Basic Homework Assignment for Computer-Human Interaction

Description A large component of your work (and a significant part of your grade) will be based on a semester-long user-centered design (UCD) project. This project will take you through most of the up-front activities in a user-centered design effort; from gathering user information, to creating scenarios and information architecture, to usability testing. The project will include development of an interactive system for the evaluation phase, but may not necessarily include everything that you have in your initial design. But, the final deliverable must contain significant elements so that a user can actually INTERACT with your system and complete a substantial amount of tasks or interactions. The project will be broken down into individual, cumulative phases, with each successive phase building upon the prior work. In keeping with the incremental nature of usercentered methodologies, it is expected that work produced in earlier phases will be updated as a result of information gathered in later phases. For example, project requirements created in the first phase may be updated as a result of information gathered during the information architecture phase; design concepts created during the prototyping phase might be updated based on the results of the evaluation in the Testing phase, and so on. These are intended to be SINGLE student projects. However, I will consider student teams, but you will need to speak with me first. Here are some suggestions for possible projects: 1. A tracking system for someone.This system could be used to keep track of an elderly person OR a small child. The idea is that this person is being cared for by someone else (either at a day care or elderly care center). The child (or elderly person) wears a badge or something that is equipped with sensors. The sensors send information back to a database which stores the data. The interface that you would build, would allow a user (you or someone else), to look at what the child or elderly person has been doing. The system should present information about what the person has been doing that day, medical care (medicines that have been taken and when), and food. The system should also be able to contact the person and actually interact with them (you can fake this part by putting up a visual or video of a child or elderly person). 2. An interface that alerts people that they have been exposed to music that is TOO LOUD and for TOO LONG. This interface is being done for the College of Music. The interface will be tested on music students this semester. Please see me for the contact for this project. 3. A web application for a phone or ipad. See. http://www.linkedin.com/in/blakeburris for example. If you decide to do this, you will need to MAKE SURE that I will be able to run it on an emulator. AND...also

make sure to include slides or pictures of the system. .(eg., a slide show; images; something.... 4. A web portal to support a group, organization, etc. This system could support: a. A calendar system that would allow people to post/list events b. Elements that indicate the nature of the organization (i.e., what it does) c. An exchange system for members of the organization d. Other useful information needed 5. Re-design one of your old applications (a game, simulation, etc.) Take one of your old applications and NOW redesign it so that it is the best that it can be. You now have a chance to correct all of your mistakes! If you intend to this, then you will need to show me the current application so that I can make sure that you are actually adding to the existing application.

The Deliverables
Homework #1 - Project Definition and User Information Goals Initiate the semester project Become familiar with requirements Gain hands-on experience with user interviews Practice generating scenarios/personas/or use cases

Due Date Completed homework due in class, February 12 Description 1. Select your project 2. Plan an interview. 3. Conduct and document interviews. 4. Create Initial Requirements 5. Complete a Scenario of your website 1. Select a project Select a project that you intend to work on in this class. Before selecting it, make sure you understand potential users, the tasks, context, and potential user interactions that you will evaluate. Turn in: project description 2. Prepare interview questions Consider the questions you need or want answered in order to better understand your users, their work or tasks, and their context in performing the work or tasks. What are the users needs and requirements?

Turn in: list of user questions 3. Conduct and document interviews Contact at least three people for an interview to be conducted in person. Ask questions from your list, as well as probing follow-up questions. Record their answers and your observations. Then, write a summary of your interview. Turn in: Interview Summary 4. Create initial project requirements Based on your interviews (as well as personal insights or experience), create requirements for your project. You should have at least 2 of each type of requirement (i.e., functional, data, environment, user requirements, and usability requirements). Turn in: List of Requirements 5. Write a scenario/series of personas/use cases describing interesting features and interactions Write a scenario/personas/use cases that some (one or more) of your requirements. . Turn in: Scenario 6. Create a brand for your project. This will probably change as you go through your project, but begin to think of how your project will be branded. Is this a happy/serious/child/adult/academic/work application? What will be the logo for this application and do you need a slogan (e.g., better living through chemistry, IBMs a smarter planet. Turn in: Draft of a logo or slogan for your application. 7. Post the document(s) on blackboard under the title: Project 1.