Building Closed Memorial Day Weekend
The Silicon Valley Campus is closed Saturday, May 27 through Monday, May 29, 2023, in honor of Memorial Day. We will reopen for classes on Tuesday.

Human Factors for Technical Communicators | TEWR.X416
Human factors, the art and science of designing for people, is a fundamental building block for anyone developing content and products---especially interactive, online content. Through lecture, individual and collaborative exercises, discussion, and demonstrations, this course provides a basic grounding in the psychology of users and how they access, learn, and remember information, including:
- How people sense and perceive the world around them
- The capabilities and limitations of human memory
- The impact of colors, shapes, and patterns
- Various learning styles
- Approaches and obstacles to solving problems and making decisions
The course also describes how these factors impact the information-architecture and design tasks of technical communicators.
The course is designed so you will learn to think critically about your audience of users and how design should reflect key cognitive processes, including:
- Understand the importance of human factors to information and product design
- List the primary human factors that affect information and product design
- Describe how each factor might suggest or constrain a design
- Evaluate interactive products and describe defects in terms of human-factors violations
The course project provides an opportunity for you to learn key stakeholder communication skills critical to building credibility, content leadership skills; and defending design decisions or presenting a business case for funding.
Have a question about this course?
ENROLL EARLY!
- Save Your Seat
Help us confirm course scheduling. Enroll at least seven days before your course starts. - Accessing Canvas
Learn more about gaining access to your course on Canvas in our FAQ section. -
Accessibility and Accommodation
For accessibility questions or to request an accommodation, please visit Access for Students with Disabilities or email the Extension registrar. -
Finance Your Education
Here are ways to pay for your education.
Prerequisite(s):
Estimated Cost: $745
Course Availability Notification
Please use this form to be notified when this course is open for enrollment.
Contact Us