Interaction Design Major

Tomorrow's technology requires good design to be usable. Specialize in user experience (UX) or user interface (UI) design at Champlain, and create new intersections between human minds and digital spaces.

Program Type: Major

School/Division: Division of Communication & Creative Media

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There’s a designer behind every great program, game or digital product.

Demand for user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) designers has never been higher. By designing user interfaces, information architecture, and considering usability and user experience, interaction design helps you make the digital world accessible to everyone.

What Is Interaction Design?

Interaction Design is a discipline that focuses on creating meaningful and engaging interactions between users and digital or physical products, systems, or services. It involves designing the way users interact with technology to accomplish their goals effectively and efficiently while providing a positive user experience.

At the core of interaction design is the goal of creating interactions that are effortless, enjoyable, and valuable to users. This requires a deep understanding of user needs, behaviors, and preferences to inform the design process. Interaction designers at Champlain College use a variety of methods and techniques such as user research, persona development, wireframing, prototyping, and usability testing to guide their design decisions.

Why Study it at Champlain?

As an Interaction Design student at Champlain College, you will be prepared for a career where you can shape the future of technology by creating seamless and engaging user experiences. Our iterative approach allows you to refine and improve designs based on user feedback, ensuring that the final product or experience meets user expectations, goals, and needs. By applying these methods and techniques, our interaction designers are able to create interactive solutions that not only meet functional requirements but also provide delightful and valuable experiences for users.

We offer a compelling environment for studying interaction design with a curriculum tailored to industry needs. Our experienced faculty bring real-world expertise to the classroom, ensuring that you gain practical skills and knowledge that meet current industry standards. From day one, you’ll engage in hands-on learning experiences and work on projects that challenge you to apply your skills in real-world scenarios. Our Upside-Down Curriculum allows you to immerse yourself in the field from the start, accelerating your learning and preparing you for internships and industry experience earlier in your academic journey. With state-of-the-art facilities, strong industry connections, and a supportive community, you’ll have access to the tools, resources, and mentorship you need to thrive in the dynamic field of interaction design and create experiences that positively impact users’ lives.

person interacts with a mobile device at a display

Different by Design

Real Experience, Right Away

With our Upside-Down curriculum, you’ll start exploring design, programming, and interaction psychology in your first semester.

Learn the Same Way You’ll Work

You’ll collaborate and learn from fields like business, psychology, and computer science, preparing you to design holistic and impactful user experiences, and you’ll have chances to do work for real clients in your first year.

Small School, Big Resources

Get experiential learning and industry exposure by participating in real-world projects at the Leahy Center, Emergent Media Center, and an exclusive membership to Generator Makerspace.

Facts & Stats

$145,000

According to Glassdoor.com, interaction designers earn competitive salaries, reflecting the high demand for their specialized skills.

95%

Graduates of the program secure employment or further education within six months after graduation.

The Most

Champlain was named a “Most Innovative School” by U.S. News & World Report in its “America’s Best Colleges” 2024 ranking of universities in the North.

Sample Courses in the Interaction Design Major

Our Interaction Design degree is designed for the “do-ers.” Your courses will cover everything you need to know to bring ideas to life in the form of interfaces like websites and apps. Topics in your curriculum include programming, to design, to making meaning visually and cognitive psychology. Check out some of the engaging and hands-on courses in the program. Our Upside-Down Curriculum puts you in your major, right away.

First Year

IXD 100 Interaction Design I

GDV 100 Form and Color

Second Year

GDV 206 Web Design I

PSY 210 Cognitive Psychology

Third Year

IXD 353 Seminar in Interaction Design

IXD 350 Interaction Design Production

Fourth Year

CCM 493 Communication and Creative Media Internship

CCC 410 College Capstone

See the Learning Outcomes for the Interaction Design major

View Full Curriculum

What makes an interface seem intuitive and easy to use? How do graphics and their presentation facilitate desired interactions? In this course we’ll examine the ways in which interfaces help or hinder an audience’s ability to move through information or experience a story along multiple paths. Using industry standard software tools for the creation of interactive media, we’ll explore interactivity from simple buttons to hyper-media. Along the way we’ll identify the core principles of interactivity at work in creative expressions as diverse as: web-design, games, hyper-text novels, non-linear animation and film, and installation art.

Prerequisites	VCD-111
Credits	3

A rewarding practice in any visual art discipline begins with language of vision. In this course you will explore the dynamics of two-dimensional form, beginning with basic compositional study using only black and white forms, and then more complex projects incorporating principles of tonality and color theory. You will also be developing your skills in physical artwork, essential to later course work. Basic art supplies are required; a packet is available in the College Bookstore, or contact the instructor or department prior to the semester for the list.

Prerequisites	Visual Communication Design, Graphic Design, Game Art, and Game Design majors only
Credits	3

Students will explore various aspects of basic web page organization, design, and construction. The web page will be considered as a visual challenge – exploiting a relatively restrictive format to maximize visual impact and effective communication, and organizing the content into an easily navigable hierarchy. Basic HTML authoring and digital kinetics will be introduced, and visual principles and digital artwork skills from earlier coursework will be reinforced through introductory web page projects.

Prerequisites	VCD-100 or VCD-111
Credits	3

This course explores the nature of human cognitive processing by examining cognition (perception, learning, memory) and metacognition (knowledge thinking, problem solving). A combination of current research in the area, classic demonstrations, and related materials will be used to promote self-awareness of students as thinkers and learners.

Prerequisites	PSY-100 or 100-level COR class.
Credits	3

Interactive media technologies have become more and more central to our daily lives. What should we know to create the next generation of content, services and technologies? This course dives into the historical and cultural context of interactive tools and environments. Students work to develop frameworks for understanding how social, political and economic forces shape the development and reception of interactive media technologies. Specific topics vary by term.

Prerequisites	57 credits completed.
Credits	3

Are you interested in making the next big thing in interactivity? How do you assemble and work in a team to design, research, test, develop and market digital experiences? Whether you’re creating a game, website, mobile application, virtual space, or augmented reality experience, there are design, research and development methodologies to help shape the process of realizing these products. Over the course of the semester we will take such a product from conceptual development through to launch.

Prerequisites	CCM and ITS majors only. Must have completed 57 or more credits prior to enrolling in this class.
Credits	3

Students in the CCM Division who enroll in this course earn 3 academic credits for successfully completing 175-214 hours of an internship position at a designated pre-approved internship site. Students will apply skills and aptitudes developed in the classroom and engage in hands-on work in professional settings alongside and under the direction of a worksite supervisor. The student’s internship performance is assessed by the site supervisor and a CCM designated internship coordinator.

Prerequisites	CCM Division students only, with 75 credits or more OR students who have taken 1 credit prep course: COM 355, CRE 240, EGD 240, WRT 301, OR VCD 250. CCM 491 through 496 internship courses may be taken multiple times for a maximum of 12 credits total. Internship site and hours must be pre-approved by CCM Dean’s office/Internship Coordinator prior to student enrolling in the class for credit
Credits	3

The college capstone is an opportunity for students to pursue a self-directed experience in their professional program that intentionally integrates their liberal learning in the Core curriculum with their program learning. In addition to the substantive professional-based hands-on project in this class, the capstone will include a professional ethics component and a self-evaluation/self-reflection component.

Prerequisites	Must complete COR-310, COR-320, and two sections of COR-330 All Game majors (EGPR.BS, GDES.BS, GART.BS must also complete EGD-320 with a minimum grade of C.
Credits	5

Concentrations

Implementation Concentration

Master technical design implementation at Champlain College, creating engaging user experiences through coding, prototyping, and usability testing.
Visual Design Concentration

Free your creativity, master visual design, and create compelling experiences at Champlain College’s Visual Design concentration in Interaction Design.

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Career Success

Our Interaction Design students graduate career-ready with professional experience and a full toolkit of versatile skills. You’ll be prepared for today’s, and tomorrow’s digital opportunities.

person comparing webpage on tablet device and a mobile phone

Your Career Outlook

Learn more about our career-focused education

By the time you graduate, you will…

Possess a deep understanding of user-centered design principles and methods.
Have acquired a diverse skill set in user research, prototyping, and usability testing.
Demonstrate proficiency in designing intuitive and visually appealing user interfaces.
Be adept at applying design thinking and problem-solving strategies to create innovative solutions.
Have built a strong portfolio that demonstrates your ability to deliver impactful and user-centered design experiences.

You’ll Find a Career In…

Web design
UX design
UI design
Front-end development
Usability research
Mobile design
Interactive media

Pre-College Summer Program: Champlain Game Academy

The Champlain Game Academy offers an intensive residential pre-college program for high school students entering grades 10-12 and recent high school graduates. Like the Game Studio, our program emphasizes teamwork and creative collaboration across all the game development disciplines. In order to understand how a professional game development team works, students will be introduced to all aspects of game development.
Learn More on the Pre-College Summer Program Website

Interaction Design

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More Inside Interaction Design Major

Overview

Tomorrow's technology requires good design to be usable. Specialize in user experience (UX) or user interface (UI) design at Champlain, and create new intersections between human minds and digital spaces.
Curriculum

Create intuitive designs and experiences for all users and carve out a career in one of the most innovative fields.
Faculty

Our Interaction Design faculty go above and beyond to inspire your curiosity, learning, and growth. Small class sizes foster personal connections and mastery.

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