MA in Interaction Design
Table of contents
For easy reference, here are links to each section of this article.
- Intro
- ADES 5430 & 5440
- LTEC 6240
- INFO 5440
- ADES 5450
- TECM 5280
- ADES 5410
- TECM 5750
- ADES 5420
- ADES 5460
- Conclusion
Intro
In December 2024, I graduated with a Master of Arts in Interaction Design from the University of North Texas. Now that I had a chance to catch my breath, I figured it would be a good time to jot down a retrospective while the journey is still fresh in my mind.
The purpose here is twofold. Firstly, from an archival standpoint. I can eventually look back on this and refresh my own memory. But also, in an era of SEO — and wanting to be a good alumnus — this might help spread the word about the degree program. Perhaps it could be of interest to those who are considering enrolling themselves.
My experience was somewhat atypical. I started during the COVID-19 lockdown and gradually chipped away at completion as a part-time student. I also began during a spring semester, whereas most folks tend to start in the fall.
The following is a list of classes in the order I took them. All courses prefixed ADES were core curriculum, whereas others were taken as electives: INFO, LTEC, TECM.
ADES 5430 & 5440
Human-Centered Interaction Design 2 | Cassini Nazir
Interaction Design Maker Lab 1 | Brian Sullivan
I have grouped these two classes together because (when I took them) they were taught as a dyad. Homework and research from one informed the other. This involved a fair amount of reading, with proof of work in the form of sketch notes.
The semester culminated in a group project that served as the final for both classes. We worked with Walmart and Sam's Club on ideas to increase customer satisfaction and decrease shrinkage. This included several concepts: computer vision to itemize shopping carts, making bar codes more scannable, AI age verification for alcohol purchases, and strategies to deter shoplifting.
LTEC 6240
Artificial Intelligence Applications | Dr. Demetria Ennis-Cole
This was a doctoral level class that I took as an elective. I mention that because it was enlightening to have discussions with students for whom it was a core class for their PhD program. Several were career educators, interested in emerging methods of engaging with students.
We postulated applications of AI in a learning setting, such as a campus classroom or distributed university environment. Additionally, we dove deeper into various topics of our choosing. I focused on researching the use of AI with robotics, and how practical applications of such tech could aid those with disabilities.
INFO 5440
Storytelling for Information Professionals | Dr. Tonda Bone
This class revolved around studying and perfecting — or at least, attempting to improve upon — the art of storytelling. Beyond simply writing or public speaking, it was meant to connect with that tickle in the brain humans experience when a friend says:
😉 "Hey, I have a story to tell you."
It was as much about engaging audiences as presenting raw information. It forced me out of my comfort zone, because it required recording myself telling stories audibly. As someone who would rather present live than do multiple retakes to eventually get something perfect, it made me slow down to carefully measure the delivery of my words.
ADES 5450
Data and Information Visualization and Design | Keith Owens
The crux of this class could be most succinctly described as infographics via learn-by-doing. The entire semester was highly collaborative. We individually produced several pieces per week, then critiqued each other's work during class. That feedback loop was a great way to learn what did/not resonate.
The final was split across several group projects, showing interactive presentations and defending our design choices. It was an exercise in finding the balance between visual appeal and data fidelity. aka: How do we make info digestible.
TECM 5280
Designing Technical Documents | Dr. Erin Friess
This was one of my favorite electives, and was the first class I had with Dr. Friess. We learned about how the presentation and readability of content is fundamentally a usability concern. The curriculum covered design principles of ratio, contrast, and legibility. Assignments ranged from font-finding missions (in the real world) to redesigning materials in practical and/or purposefully inventive ways.
We used the Adobe Creative Suite — especially InDesign — but the fundamentals are applicable to any design software. I have since allowed my Adobe subscription to lapse, yet still apply the knowledge I gained when using Affinity apps. The semester culminated in a portfolio doc which included highlights from this class; plus a few others.
ADES 5410
Foundations and Frameworks of Interaction Design | Cassini Nazir
Normally, this would be an intro to the MA program. As mentioned before, I joined during an off-beat cadence. During this semester, I toyed with ideas for additional features in LinkedIn. For example, a built-in notes feature that allows for jotting down factoids about connections: how you met, common interests, industry event attendance.
For our final group project(s), several teams of students presented their riff on what a self-driving trailer might look like. It was part of a hypothetical Toyota prototype. Instead of needing a 4x4 vehicle with a hitch, an autonomous AI-powered cargo chassis could be virtually tethered to a lead car. I prototyped what this interface might look like, within an automobile dashboard.
TECM 5750
Measuring Usability and User Experience for Professional and Technical Communication | Dr. Erin Friess
This was another elective taught by Dr. Friess. It centered around practical application of qualitative and quantitative research methods. I became adept at using Qualtrics to create surveys and crunch the resulting data. We worked on group projects to get familiar with the process, and then produced a final solo project for the semester.
At the time, I was working for Microsoft Casual Games studio. I conducted a survey to gauge people's interest in various forms of video gaming. It uncovered that while respondents said they would prefer playing board games with friends, most of the time they end up playing video games instead.
➡️ Note:
Technically, this elective was not necessary in terms of credits. I would have enough to graduate regardless.
I was wishfully hoping I could substitute this class for ADES 5420, which would have allowed me to finish the MA a year earlier.
My idea was to free up the fall semester for the capstone class (ADES 5460 = six credits), not wanting to overload my schedule with nine total credits.
Ultimately that request was denied because core classes cannot be swapped for others. I still decided to take TECM 5750 anyway.
ADES 5420
Human-Centered Interaction Design 1 | Omari Souza
Similar to other classes, this one had a group project. Unlike other classes however, it involved all students in the class coauthoring a collaborative paper; approximately 30k words. We researched the relative under-representation of Black designers in the field.
This was another class taught as a dyad (with ADES 5410). Meaning, my classmates were taking both simultaneously. However, at this point I only needed one of the two core classes. The result was quite a bit of "extra" homework, so to speak.
We collectively listened to podcast episodes spanning over a decade — from Design of Business | Business of Design and Revision Path — with a total airtime duration in the hundreds of hours. We divvied up the listening work, and each distilled our findings into notes which were shared among all students.
We also did additional secondary literary research, and conducted first-party interviews with minority designers. We had the opportunity to attend a one-day State of Black Design conference hosted by UNT. For those like me — obviously not the target demographic — it grew our capacity for empathy and understanding.
For example: Being taught all the classics of art/design throughout human history originated from European aesthetics. Whereas there are myriad contributions from many different geographies and cultures, all of which can be appreciated.
ADES 5460
Interaction Design Inception-to-Pitch Capstone Project | Brian Sullivan
Cue the song "Final Countdown." Whereas all previous courses were three credits each, this last capstone class accounted for six. As such, it involved a significant amount of effort.
At the beginning of the semester, we were told to expect at least 20 hours of homework per week. For each of the first four weeks, I read one book and wrote several essays consisting of around 5000 to 6000 words. It was essentially a mini-MBA overview, to get us thinking about the business value of our possible ideas.
Week 2:
Value Proposition Design: How to Create Products and Services Customers WantWeek 3:
Business Model Generation: A Handbook for Visionaries, Game Changers, and ChallengersWeek 4:
Testing Business Ideas: A Field Guide for Rapid Experimentation
The rest of the semester shifted into a workshop mentality: proposing, presenting, and refining our respective pitches. Unlike other classes, there were no group projects. Though we did share and receive critiques, the entirety of one's capstone was a solo effort.
Our professor wanted us to focus on practical and/or aspirational ideas. More importantly, we had to articulate a logical path for execution. Based on feedback, several students pivoted away from their initial concepts and pursued alternate research topics.
It went beyond scenarios of: "Presupposing ideal conditions, then…"
Instead, we were pushed to explain: "This would only work if…"
Reframing our thought processes helped to keep us grounded. We also had to think about possible pathways to failure. For example, if an established incumbent decided to compete in a field: How would a relatively new entrant hold their ground?
Encouraged to brag
Additionally, we got coaching about how to put together a compelling résumé. We were instructed to frame our job histories in terms of demonstrable impact to the business, rather than mechanically listing rote skills.
Less emphasis on: "Photoshop and Figma…"
More emphasis on: "I drove this outcome…"
We were given permission to "brag" a bit, and mention how that personally affected the bottom line. I have to admit, it felt a bit uncomfortable attempting to write with deliberate swagger. However, the result was a succinct two-page PDF that makes a strong case for employability.
Capstone
At the time, I was working in the Microsoft Teams org. Ideally, I wanted my capstone to be a twofer; beneficial to my day job, while also satisfying an educational requirement. I posited a scenario in which Teams for Home had a plugin architecture. I envisioned an untapped "mass niche" consumer market could be unlocked.
I built a prototype using Panda CSS, Solid JS, TypeScript, and Vite. Wherein, I had demos of various third-party apps: soccer, ministry, charitable giving. I made the code available as open source.
Conclusion
There you have it. A few years of scholastics condensed into a blog post. For me, I feel like it was a worthwhile endeavor. I know it probably seems a bit biased, given that I speak with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight. Still, I believe that I grew professionally; striving to be versatile and well-rounded.
I have always enjoyed designing, tinkering, and building things that can help people accomplish tasks in their daily lives. Prior to the MA in IXD program, I had gone all-in on the "how" and "what" but was a little light on the "why." I have since learned more thoroughly about the theory behind the practice.
Hopefully this academic summary was helpful to anyone mulling over the possibility of grad school. Not to be overly prescriptive, but if you are on the fence I would say it is at least worth investigating further. Check out the official "how to apply" page for details.
I would be happy to answer any questions. Feel free to reach out via my contact page.