Member-only story
The Future of Human-Centered Design Education
An Interview with University of Washington Professor Sean Munson
I’m an associate professor in Human Centered Design & Engineering at the University of Washington. Our department was formerly technical communication. That was — and remains — an incredibly important field, but the name led to a narrowness in people’s expectations. They’d default to thinking about thick manuals they didn’t want to read, while technical communication is also wrapped up in the design of a whole variety of systems. About 10 years ago, the department changed its name to reflect the breadth of the research and education happening.
For the past two years, I have also been chairing UW’s interdisciplinary faculty group for Human Computer Interaction + Design, which oversees our Master of Human Computer Interaction + Design program. That program is newer — we’re just about to welcome our ninth cohort — and four units on campus contribute to it: the Information School, Computer Science & Engineering, the Division of Design in the School of Art + Art History + Design, and Human Centered Design & Engineering. One of the things I love about the University of Washington is that human computer interaction and design exist in a range of departments, each with their own ways of knowing and priorities. Before the program launched…
