Bringing Human Computer Interaction into a Department of Product and Systems Design Jenny Darzentas * , Thomas T. Hewett + , Thomas Spyrou * , John Darzentas * * Department of Product and Systems Design, University of the Aegean, Ermoupolis, Syros, Greece + Department of Psychology, Drexel University Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA jennyd@aegean.gr, hewett@drexel.edu, tsp@aegean.gr, idarz@aegean.gr. Abstract: This paper describes setting up a curriculum for a new university department of Product and Systems Design. As a result of the activities undertaken, it was noted that there was a surprising lack of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) oriented courses on offer in Design departments. This lack is despite the fact that the HCI literature shows an ever-increasing concern with design of artefacts. Also, design educators frequently refer to the need for more training in user-centred design in order for both students and practising designers to be able to create products and systems for the information age. In the new world of digital as well as tangible objects, of virtual products and services, the theme of usability and accessibility that are central to HCI offer a rich pool of knowledge. This paper explores some of the HCI topics that can be of use to design students and describes how they are to be incorporated into the curriculum of the Department of Product and Systems Design. Keywords: Design Education, HCI topics 1 Introduction This paper discusses the experience of a new university department in developing its curriculum to include education on topics directly related to the information society. In this changing society globalisation and the trends in communication technologies are impacting the ways in which people and organisations think and act. The products and systems that designers need to help create will belong to this changing world. For designers of products and systems, this means adopting new perspectives, and understanding that many future activities and tasks will be virtual and many objects will be digital, comprehended only through a mental model or some kind of metaphor. The inter-dependence of these perspectives and the need for users of products and systems to understand and make use of technology will be a fundamental part of any future design brief. With the ‘growing use of embedded computing systems in all kinds of devices’ (Gorny & Hewett, 1997) the study of topics in the HCI curriculum would seem a very useful part of design education. However, this does not seem to have been recognised in many departments around the world where design is taught and studied. Similarly, many members of the HCI community do not seem to realise that effectively they are engaged in product design and should be integrating their work with that of the design community. A review of the curricula of Design Schools and university departments world wide, as well as the literature on design education, reveals some understanding of the importance of user-centred design and usability of digital artefacts in the design of products and systems for the ‘information age’ (Boyarski, 1998). While this may not be true of all types of design subcategories (e.g., architectural, engineering, graphic and interior design) it is typically true for industrial and product designers, reflecting a long standing concern with designing for the user (Dreyfuss, 1955). However, few of the design curricula examined specifically mentioned topics in the HCI curriculum, such as interface design, task analysis, interaction design, human social organisation and work, which seen from the HCI perspective, to offer much that is useful to the future product and systems designer.