Master in Interaction and Computational Media Design

The Master in Interaction and Computational Media Design (MDIMC) develops an exploratory and laboratory-based project approach, promoting a critical view of computational and interaction design in artistic, industrial, and research contexts. The course prioritises the development of inclusive and sustainable projects, research skills, and participatory and co-design methods.

The MDIMC program promotes projects focused on the relationships between humans and computational systems, preparing students for the different phases of the design, development, evaluation, and management of projects, in a way that aligns with a broad range of professional profiles. The course welcomes candidates with backgrounds in diverse and complementary areas, such as Design, Multimedia, Games, Visual Arts, Audiovisuals, or Informatics, among others.

Study Plan

1st year

Design and Interaction Project (12 ECTS)

Human-Centred Design;
Emotional Design and Embodied Design;
User Research and Functional Requirements;
Context and Interaction Scenarios;
Interaction Design Principles and Patterns;
Prototyping and UX Evaluation;
Documentation and Design System.

Digital Culture (6 ECTS)

History of Computational Media;
Computing, Digital and Post-Digital Literacy;
Computational Art, Design and Aesthetics;
Artificial Creativity;
Games;
Cybertext, Procedural Authorship;
Artificial Intelligence.

Ludic Design (6 ECTS)

Culture of playfulness and its manifestations in society;
Introduction to playful design and approaches to speculative and discursive design;
Playful aesthetics in interaction and computational design: from usability to playfulness;
Game design, game-based design and gamification;
Improvisation for designers;
Playful human-animal-computational interactions;
Alternative realities and playful futures.

Mediation and Interaction Technologies (6 ECTS)

Introduction to human-computer interaction and multimodal mediation;
Forms of human expression vs sensors;
Human perception: stimuli mediated by actuators;
Computational platforms: hardware, microcontrollers, and development environments;
Resources for developing and integrating sensors and actuators;
Design and prototyping of multimodal interactive systems;
Exploration of advanced interactive systems and use cases in artistic, social, and technical contexts.

Computational Design Laboratory (12 ECTS)

Introduction to the Post-Anthropocentric context and intersection in Human-Computer Interaction;
Artificiality: Technology and Society;
Meaning and Communication: Human Behaviour and Economics. Simplicity vs Complexity;
Sustainability: Circular Economy in Complex Socio-Technical Systems;
Inclusion: Design for All and Emerging Technologies;
Artificial Intelligence and Creativity: Lateral Thinking and Speculative Design.

Research Methodologies in Interaction Design (6 ECTS)

Introduction to Research in Interaction Design and Computational Media;
Qualitative and quantitative methods: Data analysis and interpretation;
Prototyping and Design: Design and research methodologies;
Iterative Development: Analysis and interpretation of results to inform decisions.

Seminars in Interaction and Computational Media Design (6 ECTS)

Social Design: Understanding people in social, natural, and cultural environments by addressing topics such as sustainability, health, and energy;
Design for Human Interaction: Exploration of movement and body perception in interaction design, in an interdisciplinary relationship between engineering, technology, philosophy, art, and aesthetics;
Design for a Sustainable Future: Conscious use of technology, AI, and methodologies in the arts, social sciences, and humanities.

Option U.Porto (6 ECTS)

Any course unit at the 2nd Cycle level of the UP.

2nd year

Design of the Research Project (6 ECTS)

Development of the research proposal;
Literature review;
Presentation and critical discussion of the research proposal;
Development of the research/work plan;
Operational planning;
Strategies for scientific communication, critical writing and public dissemination;
Preparation for public presentation.

Dissertation / Project / Internship (54 ECTS)

This course focuses on the development of a dissertation (research-based), a project (theoretical-practical) or an internship (work-based training) throughout the second academic year with a supervisory team.