Sessional Instructor: Human Centered Design, Faculty of Design, Fall 2026-27

Sessional Instructor

• Human Centered Design, Faculty of Design, Fall 2026-27 Job Code 3834 Department Faculty of Design Employment Type Temporary/Contract OCAD University acknowledges the ancestral territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Haudenosaunee, the Anishinaabeg and the Huron-Wendat, who are the original owners and custodians of the land on which we live, work, and create. OCAD University, Canada’s largest and oldest art and design university, is a vibrant community of bold, curious and compassionate artists, designers and scholars who are imagining and creating a joyful, equitable and sustainable world. The University is an internationally renowned hub for art, design, digital media, research, innovation and creativity, and arts administration. It embraces collaborative and interdisciplinary approaches to change-making through art, design-thinking curriculum and research, making OCAD U a local, regional, national and global leader in art and design. It is an exciting time to join the OCAD U community as the University is at a key stage in its institutional transformation, with the implementation of its Academic and Strategic Plan and guiding principles — driving positive impact; decolonization, indigenization and equity; environmental sustainability; emerging as a vibrant hub; student centered approaches; innovation in learning teaching and research; and financial stewardship. The Faculty of Design invites applications for the following anticipated course offerings in the
• Fall 2026-27 academic year:
• INDS-2016: HUMAN CENTERED DESIGN (​1​ credit) (Fall
• Semester: September 9th, 2026 –
• December 8th, 2026,
• Mondays &
• Wednesdays 8:30-11:30am and
• Fridays at 11:50-2:50pm;
• In-Person)
• COURSE
• DESCRIPTION: Studying interaction design through user expectations and behaviour, students begin to develop prototypes for products and services in response to human needs. In-depth user analysis will exemplify the practical application of design concepts, methods, techniques, materials and tools suitable to the user. Through empathic research methods students gain the ability to meet people's functional and emotional needs. In-depth experience of user research methods will enable students to elicit and synthesize needs, socio-cultural trends, and technologies into a designed outcome

Responsibilities

Teaching and teaching-related responsibilities may include but are not limited to: course outline development, studio preparation and delivery inclusive of lectures, critiques, grading, mid-term evaluations and final evaluations/reviews; guiding students through iterative, research-based design processes from user analysis through prototyping; providing timely and constructive feedback on studio work; and maintaining an accessible and inclusive studio environment. Responsibilities may also include drafting or modifying a course-based Research Ethics Board (REB) application as needed to support student research activities. Responsibility for health & safety and meeting academic and curricular requirements and deadlines is also expected.

Qualifications

• Note: Human Centered Design, as approached in this course, draws on inductive research methods adapted from the social sciences (e.g., observation, interviewing, and other empathic techniques), alongside participatory approaches such as co-design, but remains oriented toward a design outcome. Candidates should be able to translate research insight into the design of products, services, systems, or interfaces, not only to conduct research.
• A demonstrated capacity for empathic, user-centered research, including engagement with users and design partners, in support of design research and design as research, in both qualitative and quantitative approaches.
• Demonstrated experience and expertise with research ethics protocols, including familiarity with institutional Research Ethics Board (REB) procedures and requirements.
• Experience designing for the full range of human diversity, including ability, language, culture, gender, and age, with equity and access treated as design requirements rather than considerations added after the fact.
• A current body of work within the professional design and/or academic disciplines as it relates to the course description(s), with direct experience in interaction design, user experience design, or a closely related human-centered design practice.
• Experience with, and aptitude for, highly iterative, process-oriented work without the restriction of fixed outcomes or expectations, including the ability to generate and test concepts against real user needs, feasibility, and viability.
• An MDes or more advanced degree is preferred; exceptions may be considered for candidates with equivalent professional experience and expertise.
• Demonstrated leadership and experience in promoting a respectful and inclusive work and learning environment for students, staff, and Faculty. In addition, a candidate should have:
• Familiarity with prototyping tools and methods appropriate to the breadth of industrial, product, service, and experience design, which may include digital interface tools (e.g., Figma, Adobe XD, or comparable platforms), physical and material prototyping, and multi-sensory or cross-sensory prototyping methods engaging modalities beyond the visual.
• Experience with user research and synthesis methods such as contextual inquiry, usability testing, or co-design.
• Experience navigating institutional research ethics processes beyond the course level, such as multi-site or partner-institution REB applications.
• Current professional practice or industry connections in interaction, service, or UX design.
• Experience integrating socio-cultural and technological trends into studio-based design projects.