Bachelor of Science in Human-Centered Design

Learn Human-Centered Design in a Christ-Centered Community

Every app you use, every web-page you visit, every piece of tech you own, has an interface that was created by a team of design professionals. Northwest University is one of the few schools in the Pacific Northwest to offer a degree program focused on the design of how we, as users, interact with the software and devices around us. If you love design and technology, we encourage you to come join us in this exciting degree program—we believe that our graduates will design the break-through apps and products of tomorrow.

Hear From a Professor

Graduates with a BA in Human-Centered Design will be able to:

• Apply the iterative approach of “design thinking” methods to solve problems, develop solutions, and design user experiences.
• Design robust, intuitive, attractive and functionally effective user interfaces for a variety of types of devices.
• Implement device interfaces using development tools, programming languages, application programs, interfaces (APIs), and customized techniques and/or interface tools.
• Analyze user requirements for devices, including applications for persons with special needs.
• Evaluate, test, and certify the user interface in terms of functionality and usability for devices.
• Conduct research to develop new ways for humans to interact with devices based on their needs, culture, and experiences.
• Utilize industry standard tools and techniques (or create new ones) to design, prototype, and evaluate user interfaces.
• Adapt and/or translate a user interface from one locale to another, based on language, culture, and legal requirements.
• Relate Christian faith to a technology career involving creativity, artistic expression, and human interaction.

A Message from the Program Founder

The Human-Centered Design major is perfect for creative students who also enjoy cutting edge technology. Our students will start by learning the practical and artistic applications of design thinking, and then dive into various forms of human-centered design—visual communication, interaction design, and industrial design. Throughout the program, students will feel at home in the Creatio Design Studio and enjoy working outside the university on real-world projects and design challenges. The fact is that there are only a small number of universities across the country that provide a degree program with the breadth and depth that NU allows you to pursue. As a result, I can tell you from my personal experience that graduates of the Northwest University Human-Centered Design program will be in great demand.

Craig Chapman

Former Director of the Creatio Center

Common Career Paths

The Human-Centered Design industry is growing rapidly. Respected companies in Seattle and across the United States are paying salaries starting at 90k+ per year to designers. Our graduates will have all the skills and training necessary for any of the careers below: