Interactive systems

The following modules should be completed as a basis for advanced modules, if they (or equivalent modules) have not been completed in a previous bachelor’s programme:

• Interactive systems
• Computer graphics: Conventional and neural methods

Additionally, other basic modules fit to this specialization and we recommend completing some of them, if they (or equivalent modules) have not been completed in a previous bachelor’s programme. The recommended basic modules include:

• Virtual and augmented reality
• Immersive analytics with applications in the Life Sciences
• Agile UX design
• Interaction in mixed reality: Basic concepts
• Research methods in human-computer interaction
• Data visualization: Basic concepts
• Applications for Powerwall and virtual reality environments
• Illustrative computer graphics
• Physical computing
• Virtual Archaelogy (taught in German)
• Graphical methods for games, visualization, film
• Multimedia retrieval: Basic concepts

Please see ZEuS for more details and the courses that are offered in the current or upcoming semester.

As the exam regulations specify, you need to complete at least three advanced modules in one area to be able to have a specification stated on your examination certificate. For the specialization in “Interactive Systems”, a range of advanced modules are offered. These include:

• Future challenges and trends in Human-Computer Interaction
• Experiments in Human-Computer Interaction
• Global Illumination Methods
• Data visualization: Advanced topics
• Exhibition design. Interactive media for museums (Mediale Ausstellungsgestaltung – Grundlagen, taught in German)
• Conception of an exhibition  (Konzeption einer Ausstellung, taught in German)
• Exhibition development and implementation (Realisierung einer Ausstellung, taught in German)

Please see ZEuS for more details and the offers of the current or upcoming semester.

The following seminars fit to the specialization "Interactive Systems":

• Seminar Human-Computer Interaction
• Seminar Computer Graphics
• Seminar Life Science Informatics

Please see ZEuS for more details and the courses that are offered in the current or upcoming semester.

The following projects fit to the specialization "Interactive Systems":

• Master's project Human-Computer Interaction
• Master's project Life Science Informatics
• Master's project Interactive Computer Graphics

Courses from other departments:

The specialization "Interactive systems" has many overlaps with research areas in psychology, so a range of courses from the Psychology department, but also from other departments, fit to this specialization:

• Perception and cognition (Wahrnehmung und Kognition, taught in German)
• Learning and memory (Lernen und Gedächtnis, taught in German)
• Motivation and emotion (Motivation und Emotion, taught in German)
• Empirical research: Quantitative methods (Empirie: Quantitative Methoden, taught in German)
• Empirical research methods
• Introduction to linguistics (Einführung in die Linguistik, taught in German)
• Structure and history of linguistics
• Argumentation and computers
• Objects and changing concepts in exhibitions (Ausstellen: Objekte und Museumskonzepte im Wandel, taught in German)
• Digital transformations. Breakthroughs in the history of human-computer interaction (Digitale Transformationen. Zäsuren in der Geschichte der Mensch-Computer-Interaktion, taught in German)
• Introduction into archaeological field methods (Einführung in die Techniken der archäologischen Feldarbeit, taught in German)

Key qualifications:

• Project management (Projektmanagement, taught in German)
• Communication and self-presentation (Kommunikation und Selbstpräsentation, taught in German)
• Conduct of negotiations (Verhandlungsführung, taught in German)
• Presentation and personality: Performance and Impact (Präsentation und Persönlichkeit: Auftritt und Wirkung, taught in German)
• Design thinking and agile working methods (Design Thinking und agile Arbeitsmethoden, taught in German)
• Start-Up - job of my dreams? Training for prospective founders (Wege zum erfolgreichen Start-Up: von der Idee bis zur Analyse deiner Fähigkeiten, taught in German)

For further suitable courses from other departments and key qualifications, see the general list provided by the department or contact your mentor.

• You know typical methods and techniques of the user-centered analysis and modelling of the contexts of use (requirements engineering) and can apply them independently.
• You have learned the basics of interactive computer graphics in the form of hardware-centered programming and related techniques.
• You are qualified to integrate the methods and techniques associated with the user-centered design of information systems (usability engineering) in software development (software engineering).
• You know the basic principles, methods, and tools required to design interactive, networked and mobile systems and are able to apply these independently in projects.
• You are able to design and implement efficient display techniques including Level-of-Detail methods and information abstraction.
• You know multimodal and tangible interaction techniques and are able to realize them independently (e.g. for tabletops like the MS Surface or smartphones like the Apple iPhone).
• You are able to conceptually design and realize your own interaction techniques for the visualization and exploration of large information spaces (e.g. WWW, digital libraries, product databases).
• You know typical methods for the user-centered evaluation of information systems and usability situations and you are able to put these into action (e.g. in a usability laboratory).
• You become acquainted with contributions from other disciplines involved in the design of information systems, for example communication design, psychology, sociology, organisation-, work- and economic studies, cultural and media studies, law and administrative science.

For contacts to companies with which you could possibly do an internship with, please contact the research groups below.

• in the user experience group of a major manufacturer of mobile phones (e.g. Apple, Samsung) or provider of telecommunications services (e.g. T-Mobile, Vodafone) and develop user interfaces that meet international requirements.
• as a usability engineer or computer graphics expert at a major software firm (e.g. SAP) and be responsible for the development of cross-platform interaction concepts (from mobile phones, PDAs to the computer).
• as an interaction designer at a company that specializes in usability engineering (e.g. UI Design) and provide consultant services in this position for other companies developing interactive applications.
• as a computer-game developer in a computer game company (e.g. Crytec, Electronic Arts).
• as a usability specialist at an internet agency (e.g. argonauten 360, GFT) and carry out usability studies for websites.
• for a major car manufacturer (e.g. Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, VW, Audi, BMW) and create new interaction concepts in the field of telematics (e.g. driver information systems).
• as a member of a usability engineering team, developing a style guide and designing the user interface for the internet portal of a major bank (e.g. UBS).
• in the user interfaces department of an international corporation (e.g. Siemens) and provide consultant services and support to a variety of specialist departments, helping them realize interactive applications for a diverse range of fields of application (e.g. telematics, medical applications, control systems at power stations, production control systems).
• at a university or industrial research unit such as Microsoft Research or Google Research researching into new interaction and navigation concepts for the next generation of user interfaces.