In a decade of decreased support for public institutions of higher education and an exponentially growing industry for interactive media, there is a chasm between what skills and experiences small liberal arts colleges can provide for students interested in designing for interactive media, and what skills the industry expects from these students once they reach the job market. For educators in schools that are too small to have entire programs or even regularly offered courses in IXD, how can interaction designer-educators integrate into existing coursework a broader awareness and understanding of IXD as a critical component of interactive media product development? This presentation will share a team-based projects course model that brings together students from visual design, game development, communications, computer science, and business, to experience a more realistic (interdisciplinary) product development cycle, allowing for the overall design focus to be centered around the user rather than on the minutia of the individual disciplines involved. Two on-going student projects that demonstrate this interdisciplinary, team-based model will be presented: an undergraduate research project investigating the relationship between UI/IX/UX and public opinion of internet privacy policies; and a student-run lean start-up company that is developing a web-based, eSports social media app.
