🦆 Interaction Nerds by UXA
This week from Investigation & Connection: explore fun IDeAte minis, see how CMU students are getting involved with research on campus, and learn how to find your passion in your field!
👋 Announcements — Return to School with I&C!
As everyone is preparing for classes, our second edition of Investigation and Connection ramps up for the school year with more resources and advice for how to make the most of your time here. Join us for some IDeATE Micro recommendations, an interview about research and academia with Sapna Tayal, and an interview about working in tech and reaching a career in HCI with Kate Zhao!
🐒 Campus Compass — IDeATE Micros
Thinking about adding a couple units to your semester schedule? Here are some micro-courses offered by IDeATE that can help you build skills for future HCI projects! These courses are very low-commitment and only meet a few times over the course of a semester. Perfect for learning something new!
🧰 99-355 IDeATe: Introduction to Arduino
This practical course is designed to quickly take students from beginner to basic functional knowledge of the Arduino microcontroller. You can expect to learn how to write and upload simple code for the Arduino to perform basic logic functions, how to integrate a variety of physical inputs and outputs, and how to put all of these together to build systems. The course culminates in students producing and artful and/or functional interactive creation of their own design.
🖨 99-359 IDeATe: 3D Modeling and 3D Printing
This workshop is a hands-on introduction to the expansive world of 3D printing. 3D printing is a popular and versatile technology for quickly prototyping ideas. Students learn prototyping basics and the Fusion360 CAD software to create their own unique projects. Computer-controlled manufacturing process is driven by CAD design. The class time will explore the capabilities of 3D modeling and their transformation into a printable format.
💃 99-360 IDeATe: E-Textiles
In this class, students learn to create active, responsive and flexible artifacts using microcontrollers, electroluminescence wire, muscle wire, and electronics-embedded fabric. This course also provides an overview of what has been done in the field, the current state of the art in e-textiles, and the possibilities and difficulties that arise from working with flexible materials.
👾 99-358 IDeATE: Introduction to the Unity Game Engine
This course is designed for students with little to no experience working with game engines as entry point into the field of game development. Students will learn the basics of the Unity3D engine, and to creatively and effectively build their own simple games. This course will cover topics such as navigating and using the engine, basic game programming in C#, user interface development, and introductory game design principles.
🤩 Student Spotlight — A Chat with Sapna Tayal about HCI research and Academia
Are you curious about research but have no idea if it’s the right path for you? Do you wonder where and how to find research opportunities? This week, we interviewed Sapna Tayal, a rising sophomore in Design. Sapna shares her experience in an HCI lab, including how she found and applied for the position, advice from what she learned about research, and thoughts about further pursuing academia! 🧐
Showing that you're passionate and that you're willing to learn goes a long way.
—Sapna Tayal
🌟 Field Trip — Microsoft Design with Kate Zhao
What's it like working at a top tech company? How can you get the “right” experience that will prepare you for careers in HCI? There's often a belief that you have to land a large corporate internship right away in order to be hired by a large company. But is this the only way? Take a look at the different ways there are to find your passion in your industry in our talk with Kate Zhao! Last semester, we interviewed Kate about her internship experience. This semester, we dive into how Kate uses that experience in industry! 🔥
It doesn’t matter what you do; I think any experience is good. Designers come from all over the place, and your different experiences make you a unique designer.
—Kate Zhao
🤔 Who’s behind the scenes?
Thanks for reading this week’s Interaction Nerds by CMU UXA! The editors behind this work are Sophie McGrady, Caleb Sun, and Rebecca Jiang.
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