BIRC staff members Joe Ellefson and Kate Thomas conducted a workshop as part of the Fritz Wenzel Science Conference on Saturday, February 18^th. The workshop, entitled “Prototyping in User Experience Design,” allowed participants to experience a whole cycle of user-centered design, from ideation through creation, with emphasis on user research and feedback as guides for design decisions.

Workshop participants included 16 high school students and educators from across central Wisconsin. They partnered up to interview and build each other an improved way to carry cash and credit cards based on their specific partner’s needs.

The workshop was held in the Interaction Lab, a state-of-the-art user observation laboratory in BIRC, made possible through a generous investment from SHP. The Interaction Lab is regularly used to conduct user research and user-centered design activities, making it an ideal place to host curious students and educators.

The workshop was based on workshops designed by the Stanford University Institute of Design. Materials for a similar workshop can be found on the Institute of Design's website.