B.A. in Interaction Design

This program within the fast-changing discipline takes future designers on a journey that explores the look, feel, and behavior to create positive experiences through technology. The Interaction Design Bachelor’s program is fully taught in English.

However, Interaction Design is not merely concerned with aesthetic choice. It is instead based on an understanding of users’ desires, needs, motivations, context, constraints, and social and psychological factors to design a user experience in which technology has a role. While designing the system behavior the interaction designer has the responsibility for the user satisfaction with the product or service.

Aligned with emerging insights in the discipline, the focus is no longer on the digital product or service itself but instead on the experience mediated through the technology. Aspects of aesthetics and form are crucial for any digital product regardless if the interface is digital or physical.

At CODE you will experience a new way of learning

The most effective way to learn is not by passively absorbing selected facts and ready-made content to reproduce for the next exam.

Instead of the traditional curriculum, here at CODE, we moved things around to always give you the ability to learn based on interesting practical problems. Information is best remembered when it is embedded in the context of practical meaning. That’s where curiosity-driven education, project-based, and challenge-based learning come into play and resonate the best.

At CODE, the role of professors is different. Professors are there to share their knowledge, walk your team through interesting challenges, provide mentorship and encourage you to strive and shape your profile. They accompany your learning journey at CODE while you are establishing what kind of software engineer you want to become in your professional life. Unlike other traditional universities, we value interdisciplinary understanding. All three parts of digital product development (namely interaction designers, product managers, and, you, the software engineers) intersect during studies, not only afterward in your professional life.

Intersection with other study programs

As part of an interdisciplinary learning experience, many modules offered by the Interaction Design and Product Management departments are also credited towards the Software Engineering Bachelor degree.

Our Learning Principles

Learning at CODE starts with the orientation semester, where all first-semester students get introduced to CODE’s learning concept, the three study programs, and our Science, Technology & Society Program. Below you find an overview of the basic learning principles at CODE.

Learning at CODE is curiosity-driven

CODE want students to follow their own interests and drive. CODE support and guide them in it. This makes the teacher role more reactive and centered around the question of how to best support and enhance a student’s learning experience.

Learning at CODE is practice-driven

CODE doesn’t start with theory and applies it later. From day one student get challenged with practical problems that spark curiosity and ambition – and then look for the theory that they need to solve them.

CODE organizes learning around projects

This is what makes learning both practice-oriented and curiosity-driven. Projects emphasize self-determination and self-organization not just individually, but also at the group level. Projects also get students in touch with reality from day one.

Learning is measured in competence levels

Learning is not measured in grades or in attendance, but in competence levels. CODE monitors and assesses what students are actually capable of in terms of skills and competencies acquired, not where they learn or how much time they spent learning.

CODE doesn’t reinvent the wheel

CODE uses existing first-class (online) learning resources for standard teaching content. This frees teaching time and resources for interactive teaching, intense mentoring on an individual and group level, and workshops and lectures focused on students' actual needs and demands.

The programs are interdisciplinary

CODE thinks there is a high overlap between the three study programs and therefore encourages students to study in a way that covers more than the small core of their fields and to get to know the other disciplines’ perspectives.

Personal development is essential

Personal development is an essential part of CODE’s educational approach. The mandatory Science, Technology and Society Program empowers students to develop scientific thinking and critical judgment skills, while a series of workshops on interpersonal skills supports our students’ teamwork, leadership, and communication skills.

A new kind of university – The theoretical foundations

CODE’s learning concept is unique and a lot of its details have been improved since we started back in 2017, especially thanks to our students who have helped tremendously to understand what works and what doesn’t and to figure out how to improve.

Problem-based learning

Problem-based learning was initially developed and implemented in the 1960s. The inventors believed that knowing the information is just the first step of learning – real competence comes from the ability to apply knowledge and to continue learning.

Problem-based learning has many proven advantages, such as acquiring long-term knowledge, gaining confidence in one’s abilities, as well as a better understanding of the learning materials because the students are required to both gain knowledge and apply it.

Project-based learning

Project-based learning is very similar to problem-based learning. However, it allows for more freedom and flexibility. While problem-based learning has more controlled conditions because the students face open-ended problems that are based on predefined scenarios, project-based learning is broader and can involve multiple, not that well-defined problems. It requires teamwork, communication, and self-reflection.

Learning for Mastery

This concept assumes that most students can learn anything, given sufficient time and resources. This learning philosophy criticizes the current educational system where teachers neglect the potential of those students who need extra support. Instead of blaming the student, mastery learning looks at inadequate learning resources and insufficient time dedicated to mastering a topic.

At CODE, every student can discover their individual approach to successful learning. By supporting their diverse needs, CODE hopes to motivate them to become lifelong learners who are not afraid of the unknown and are open to continuous improvement.

Self-directed learning

Self-directed learning is a concept where the students are responsible for acquiring their knowledge and doing their research. Although there is guidance from mentors and support from peers and professors, the students themselves decide what they want to focus on based on their interests and experience. This has a lot to do with what is known as an adult learning theory. This theory suggests that adult learners learn more and better when they are the initiators of the learning and when they learn what they are passionate about.

Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of learning things that can be applied to real-life problems which again, has a close connection to problem-based learning. But self-directed learning is much more than just independent learning. It is a way to practice your discipline and determination to achieve your goals.

At CODE, we want students to make the most of their education and to become lifelong learners. That’s why we allow every student to be the designer of their individual learning journey. This is by no means an easy task. In fact, it makes things more complicated when it comes to creating schedules, but when taken into account all the benefits that students have from this approach, it is all worth it.

Flipped classroom

A flipped classroom is a concept that we are very fond of at CODE. Students learn on their own using curated learning resources and prepare questions that they address with the help of professors and their classmates. The idea behind it is that instead of passively learning through lectures, the students efficiently spend their valuable time with the professors, dealing with matters with which they actually need assistance.

Peer-to-Peer Learning

Peer-to-peer learning is another approach that is encouraged at CODE. The more advanced students help the beginners. This approach is not only useful for both the tutoring student and the student that needs help but also for creating a supportive community where everyone feels comfortable learning and growing.

Modules

The program is focused on a set of modules that explore the range of the discipline interaction design. As a future interaction designer student, you will choose the modules you want to explore.

• Design Methods 1
• Design Methods 2 (Advanced)
• Editorial Design
• Screen Design
• Design History
• Image Composition
• Generative Design
• Design Psychology
• Brand Design
• Animation
• Infographics
• Physical Interfaces
• Interactive Environments
• Sound, Voice, and Conversation
• Navigation Design
• Augmented / Virtual Reality
• Video
• Responsive Design
• Design Strategy

Your career choices

Interaction designers have a strong grasp of human-centered design processes, digital (and analog) methods, and tools used in the field. You will develop the capacity to creatively experiment, a rapid prototype from low-fidelity sketches to pixel-perfect mockups, and validate ideas towards the final solution. The experience will lead you to develop empathy and awareness, a tactile sense of aesthetics, and an understanding of user-friendliness. As part of the interdisciplinary learning model, you will learn to collaborate in diverse teams, engage with different stakeholders and confidently present your work to an audience. To be prepared in the industry, you are expected to create an alignment between customer needs, product strategy, and your design solution. Interaction design is not just about the visual but also about intangible experiences. You are responsible for designing the interfaces between humans and technologies.

The discipline is vast and rapidly changing!