Inter­ac­tion Design is here for everyone!

Oliver jung fotografie E7 C9234

Your favou­rite app is fun, easy to use and looks good? Then an inter­ac­tion desi­gner had a hand in it! There are many names for what we do: user expe­ri­ence, inter­face design, inter­ac­tion design and so on. We call the degree program Inter­ac­tion Design or in short: IG”.

Study Inter­ac­tion Design at the HfG Schwä­bisch Gmünd

We don’t just make apps! Not only online, but wherever new digital tech­no­logy emerges, there are exci­ting jobs for inter­ac­tion desi­gners. Because tech­no­logy alone does not make a good product only through inno­va­tive ideas and a coherent design do meaningful appli­ca­tions emerge that are easy and fun to use – that is our goal!

We explore in the profes­sional areas of: apps, websites, web design, soft­ware and gadgets for museums and schools, DJs and musi­cians, for doctors and the fire brigade or air traffic control­lers and trans­port service provi­ders. We also have ever­yday users in mind in our Bache­lor’s program: social networks, new mobi­lity concepts, travel plat­forms, digital kitchens, pede­strian navi­ga­tion – our topics cover the entire spec­trum of the digital world.

Our Bache­lor’s degree program is fully (but not only) digital

At its core it’s about ever­y­thing digital. But it doesn’t stop there. We also work closely with product desi­gners on projects for example, when desig­ning vehicle fittings, inter­ac­tive exhi­bits for museums or devices for the smart home”.

A lot of ever­y­thing, please!

As an inter­ac­tion desi­gner you work at the inter­face of design (of course), psycho­logy, mecha­nical engi­nee­ring and computer science. Because to design good products, psycho­lo­gical basics are as important as being able to talk to other specia­lists from mecha­nical engi­nee­ring and computer science …

Tech­no­logy and Programming? Yes, but …

In our course of study you will get an insight into digital tech­no­logy and programming – as much as is neces­sary for the design. If you like, you can deepen your know­ledge in the Bache­lor’s program, but computer scien­tists are better at programming. We are a univer­sity for design. So you don’t need an A in math or programming skills to study IG with us.

Or perhaps media IT instead?! Our tip: there are similar-sounding bache­lor’s degree programs in computer science facul­ties. In the curri­culum you can see that clas­sical computer science and engi­nee­ring subjects predo­mi­nate there – supple­mented by a few design or usabi­lity semi­nars. This does not mean that these courses are bad. You should, however, consciously choose a design or computer science focus. In plain language: If you study user expe­ri­ence“, digital media“, web design“, digital design“ etc. in a computer science depart­ment, you will later have diffe­rent skills and tasks than our graduates. Do you want to become a computer science engi­neer and develop tech­no­logy or do you want to make tech­no­logy usable as a designer?

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A few words about funda­men­tals and focus areas

In the IG degree program, you set your own focus. As in all HfG degree programs, there is a rovust study of funda­men­tals so that your basics of skills and abili­ties are in place. From the first semester, you will work in small teams on your own projects and on basic design problems, and then imple­ment them. From the fourth semester on, you choose your focus:

  1. Appli­ca­tion Design

    The classic. This is about concep­tion, appearance and beha­vior of soft­ware products, about usabi­lity („can I use it well?“) and about the appearance of your clients“.

  2. Inter­face Design

    Inter­face“ is the name given to the inter­sec­tion between humans and compu­ters. Mostly, one thinks of inter­faces on the monitor or cell phone. However, we also use input devices such as hard­ware buttons and control­lers or gesture and voice inter­faces – or come up with new input devices for info termi­nals or digital instruments.

  3. Inter­face Commu­ni­ca­tion Systems

    Okay, quite an unwieldy name – these are projects that focus on content and know­ledge. For example, when we convey infor­ma­tion in museums or in know­ledge manage­ment in compa­nies. It sounds dry, but that’s the job: to present the hard facts in a way that grabs you and makes it exci­ting and understandable.

  4. Inven­tion Design

    You you are allowed be crea­tive have fun – but with a metho­do­logy. Trans­lated into offi­cial univer­sity German: rese­arch-expe­ri­mental studies. Here you design inno­va­tive products and services with an eye on the future. Your inspi­ra­tion? The latest tech­no­lo­gical and social trends.

Simi­la­ri­ties and differences

For us, the ques­tion is what is actually meaningful“. Not ever­y­thing that is feasible should be done – this is not only true for nuclear bombs. And not ever­y­thing that sells is also a good thing. At the HfG Schwä­bisch Gmünd, we have some­thing against purely commer­cial adver­ti­sing and disposable products. We are not inte­rested in shooter games and inter­faces for mili­tary drones either. We just do the good stuff- for ever­y­body. Right at the fore­front and in uncom­pro­mi­sing quality.

Your Bachelor Studies at the HfG! Apply now!

Jetzt bewerben! Mehr Informationen

Oliver jung fotografie hfg 2018 tag 2 9530
Medienlabor

A small project overview

Apart from the crea­tive tools of the trade, the Univer­sity also teaches a critical approach. Every project is preceded by solid rese­arch. The approach is metho­dical and rational; the design is user and problem oriented.

We do not develop adver­ti­sing or disposable products. Many projects deal with aspects of sustaina­bi­lity, disaster and deve­lo­p­ment aid or the medical sector.

Portfolio Interaction Design

Here’s where we work

We HfGers” enjoy a very good repu­ta­tion. You can find us in start-ups, design offices, in design depart­ments of industry, employed or self-employed and as foun­ders. No secret: The demand for Inter­ac­tion Desi­gners is much higher than the supply, as there are only a few compa­rable courses of study in the Germany.

At DB Systel, as a User Expe­ri­ence Desi­gner, I conceive and design appli­ca­tions for the employees and custo­mers of Deut­sche Bahn.
Jessica Effen­berger
User Experience Designer DB Systel GmbH
I accom­pany custo­mers during product deve­lo­p­ment with proto­types, concep­tion and visual design. Depen­ding on whether it is an app for the web or a hard­ware product in the end. In all projects, it is important to us that we proceed user-orien­tedly and use the right methods.
Petra Mitrovic
UX Designer at DieProduktMacher GmbH
As a full-stack desi­gner at moovel, I am respon­sible for the user-oriented concep­tion and design of our apps for all of Germany. Further­more, I am respon­sible for user rese­arch and user testing as well as for programming proto­types to test our apps with our users.
Raphael Dirr
Full Stack Designer moovel Group
I am a rese­arch assistant for specu­la­tive and gene­ra­tive design in the context of poli­tics, society and new technologies.
Philipp Schmitt
Degree Student Parsons (MFA Design & Technology), New York. Research Assistant Designed Realities Lab.

Ask Us

Any ques­tions? Then contact our degree program coor­di­nator for inter­ac­tion design at the HfG Schwä­bisch Gmünd: degree program coordinator

 Pius Burkhart

Pius Burkhart

Studiengangskoordination Interaktionsgestaltung