Design Systems and Universal Design

Design systems and universal design for digital interfaces is a practical design project centered around prototyping for digital interfaces and services. The students work in small, interdisciplinary groups on projects that results in a "high fidelity" prototype with an accompanying design system. Based on a given case, through an iterative design process, and during an iterative design process, a design system that adheres to principles of universal design is developed. Students will become better acquainted with universal design and design systems including style and design guides and guidelines for content, as well as techniques and use of pattern libraries; in prototyping.

Knowledge:

Through practical design work and report writing, the student gains knowledge throughout the course in:

• What a design system is and how it relates to and differs from a design manual, style guide, or brand guidelines
• Designing universally accessible interfaces for digital platforms
• Current regulations and requirements for universal design, including WAD and WCAG, and how to consider these in a design system
• Functional/behavior-based and perceptual/brand-based patterns and components
• The role of digital design from a societal perspective
• Using design systems to maintain brand consistency within and across projects and platforms
• Testing and evaluating digital prototypes

Skills:

• Ability to design universally accessible digital solutions that meet current legal requirements for accessibility and universal design (UU)
• Capability to plan, adopt, adapt, and develop design systems for digital platforms, including (but not limited to): UI components, design tokens, iconography, patterns, and layout (including auto-layout), as well as documentation

General Competence:

Upon completing the course, the student can:

• Demonstrate responsibility and critical reflection on the influence of systems on their environment and end-users, and take legally compliant and interpersonal considerations into account during solution development
• Work interdisciplinarily within a project team, gather documentation, and report/present results both in writing and visually

Additionally, the use of established industry tools is internalized through repeated practice.

• Lectures
• Group project
• Iterative, formative supervision
• Sketches, the work process are to be documented and presented