The Engineer’s Guide to Intuitive Controls and Interfaces (Timed and Monitored)
- Course Number: E1050T
- Credits: 3 hours
- Instructor: Ellen Huang, PE
- Price: $30
Course Outline
This course introduces engineers and architects to the core principles of human-centered design as articulated by cognitive scientist Don Norman in The Design of Everyday Things. Participants will explore how design, psychology, and engineering intersect to shape the usability and emotional impact of products, environments, and systems. Through the lens of real-world examples—from doors and faucets to complex control systems—students will learn how thoughtful design reduces human error, enhances safety, and creates more intuitive and satisfying interactions between people and the built environment.
At the end of this course, there will be a multiple-choice, open-book quiz, which is designed to enhance your understanding of the course material.
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this course, the student will:
- Be able to explain and apply the core interaction principles to improve the usability of products, controls, and spaces;
- Be able to plan and run human-centered design loops (observe, generate, prototype, test) within real-world schedule/budget constraints;
- Be able to frame and re-frame problems using the Double-Diamond (discover/define → develop/deliver) to find the right problem before the right solution; and
- Be able to design for error resilience—clarifying system state, reducing slips/mistakes, and building graceful recovery—rather than blaming users.