WELCOME TO THE COURSE
Welcome to the course Cognitive Design and Umeå Institute of Design
As a new student, you need to activate your user account (your Umu-id) approximately two weeks prior to the start of the semester.
With your user account you can:
If you are a new student, you will automatically receive a user account when you are admitted, but you will need to activate it for it to function properly. You will not be able to activate it until approximately two weeks prior to the start of the semester.
Install MFA for a more secure login
To increase security and reduce the risk of unauthorised access to your information or account, students must enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) to log in to various systems, such as Canvas and the Student Web.
I want to activate my user account and install MFA
If you are an exchange student or tuition fee paying student, you will receive an email with instructions on how to activate your account.
If you are having problems activating your account or logging in, please contact our Servicedesk. You will find answers to common questions, and can submit enquiries.
CloseYou need to be registered for the course in the study documentation system in order to keep your place (seat) and to have your results recorded during the course. Online registration is open between Thursday February 8 and Thursday February 15. If you do not register by February 15 at the latest, you risk losing your place.
To be able to sign in to register online, you need to have activated your Umu-id account.
I have an activated Umu-id and forgot my password
Thursday February 15, 2024
Time: 09.00
Schedule can also be found in Text format
We are still working with the schedule. The schedule is preliminary up to 1 month before course start.
The course gives you an orientation about interaction design, and its role in industrial design and product development. The aim of the course is for you to gain a basic insight into interaction design, and to become aware of the possibilities for collaboration between interaction designers and cognitive scientists. You will get an introduction to processes and methods used in industrial design and interaction design and apply them in a practical project that runs throughout the course.
The course begins with a course introduction and a tour of the Institute of Design. During the introduction, you also get an overview of what it means to study in a course that rests on an artistic foundation (in contrast to scientific foundation), and how it affects the teaching, examination forms and study techniques relating to the course.
Schedule changes
Sometimes at short notice due to staff become ill, planned teaching sessions and times may change in the schedule. If it is at very short notice (same morning), we will notify via Canvas, e-mail and / or text message. Otherwise, the schedule online is continuously updated. Get in the habit of checking Canvas daily to always have up-to-date information
Learning platform Canvas
It is important that you have activated an user account (Umu-id) before you start the course so you can use the learning platform Canvas. To be able see the course in Canvas, you must first register on the course.
For this course, we use Canvas as learning platform. There you will find everything you need for the course, such as the schedule, instructions for exercises, list of course participants and messages from the teachers. It is also on this learning platform that you submit your assignments.
You are responsible for ensuring that the email address you enter on Canvas is the one you read regularly.
Course literature
There are no mandatory course literature. Less extensive articles and compendiums will be distributed to the students via the learning platform Canvas.
Consumable material
Before the first week of the course, you are expected to get 2-3 notepads (for example Post Its) in size 75x75 mm or similar, as well as a black felt-tip pen with a narrow tip (approx. 1-2 mm width).
Own computer and internet
In order to be able to submit the assignments in this course, you need to have access to a computer.
Own software
As a student at Umeå University, you have access to Microsoft Powerpoint via Office 365, but in order to be able to carry out the practical design tasks in the course, we want you to acquire and become familiar with some more powerful software for interactive prototyping and graphic design well in advance of the start of the course, for example Figma (web-based and available as a free version), Adobe Illustrator (available for windows, mac and ipad), CorelDRAW (windows and mac) or Affinity Designer (windows, mac and ipad). Good free alternatives are, for example, Linearity (2D drawing for mac and ipad), Inkscape (2D drawing for windows and mac), SketchUp (easy 3D modelling for windows and mac), or Blender (advanced 3D modelling for Windows, mac and Linux).
Unfortunately, there is no time or any resources for pure software training in the course, but for all these programs there are plenty of instructional videos online - search with the word "tutorial" and the name of the software on, for example, YouTube and you will find loads of videos. Note: in order to benefit from the instructional videos, which are mostly in English, we strongly recommend that you install an English language version of the software. Otherwise, it may be difficult for you to follow the instructional videos as their software versions are English.
IT Support
You will find information about our IT services at: https://www.umu.se/en/student/we-can-assist-you/it-services
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Questions about the course, please contact Course responsible teacher Niklas Andersson.
Problem with registration? Contact coordinator, education Birgitta Sundberg.
Special educational support
If you have been granted special educational support, please inform the course responsible teacher Niklas Andersson.
Mandatory presence and project work
As you will see in the schedule, some of the classes are marked as mandatory. These classes include assignments, tasks or exercises that are assessed and weighed into the final grading on the course. If you cannot, for some reason, participate in a mandatory class, it is your responsibility to both notify the teacher, and ask him/her how you can recuperate what you miss during that class. Of course, it is of beneficial for both you and your team that you are present for all lectures even if they aren’t marked as mandatory. Throughout the course, you will work in groups with a project. Groups are expected to work as teams.
No academic quarter
At the Institute of Design, we do not use an academic quarter, which means that when it says at 9 in a schedule means 09:00. The lecture hours are 09:00-12:00 and 13:00-16:00 unless otherwise stated in the schedule or by the teacher/lecturer.
Front doors
The Institute of Design’s entrance doors are locked 24 hours a day, and you therefore need to use your UmU card to enter the building. The programming of your card is not done until you have registered for the course. The authorization is valid Monday - Friday at 08:00-20:00, and gives you the opportunity to enter via the main entrance door inside the yard, and via the side door along Östra Strandgatan. Your card also allows you to access to our computer labs.
(Cards without PIN code 08:00-17:00, card with PIN code 17:00-20:00).
Computer labs
Normally, our computer labs are booked 9-16 for classes. Therefore, you can't always use the facilities on other times than those booked in your schedule. Before 9 and after 16 it is OK to use the computer labs on a "first come, first served" basis. In order to have access to our computers, you need to have activated your user account.
Coffee (Fika)/Lunch
You can find restaurant Bygden (by Kummin) at Arts Campus. Vending machines (with sweets) are found on the workshop floor, and the student kitchen can be used for heating lunches. There is no cutlery or tableware, so you need to bring your own. To use the coffee machines at UID, you need to bring your own coffee mug and payment is done through credit card.
Printouts
Your UmU card can be used for copying and printing. You will receive information on how it is handled at the beginning of the course.
General information: Wozzop
Every Monday at 10.15 a general weekly information is held for students and teachers in our Atrium. If you want to bring something up at the info moment, it is good to do it spontaneously. Otherwise contact the teacher responsible for the course and he will take it up in your place.
Wednesday lectures
On Wednesdays, there are often activities in the form of open lectures by invited professional designers or other interesting people. Information about lectures is announced on Wozzop.
School meetings
At 1 pm on the first Wednesday of each month (except September and June), a joint information and discussion meeting is held for all students and all staff. Anyone who wants to inform about something, or bring something up for discussion, is welcome to either report it in advance to the head of department, or bring it up during the meeting itself or through a student representative, teacher or other staff.
Open project presentations
All project presentations held by students at Umeå Institute of Design might be open to all other students and employees at the school. This week's presentations are announced on Wozzop and digital platforms. Feel free to take the opportunity to participate in the presentations as time allows - it is usually fun and educational.
Ställverket & Social activities
The UID section of students is called Ställverket. They often arrange social activities, such as Friday pubs and parties. As a student at UID, you are welcome to participate in pubs and parties. Sometimes, you need to sign up for these.
Checklist for admitted students
Follow this simple list of things to complete your enrolment at Umeå University. It includes: how to secure housing, getting a residence permit (for citizens from outside the EU/EEA and Switzerland), tuition payment (if applicable), travel directions and more.
To the checklist for admitted Students
CloseThe Student web
The website for current students has all sorts of information about services, support, legal and practical matters at Umeå University. You can sign in to the learning platforms, see your schedule and course overview, get a study certificate, apply for a degree or sign up for an examination.
CloseRecommended arrival times
International students are recommended to arrive at least a few days before the start of the regular semester, preferably prior to the Orientation. If you fail to arrive on time, you have to contact the study counselor as soon as possible, but no later than one week ahead of the course start, or you may not be able to register for the programme or course.
If you will have student housing through the Housing Office at Umeå University you will receive information about your arrival in your offer of housing.
Don't forget - Umeå has cold winters, so pack accordingly with a warm jacket, warm shoes, gloves and hat.
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Moving to a new country with an unfamiliar language, culture and customs can be a challenge. We would like to help you and ease that challenge so that you can focus on your studies. Therefore, we would like to offer you the possibility to take part in our Orientation, which begins a few days before the start of the semester (Autumn) or the same day as the semester starts (Spring).
More about the Orientation this semester.
CloseWelcome Fair
Are you a new student at Umeå University? Visit the Welcome Fair – a perfect opportunity to learn what our university and Umeå can offer. The fair normally takes place in the beginning of each semester.
CloseGet your UmU card
When you are on Campus Umeå, Umeå Arts Campus or Campus Örnsköldsvik, you will need a UmU card. The card has the following functions:
To get the card, you need to apply for it. Here’s how to apply for the UmU card.
CloseJoin a student union
There are three student unions at Umeå University:
They are actively involved so that fellow students have a high quality of education, good working environment, and fun leisure time.
Become a member of a student union!
CloseAccess to Microsoft Office 365
Students at Umeå University have free access to the programmes of Microsoft Office 365. This means that you have access to Teams, Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Whiteboard Forms, your student email and other services which can facilitate your studies and your collaboration with other students. To access Office 365 you need to activate your UmU-id.
Learn more about Office 365 and how to install it on your computer
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