IXD414, 'Design Systems', Spring 2025
MW / 3:20-05:50pm / Chalmers 307
Matt Kirkland / mattk@ku.edu

IXD414 - Designing with Systems

This is a studio course about designing digital products for the screen, with an emphasis on designing with systems in mind. This syllabus will be updated with more information throughout the semester. I'll let you know in class about updates.

Questions? mattk@ku.edu.

Your Site

In which we will
Show our work.

Texts

In which we will
Read and respond to some things.

Calendar / Clock / Compass

In which we will
Design a simple user interface and expand into a design system

Fearless Inventory

In which we will
Build a system from an existing brand, and practice working with it

Atlas ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

In which we will
Reverse the previous process: start with a design system and build up into an interface

Niche, Please

In which we will
Apply what we've practiced to serve a small audience of your choosing

Spring 2025 Schedule

This is a rough plan; we'll go faster if possible! This schedule will be updated as we progress through the semester.

Wk Dates Target
00 Jan 22 Day 001. Let's get started!
01 Jan 27/29 Day 002. Calendar / Clock / Compass kickoff.
Day 003. Concepts & Refinement.
02 Feb 03/05 Day 004. Prototype Review.
Day 005. Testing!
03 Feb 10/12 Day 006. Testing Review. Next steps.
Day 007. Snow day! No class.
04 Feb 17/19 Day 008. Fearless Inventory kickoff
Day 009. Snow day! No class.
05 Feb 24/26 Day 010. Brand Research & User Stories
Day 011. Next Steps
06 Mar 03/05 Day 012. Other use cases and extending research to a system
Day 013. No in-person meeting Wednesday March 5.
07 Mar 10/12 Day 014. Inventory Check in
Day 015. Inventory Complete!
-- Mar 17/19 Spring Break - no class, no deliverables
08 Mar 24/26 Day 016. Atlas Project Kickoff
Day 017. Review & next steps
09 Mar 31/A2 Day 018. Testing review; next steps!
Day 019. Atlas next steps!
10 Apr 07/09 Day 020. Atlas last check in!
Day 021. Atlas crit!
11 Apr 14/16 Day 022. Niche Project Kickoff!
Day 023. No class Wednesday; go do a Design Week thing.
12 Apr 21/23 _____
13 Apr 28/30 _____
14 May 05/07 Niche Project Complete
-- Finals Week: dates TBD In lieu of a final, you'll be turning in your course site as the final project.