Mentoring Program

Study profile "Interactive Systems"

The development and analysis of interactive computer systems encompasses their design and programming as well as the user-centred analysis and evaluation. As a developer of interactive computer systems you must be skilled in the fields of Computer Graphics and Human-Computer Interaction. Software is nowadays developed for many interactive devices ranging from smartphones, tabletPCs, tabletops, ticket machines, navigation systems, driver information systems up to the classic computer workstation in the form of PCs. Along with the continually shrinking size of displays today large, high-resolution displays play an increasingly important role in the automotive industry, the financial world or entertainment industry. For both types of interfaces, efficient graphics programming and usability is becoming a significant factor of success. The following figure shows the main topics involved in the design of interactive systems and the major relations between them (ACM SIGCHI Curricula for Human-Computer Interaction). In different courses you will learn more about the different topics and how the contribute to the design and implementation of interactive systems.

The development of interactive systems, as an interdisciplinary area of research imparts knowledge, methods and approaches for the development of useable information systems. Everyone involved in the design and development of software should have a minimum of understanding for the technical requirements and usability of interactive systems. This should provide you with the following skills to develop interactive software. 

The study course communicates the following competences and skills:

  • You are already familiar with the typical methods and techniques in the user-centred analysis and modelling of the context of use (requirements engineering) and can apply them independently. 
  • You learned the basics of interactive computer graphics in form of hardware-centred programming and related techniques. 
  • You are qualified to integrate the methods and techniques in the user-centred design of information systems (usability engineering) in software development (software engineering). 
  • You are familiar with the basic principles, methods, and tools required for the design of interactive, networked and mobile systems and are able to apply these in projects independently. 
  • You are able to design and implement efficient display techniques including Level-of-Detail methods and information abstraction 
  • You are knowledgeable on multimodal and tangible interaction techniques and are able to realise them independently (e.g. for Tabletops like the MS Surface or Smartphones like the Apple iPhone). 
  • You are able to conceptually design and realise your own interaction techniques for the visualisation and exploration of large information spaces (e.g. WWW, digital libraries, product databases). 
  • You are familiar with the typical methods for user-centred evaluation of information systems and usability situations (also with respect to international standard regulations like ISO 29241) and you are able to put these into action (e.g. in a usability laboratory).
  • You become acquainted with contributions from other disciplines involved in the design of information systems, for example communication design, psychology, sociology, organisation-, work- and economic studies, cultural and media studies, law and administrative science.

Career perspectives:

  • You work in the User Experience Group of a major manufacturer of mobile phones (e.g. Apple, Nokia, Samsung) or provider of telecommunications services (e.g. T-Mobile, Vodafone) and develop user interfaces that meet international requirements.
  • You work as a Usability Engineer or Computer Graphics Expert at a major software house (e.g. SAP) and are responsible for the development of cross-platform interaction concepts (from smatphones, smartglasses to the computer ot from smartwatch to smartphone).
  • You work as an Interaction Designer at a company that specialises in Usability Engineering (e.g. UI Design) and provide consultant services in this position for other companies in the development of interactive applications.
  • You work as a Computer-Game Developer in a computer game company (e.g. Crytec, Electronic Arts, Activision Blizzard) 
  • You work as a Usability Specialist at an Internet agency (e.g. argonauten 360, GFT) and carry out usability studies for websites. 
  • You create new interaction concepts in the field of telematics (e.g. driver information systems) for a major carmaker (e.g. Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, VW, Audi, BMW).
  • As a member of the Usability Engineering Team, you develop a style guide and design the user interface for the Internet portal for a major bank (e.g. UBS).
  • You work in the User Interfaces department of an international corporation (e.g. Siemens) and provide consultant services and support for a variety of specialist departments in the realisation of interactive applications in a diverse range of fields of application (e.g. telematics, medical applications, control systems at power stations, production control systems). 
  • You work at a university or industrial research unit such as Microsoft Research or Google Research researching into new interaction and navigation concepts for next generation of user interfaces.

Contact:

Important:

Please bring a completed copy of the form "Mentorengespräch Informatik" as it relates to your current course of studies to the meeting with your adviser.

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