The Science of User Experience

Abstract image of person swimming through a quiet tarmac country road

Explore the science of understanding and learn how to research human experience

Module details

  • Offered to 1st years
  • Tuesdays 16.00-18.00
  • 8 weeks (autumn or spring term)
  • Planned delivery: Online with in-person activities
  • Non-credit only
How to enrol

Solving global issues, achieving complex change in the world and influencing consumer behaviour are complex issues that require some understanding of human nature and human experience. Using that understanding will greatly improve the chances of any innovation or solution succeeding. This module offers you the opportunity to consider what is involved in user experience (UX) testing.

We will start by considering the nature of human experience, and why it is necessary to understand the science behind experience in order to innovate new products, influence behaviour or create lasting change in the world.

This module will be delivered with a mixture of on campus sessions and online drop in and review sessions. This will allow us to spend time together and enjoy working in person, but will also give us some flexibility to join sessions remotely as needed. We will therefore be developing specific skills to support both in person and online working. All sessions will be fully interactive and will include individual and team work and lots of interaction with the lecturer. We will make full use of our virtual classroom throughout, which will be our main point of contact and collaboration. See the Change Makers handbook for more information about our virtual classroom on Basecamp.

Information blocks

On successful completion of the module you will be able to:
 
  • Reflect on the nature of human experience and how this relates to achieving change in the world
  • Describe the UX philosophy and mindset
  • Design and deploy some basic UX testing processes
  • Work independently and as part of a team to complete a mini-project

This module will introduce the idea of human experience with an interdisciplinary consideration of the neuroscience of perception, the philosophy of meaning making and the behavioural science of human action. We will then use this awareness to consider how to create change in human activity - whether that is enticing people to use a new product or process, or by changing existing patterns of behaviour to more sustainable practices and processes, drawing on ideas like nudge theory.

Using some case study examples to help you quickly develop an innovation or idea to be tested, we will then consider the importance of user experience (UX). We will think about how to keep the user in mind at all times, as well as formal processes for UX testing.

You will take away a package of skills that will enhance future design and innovation projects.

During this module you will learn:

  • How to think about, describe and analyse the nature of human experience from different disciplinary perspectives, including psychology, neuroscience and philosophy
  • How to use different types of research method to investigate human experience (for example, to evaluate the success of an activity)

During this module you will do:

  • Lots of group activities to explore the nature of experience, including thought experiments and practical activities
  • At least two different activities (such as a museum visit or a nature walk) to put the theoretical ideas into a practical context – you will then be able to analyse your own experience of these activities
  • An individual and group mini-research project

This will be a highly-interactive module with whole class discussions and small group work, facilitated by the teacher. Concepts and ideas will be introduced with practical activities and thought experiments.

You will be introduced to the Change Makers UX model, which you will then be able to apply to a real world project in teams. A choice of partly-worked case studies will be provided that solve real world problems. You will be encouraged to make the project your own, making changes and suggesting potential solutions. However, lots of ideas will be included as the focus is not on coming up with the best solution, but applying the values of UX to your work.

Finally, you will have the opportunity to 'test' your project on another team in the class, using UX testing to evaluation and fine tune your project. The final session will be a showcase of the projects and the UX processes used to achieve the best solution to each problem.

We recognise the interrelated nature of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and do not consider individual SDGs in isolation.  We adopt a systems-based approach that recognises their cross-cutting nature. Therefore, your work on each of the case studies in this module will address a number of the SDGs.

This module takes the principles of user experience testing to consider ways in which it is possible to investigate and understand the experience of others - with a view to understanding how people engage with issues and meaningful change.

In particular this module will provide opportunities to focus on SDG 3 (good health and wellbeing), SDG 4 (quality education), SDG 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure) and SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production).

This module is assessed both formatively and summatively. This means that you will receive feedback following each activity that we complete together in class, but only your final researcher reflection will be graded. You will be able to complete your researcher reflection in class time - adding a little to the reflection each week.

  • Coursework: Researcher Reflection (a research journal that may be written or presented using multimedia entries) - equivalent of 600-1000 words (100%)
  • ECTS value: 0
  • Requirements: You must be prepared to attend all classes and to spend about an hour a week preparing for each session
  • This module is designed as an undergraduate Level 4 course. For an explanation of levels, view the Imperial Horizons Level Descriptors page.‌