XA Program Evaluation

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Class RO Description RO Course Objectives Course Outcomes Major Assignments

AL 242 ​Ben​ & Basic principles of user-centered To introduce the theory and 1-Articulate a detailed representation of the Exploring the Field of XA​ ​(100): ​The first assignment you will complete for class requires
Casey design as applied to user practice of user-centered design field by describing the role of an experience you to explore the field of XA by researching the skills, experience, background, and
experience. Usability, as it applies to researching, architect in an organization. education of “experience architects” and organizations and institutions that employ people in
information architecture, architecting, and designing 2-Evaluate the tools and resources available to user experience. The term “experience architect” is used here loosely to give you flexibility to
interaction design, and service products, services, processes, experience architects. find people and organizations or institutions that are of interest to your career goals. Or,
-XA Capstone design practices, tools, and experiences relating to user 3-Begin to learn how to manage XA projects. perhaps you aren’t sure what your career goals are in XA just yet, so use this assignment as
-XA Internship conventions, and professional experience.To learn about the 4-Explore methods of aligning user experience an opportunity to survey the people and the field to help you learn what interests you most. To
-How to apply for community. history, practices, and to organizational goals. do this research, look through LinkedIn, Twitter, or other social media profiles; professional,
jobs and professionalization of user 5-Understand the theories and practices governmental, or organizational or institutional websites or portfolios; job ads; conference
internships experience architects, including associated with architecting flexible, dynamic materials and proceedings; trade magazines (e.g.​ ​uxmag.com​), and so on. You can also
(some PD genres, contexts, and structures that deliver information to users choose to interview a UX professional over the phone or via email. When you are completed
required) locations.To develop an when and where they need it. with your exploration, the deliverable will be a one page text and graphic handout that details
- understanding of the lifecycle of 6-Learn how to evaluate the user needs of a what you learned by assembling a profile of a person or a job. You will distribute this handout
user experience projects, product, service, or policy to recommend to others in the class and then present it to them in an ignite session (5 minutes or less).
including planning, researching, methods of building positive experiences. Successful ignite sessions are challenging to design, so we will watch a few in class to help
designing, adapting, and 7-Learn effective methods of offering prepare for the session. Look for the assignment sheet on D2L, including evaluation criteria.
measuring user experience. actionable, constructive feedback to peers and
provide just-in-time, useful critique. Communication Portfolio​ (150)​: In class we will practice communicating in the workplace. I
will ask you to assemble a portfolio of this work. The portfolio will consist of a ​memo​, ​email​,
presentation template​, and a ​process memo​ that connects each document. You’ll also
present this work to the class using your presentation template. You can do this project
individually or as a group.

Analyzing XA Toolkit​ (100): ​This project requires engagement with the resources and tools
used by experience architects. You will research, evaluate, and demonstrate (through
screencast and other forms of tutorials) some of the resources and tools you find by
contributing to our class resource on D2L. The deliverable will be 2 one-page text and graphic
handouts. Each document is worth 25 points. To avoid overlap, I will ask you to sign up for the
2 tools/resources before getting started. The tools can be related to research (like Evernote),
wireframing (like Mockingbird), affinity diagramming online (like​ ​linoit.com​), and so on. A more
specific assignment sheet will be provided for the class on D2L, which will give more details
and evaluation criteria.

Client Project​ (200)​: ​Your client project will be a team effort. Your team will be assigned a
website, service, or policy to test that is somehow local to our area (feel free to apply “local” as
broadly or narrowly as the team would like). Then, your team will analyze the existing
structures (if they exist), strategize about how to improve them, conduct research into your
solutions, and pitch your solutions to a client. Your team might alternatively try to identify a
problem that could be solved through the development of an artifact or improved process, and
pitch to the class how the artifact might work or how the process might be improved. The
assignment sheet, as usual, will have more details and evaluation criteria.

Professional Development Plan​ (200): ​Over the next several years, you will graduate and
look for a job in the field of Experience Architecture. This assignment requires you to think
 about which area of XA you are most interested in, and then develop a plan to develop skills,
education, and experiences that will prepare you for the job. Draw upon the work you’ve done
in this class and set some goals for the next 5 years of your professional life. What types of
organizations interest you? What types of jobs? How can you be competitive as a
professional? What sort of skills, education, and experience will you need to make a case for
employment? Write a plan and strategy to follow that can help you meet your professional
goals. Your plan should be turned in as a short, 2-page memo.

Eli Review & In-class Activities​ (150): ​As we move throughout the semester, you will be
placed in groups to present readings to the class. You will need to be present to present to the
class and engage in conversations, discussions, notes, and other interactions that will foster
your understanding of the XA and your developing role within the professional space. You will
also be doing peer review through Eli Review -​ ​see the rubric for the grades​ on these tasks
and how they are averaged. If you miss one, you get a zero. Do not miss any.

Class Participation​ ​(50): ​Over the course of the semester there might be a few times where
we will put what we have been learning into action. The research, methods, presenting,
pitching, etc. – if I feel like it will serve the class better to have these moments happen
immediately, they will. Just as you may get called into a meeting in your professional space to
present and discuss projects, I will ask the same of you. Be prepared. Be ready. Be
professional. Class participation is essential to your learning. If you miss class on the days we
have such moments, you will get a zero and there is no excuse to make up the points.

AL 242 ​Rebecca To become acquainted with the concepts of 

“experience” and be aware of the many  XA @ MSU Introduction 
environments (both physical and digital) in which  In order to better understand the mission and visions behind the Experience Architecture program we will 
these experiences occur.  reference published articles about the program and discuss its attributes. Throughout the course of the 
  semester we will be working to define your place within the program. 
To account for the differences and needs in audience 
Theme: Experience 
goals, behaviors, and motivators when architecting 
Being conscious of what an experience is from a very broad philosophical perspective will inform your 
positives experiences.  
future ways of architecting the conditions for positive experiences. To enlighten our class dialogs on the 
 
theme of “experience” you will execute an assigned activity and visualize the tasks you achieved via 
To make connections across the various components 
diagramming.  
within a system and understand that experiences 
KEY CONCEPTS & METHODS: Experience, Customer Experience, Activity Theory, Activity-Centered Design, 
happen in the smallest and broadest moments. 
Diagramming, Brainstorming 
 
50 pts​ ​#1: Activity Diagram 
To articulate a detailed representation of the field by 
50 pts​ ​Reading(s) + Written Response 
describing the various roles and skills of an 
experience architect in the current landscape and  Theme: Understanding People  
prepare for possible futures.  The products, services, and systems that you will influence over the course of your career should always 
  put people first. Being able to account for the differences in people and how these differences affect the 
To demonstrate the theories and practices  outcomes of an experience is a key component of UX. You will reference individuals and communities to 
associated with experience architecture and  illustrate these differences in profile one-sheets. Additionally, you will explain various concepts and 
reference the multidisciplinary influences.  theories central to the study of social cognition via a shared PDF. 
KEY CONCEPTS & METHODS: ​Affective Systems, Visceral Emotion, Behavioral Emotion, Reflective Emotion, 
To practice effective methods of offering actionable, 
Cognitive Systems, Learning Preferences, Schema Theory, Learning Community, Learning Plan, Personas, 
constructive feedback to peers and provide 
Scenario-based design, Cultural Influences 
just-in-time, useful critique.
50 pts​ ​ #2: Scenario Narratives 
200 pts​ ​ #3: Group Activities: Learning Community / Learning Plan / Proto Personas 
50 pts​ ​Reading(s) + Written Response 

Theme: Elements and Environments 


AL 242 Dawn
AL 333 Dawn Researching for product,
services, and processes as
AL 333 ​Ben​ & applied to user experience.
Casey Contextual inquiry, field studies,
card sorting, participatory
design, interviewing, focus
groups, and usability testing.
Field trip required.
AL 366 Ben Managing user experience
projects. Project management,
staffing projects, scheduling
projects, managing process,
To learn about the various
research methods and practices,
including contextual inquiry,
facility tours, usability studies,
card sorting, interviewing, focus
groups, and others methods. To
develop an understanding of the
various practices, methods,
processes, and theories of user
experience research including
participatory design, field
studies, and universal design.To
provide learning experiences for
conducting user research and
the qualities which make them
effective.
To learn how to manage
projects, people, and processes
for user experience projects.To
learn how to create and curate
Same as Ben and Casey’s below.
1-Establish, manage, and curate your methods
toolkit.
2-Compare and contrast different research
methods.
3-Improve your strategic thinking and ability to
convey findings.
4-Make meaningful connections between user
needs and business requirements
5-Develop and execute short research projects
that use appropriate research methods.
Course Outcomes
In this class you will engage in general class
activities, which will consist of readings,
A common misconception of Experience Architecture is that it’s about technology when in fact it’s about 
helping people first and foremost, technology might be used to help people but it isn’t always the end 
outcome. Identifying the many systems, products, and services we interact with on a daily basis will 
highlight the many environments through which we experience the world. You will share your research 
via a case study format. 
KEY CONCEPTS & METHODS: Products, Services, Environments, Systems, Case Studies 
50 pts​ ​#4: Case Studies (Product, Service, System, Environment) 
50 pts​ ​Reading(s) + Written Response 
Theme: Industry Today 
Getting a grasp of how the industry functions today will better prepare you for the rest of your education 
and give you a smoother transition when you enter the workforce. You will explore the field of XA by 
researching the skills, experience, background, and education of “experience architects” and 
organizations and institutions that employ people in user experience. You will present your learnings via 
an Ignite Talk format. 
KEY CONCEPTS & METHODS: Experience Design Agencies/Studios, In-house teams, Job titles, Roles in a team, 
Interview, Presentation 
200 pts​ ​#5: Individual Presentations (on UX studios + In-house UX) 
50 pts​ ​Reading(s) + Written Response 
Theme: Ways of Working + Tools 
The central goal of an experience architect is helping people through creating the conditions for a positive 
experience. Achieving this goal is done through working with people of various skills and roles. There are 
many methods and tools used in the facilitation of such projects, both complex and simple projects may 
utilize several throughout the process. You will work with your classmates to develop a useful resource 
that identifies common tools, methods and even concepts used today. 
KEY CONCEPTS & METHODS: Accessibility, Methods, Concepts, Processes, Tools, Resources 
150 pts​ ​#6 Collective Resource (Tools + Methods) 
50 pts​ ​Reading(s) + Written Response 
Same as Ben and Casey’s below.
Eli Review Tasks (30 total) - 300 points
Interview​ 100 points
Survey​ 100 points
Card Sort​ 100 points
Field Studies​ 100 points
Heuristic​ 100 points
Usability​ 100 points
Final Project Deliverable​ 150 points
Final Project Presentation 150 points
Final Reflection 100 points
Class Participation 100 points
Interview a Project Manager (150 points)
You’ll interview a project manager about their day-to-day activities and then present your
findings to the class. The three areas you’ll focus on are leadership, communication, and the
 writing specifications, sales,
budgeting.
AL 444 Dawn Process models used in the
planning and designing of
interactive experiences.
Organization of information, user
interactions, visual design
attributes, prototyping methods,
and interface design.
project schedules and various
documents that can support
these schedules such as
GANTT charts, project budgets,
costing schedules,
specifications, and reports.To
develop an understanding for
how to manage projects when
you do not normally manage the
people who are on them.To
understand how to support sales
and budgeting efforts.
To practice the various methods
used throughout the planning
phases of an interactive
environment such as
storyboarding, lo-fi sketches and
wireframes, and hi-fi interactive
prototypes.To develop a
familiarity with processes
associated to visual design,
interface design, and information
architecture.To organize
information with an attention to
hierarchy, sequence, and
relevance by constructing
concept maps and diagrams.To
demonstrate the use of heuristic
evaluations in order to uncover
errors in an interactive
presentations, discussions, and other relevant
activities. These activities will help you:
● Understand project management
implementation strategies like waterfall,
Agile, and Lean;
● Practice rhetorical design of
communication in multiple modalities;
● Use class materials and experiences to
guide and support team and peer
feedback; and,
● Develop a working project
management philosophy, including
ways of practicing good judgement,
constantly learning and adapting
approaches, and inviting participation
from stakeholders.
In this class you will also participate in a
simulated project based on real-life scenarios
and case studies. The project will teach you
how to
● Create a scope, charter, and proposal
for a project, and learn how to
complete the work on time (and on
budget) to support business goals;
● Learn how project managers create
and manage an internal documentation
scheme;
● Evaluate people’s experiences
managing projects.
AL 444 will focus on the survey, practice, and
analysis of the prototyping tools and methods
currently used in industry. At the end of this
course, you will be able to:
● Develop prototypes that are based in
user research
● Base decision making on stakeholders
and business needs
● Know what design patterns are and
how to apply them
● Select the appropriate tool and/or
method
● Create a range of prototypes in various
forms
● Understand how and why to user test
prototypes at every stage
● Integrate user feedback into new
iterations
invisible activities of project managers. When you are done, you’ll present your findings to the
class in a 10 minute presentation. Interviews can be done over email.
Project Management Walk-Through Reflections (150 points)
Throughout the semester we will visit professional workplaces to learn about how they
manage projects. After these visits, you’ll write a reflection about your experiences and major
takeaways.
Hiring Project (100 points)
You’ll learn to make rubrics and evaluate candidates, including how to conduct job interviews
that highlight diversity of experience and knowledge as an asset.
Project Charter (150 points)
You will write a charter for a project. A charter template will be provided in class, but you’ll be
asked to pay as close to the design of the charter as you will the template. Your charter may
also include project specifications, and a budget.
Project Schedule (150 points)
You’ll be asked to create a schedule for a project. Your schedule will draw from both Agile and
Waterfall approaches.
Self-Evaluation (150 points)
As you end the semester, I’ll ask you to develop a template for self-evaluation and then use
that template to evaluate your work in class throughout the semester.
Project Retrospective (200 points)
Toward the end of the semester, you will create a template for a project retrospective where
you individually reflect on successes and failures when managing the project and discuss
what you learned.
SKETCHBOOK
Throughout the semester, you will have prompts in D2L that guide your note-taking and
sketching, and you will conduct that work in your sketchbook and turn it in periodically. This
sketchbook is your participation in daily activities, inside and outside of the classroom. It will
ask you to reflect and actively engage with the McElroy readings. (Don’t just read—do(odle)!)
Experienced designers take a very broad approach to what a prototype is. In a sense,
prototyping is a habit of mind, and this sketchbook is geared toward cultivating that habit.
PROJECT 1: Survey of Prototyping Tools & Methods
There are a number of tools and methods used in the execution of prototypes. As a class, we
will survey, document, and categorize all the variations, organizing them into a spectrum.
Through this survey we will identify the limits and possibilities with each of the tools and
methods, leading to a general understanding of what each is good for based on the following
characteristics:
Fidelity:​ Low to Medium to High to “almost production,” abstract to concrete
Audience:​ Stakeholders (requirements clarification), External (test with representative users),
Team (explore design ideas and learn), etc.
 interface.To account for the
difference in audience (user)
needs, goals, and
motivations.To develop the
foundational prototyping skills
that are necessary to create
effective design prototypes in
the capstone course and their
professional work.
● Prepare final deliverables for
implementation
● Implement the cycle of
prototyping, feedback, and
iteration
Purpose:​ websites to mobile applications in a digital environment, to large interactive displays
in the physical environment to industrial and service design
The form of this survey will be determined by the class and be synthesized in a way that
benefits the class throughout the duration of the semester. It could be a google spreadsheet,
google diagram, or a physical map. This is all up for discussion!
Each of you will be required to contribute to the survey throughout the first three weeks of this
course. Reading and research will need to be done on your own time in order to facilitate
meaningful dialog in the classroom. Participation is key in this exercise.

MINI PROJECTS 2 and 3

The survey of tools and methods will generate a large list of options when it comes to
prototyping. In order for you to gain the best understanding of these tools and methods, you
will practice making prototype in​ ​two activities with quick timelines. Each activity will be
structured in a way that gives you the opportunity to select, implement, and test a wide variety
of the tools and methods we uncovered in the survey.

MINI PROJECT 2: DIGITAL PRODUCT

MINI PROJECT 3: PHYSICAL PRODUCT / PHYSICAL COMPUTING

The activities range from 2 to 4 class sessions and you will be required to work on them both
inside and outside of class time. It is also required that you document each activity in a digital
way, via photo, scans, and written descriptions and reflections. This will be delivered in a
written report at the end of the practice activity.

TEAM PROJECT 4
This project will be more complex in scope, requiring your team to put into action all of the
various theories and methods of prototyping we have learned together across the semester.
The team project has a longer timeline and various deliverables throughout the course of the
project, both physical and digital. The project will also allow for the integration of UX research
and testing methods.

FINAL REFLECTION
Following the survey, practice activities, and project, you will analyze your experiences with
prototyping and deliver this reflection in your preferred digital form for presentation on your
portfolio website. This is why the documentation of your activities in your sketchbook is so
critical. The better you document and reflect along the way, they easier this final reflection will
be.

AL 444 Rebecca
+ Christina The XA prototyping course offers an exploration of  50 pts ​#1 Topic Research + Problem Statement 
the process models used in the designing of  Experience Architects are responsible for surveying and understanding the contexts through which their projects 
(Spring 2019) exist in order to ideate, prototype, test, and explore possible positive solutions. This course is centered around the 
interactive experiences. focus on the organization  current global, regional, and local issues related to water production, consumption, pollution, and conservation. 
of information, user and system interactions, and  Water related issues will be the lens through which you focus your practice of prototyping in this course. 
interface design prepares students for building 
effective prototypes appropriate for communicating  50 pts ​#2 Challenge Statement + Spark Frames 
Experience Architects are expected to solve problems that often aren’t their own and in order to better understand 
interactive concepts. Students analyze and practice  these problems rigorous research initiatives are executed. Research is an initial phase of the design process in which 
a range of prototyping tools and methods commonly  the designer considers the problems or needs related to a current situation or activity, weighs the importance of 
used in industry, such as such as wireframing, lo-fi  those problems, and forms initial ideas on how to address them through design. Beginning with a particular question 
(aka a Spark) helps to generate multiple solution ideas. 
sketches and wireframes, and hi-fi interactive 
prototypes. We will explore a variety of technical  50 pts ​#3 Diagrams + User Scenarios  
Experience Architects need use strategies and research methods to illustrate the ​situatedness​ or ​context ​of design 

AL 466 ​Liza Integrate knowledge and skills
acquired from previous courses.
Conceptualization, planning,
implementation, and
assessment of a project,
service, system or an idea in a
collaborative setting.
To conceptualize, plan,
implement, assess, and
advocate for a project, service,
system, or idea that is relevant
to a community in need of
information. To further develop
skills in leadership, project
management, professionalism,
innovation, critical thinking, and
the ability to analyze and solve
real world problems in changing
interactive landscapes. To
connect coursework and
experiences to their career
goals.To identify a community in
need of specific information and
create the conditions for an
interactive experience that
empowers, inspires, and
facilitates new knowledge.To
propose, plan for, and
implement their interactive
experience in a collaborative
tools used that may be new to you. You are  problems in order to acknowledge the range of variables that are relevant to the problem. Understanding how people 
responsible for making time to ramp up,  develop and restructure their actions in order to achieve a goal is a critical consideration within this broader context. 
Not taking this into consideration is detrimental to the success of the final outcome. 
troubleshoot, and learn. In your career you will 
always be expected to keep up with technology.  150 pts ​#4 Wireframe Sketching + Paper Prototyping 
  Experience Architects are expected to work, think, and show their ideas quickly. ​Wireframe sketching​ is used to work 
Throughout this course you will…  through plans for interaction, share ideas with team members, and/or function as a blueprint for other team members 
to execute. To quickly test out ideas, simple tools such as pen, paper, stickers, highlighters, and transparency film are 
  often used in ​paper prototyping​, a low-stakes method used early in the process before investing more time and 
—​research the context through which your  resources into an idea. 
prototypes will be used and use this knowledge to 
inform your design decisions.  150 pts​ ​#5 Digital Prototyping 
  Experience Architects are expected to advance their ideas through a prototyping process often beginning with 
low-fidelity and moving to high-fidelity mockups of the interactive system. ​Digital prototyping​ allows one to rapidly 
—​account for a user in the development of 
explore an idea by building interactive experiences that run on real devices. There are many software tools available 
prototypes for digital applications and physical  to enable this type of prototyping with no coding required. This assignment will introduce you to working with Sketch 
objects.  and Principle. 
—​present your findings to the class on a regular  150 pts ​#6 Physical Computing 
basis.  Experience Architects are expected to be familiar with new and innovative technologies. Wearable technology is one 
  area of recent growth that makes it possible to examine the relationship between technology, fashion, and gender. To 
—​practice working collaboratively for the duration  understand these topics more fully, we will use the Arduino LilyPad to develop creative solutions to wearable 
technology problems. 
of the semester. 
150 pts ​#7 3D Printing 
—​evolve your skills with the tools of prototyping 
Experience Architects are expected to improve on existing product design. 3D printing provides an effective way to 
over time.  bring these redesigns to life. To test these ideas out we will use available 3d software tools to develop an improved 
  model of an existing but ineffective or outdated technology. 
—​demonstrate the role of advocacy in Experience   
Architecture (in both designer and user roles).  150 pts ​# 8 Presentation 
Experience Architects actively present their ideas and outcomes to various audiences. For your final project your 
group will present to the class (and invited guests) your learnings, failures, and outcomes from the activities 
conducted throughout the course. Documentation during the course is necessary to complete this presentation. 
100 pts​ ​Participation in Reading + Discussions 
1-Acquaint you with intellectual, technical, and This course is meant to help you organize and reflect on your experiences throughout the time
social expectations within the profession. you are in the Experience Architecture program (who you were at the beginning of your
2-Extend your classroom experiences into a university career to who you are now as an XA major). For each completed experience, you
professional practitioner setting by providing will fill input information into your capstone spreadsheet and fill out a reflection form. Both the
3-You with information about your possible form and your reflections must be kept in the same folder; you were given this folder and
career and potential jobs in this field. spreadsheet when you started the XA program. If for whatever reason you do not have
4-Learn about professional settings where access to this folder, you must contact me during the first week of class to have this issue
practitioners work. resolved.
5-Allow you to further develop your experience
architecture skills - ideally, your strategy, Milestone 1: complete 25% of reflection inputting (worth 20% of grade)
research, writing, design, development, and Milestone 2: complete 50% of reflection inputting (worth 20% of grade)
project management skills. Milestone 3: complete 75% of reflection inputting (worth 20% of grade)
6-Assess your experience and help identify Milestone 4: complete 100% of reflection inputting (worth 20% of grade)
future work trajectories. Capstone Group Meetings: attend all 3 sessions (worth 20% of grade)
7-Consider how you might improve, support,
and refine the best plan for the rest of your
academic degree program - this internship
should help you identify the skills you have,
the skills you need to build before you
graduate, and the skills you will continue to
gain as a 21st century industry practitioner or
academic researcher.
AL 466 Zach
AL 482 Jon Field experience in a
professional environment that
supports, user experience,
interaction design, design
research, usability, information
architecture, project
management, interface
development, and/or web
development. Work under the
supervision of a professional.
AL
Computational
Thinking
Jeff
team made up of their peers.To
learn from various workshops
and presentations as presented
by professionals in the
industry.To organize their body
of work into a cohesive portfolio
in preparation for job searching.
To gain practical experience that
integrates their knowledge of
experience architecture through
working closely with a
professional mentor and team in
a real-life studio, firm, agency,
and/or company.To further
develop skills in leadership,
project management,
professionalism, innovation,
critical thinking, and the ability to
analyze and solve real world
problems in changing interactive
landscapes. To connect
coursework and experiences to
their career goals.To network
and interact with professionals
while developing their own
professional identity and
self-awareness.