MA Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)

Students must complete short online preparatory courses before the program begins. Students can access the courses online during the summer, at their convenience, at no extra charge. Students who are interested in additional support can join the scheduled on-campus office hours. The preparatory courses are:

• Introduction to LLMs and Prompt Engineering

  Mr. Shmulik Davar

  This course introduces Large Language Models (LLMs) and prompt engineering as powerful tools for enhancing AI-driven product development and research. Students will be introduced to key concepts of LLMs and explore different AI tools, diving into prompting techniques, learning how to structure inputs to generate accurate and insightful outputs. The course aims to deepen students’ understanding of LLMs, empowering them to integrate AI into their product management and HCI processes, for example market research, competitive analysis, user interview transcription, and thematic coding
• Introduction to Applied Research Methods

  Prof. Hadas Erel

  This course introduces basic concepts in research methods, from an applied perspective. Topics include: Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods, Validity, Reliability, Sampling, Inferential Statistics and Experimental Design.
• Introduction to Visual Design

  Mr. Andrey Grishko

  This course introduces basic principles in visual communication using the Figma UX prototyping tool. The course has two clusters: cluster A is a practical introduction to Figma, updated with the recent Figma developments, including UX prototyping, UI Components, App Navigation, Creating Interfaces, Building Prototypes, and Advanced Prototyping, Sharing & Testing.
  Cluster B is an introduction to visual communication, including the Impact of Design, Composition, Visual Identity, Typography, and Image.
• Introduction to Human-Computer Interaction

  Prof. Oren Zuckerman

  This course provides an introduction to key topics in the field of HCI, UX, Product Discovery, and Human-AI collaboration, including: What is HCI, HCI Brief History, Human-Centered Design Process, Don Norman's Interaction Design Principles, Usability and User Testing, Interaction Techniques in HCI (Screen-Based Interaction, Mobile Interaction, Tangible User Interfaces, Voice Interfaces, Virtual and Augmented Reality, and Brain-Computer Interfaces), Ubiquitous Computing, Human-AI Interaction and Collaboration, Product Discovery and Product Teams.

   

• Ethics and Technology

  Dr. Noa Morag

  Technology shapes every aspect of the human experience and is the primary driver of social, cultural, and ecological change. This course will challenge students, as designers and developers of new technology, to critically analyze the ethical implications of new technologies.  The course covers foundational ethical theories, principles, and relevant use cases that illustrate the ethical challenges and considerations in the design, development, and deployment of new digital technologies such as AI, Biotechnologies, Climate engineering, UX/UI, Social Robotics, Autonomous cars, Voice interfaces, and more. Students will engage in discussions, case studies, and projects to analyze and address ethical issues critically.
• Quantitative HCI Research Methods

  Prof. Hadas Erel

  This course provides a review of descriptive and inferential statistics and how these techniques are used with research methods appropriate for UX. Students will become familiar with various methods for data analysis, designing experiments and evaluating different aspects of UX designs. The course will involve both frontal lectures and active engagement with the material including analyses of data sets, designing experiments and critical judgment of existing research both inside and outside the classroom.
• Contemporary Topics in HCI: Key Trends and Open Questions

  Prof. Oren Zuckerman

  
  In this fast-paced lecture series, students will read and critically discuss seminal and recent research papers in the academic field of HCI. Topics include: Human-Centered Computing, Current approaches to Ubiquitous Computing, AI and Human-Centered Machine Learning, Tangible and Material interaction, Human-Robot Interaction, Spatial Computing (VR and AR), Design Research and meaning-making approaches in HCI. Students will learn how academic research is highly relevant for industry innovation processes, how to search papers around a specific topic of their interest, how to conduct a literature review and identify possible gaps in current knowledge, and how to define potential research directions and questions they are motivated to explore.
• UX Design: Cognition and Emotion

  Dr. Jacob Greenshpan

  The user experience (UX) is an important element in product design. And successful interface design is almost always a direct result of a match: matching the users' capabilities - as well as their limitations, matching their preferences, attitudes, emotions, needs, and more. Building a good interface involves a deep understanding of needs, proper analysis of information, extensive knowledge of human capabilities, proper planning, testing, and verification with users. This course deals with precisely these key points. The course will focus on learning a number of basic tools in the UX world, which relate to the three key stages of building a successful UX: analysis, design, and testing - not necessarily in this order. The course aims to provide students with theoretical (little) and practical (a lot) information that will give them an introduction to the methods, tools, and considerations required for successful product UX design.
• Cognition-centered Design : from theory to practice

  Prof. Hadas Erel

  The course will present selected fundamental cognitive and social psychology principles relevant to designing User Experience (UX). The cognitive principles will allow for designing experiences that are optimized for human perception, memory, and higher cognitive processes. The social principles will open new directions for creating interactions that leverage human fundamental social processes. Students will acquire knowledge and will be able to analyze and apply cognitive and social principles related to UX. Students will be able to identify relevant underlying processes and decide if and when they should be used for creating a high-quality UX. 

   

• Rapid Physical Prototyping: Materials & Fabrication

  Mr. Andrey Grishko

  
  In this hands-on prototyping course students design and create physical prototypes using different fabrication technologies and AI-powered authoring tools. The root of the course is the rapid prototyping and testing mindset, the same mindset that guides the work of product managers and product teams in startups - the famous build-measure-learn process. The fabrication technologies include laser cutters, 3D printers, and traditional carpentry tools, and the various software CAD tools that enable design and production of physical artifacts. The creative process that guides the course is the user-centered design process, students will engage in user research and user testing to generate insights based on research. The AI aspect is manifested in the use of various AI tools and platforms during the research and design process, from market research and user research to quick production of visual inspirations, models, and movies. The course is conducted in interdisciplinary groups, in which students with various background (e.g. technical, design, psychology, liberal arts) work together, learning how to collaborate in a cross-functional team.
• Rapid AI Prototyping: Apps & Analytics

  Mr. Shmulik Davar

  AI-based prototyping is the future of coding, also called vibe coding or prompt coding. AI tools like Base44 and Lovable enable quick prototyping with no coding experience, including integration of analytics and surveys for data collection. The students learn how to leverage such tools in the product management process, leveraging working prototypes for quick iterations of user research, collecting data about actual user behavior, and generating insights about early product concepts. The course's actual tools may change every year due to the rapid change of AI technology, but the methodology will not change: to create an amazing user experience, one must build and test prototypes with relevant users. 
• Rapid VR Prototyping: Unity

  Dr. Jonathan Giron

  
  
  The use of VR, AR, and MR (mixed reality) all rely on 3D environment design as the fundamental prototyping tool. In this workshop, students will learn to design and familiarize themselves with the 3D world and its characteristics. They will start with creating simple 3D environments and then progress to advanced interactive experiences. Those interested can even advance to building immersive experiences, all using the Unity authoring platform. The topics covered will include 3D models, content creation, textures, 3D sound, visual scripting for the behavior of objects, and more, all in interactive 3D environments as well as VR and AR experiences.

   
• Rapid Hardware Prototyping: Arduino & Sensors

  Mr. Andrey Grishko

  In this course, students will use Vibe coding and AI-assisted prototyping to learn the fundamentals of hardware prototyping, including digital and analog input/output using Arduino boards, sensors, and a variety of actuators. Students will create physical-digital interactive experiences, extending their understanding of HCI in the physical world. The course follows the build–measure–learn prototyping process, in which students will create several small design projects in the field of ubiquitous computing, including wearables, smart homes, and IoT,  robotics, human-plant interaction, human-pet interaction, etc. Students will acquire skills of vibe coding, rapid prototyping, rapid experimentation, user testing, and iterative design, with special emphasis on leveraging AI not only for technical implementation but also as a creative partner in the design process.

Research Seminars Select 1 of the 3

• Non-humanoid Robots Research and Prototyping

  Prof. Hadas Erel

  This seminar provides a theoretical overview, hands-on experience, and the opportunity to conduct research concerning robotic objects. Students will be presented with a range of topics, including positive and negative influences of robots' design and behavior. Students will learn the principles relevant to the development and implementation of robotic objects, allowing them to study meaningful research questions concerning Human-Robot Interactions. The seminar will cover a variety of topics related to different types of interactions with robots, including those involving more than one human and more than one robot, as well as state-of-the-art approaches to building computational systems with this type of social ability.
• Mobile UX Research Methods

  Prof. Oren Zuckerman & Mr. Asaf Barzilay

  This intensive seminar will cover UX and Product methodologies, including user research, need finding, competitive analysis, concept design, customer journey mapping, iterative prototyping using Figma, iterative user testing with qualitative and quantitative data collection, A/B testing using Figma and Maze, data analysis, insights definition, and impact of the insights on product and UX decisions. Students will gain both methodological understanding and hands-on experience of the full mobile UX research, design, and prototyping cycle. At the end of the seminar, students will present their designs and findings to academic and industry experts, and will write an academic-level report on their design process and research findings.
• Extended Reality Research and Prototyping

  Prof. Doron Friedman & Dr. Jonathan Giron

  This intensive seminar introduces students to the cutting-edge research and developments in the fields of VR and AR. Students will gain an understanding of the unique concepts of these immersive technologies based on psychological and neuroscientific research findings. Building on the foundation courses (topics in HCI, UX research methods, Psychology, and prototyping skills with Unity), students will design and implement a new VR/AR experience, further advancing their Unity skills. They will also evaluate their projects in a user study using qualitative and quantitative research methods.

Final project (4 credits) Personal mentoring towards a meaningful HCI project for the student's portfolio. There are three types of projects, students can choose one from below.

• Personal project

  Mr. Ofir Sadka

  Personal mentoring towards a meaningful HCI project for the student's portfolio. Students can choose one of two: (1) Personal project: students initiate and lead a project that is based on their passion/ interest. Creating a new interactive experience in Wearables, VR/AR, Robotic objects, Brain technology, etc. Additional fields will be considered based on the student's ability. (2) Lab project: students join an existing theme or area of research that is in line with the lab agenda. Students experience an academic research cycle. The project focuses on either development/design or running a study/analyzing data, or both in unique cases.
• Lab Project

  Mr. Ofir Sadka

  Students join an existing theme or area of research that is in line with the lab agenda. Students experience an academic research cycle. The project usually focuses on development/design OR running a study/analyzing data, or both in unique cases only.
• Practicum Project With An Industry Partner

  Ms. Orit Avraham

  The practicum is a final project course that offers the possibility of experiencing a practical path, allowing students to work in industry as an intern for three months and gain real-world practical experience within their desired role with a commitment of two full days per week. The roles students can be assigned to are: UX researcher, product designer, product manager, and UX writer. The companies could be a big enterprise, a product company, a project agency, or a startup. The matching for each student is done based on individual meetings with Dr. Segal and depends on an acceptance interview with the company.

• Product Design with Design Systems

  Mr. Dor Tal

  This course focuses on the role of Product Design within the context of Design Systems, highlighting how UX designers within product teams are also expected to fulfill the responsibilities of product designers, including UI design. Through the structured use of design systems, UX designers are enabled to craft UIs that adhere to established design conventions and patterns. Suitable for those with or without prior experience in UX-UI, this course offers skills to contribute to product teams from a product design perspective.
• Human-AI Co-Creation

  Prof. Doron Friedman

  This course invites MA HCI students to delve into the ongoing revolution of generative AI, which has already shown transformative results in image, text, and music generation, and promises even more profound changes ahead. Designed for those without a programming background, the course adopts a scientific perspective suitable for novices to explore the theoretical underpinnings of generative AI. Students will gain an intuitive understanding of key concepts around deep neural networks such as generative adversarial networks (GANs), diffusion models, transformers, and large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT, all without the need for advanced mathematical knowledge. The practical component emphasizes hands-on experience, focusing on human-AI co-creation using a variety of tools. By the end of the course, students will be better equipped to critically assess questions about AI's creative capabilities and understand the potential roles AI can play, whether in replacing or complementing human efforts in various domains.

   
• A Neuroscientist Perspective on HCI

  Prof. Amir Amedi

  
  Technology is extending human abilities. What effect does this technological symbiosis have on our brains and minds? And how should we design technology for a symbiotic future? In this course, we will explore how to take inspiration from neuroscience for HCI related implementations, and how to ask research questions about the brain that are meaningful for HCI. As one of the domains within neuroscience that is most relevant for HCI, we will explore the human sensory experience. In particular we will examine how technology can be used for exposing hidden connections between the senses, and enhancing the human experience. Topics will include, but are not limited to, sensory substitution by means of technology, uncovering connections between the senses, enhancing human neuro-wellness using brain-based technologies, and more.
• The Human Body in Human-Computer Interaction

  Dr. Jonatan Giron

  This course explores affective computing and embodied cognition within the field of advanced human-computer interaction (HCI), equipping students to become future leaders who deeply understand the human element of technology design. Through the study of emotional models, psychophysiological research methods, and physiological measures such as heart rate, electrodermal activity, and brain-computer interfaces, students will learn to evaluate implicit responses and design responsive, affect-sensitive systems. Emphasis is placed on signal processing, experimental research design, embodied cognition, and the development of innovative wearable technologies that go beyond conventional smartwatches and fitness trackers. By applying these methods to domains such as wellness, meditation, sports, gaming, medical assessment, and rehabilitation, students will develop cutting-edge applications and interfaces that integrate biological and physiological data into meaningful human-computer interactions.
• Advanced UX Research for Organizational Impact

  Ms. Tali Rosen Shoham

  This course provides practical guidance on integrating user insights and UX research into companies and organizations. Through a combination of lectures, case studies, hands-on exercises and group discussions, students will deep-dive into research methods that have proven successful in R&D environments, learn how to effectively advocate for user needs, adjust the research methods to the product development stages, integrate the prioritization of research and user insights into existing organizational workflows and increase their impact within their organizations.  
• Service Design Methodologies

  Mr. Nisan Greizel

  Service design and design thinking use a set of methodologies to create unified and meaningful user experiences that reflect customer needs through physical & digital touchpoints. Methodologies include: Design thinking, Design Research, Human-Center design, Stakeholders research, Customer journey mapping, Participant observation, Contextual interviews, In-depth interviews, Cultural probes, Personas, Data visualization, Data synthesis, Thematic analysis, Co-creation, User stories, Concepts testing, Service prototypes.
• AI Product Sprint

  Ms. Sharon Ben Zvi

  An intense 5-week course to research, develop, and design end-to-end solutions to real-world challenges, deploying advanced AI methodologies both within the product development process and within the product's innovative solutions. Focused on user research methodologies in practice, on intensive teamwork with an interdisciplinary group of students, and real industry experience with professional guidance from companies such as Microsoft, Google, Wix, Appsflyer, etc. The course will engage industry collaborators as partners and will challenge students to invent new interactive experiences around a specific topic. Each year, a new hack-for-good concept emerges.
• Critical Speculative Design

  Ms. Dana Gordon

  This course is an introduction to the process of interaction design from a cultural perspective, including critical design, design research, research through design, design fiction, and speculative design. These design approaches can assist technology designers to better study and understand how technology influence and interact with society and culture. We will examine classic prototypes, theories, and approaches in this field, and provide students with tools to apply such methods in their future designs and developments.
• AI-powered product management

  Prof. Oren Zuckerman

  Product management (PM) in tech companies is a fascinating profession that balances passion for technology, empathy for customers, business sense, and a never-ending drive for success through optimization. AI is an inherent part of the PM role, and is rapidly changing the way product teams operate. This course will cover the impact AI has on product teams and product management, focusing on the changing role of UX researchers, UX designers, and Product managers. The course is structured as six units, each focused on the impact of AI on specific product teams; roles: The PM role, the UXR role, the Product designer role, the Data analyst role, leveraging automation in PM operations, and designing AI capabilities into a non-AI product. Each of the six units comprises two sessions: a first session with an industry guest sharing the impact AI has on their role today, and a second workshop session with an AI expert in which students will learn the most advanced uses of AI in the context of that role. The course assignments are hands-on AI implementations, and the final submission is submitting a product plan for a product team about adding AI capabilities to an existing product.

Student can also choose up to two electives from other programs, subject to availability and minimum prerequisites:

• One-year MBA
• Global MBA
• Computer Science (Taught in Hebrew)
• Communication & New Media (Taught in Hebrew)
• Law & Technology, Psychology (Taught in Hebrew)
• Social Psychology (Taught in Hebrew)