major

User Experience Design

Major structure

Overview

Learn the fundamentals of UX and digital technology, including algorithms, data-orientation and practicalweb-based techniques to develop and understand the role of computing systems within society.

Your course structure

The Bachelor of Design course structure results in a flexible degree that allows students to explore different fields of study. You can choose your major immediately or make a decision before the beginning of second year.

In the first year of the Bachelor of Design, you will be immersed in a world of design and discovering new concepts and skills. You might be performing on a stage, writing code in a computer lab, contemplating design theory and putting it in to practice, or making 3D models. The subjects you complete in your first year provide the basis for your knowledge of design that will carry through for the rest of your degree.

By your second year you will deepen your understanding of your chosen design disciplines and be able to finalise your selection of majors, minors and specialisations.

Completing your major

In third year, you’ll complete your major requirements in user experience design. You’ll also be required to take a capstone subject. Capstones are designed to draw together the various theoretical strands of what you’ve learned so far, with a practical project or an opportunity to apply what you’ve learned to solve a design problem.

When you’ve finished your major, you’ll be able to incorporate UX principles and digital technology to problem-solving, using your visual communication techniques and practical skills in almost any industry.

You can take the following double major options with the Bachelor of Design:

Breadth studies

Breadth is a unique feature of the Melbourne curriculum. It gives you the chance to explore subjects outside of design, developing new perspectives and learning to collaborate with others who have different strengths and interests — just as you will in your future career.

Some of our students use breadth to explore creative interests or topics they have always been curious about. Others used breadth to improve their career prospects by complementing their major with a language, communication skills or business expertise.

Sample course plan

View some sample course plans to help you select subjects that will meet the requirements for this major.

User Experience Design Major
Accordion

Year 1

100 pts
Semester 1 · 50 pts
  • Media Computation – major – COMP10003 – 12.5 pts
  • elective – 12.5 pts
  • elective – 12.5 pts
  • breadth – 12.5 pts
Semester 2 · 50 pts
  • Fundamentals of Interaction Design – major – INFO10003 – 12.5 pts
  • elective – 12.5 pts
  • elective – 12.5 pts
  • breadth – 12.5 pts
Accordion

Year 2

100 pts
Semester 1 · 50 pts
  • User Interface Development – major – INFO20005 – 12.5 pts
  • elective – 12.5 pts
  • elective – 12.5 pts
  • breadth – 12.5 pts
Semester 2 · 50 pts
  • Usability Evaluation Methods – major – INFO20004 – 12.5 pts
  • Database Systems – major – INFO20003 – 12.5 pts
  • elective – 12.5 pts
  • breadth – 12.5 pts
Accordion

Year 3

100 pts
Semester 1 · 50 pts
  • Advanced Interface Prototyping – major – INFO30005 – 12.5 pts
  • Game Design – major – INFO30009 – 12.5 pts
  • elective – 12.5 pts
  • breadth – 12.5 pts
Semester 2 · 50 pts
  • Interactive Technology Project – major – INFO30008 – 25 pts
  • elective – 12.5 pts
  • breadth – 12.5 pts
User Experience Design and Game Design Double Major
Accordion

Year 1

100 pts
Semester 1 · 50 pts
  • Media Computation – major – COMP10003 – 12.5 pts
  • Foundations of Design: Representation – major – ARCH10001 – 12.5 pts
  • elective – 12.5 pts
  • breadth – 12.5 pts
Semester 2 · 50 pts
  • Fundamentals of Interaction Design – major – INFO10003 – 12.5 pts
  • Video Games: Remaking Reality – major – CCDP10003 – 12.5 pts
  • elective – 12.5 pts
  • breadth – 12.5 pts
Accordion

Year 2

100 pts
Semester 1 · 50 pts
  • User Interface Development – major – INFO20005 – 12.5 pts
  • Game Design Studio: Steam – major – ABPL20057 – 12.5 pts
  • The Art of Game Music – major – MUSI20173 – 12.5 pts
  • breadth – 12.5 pts
Semester 2 · 50 pts
  • Usability Evaluation Methods – major – INFO20004 – 12.5 pts
  • Database Systems – major – INFO20003 – 12.5 pts
  • Game Design Studio: Cyber – major – ABPL20058 – 12.5 pts
  • breadth – 12.5 pts
Accordion

Year 3

100 pts
Semester 1 · 50 pts
  • Advanced Interface Prototyping – major – INFO30005 – 12.5 pts
  • Game Design – major – INFO30009 – 12.5 pts
  • Game Design Studio: Frost – major – ABPL30075 – 12.5 pts
  • Hashtag Cyberstar – major – THTR30042 – 12.5 pts
Semester 2 · 50 pts
  • Interactive Technology Project – major – INFO30008 – 25 pts
  • Game Design Studio: Solar – major – ABPL30076 – 25 pts
User Experience Design and Graphic Design Double Major
Accordion

Year 1

100 pts
Semester 1 · 50 pts
  • Media Computation – major – COMP10003 – 12.5 pts
  • Critical and Theoretical Studies 1 – major – FINA10026 – 12.5 pts
  • Foundations of Design: Representation – major – ARCH10001 – 12.5 pts
  • breadth – 12.5 pts
Semester 2 · 50 pts
  • Fundamentals of Interaction Design – major – INFO10003 – 12.5 pts
  • Graphic Design Studio 1: Image & Text – major – GDES10001 – 12.5 pts
  • Critical and Theoretical Studies 2 – major – FINA10032 – 12.5 pts
  • breadth – 12.5 pts
Accordion

Year 2

100 pts
Semester 1 · 50 pts
  • User Interface Development – major – INFO20005 – 12.5 pts
  • Graphic Design Studio 2: Image & Media – major – GDES20001 – 12.5 pts
  • Critical and Theoretical Studies 3 – major – FINA20029 – 12.5 pts
  • breadth – 12.5 pts
Semester 2 · 50 pts
  • Usability Evaluation Methods – major – INFO20004 – 12.5 pts
  • Database Systems – major – INFO20003 – 12.5 pts
  • Colour Studio – major – GDES20002 – 12.5 pts
  • breadth – 12.5 pts
Accordion

Year 3

100 pts
Semester 1 · 50 pts
  • Advanced Interface Prototyping – major – INFO30005 – 12.5 pts
  • Game Design – major – INFO30009 – 12.5 pts
  • Branding – major – GDES30002 – 12.5 pts
  • Interactive Media – major – GDES30008 – 12.5 pts
Semester 2 · 50 pts
  • Interactive Technology Project – major – INFO30008 – 25 pts
  • Graphic Design Studio 3 – major – GDES30003 – 25 pts
User Experience Design and Property Double Major
Accordion

Year 1

100 pts
Semester 1 · 50 pts
  • Media Computation – major – COMP10003 – 12.5 pts
  • Introduction to Property – major – PROP10002 – 12.5 pts
  • elective – 12.5 pts
  • breadth – 12.5 pts
Semester 2 · 50 pts
  • Fundamentals of Interaction Design – major – INFO10003 – 12.5 pts
  • Economics and Cities – major – PROP10001 – 12.5 pts
  • elective – 12.5 pts
  • breadth – 12.5 pts
Accordion

Year 2

100 pts
Semester 1 · 50 pts
  • User Interface Development – major – INFO20005 – 12.5 pts
  • Finance for Built Environment – major – PROP20001 – 12.5 pts
  • Design and Property Principles – major – PROP20002 – 12.5 pts
  • breadth – 12.5 pts
Semester 2 · 50 pts
  • Usability Evaluation Methods – major – INFO20004 – 12.5 pts
  • Database Systems – major – INFO20003 – 12.5 pts
  • Design and Property Industry Studies – major – PROP20003 – 12.5 pts
  • breadth – 12.5 pts
Accordion

Year 3

100 pts
Semester 1 · 50 pts
  • Advanced Interface Prototyping – major – INFO30005 – 12.5 pts
  • Game Design – major – INFO30009 – 12.5 pts
  • Property Case Studies – major – ABPL30059 – 12.5 pts
  • Valuation of Land and Buildings – major – PROP30001 – 12.5 pts
Semester 2 · 50 pts
  • Interactive Technology Project – major – INFO30008 – 25 pts
  • Sustainable Management of Design Assets – major – PROP30002 – 12.5 pts
  • Design and Property Studio – major – PROP30003 – 12.5 pts

Explore this major

Explore the subjects you could choose as part of this major.

Core

Students must complete all of the following subjects

Accordion
User Interface Development · 12.5 pts

A crucial skill in developing interactive systems is building clear and well-designed user interfaces across a range of technologies. In this subject, students will learn how to design and build user interfaces. The subject will introduce methods, techniques, and principles of visual communication applied to the design of user interfaces. Using state-of-the-art tools, students will iteratively design and prototype a novel user interface, going from concept to implementation through increasing levels of fidelity. Around this process students will learn how to iteratively translate requirements and intentions into design constructs and working interface prototypes.

View detailed information in the Handbook
Usability Evaluation Methods · 12.5 pts

AIMS

How do we know if our digital designs will be usable and useful when people take them up in their work or social lives? Poor designs lead to errors and frustration and result in a substantial waste of money and resources. It is crucial that digital designers carefully evaluate and iterate their designs throughout a well-structured process. In this subject, students will build on the foundational material from the prerequisite subject Fundamentals of Interaction Design to learn the key industry methods and tools used to conduct usability evaluations and develop understanding about when these methods should be applied and how to interpret their findings.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

  • Theoretical foundations of usability evaluation
  • Usability and user experience
  • Lab-based evaluation methods (e.g., observation, eye-tracking, think aloud)
  • Field studies / “in the wild” evaluations
  • Expert- and user-based evaluations
  • Accessibility evaluation
  • Analysis of usability evaluation data

View detailed information in the Handbook
Database Systems · 12.5 pts

AIMS

Contemporary online services such as social networking and multimedia-sharing sites, massive multiplayer online games and commerce services have database management systems at their back-end. In this subject, students will obtain a deep understanding of the concepts behind database management systems. In particular, the students will become familiar with the database system architecture, and will exercise the concepts such as query processing and optimisation, database tuning and transactions, which are the foundation of any modern data processing application. This subject is core within the Bachelor of Science for the Major of Computing and Software Systems and the Major of Informatics. Students completing the Diploma of Informatics are also required to undertake this subject.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

This subject serves as an introduction to data modelling and databases from a technical and data management perspective. The subject will include Entity Relationship modelling (from conceptual design to physical modelling), normalisation, de-normalisation, relational model and relational algebra, SQL, query processing and query optimisation, transactions, storage organisation, database administration, data warehousing and big data analytics. Other topics in data management and DBMS technology with an overview of modern NoSQL systems may also be included.

View detailed information in the Handbook
Advanced Interface Prototyping · 12.5 pts

When designing for today’s devices, we still focus on smartphone and web applications. But what about the digital services and devices of tomorrow? This subject will explore design techniques and technologies for future technologies, which are increasingly moving away from traditional screen-based interaction. We will consider design strategies and implications for novel technology settings, such as interaction with artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, smart homes, autonomous vehicles, and voice interfaces. Students will learn to extend their current design practices to cover off-screen interaction, while also learning modern prototyping techniques to envision future interactive technologies.

This is a practical, project-based subject, in which students will follow an iterative design process for designing a new user experience. Lectures and workshops will offer practical tools, techniques, and processes for prototyping these experiences.

View detailed information in the Handbook
Game Design · 12.5 pts

AIMS

Digital games are one of the largest entertainment industries, increasingly pervasive within society, and at the forefront of emerging technologies with respect to user experience and online social interaction. This subject will develop understanding and practical knowledge of the fundamental principles and practices of game design, including human-centred design and design thinking approaches. The subject will explore the deeper conceptual foundations of the theory of games. Students will learn the underlying principles of how to design games, what games are and how they engage players. They will apply this knowledge to the analysis of games, the study of play, and gaming experiences.

INDICATIVE CONTENT

Fundamentals of game design; play-centric game design; design thinking and rapid prototyping; critical game evaluation; trends in the games industry and gaming communities; tabletop and digital games; methods for studying play; ethics and game design; value-led game design.

View detailed information in the Handbook
Interactive Technology Project · 25 pts

AIMS

As the 25pt capstone for the User Experience (UX) Design Major, this subject creates an opportunity for students to work as part of an independent team to develop and evaluate a novel proposal for a new interactive technology. The group will work under a supervisory framework and be given regular briefings on their activities and expected progress. Project work will identify and analyse an existing problem domain, develop a ‘design concept’ realised through a digital prototype, and conduct a rigorous user-based evaluation. Students will draw on their knowledge and skills from COMP10003 Media Computation, INFO10003 Fundamentals of Interaction Design, INFO20005 User Interface Development, INFO20004 Usability Evaluation Methods, and INFO30005 Advanced Interface Prototyping, as well as other studies. Students will learn how to develop an evidence-based innovation proposal for their design concept.

View detailed information in the Handbook