SYDE 542Interface Design
- Units
- 0.50
- Faculty
- Engineering
- Subject
- Systems Design Engineering
When it runs
- F24
- W25
- S25
- F25
- W26
- S26
- F26
- W27
- S27
Ran in 5 of the last 7 terms. Winter 2027: scheduled, 2 lecture sections. Spring 2027: schedule not out yet.
This course focuses on the design of computer interfaces for simple to complex systems. Examples of applications are used to illustrate theoretical approaches. Main topics include forms of visual display; auditory display and soft controls; context, navigation, and layout; development techniques; design for engagement.
Prerequisites
- Complete all of the following
- Complete 1 of the following
- Must have completed at least 1 of the following:
- Must have completed the following:
- Complete 1 of the following
- Enrolled in H-Biomedical Engineering, Ergonomics & Injury Prevention Minor, or H-Systems Design Engineering
- Complete all of the following
- Students must be in level 4A or higher
- Enrolled in H-Management Engineering, or H-Mechatronics Engineering
- Complete 1 of the following
Antirequisites
None listed.
Leads to
No course lists it as a requisite.
Fall 2026 sections
| Section | Class | Enrolled | Meets |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEC 001 | 5187 | 48 / 55 | W 09:00–10:50 F 09:00–09:50 |
| TUT 101 | 5188 | 48 / 55 | F 10:00–10:50 |
Winter 2027 sections
| Section | Class | Enrolled | Meets |
|---|---|---|---|
| LEC 001 | 4613 | 0 / 70 | M 14:30–15:20 F 14:30–16:20 |
| LEC 701 | 1871 | 91 / 9999 | Online or by arrangement |
| TUT 101 | 4933 | 0 / 70 | M 15:30–16:20 |
Reviewed on UW Flow
88% liked it95% easy50% useful
From 8 ratings and 2 comments on UW Flow. The most helpful comments, quoted as written, without names. Read them all on UW Flow.
Very interesting course, you basically find a problem within an interface and fix it. First half of the course is just narrowing down the problem, and second half is creating drafts of the interface by drawing it and implementing it on Figma. Last month or so is just testing the user interface. A lot of the marks are based on weekly reports on what you observed and improved. Since it's a group of 6, it's not a big time commitment. Useful course if you're a product manager or intend to make an app or something like that. Taught by Christine Murad.
Apr 2025 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this
This class is really fun. Have you ever experienced issues with a bad user interface? Perhaps you've pulled a "push" door, or you can't find your way around waterlooworks... It is oddly satisfying discussing examples of bad user interfaces, and learning what makes some user interfaces work better than others.
Feb 2025 · liked itOn UW FlowRemove this
Discussed on r/uwaterloo
7 posts and comments in 7 threads mention SYDE 542, December 2013 to December 2024. Quoted word for word, newest first; each reply sits under the post and the comment that started its branch. Search r/uwaterloo for newer posts.
Winter 2022
Some “useful” arts or STEM faculty courses to take? 6 points, 12 comments
“Edit: you all have been incredibly helpful, thank you ╰(´︶)╯♡ I’m currently a 2nd yr Legal Studies and English (RMPC) student who’s about to take some courses for the first time irl this spring …”
u/zeph-yr: “… do more design courses (specifically UI/UX design) these are the ones I was recommended: \- syde 542 interface design (winter) \- syde 548 user research methods (winter) \- bet 350 intro to cx design (taught by gbda prof in fall) \- engl 392a information design / graphic design …”
Spring 2021
Technical elective choice help: MTE 545, NE 481, BME 550, ECE 484, NE 466 1 point, 9 comments
“Hello everyone. I am a struggling almost 4A student struggling to choose electives. If you have any experience from these courses and general topics, difficulty, other notes please lmk”
u/BME_or_Bust: “I took NE 466 online. Super short lectures and not many deliverables. Pretty long group research paper at the end. Not too hard, decently interesting, but meh prof.”
u/BME_or_Bust: “SYDE 542, 548 and SYDE 599 (traffic safety) plus the nano course”
SYDE 542 1 point, 6 comments
u/medorbust542: “Anyone taken Interface Design? Saw no reviews on UW Flow... is it hard?”
Fall 2019
Does anyone know of any app development courses at UW? 6 points, 15 comments
“I have a free elective this winter, and this is something I've always wanted to learn. But if I can get course credit for learning it and not have to sacrifice free time (i.e. …”
u/MajesticGoosePoop: “SYDE542 may be related, but it's super full and I don't think the instructor's going to increase the class size.”
Spring 2019
Group Work in these SYDE TEs? 5 points, 1 comment
u/GottaGetThatRing: “… SYDE 542 (Interface Design) 4. …”
Fall 2017
SYDE 542 Opinions 0 points, 0 comments
u/gingeroo2: “Does anyone who's taken it have any opinions on SYDE 542 (interface design)? What's it like? How much did you learn? If you have the syllabus, that'd be amazing.”
Fall 2013
No mobile dev course? 0 points, 10 comments
“I'm kind of surprised that there isnt a class within the CS faculty focused specifically on mobile development. …”
u/Victawr: “… If you want to learn how to make mobile apps you should actually be taking a design course like SYDE 542 or some kind of human-computer interaction course. If you do mobile dev, 90% of it is just regular programming and the rest is the actual 'special' part of it. …”
Check it elsewhere for Fall 2026
- Undergraduate Calendar, 2026–27The official entry
- Requirements for Fall 2026Waterloo’s requisite checker
- Schedule of Classes, Fall 2026Instructors, rooms, live seats
- Quest Class SearchWhere you enrol
- Course outlinesSyllabi from past terms (UW login)
- UW FlowStudent ratings and reviews
- WClassesPast sections back to 2004, and who taught them