Cyber Security and User Experience Design

Critically examine the relationship between user experience design and cybersecurity, exploring how human psychology, behaviour and contextual factors influence the effectiveness of security systems in practice. Drawing on both foundational and contemporary research, you will investigate key challenges in usable cybersecurity including security awareness, user mental models and trust, and evaluate how human-centred design approaches can improve the usability and effectiveness of security mechanisms. You will apply evaluation techniques to assess cybersecurity systems with real users and organisations, gaining practical experience in designing and conducting empirical research studies. The module also develops your ethical and inclusive design responsibilities, preparing you to build cybersecurity solutions that are not only technically sound but genuinely usable and trustworthy for the people who depend on them.