Course Description
Designers, product marketers, and entrepreneurs will learn the psychological constrictions of attention, perception, memory, disposition, motivation, and social influence that determine whether or not customers will be receptive to their digital innovations. Students will learn how to identify, apply theory, and develop consulting or research recommendations based on psychological theory. They’ll unpack the psychological processes determining users’ perception of, engagement with, and recommendation of digital innovations, and gain a broader understanding of the human context of digital ventures, including the ethical differences between alignment and meeting needs vs. exploitation and unsustainable design approaches. This will give their innovations an edge on what are increasingly competitive platforms such as apps, bots, in-car apps, AI and augmented reality content).
This class is a good match for students who:
• Have little or no previous experience understanding human psychological theory and various applications that impact design for human engagement
• Want to design ethical systems that do not take advantage of the psychological motivations of users
• Are keen on developing their research skills by working on a portfolio piece as their final project
Meets Research Methods Requirement
University of Washington
Department of Communication