Teaching Creative Interface Design: Possibilities and Pitfalls

Interface design is an essential aspect of any interactive system and thus a core component of most Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) curricula. Teaching creative interface design is, however, is a challenging task, as it involves both an understanding of HCI theory and practice. A tradeoff exists between enforcing the use of standard design guidelines and patterns or encouraging the development of creative design solutions. This paper discusses the tensions that exist between these two approaches and explores the possibilities for developing a combined approach to teaching creative interface design. This approach, called “Usable Creativity ” aims to produce usable and creative design solutions