceptual and practical tutorials with hands-on skill exercises within a studio environment. Online resources will also be provided to reinforce and extend these studio sessions. You will also engage in self directed learning activities outside of class. Such activities involve iterative design exercises, research, reflection, planning, preparation and the development of your assignments. The lecturer will provide guidance in these self directed learning acitivities.

Overview of Assessment

You will be assessed on your ability to effectively construct and communicate relevant experience design projects in the context of interactive art and entertainment within a broad range of emerging and/or contemporary technical platforms. Assignments consist of in-class presentations of critical presentations, discussion, and creative projects.