Weekly Design Blog
Due: Mondays at 2:45.
The majority of the assignments are building blocks of the quarter long project developing an application for a mobile device that has support for gps, accelerometer, graphical display and sound. The focus of the project is the design process, rather than building a robust application, and emphasizes working with users at each stage of design. The assignments are designed to not only introduce you to different design techniques, but also develop skills you would use as an HCI practioner or researcher: collaboration (including division of labor), writing and presenting. After the first assignment, you will form project groups that you will work with for the remainder of the quarter. Deliverables for each assignment will include both a written report and class presentation. Your audience for the reports and presentations will be someone who knows about usability engineering but is not familiar with your particular project. Please also include at the end of your written report a brief statement describing how the work was divided for the assignment. Assignment descriptions, detailing requirements and deliverables, will be linked to each assignment below. Read each carefully, as they may include additional due dates for email approval of your plans for the assignment. I will also hand-out and discuss each assignment in class the day the previous assignment is due.
Project Assignment 1: User Observation
Due: W 9/15
Project Assignment 2: Requirements Analysis
Due: W 9/29
Project Assignment 3: Conceptual Design
Due: M 10/11
Project Assignment 4: Paper Prototype and Evaluation
Due: M 10/18
Project Assignment 5: Initial Prototype and Evaluation Protocol
Due: M 11/1
Final Project: Evaluation, Write-up and Presentation
Due: W 11/17 2:30-4:20
Handing in assignments: Your presentation will be at the beginning of class the day each assignment is due. A hard copy of your written report is also due at the beginning of class. Finally, an e-mail (to: tartaroa@union.edu) containing your written report, in Word or .rtf format, and your presentation, in Powerpoint or .pdf format, is due by 20 minutes prior to class (2:45pm).
Late Assignments: Due to class scheduling, presentations must be given on the day they are due. Missing a presentation drops your grade for the assignment 1 full letter grade (eg. your max grade is a B). Written reports, individual reflections and division of labor proposals turned in late will drop your grade for the assignment one letter grade per day. For example, reports handed in after 3:05 on the due date, but before 3:05 the next day have a max grade of B.