Alumni voices

Human Computer Interaction always interested me. I first started CS&M at BUW, where HCI subjects are included. When the new HCI program started, I switched. During my masters, I worked on various interdisciplinary projects where I enhanced my knowledge in interaction design, user-centered design, statistical analysis, usability engineering and testing. In one project, I did research on interactive costumes for the theater stage and developed one in teamwork. This gave me a lot of insight on how and where to start research from, how to organize and face challenges in a project.

The HCI faculty is always open to new ideas and I took the opportunity to suggest ideas for my theses. My thesis was on “Comparison of Interactive and Non-interactive advertisement in public displays”. Doing this I met many helpful people inside and outside University, with full assistance of my professors and the whole department. I could successfully conduct my experiments with the available resources and a comfortable place. With the support of HCI staff, an academic paper was written for a conference, and if it is accepted, it will be my first ever paper published.

The HCI master encourages students to participate in projects and lectures from other departments. In a course from Media Art I learned about generating electronic music. I developed an interactive music installation where users can generate and control music on a table. I worked on the LightWalk project from Media Architecture, and programmed its interaction using Kinect sensors. This was exhibited at the Jena City Light festival and thousands of people experienced the installation. I have done two other projects in my interdisciplinary electives.

Weimar, besides of its rich cultural heritage, has a fairly relaxed study environment, being a non-crowded city. I could focus on my studies and projects anywhere, working undisturbed in the lab, the park or my dormitory. I met so many people from different countries and cultures. Now I have many international friends and have good personal contact with them even when I leave Weimar.

If you would like to have an excellent educational background, good study conditions, a multi cultural environment and a good career,  then you should not miss the opportunity to join the HCI program. 

Coming from a Human Factors background and with experience of working in IT-companies, the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) Master’s program was a great opportunity to learn the essence of user-centered design and ubiquitous computing, as well as to build a practical skill set for application of HCI research methods.

The program had several serious advantages. First, it is possible (and you are encouraged!) to take courses from virtually any other program or department at Bauhaus University and other universities in the region. Second, during my studies, I had a chance to participate in two semester-long research projects. Results of one of these were shaped into an academic paper, which was accepted for publication at the MUM conference. Third, my Master’s thesis had interdisciplinary nature, combining HCI with product design and performance art; furthermore, it was done in cooperation with respectable German theaters.

Some of the mandatory courses can be considered challenging, as they expect in-depth course content understanding and demonstration of technical skills. The challenge is fair, and I am glad that I’ve acquired this knowledge and skills. 

 All in all, I believe that the HCI Master's program was a jump-start for my career in the academic field and a solid preparation for my current PhD studies. 

Starting as an Engineer in Computer Science, I began my studies in the Computer Science and Media Master’s. Having only a little experience in the IT industry, I wasn’t satisfied and ready to work in front of a screen all day! Hence, when I attended the first lecture in HCI, I knew this was my calling. With much inspiration from Prof. Dr. Eva Hornecker, today I am proud to say that I am a Master’s Graduate in HCI. The HCI program provided various opportunities to not just learn about Usability of devices or prototyping systems based on user-centred approaches, but also other fields, ranging from Architecture to Product Design.

The program allowed me to think outside of my comfort zone to explore other fields from an HCI perspective, which enabled me to understand that HCI is not just limited to building prototypes but also evaluating it. Along with the two semester projects, I had the chance to do a semester project in Product Design, which later proved advantageous for my Master’s thesis. My thesis was based on the integration of electronics and fabrics by creating an interactive touch and feel book for children. An interdisciplinary approach combined designing the product and its evaluation.

Though courses can be a bit challenging, persistence and attainment of in-depth skills and knowledge made the climb to the top of the mountain (finishing my Masters!) worthwhile. I believe the Master’s program in HCI has nurtured me for a career in academic research and enabled me to pursue a PhD. 

The HCI program at Bauhaus-Universität Weimar is perfect for those who want to strengthen their academic profile and put their best foot forward in the search for a postgraduate career. My B.Sc. in Digital Media Design was a mixture of computer science, product design and sociological research and I found the HCI curriculum to be a fitting progression.

The course is challenging and requires a decent technical background, yet it allowed me to engage my interests and wasn’t so overwhelming that I couldn’t take time for myself and make new personal connections. Weimar is very multicultural, meaning that you can meet people and students from all walks of life. 

HCI has abundant choice of electives, so I was able to take relevant modules from the Media Arts and Design program. My two semester-long projects were focused around live projection mapping technology and urban projection interaction, making them eye-catching pieces for my portfolio. I found that the practice in academic writing, critical thinking and problem solving is very beneficial for future work. The computer science focused modules provided fascinating insight into modern software and hardware development processes. I learned more about the core of UX practically through Usability Testing and statistics, application of HCI Theory and Interaction Design.

My Master’s thesis involved the creation of an Internet of Things interface, which I entitled “HomeNodes”. The interface was projected onto household objects. Users could connect objects using a touch enabled wall interface and by tapping a smartphone on different objects. HomeNodes was subsequently tested and evaluated with users.

Having finished my Masters degree, I currently work as UX/UI Designer in Munich at BMW. Here I can already see how the skills acquired in my studies will apply to an enterprise environment. The course overall has expanded my horizon and provided me with lasting memories and experiences.

The HCI Master's programme is best for people who want to work on user-centered design and interaction technologies. Ideally, you have a technical background and are interested in academic research. 

I had the opportunity to learn about very diverse and relevant topics such as computer vision, machine learning, virtual reality, and game design. In the research projects, you go through the whole process of designing, implementing and evaluating an innovative technological tool to conduct research on a particular problem. You learn how to work in a team, possibly a multidisciplinary one.

In my first project, we collaborated with architects to develop a multi-touch application for floorplan search on tablets and tabletops. In my second project, we designed and evaluated a game to explore innovative game input devices. For my Master's thesis, I developed a data visualization framework for tiled-wall displays. We focused on designing and implementing multi-touch interaction techniques to help users visually explore data on the tiled-wall. 

 Thanks to the overall experience, I got into data visualization research, and I'm currently pursuing my PhD on the topic. The Master allowed me to discover new topics in the field of computer science, to specialize in my favorite one, and to discover my interest in academic research. At the same time, despite its small size, Weimar has an active and very welcoming international student community 

I graduated with a bachelor in Computer Science and then I asked myself: 'What now?' I knew my heart wasn't in programming and that I needed to find something that would spark my curiosity again. Then I found HCI and it was a perfect choice. The HCI Master at Bauhaus gave me so much more than I actually imagined. The classes are conducted by academics who are passionate about their field and always so helpful and insightful. The classes varied from design, research, to programming and all of those gave me a true broader perspective on what I want to do. 

The path that took my heart in the program was UX research. The projects we did prepared me to work in a company and to do my portfolio, which can't be told about the majority of universities out there. I even ended up writing a research paper and attending a conference presenting my work. In the world of conglomerate universities, I had been just a number. In Weimar, I actually had an impact on the community and on my own progress. And I had support all the way. Now I've started a job in UX in Poland, doing UX research operations in a big e-commerce company, just 3 months after defending my thesis and I feel confident in what I do.

After my bachelor’s in computer science and working as a software engineer, I knew I wanted to better understand the relationship between humans and the technology we use. This led me to pursue HCI in Weimar as I was drawn to the University’s history in design and the program’s highly technical approach.

The coursework introduced a diverse range of challenging topics which had me discover new interests, such as extended reality and gamification. I was able to take courses outside of the curriculum’s scope which made my studies feel well rounded in the liberal arts. Two semesters were dominated by project work with many interesting topics to choose from, where I got to delve into new areas of study, like game design and economics. In addition, I could propose a thesis topic of my choice which made the time spent working on it engaging and exciting. I felt the program was flexible, especially in the later semesters, which allowed me to seek out opportunities such as attending the 'A Maze. Playful Media' Festival in Berlin and working on papers which were presented at conferences.

Living and working in Weimar was a considerable highlight. The city is a cultural and historical hub, which students are encouraged to explore, with a relaxed atmosphere which made the transition to living in a new country very comfortable. I found ample opportunity to socialize, enjoy nature and practice speaking German and ended my time in Weimar with a group of international friends whom I cherish. The HCI program is a good fit for students who are interested in interdisciplinary approaches to learning, desire a deep theoretical understanding of HCI, have a strong internal motivation and sense of intellectual curiosity. I feel that my time in Weimar has changed the way I think about technology and helps me be a more thoughtful and capable developer.