University of Washington Human Centered Design & Engineering
HCDE is an academic department within the University of Washington's College of Engineering offering BS, MS, PhD, and graduate certificate programs in human-centered design, UX, and AI, serving students and industry partners in Seattle.
- Company typePublic
- Founded-
- HeadquartersSeattle, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What University of Washington Human Centered Design & Engineering does
Human Centered Design & Engineering (HCDE) is an academic department within the University of Washington's College of Engineering, founded in 1989 and operating from Seattle with a headcount of 115. The department's stated mission is to advance systems and technologies that serve human needs, addressing accessibility, sustainability, and community prosperity through research and education. It delivers a vertically integrated academic portfolio: a Bachelor of Science in Human Centered Design & Engineering, a Master of Science program, a PhD program, and two graduate certificates — one in User Centered Design and a newer offering in Human Centered Artificial Intelligence.
HCDE's core technology focus is on methodologies that study how technology shapes, and is shaped by, human needs, behaviors, and communities. Faculty-led directed research groups, labs, and research scientist positions support this work, with Professor Gary Hsieh's lab having produced PaperTok, a generative AI tool that converts research papers into short-form video while keeping human researchers central to the communication process. The department also publishes Designing Up magazine as an outreach channel.
The business model is that of a public, state-funded academic unit: revenue is not separately disclosed and is governed by UW institutional policy, drawing on tuition (set centrally), state appropriations, research grants, and gifts. Distribution occurs through University of Washington admissions for degree programs, virtual information sessions and advising for prospective certificate students globally, and industry channels including sponsored student projects, alumni directory access, and on-campus recruiting. Customer segments include undergraduate and graduate students (primary), certificate-holding working professionals, and industry partners engaging through recruiting, project sponsorship, and alumni networks.
University of Washington Human Centered Design & Engineering firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- University of Washington Human Centered Design & Engineering
- Legal name
- Human Centered Design & Engineering
- Website
- https://hcde.uw.edu
- Company type
- Public
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- HCDE is an academic department within the University of Washington's College of Engineering offering BS, MS, PhD, and graduate certificate programs in human-centered design, UX, and AI, serving students and industry partners in Seattle.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where University of Washington Human Centered Design & Engineering is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seattle
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
University of Washington Human Centered Design & Engineering business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels9 records
University of Washington Human Centered Design & Engineering product offering
Product offeringCore offering
HCDE is an academic department within the University of Washington's College of Engineering that offers undergraduate (BS), graduate (MS, PhD), and graduate certificate programs in Human Centered Design & Engineering, User Centered Design, and Human Centered Artificial Intelligence. The department conducts research on how technology shapes human needs, behaviors, and communities, and develops research communication tools such as the AI-assisted PaperTok platform.
Product overview
The Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering at the University of Washington is an academic department offering educational programs (BS, MS, PhD, and graduate certificates in User Centered Design and Human Centered Artificial Intelligence), research tools (PaperTok), and publications (Designing Up magazine). The department's research focuses on how technology shapes—and is shaped by—human needs, behaviors, and communities. PaperTok is an AI-assisted research communication tool developed in-house, while the academic programs prepare students for careers in UX, design, and human-centered technology development.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Bachelor of Science in Human Centered Design & Engineering Undergraduate degree program focused on human centered design and engineering principles, preparing students for careers in UX design, research, and human-computer interaction.
- Master of Science in Human Centered Design & Engineering Graduate degree program in human centered design and engineering, providing advanced research opportunities and specialized UX/research skills for career advancement.
- PhD Program in Human Centered Design & Engineering Doctoral research program in human centered design and engineering for students pursuing advanced research careers.
- Graduate Certificate in User Centered Design A graduate-level certificate program consisting of 5 courses focused on advancing UX and human-centered design skills for professionals seeking career transition or skill upgrading.
- Graduate Certificate in Human Centered Artificial Intelligence A graduate certificate program teaching students to create AI systems that are useful, trustworthy, and centered on human needs, addressing AI ethics knowledge for professionals.
- PaperTok An AI-assisted tool developed by Professor Gary Hsieh's lab that helps researchers transform academic papers into short-form videos while keeping human expertise central to research communication.
- Designing Up Magazine A magazine publication by the department covering human centered design and engineering topics.
Companies that use University of Washington Human Centered Design & Engineering
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
University of Washington Human Centered Design & Engineering technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability4 records
University of Washington Human Centered Design & Engineering partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
University of Washington Human Centered Design & Engineering competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- MIT Media Lab: MIT Media Lab conducts research at the intersection of design, technology, and human experience, with graduate programs comparable to HCDE's MS and PhD offerings in HCI-adjacent fields.
- University of Michigan School of Information: UMSI offers BS, MS, and PhD programs in information science with HCI concentrations, overlapping with HCDE's undergraduate and graduate curriculum in human-centered design.
- UC Berkeley School of Information: Berkeley's iSchool offers graduate programs in human-computer interaction and information science, with similar research focus on the social and design implications of technology — comparable to HCDE's mission.
- NYU Tandon School of Engineering — Department of Technology, Management, and Society: NYU Tandon offers HCI and UX programs spanning undergraduate to graduate levels with urban-tech research focus, comparable to HCDE in scale and student population.
- Human-Computer Interaction Institute, Carnegie Mellon University: CMU's HCII is one of the most established HCI academic programs in the U.S., offering BS, MS, and PhD degrees in human-centered computing — directly parallel to HCDE's academic portfolio.
- University of Maryland College of Information Studies (iSchool): UMD's iSchool offers HCI and UX-focused graduate programs and research labs, with comparable curriculum and applied research orientation to HCDE.
- Georgia Tech GVU Center / School of Interactive Computing: Georgia Tech's interactive computing and GVU Center conduct HCI research and graduate education with strong industry ties, directly comparable to HCDE's human-centered design and engineering research focus.
- Indiana University Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering: IU Luddy School offers HCI and human-centered computing tracks at undergraduate and graduate levels, with applied research programs aligned to HCDE's educational and research offerings.
- Stanford HCI Group (Stanford University): Stanford's interdisciplinary HCI research and education program, directly comparable to UW HCDE in offering HCI-focused training and research at the graduate level, with broader industry influence.
- Cornell University Department of Information Science: Cornell's Information Science department covers HCI, UX, and sociotechnical systems at undergraduate and graduate levels, providing a comparable academic peer to HCDE.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
University of Washington Human Centered Design & Engineering social profiles
Digital presenceUniversity of Washington Human Centered Design & Engineering financial estimates
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University of Washington Human Centered Design & Engineering leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
University of Washington Human Centered Design & Engineering funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
University of Washington Human Centered Design & Engineering M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about University of Washington Human Centered Design & Engineering
What does University of Washington Human Centered Design & Engineering do?
HCDE is an academic department within the University of Washington's College of Engineering that offers undergraduate (BS), graduate (MS, PhD), and graduate certificate programs in Human Centered Design & Engineering, User Centered Design, and Human Centered Artificial Intelligence. The department conducts research on how technology shapes human needs, behaviors, and communities, and develops research communication tools such as the AI-assisted PaperTok platform.
Is University of Washington Human Centered Design & Engineering a public or private company?
University of Washington Human Centered Design & Engineering is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently operating.
When was University of Washington Human Centered Design & Engineering founded?
University of Washington Human Centered Design & Engineering was founded in -1. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is University of Washington Human Centered Design & Engineering based?
University of Washington Human Centered Design & Engineering is headquartered in Seattle, United States, in the North America region.
Who are University of Washington Human Centered Design & Engineering's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are MIT Media Lab, University of Michigan School of Information, UC Berkeley School of Information, NYU Tandon School of Engineering — Department of Technology, Management, and Society, Human-Computer Interaction Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Maryland College of Information Studies (iSchool), Georgia Tech GVU Center / School of Interactive Computing, Indiana University Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering, Stanford HCI Group (Stanford University) and Cornell University Department of Information Science.
Does University of Washington Human Centered Design & Engineering have an API?
No public API is recorded for University of Washington Human Centered Design & Engineering.