Starting this fall, Western Washington University students can minor in a program called user experience design, which will study peoples experience with the graphics, design and interaction of a program. 

A user experience could be using Netflix on a TV, apps on an iPad or the GPS in a car, said Jason Morris, an associate professor of industrial design.

The minor is open to students majoring in industrial design, psychology, design or computer science. The minor is meant to combine elements of all four departments involved with the design of user interfaces for digital products, according to the minor application form.

There is a high demand in northwest businesses for graduates who know about user experience design, but until now students had to learn on the job because no one teaches it, Morris said.

A major program would be ideal, but with a minor students can take existing classes and combine the disciplines, Morris said.

The courses differ depending on the student’s major, but classes include computers and applications, design view, intro to psychology and intro to computer game development, according to the application for the minor. 

One new class, which will be new for the major, will be offered in the 2014-15 school year. In that course, students from the different majors will work on a project together that includes research, design and making and testing prototypes. The plan is to involve local companies to help come up with the projects or advise students during the quarter, Morris said.

There may need to be an enrollment limit of around 18 students per year, because the classes will be project-focused and should be smaller, Morris said. There have been 10 applicants so far. 

Morris said he hopes more new courses will be added to the minor in the future, but funding is always an issue. 

“It used to be that the state provided most of the funding for education, but now the students’ tuition provides most of the funding,” he said. “If the students want something to happen, they should have the power to demand that.”

Ira Hyman, a psychology professor, said he’d like to see the minor become a major eventually.

“It seems to be a win-win for the university and for the students,” he said. “It’s important we have programs that present nice challenges for students and that lead to meaningful work in the future. It’s what we’re supposed to do.”

Psychology plays into the minor by teaching and researching the human side of the user interface equation and helping with research, Hyman said.

“For me, it’s really about what the world of industrial design will look like in the future,” said Adam Boroughs, an industrial design student who was just accepted to the minor. “How do you design a useable interface for a smart watch? What about the interface behind Google Glass?" he asked.

Boroughs said he wants to learn about how technology can be made accessible to people that use it. That's what this program is all about, he said. 

Students should be familiar with the coding behind the designs and the history of user experience design, Morris said.

“They should know what’s been done and be able to learn from the mistakes or successes,” Morris said. “For example, why was the original iPod a success when it first came out, compared to other MP3 players?”

The minor will let students complete projects to add to their portfolios. While design and industrial design students create a portfolio for their major, computer science and psychology majors will have something to show employers they wouldn’t have otherwise, Morris said.

Aidan Borer, a junior and industrial design major, said he was interested in the minor because he thinks it’s the direction designers are moving towards.

“It’s more about the experience between the person and the physical product instead of just how a product looks or feels,” Borer said. “Combining all these things will help me leave the university with a better skill set to solve problems.”

“Technology is evolving faster than education can keep up,” Morris said. 

User experience design is a 28-credit minor, or 29 credits if it is taken with a design major. The fall deadline to apply is November 6.