Human-computer interaction (HCI) has traditionally been the domain of engineering and psychology. Here, we approach it from the perspective of design. That is, we focus on the ways that design and research cooperate to create openings and insights into emerging design domains; how research contributes to design processes and methods; and how design practices can themselves be a form of research.

Human-computer interaction design research is more geared toward supporting interventions—toward bringing about better possible futures—than about describing the past or even the present. It asks, what possible futures are open to us, and how might we pursue them? What is “design thinking” and what methods best support design activities? How might information technology be developed in service of social justice and sustainability? How can design professions be more participatory and democratic? What makes user experiences aesthetic, and how can designers create them?

Human computer interaction design opens up possibilities, such as the following: massive scale collaborative systems like Wikipedia; global hardware/fabrication networks, as seen, for example, in the maker movement; educational applications of augmented and virtual reality; new forms of democratic participation in government; innovations in everyday life, such as personal health tracking; and entertainment computing, such as videogames. But interactive systems also contribute to serious social problems, such as e-waste and environmental destruction; concerns about privacy and surveillance; and unequal access due to socioeconomic status, disability, and other social issues. HCID research seeks to understand such opportunities and problems in a way that equally attends to emerging technological possibilities, studies of human needs, and sociocultural contexts and trends—in a way that is oriented toward intentional intervention, that is, design.

The human-computer interaction design track of the Ph.D. in Informatics offers the opportunity to conduct practical research in these areas:

• Interaction design
• Computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW) and social computing
• New media
• Dynamic visualizations
• ICT for Development
• Augmented reality
• Learning systems
• Design pedagogy
• Tangible and embodied interaction (TEI)
• Ubiquitous computing
• Mobile computing
• Political economy of computing

Written and oral examinations will be decided by the student’s committee based on his or her research interests. A typical exam consists of an extensive annotated bibliography with accompanying critical essay that describes the student’s interpretation of the relevant literature and how they situate their own interests and work within it. The written portion of the exam is followed by an oral exam to defend the written submissions.

Inquiry methodology, cognitive science, anthropology, sociology, intelligent and interactive systems, computing, culture, and society.