|
|
Assignment 2
(due February 24th at the start of
class)
Please read
carefully all the description and follow the instructions. For your
writing, structure your thoughts clearly and try not to bounce back and
forth between ideas. Try to avoid being repetitive. Be wary of
"sweeping statements" and "comments" you cannot back up. Your
report should be written professionally -- consider a future employer
reading this report.
Part a) (50 points)
The main goal of part a of the assignment is to apply the concepts of
Interaction Design you have learned to the analysis and evaluation of
the following website:
http://www.allmusic.com
1) What is the purpose of this website ? Who would be the potential
users ? Provide some examples of different types of users and how they
would use the system. (10 points)
2) Describe some user and usability requirements for this particular
application (mimimum 4 user and 4 usability). How are these
requirements realized in the website interaction design ? (10 points)
3) What conceptual models are used when interacting with the website ?
Explain not just enumerate (10 points)
4) What aspects of the website design and interaction do you like/don't
like. Use the three principles of User Interface Design by Marcus
discussed in class to inform your description. Be specific and also
provide some suggestions for possible
improvement (20 points)
Part b) (50 points)
The main goal of
part b of the assignment is to familiarize you with the ideas of
ubiquitous computing and tangible user interfaces. One of the main
proponents of ubiquitous computing is Mark Weiser
http://sandbox.parc.com/hypertext/weiser/
The main idea is that
computing eventually will "disappear" into the everyday fabric of our
lives. This part is based on reading the paper entitled "Bottles: A
transparent interface as a tribute to Mark Weiser" provided in the
bibliography section of the webpage.
1) Summarize the paper in 5-10 paragraphs (10 points)
2) Based on the ideas in the paper think of your own tangible
interface. Try to make your description as concrete as possible and
feasible with current technology. Provide simple usage scenarios of
your proposed interface. (40 points). The best tangible interface ideas
will win small prizes.
Assignment
1
(due January 20th at the start of
class)
(based on Preece Book - assignment for
chapter 1)
Please read
carefully all the description and follow the instructions.
See the advice given on the textbook
website on how to do this assignment. This assignment should be
done individually -- a high standard of English is expected (use a
spell checker, hand in neatly typed, clearly structured answers).
Some Tips:
Choose
something that is interactive and has some scope for discussion (but
don't choose something that is very complex -- if it is, examine only
one part of it).
For your
writing, structure your thoughts clearly and try not to bounce back and
forth between ideas. Try to avoid being repetitive. Be wary of
"sweeping statements" and "comments" you cannot back up. Your
report should be written professionally -- consider a future employer
reading this report.
Find a handheld device (e.g
remote control, handheld computer, music player, or cell phone) and
examine how it has been designed, paying particular attention to how
the user is meant to interact with it.
(a) From your first
impressions, write down what first comes to mind as to what is good and
bad about the way the device works. Then list (i) its functionality and
(ii) the range of tasks that a typical user would want to do using it.
Is the functionality greater, equal, or less than what ther user wants
to do ?
(b) Based on your reading
of Chapter 1 and any other material you have come across, compile your
own set of usability and user experience goals that you think will be
useful in evaluating the device. Decide which are the most important
ones and explain why.
(c) Translate the core
usability and user experience goals you have selected into two or three
questions. Then use them to assess how well the device fares (e.g., Usability goals: What specific
mechanisms have been used to ensure safety ? How easy is it to learn ? User Experience Goals: Is it fun to
use ? Does the user get frustrated easily ? If so why ?
(d) Repeat (b) and (c) for
design concepts and usability principles (again choose a relevant set)
(e) Finally, discuss
possible improvements to the interface based on your usability
evaluation
Detailed
Marking guide: marked out of 100 marks.
First
impressions (2 marks)
Part (a) --
list approx 5 functions and tasks (10 marks)
Part (b) --
clearly indicate and distinguish which ones are usability goals and
which ones are user experience goals. Choose approx 4 each, total of 8.
(16 marks)
Part (c) --
select approx 2-3 questions for usability goals and 2-3 questions for
user experience goals. Then assess your device according to these
4-6 questions. (24 marks)
Part (d) --
clearly indicate approx 4 design concepts and approx 4 usability
principles (16 marks); determine approx 6 questions and assess your
device (24 marks)
Part (e) -- (8
marks)
|
