Interactive Media Management - Interaction Design

About the Program

The quality of user experience design has emerged as a critical factor in the success or failure of products destined to interact with people, whether they are digital or otherwise. Designers must consider not just functionality, but also how people respond to, and feel about, the products that they use. This credential provides you with the opportunity to build a personal toolkit of practical skills and knowledge associated with user experience design. Working in project-based experiential learning environments, you will follow creative briefs, both individually and in teams, to design products that answer consumer and industry needs. While demonstrating your ability to integrate design, business and IT elements into products that focus on the human aspect rather than the technologies being utilized, you will also be contributing to your personal e-portfolio. A field placement opportunity will help students gain industry experience.

Program Information

Length: One-Year Ontario College Graduate Certificate program
Delivery Sequence: Doon (Kitchener) - September/2020 - Fall | Winter
Location: Doon (Kitchener)
Start: September
First-Year Capacity: 35

Admission Requirements

A two- or three-year diploma or a degree from an accredited college or university in a related field OR a minimum of 5 years of related full-time formal work experience.
Preference may be given to applicants from traditional design/illustration programs as well as programs within the fields of media and design, such as graphic design, web design, interactive design, broadcast media/technologies, or where course work included the equivalent. Interested applicants from computer programming, computer science or engineering programs are also encouraged to apply.
Related full-time formal experience may include positions as illustrators, artists, graphic designers, web designers, packaging or industrial designers, programmers, design engineers, communication professionals, or from the fields of human resource management, training, education or equivalent. Such applicants must provide a resume and work-related references.

Note re: Admission Requirements

Applicants with transcripts from institutions where the language of instruction is not English must demonstrate English language proficiency with a minimum test score on one of the following language proficiency tests or equivalent scores from another internationally recognized English language test:
- IELTS overall band of 6.5 with no band less than 6.0
- TOEFL iBT 88
- CAEL 70, no sub-test band score less than 60
- PTE Academic 58
- Conestoga English Language Test (CELT) Band 6
  
  We offer a language program for students whose English language skills are below the standard required for admission but all other admission criteria have been met. An applicant will be eligible for admission to the graduate certificate program after completion of level 4 of the General Arts and Science - English Language Studies (ELS) program with an overall grade average of 80% and no grade less than 75%. Placement in the ELS program is determined by scores on an in-house English language test or TOEFL or IELTS.

Admission Procedures

Submit proof of admission requirements.
Applicants not meeting the credential requirement must submit a resume, work-related references, and a letter of application outlining relevant experience. Please submit these documents directly to the Conestoga College Admissions Office.
Final acceptance is based on a review of the admission requirements.

Tuition & Fees

Tuition fee details for the 2019-2020 year are listed below. Fees for the next academic year are unavailable at this time. Books and supplies are additional.

Domestic Fees

Estimated fees based upon the previous academic year (2019 / 2020) for Interactive Media Management - Interaction Design - Program # 1404

Doon - Fall 2019 Level 1 & 2 (Program Start: 2019-09-03)
Description	Fall 2019	Winter 2020
Recreation/Athletics Fee	$70.50	$70.50
Technology Enhancement Fee	$135.00	$135.00
Capital Development Fee	$74.83	$74.83
Program Tuition Fee (ACR)	$3307.50	$3307.50
CSI Health Plan Fee	$295.00	$0.00
Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) Documentation Fee	$40.00	$0.00
ONE Card Fee	$7.00	$7.00
CSI Legal Protection	$28.00	$0.00
CSI Advocacy Fee	$12.50	$12.50
CSI Event Fee	$40.00	$40.00
CSI Student Clubs	$3.50	$3.50
Locker Fee	$5.00	$5.00
Alumni Services	$5.00	$5.00
Student Spaces	$10.00	$10.00
Graduation fee	$15.00	$15.00
Academic Support Fee	$18.00	$18.00
CSI Academic Support Fee	$5.00	$5.00
Health and Wellness Fee	$20.00	$20.00
CSI Health and Wellness Fee	$10.00	$10.00
Career Services Fee	$10.00	$10.00
CSI Career Services Fee	$10.00	$10.00
Session Total	$4121.83	$3758.83
Year Total		$7880.66

International Fees

Estimated International fees based upon the previous academic year (2019 / 2020) for
Interactive Media Management - Interaction Design - Program # 1404

Doon - Fall 2019 Level 1 & 2 (Program Start: 2019-09-03)
Description	Fall 2019	Winter 2020
International Program Tuition	$0.00	$0.00
Recreation/Athletics Fee	$70.50	$70.50
Technology Enhancement Fee	$135.00	$135.00
Capital Development Fee	$74.83	$74.83
CSI Health Plan Fee	$295.00	$0.00
Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) Documentation Fee	$40.00	$0.00
ISR	$375.00	$375.00
ONE Card Fee	$7.00	$7.00
CSI Legal Protection	$28.00	$0.00
CSI International Health Fee	$500.00	$0.00
Grad. Cert. Program Tuition	$6500.00	$6500.00
CSI Advocacy Fee	$12.50	$12.50
CSI Event Fee	$40.00	$40.00
CSI Student Clubs	$3.50	$3.50
Locker Fee	$5.00	$5.00
Alumni Services	$5.00	$5.00
Student Spaces	$10.00	$10.00
Graduation fee	$15.00	$15.00
Academic Support Fee	$18.00	$18.00
CSI Academic Support Fee	$5.00	$5.00
Health and Wellness Fee	$20.00	$20.00
CSI Health and Wellness Fee	$10.00	$10.00
Career Services Fee	$10.00	$10.00
CSI Career Services Fee	$10.00	$10.00
Session Total	$8189.33	$7326.33
Year Total		$15515.66

Financial Assistance

The Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) is a needs-based program designed to help Ontario students cover the cost of post-secondary education. Funded by the federal and provincial governments, OSAP is intended to promote equality of opportunity for post-secondary studies through direct financial assistance for educational costs and living expenses. These interest-free loans are intended to supplement your financial resources and those of your family. The majority of students apply for loan assistance via the OSAP website. Students can also print the application booklet through the OSAP website.

For more information, please visit Financial Services/Awards.

Graduate Opportunities

Graduates may find employment in various corporations such as web solution firms, software companies, start-ups, venture studios, e-commerce, media design companies, banks, insurance, or advertising companies, in positions such as interaction designer, UX/UI designer, frontend developer, digital experience designer, product designer, specialist or web marketing consultant.

For more details on related occupations, job market information and career opportunities, see the Government of Canada website: https://www.jobbank.gc.ca/home

Pathways & Credit Transfer

Conestoga pathways enable students to build on their academic achievements in order to earn a degree or additional credential. Pathways are formed through agreements between Conestoga programs or partner institutions.

Often applicants have earned credits from another college or university that may allow a student to be granted advanced standing or exemption. Learn more about credit transfer opportunities at Conestoga.

Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR)

Conestoga recognizes prior learning of skills, knowledge or competencies that have been acquired through employment, formal and informal education, non-formal learning or other life experiences. Prior learning must be measurable at the required academic level and meet Conestoga standards of achievement. Challenge exams and portfolio development are the primary methods of assessment. Other methods of assessment may be available depending upon the nature of the course objectives. PLAR cannot be used by registered Conestoga students for the clearance of academic deficiencies, to improve grades or to obtain admission into a program.

Learn more about PLAR.

Program Courses

Course Details (1404)
Course Code	Course Title and Description
Level 1
BUS8530	Lean UX Description: Bringing a new product to market is a journey that can take many paths, not all of them rewarding or productive. Lean UX applies Lean Startup principles alongside design thinking and Agile software development ideas to provide an approach to product creation that considers users' needs, and delivers value to users quickly and effectively. Working collaboratively in groups, students will learn and apply principles and processes of Lean UX. This course provides the environment for students to learn facilitation techniques for group processes, while working on UX projects that develop their analytical and design skills. A multidisciplinary team approach that integrates business, users, and technology leads to better products. Hours: 42 Credits: 3 Pre-Requisites: CoRequisites:
CON0101	Conestoga 101 Description: This self-directed course focuses on introducing new students to the supports, services, and opportunities available at Conestoga College. By the end of this course, students will understand the academic expectations of the Conestoga learning environment, as well as the supports available to ensure their academic success. Students will also be able to identify on-campus services that support their health and wellness, and explore ways to get actively involved in the Conestoga community through co-curricular learning opportunities. Hours: 1 Credits: Pre-Requisites: CoRequisites:
DMED8160	Digital Media Technology Description: In this course students will be introduced to contemporary industry standards, digital content management, technology protocols and communication solutions across multiple digital media platforms. Through hands-on projects and experiments, students will learn practical concepts in computing and digital media that transcend everyday use of common personal computing and consumer devices. Emphasizing innovation and entrepreneurial design solutions, students will develop foundational understandings of key domains such as the open-source movement and its derivatives, client/server technologies, cloud architecture, measurement tools, adaptive technology and industry standards that govern online technological platforms and a broad array of digital content and formats. Students will also examine digital content creation standards and cross-platform optimization and communication. Hours: 42 Credits: 3 Pre-Requisites: CoRequisites:
DSGN8130	Visual Design I Description: Visual Design I establishes fundamental design concepts and processes for visual communications. Students will explore such basic visual design building blocks as colour, proportion, balance, and space. They will develop an understanding of representational, abstract, and symbolic images and will be introduced to typography. Students will begin to recognize effective composition, content hierarchy and semantic design, centered on usability and human interaction with products, services, environments and systems, and apply this knowledge during critiques of their peers' projects and presentations. Hours: 56 Credits: 4 Pre-Requisites: CoRequisites:
DSGN8140	Interaction Design I Description: This course will introduce students to one of the fundamental applied Human Factors design disciplines, Interaction Design, through the use of case-studies, hands-on exercises and projects, all grounded in evidence-based human-centered design. Students will develop an understanding of what makes for successful interactive digital products, environments, systems and services, where human behaviour is at the centre of design. Students will learn usability testing, prototyping designs in varying levels of fidelity, and the value of rapidly iterating through proposed solutions. Hours: 56 Credits: 4 Pre-Requisites: CoRequisites:
DSGN8150	Emerging Technologies Description: The world of digital products is filled with user experiences that go beyond the straightforward interaction with a desktop/laptop computer or mobile phone. Through a combination of lectures, class discussion, hands-on demonstrations, in-depth topic presentations and diverse readings for the current literature, students will survey a wide range of interesting and exciting cross-disciplinary research and products, to gain an understanding of the rich experience possibilities and support ethical and professional solutions for issues arising in an on-line environment. Students will develop a broad and systemic perspective on innovative technologies such as AI and Big Data analytics systems that shape our digital environments today and into the future. Hours: 42 Credits: 3 Pre-Requisites: CoRequisites:
MKT8270	Social Media Strategy Description: Effective social media strategies align with corporate and organizational goals, branding, marketing and communication practices. In this course, students will leverage metrics-based analytics and evidence-based strategic design, to implement comprehensive social media strategies for products and services, as a result of a thorough evaluation of interactive media projects' requirements and understanding of user behaviour through a range of analytics tools and techniques. Topics include analytics insights platforms, social media planning process, integration of traditional marketing and social media, trends affecting the social media space, as well as legal implications and budgeting. Market research and user experience research complement the learning in this course. Hours: 42 Credits: 3 Pre-Requisites: CoRequisites:
OHS1320	Safety in the Workplace Description: This course focuses on developing awareness and skills for the student to safely manage and conduct him or herself within a variety of employment settings. Through the units of the course, participants will have the opportunity to enhance their understanding and knowledge of general Health and Safety guidelines, including WHMIS, Fire Safety and Workplace Violence. The unit on Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act will instruct the student on the requirements for Accessible Customer Service and Integrated Accessibility Standard Regulations. General information on Safe Driving, Privacy of Information and Hand Washing will be addressed as well. The course also provides participants with critical information regarding their insurance coverage (WSIB or other) while employed. As well as guidelines to follow in the event of an injury. Participants will receive a printable Record of Completion upon successful conclusion of this course, in order to demonstrate awareness of safe working practices to their employers. Hours: 14 Credits: 1 Pre-Requisites: CoRequisites:
Level 2
DMED8170	Immersive Experiences Description: Digital products can provide immersive experiences, either on their own or in the context of physical spaces. Additionally, spaces such as museums, theme and adventure parks are being designed from a user experience perspective, leveraging complex data sets including location analytics, that converge physical and digital experiences. Through a combination of lectures, class discussion, hands-on demos, in-depth topic presentations, and diverse readings from the current literature, students will be exposed to a wide range of interesting and exciting research and products in the broadly-defined fields of virtual and augmented reality, 3D user interaction, and spatial user interfaces. Students will have the opportunity to design a complex, semester-long media project that will include requirements evaluation and the coordination of design, development, budgeting and resource planning. Hours: 42 Credits: 3 Pre-Requisites: CoRequisites:
DMED8180	Mobile Application Design Description: This course will apply software design concepts specifically to mobile platforms. Students will be introduced to best current practices in Interaction Design, and will solve a series of design problems which illustrate the unique qualities of a mobile experience. Students will also be required to develop a complex design project, working through the phases of research, conception, requirements gathering, addressing technical challenges, storyboarding, documenting and testing the design. This course will also provide the opportunity for students to evaluate the success of complex media projects from financial, technical and artistic points of view and discuss improvement opportunities. Hours: 42 Credits: 3 Pre-Requisites: CoRequisites:
DSGN8160	Visual Design II Description: This course is a continuation of Visual Design - I. The emphasis of the course is on enhancing design process skills including research, concept generation, and visual and oral presentations of complex information spaces utilizing advanced skills in design of interfaces. Students will integrate their knowledge of design of complex concepts and processes while learning to evaluate tools and practices appropriate to developing rich and dynamic media content. Students will advance their skills on the design and development of user-centered interfaces that communicate solutions based on measurable assessments of user requirements. Hours: 56 Credits: 4 Pre-Requisites: CoRequisites:
DSGN8170	Web and Digital Prototyping Description: The World Wide Web was invented over 20 years ago, though the underlying HyperText Markup Language (HTML) that runs in a web browser has been updated and augmented with Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), Javascript (JS) and many other front-end technologies in the intervening years. Students will learn to manage the building process for high fidelity interactive prototypes of web applications that run on multiple platforms, using current and emerging front-end web technologies. They will base their management process on a thorough evaluation of the requirements for complex interactive media projects and use their application prototypes for usability testing, product demos, and frameworks and specs for development and implementation teams. Hours: 42 Credits: 3 Pre-Requisites: CoRequisites:
DSGN8180	Interaction Design II Description: This course is a continuation of Interaction Design - I. The emphasis of the course is on further developing human-centered design skills including advanced methods in user experience research, prototyping and interface design in order to support accurate analysis of complex project requirements. Students will deepen their understanding of applied cognitive methods that support design concepts and approaches within the field of Human-computer Interaction, while learning about information architecture and prototyping techniques. Students will engage in a group project, utilizing their creative leadership and critical thinking skills to commission design solutions. These solutions will address both the effectiveness and economic impact of implementation. Hours: 56 Credits: 4 Pre-Requisites: CoRequisites:
ETR8100	Portfolio Development and Presentation Description: This course focuses on the preparation of a professional portfolio that demonstrates the skills and capabilities of the student. Students will identify and select examples of their work that emphasizes their strengths, and customize a portfolio to fit the specific job requirements of their target market. Students will present and speak to scope of work, with focus on the production pipeline and identify the specific personal work accomplished as well as the skills and knowledge required in production. Hours: 28 Credits: 2 Pre-Requisites: CoRequisites:
FPLT8040	Field Placement (Interactive Media Management Interaction Design) Description: This course prepares students and facilitates a placement experience with a company/agency which has been approved by the program. Students will review employability skills in class and then practise these skills as they take an active role in securing a placement. Students will refine self-marketing techniques to establish cohesive branding of themselves at a professional level. Engaging in the work environment of a professionally relevant company/agency will allow students to apply their education and skills contributing to their mutual benefit. Appropriate workplace behaviour and etiquette is expected as students use this opportunity to expand their network of industry contacts and effectively market their personal brand. Through this experience, students can cultivate confidence, escalate awareness of industry practices, add to their resume & portfolio, and contribute to their own career success. Hours: 80 Credits: 3 Pre-Requisites: OHS1320 CoRequisites:

Program Outcomes

Facilitate effective completion of both individual and collaborative interactive media projects.
Use and evaluate best practices and tools to design and develop dynamic, rich-media content.
Conduct and evaluate a thorough assessment of the requirements of a complex interactive media project
Coordinate the development, budgeting, planning and professional presentation of a complex interactive media project.
Design and coordinate a complex media project (interface, navigation, graphics, text treatment) using best practice design and development principles and applying conceptual and theoretical frameworks.
Manage the building of effective and dynamic complex Web sites and/or mobile applications.
Propose solutions to ethical and professional issues arising in an online environment.
Apply research and conceptual skills to propose optimal solutions for mobile/multimedia/Web development problems and facilitate these skills within the project team.
Provide creative leadership that results in the effective design, development and implementation of complex interactive media projects.
Evaluate the financial, technical and artistic success of a complex interactive media project and present recommendations for improvement.
Apply specific interaction design methodologies such as goal-oriented design, personas, cognitive dimensions framework, affective interaction design etc. to create interfaces adaptable to their target users
Use the relationships between the dimensions of interaction design (words, visual representations, physical objects, time and behavior) to develop interactions focused on the cognitive, behavioral, social and persuasive processes.
Integrate business, IT/programming and design elements into interaction design projects focused on the human aspect rather than the technology utilized.
Use market demographic experience and research for product user experience to design and enhance services and products.

Program Advisory Committees

The College appoints Program Advisory Committee members for diploma, degree, certificate and apprenticeship programs. Committees are composed of employers, practitioners and recent program graduates. College representatives (students, faculty, and administrators) are resource persons. Each committee advises the Board on the development of new programs, the monitoring of existing programs and community acceptance of programs.

For a list of the current members, please visit our Program Advisory Committees.

Program Handbook

Handbook

Apply Now

Domestic students should apply online at www.ontariocolleges.ca or by phone at 1-888-892-2228. OntarioColleges.ca 60 Corporate Court Guelph, Ontario Canada N1G 5J3. Detailed steps on the application process may help you to apply.

International students should apply online using the Ontario Colleges.ca International applicant portal. Please note that not all programs are open to international students; check the list of open programs on our International Student Programs web page before applying.

For additional program information, call the Information Centre at 519-748-5220 ext 3656.

Disclaimer

The College reserves the right to alter information including requirements and fees and to cancel at any time a program, course, or program major or option; to change the location and/or term in which a program or course is offered; to change the program curriculum as necessary to meet current competencies in the job market or for budgetary reasons; or to withdraw an offer of admission both prior to and after its acceptance by an applicant or student because of insufficient applications or registrations, over-acceptance of offers of admission, budgetary constraints, or for other such reasons. In the event the College exercises such a right, the College’s sole liability will be the return of monies paid by the applicant or student to the College.

Students actively registered in cohort delivered programs who take longer than the designed program length of time to complete their studies are accountable for completing any new or additional courses that may result due to changes in the program of study. Unless otherwise stated, students registered in non-cohort delivered programs must complete the program of study within seven years of being admitted to the program.