interaction design

Assessment

Assessment 3: Mobile Design Project

Task

Project ideas

Design and evaluate either a mobile device("smart object") or software application that will work on a mobile device. The device/application can be for any of the following interaction paradigms:

• desktop paradigm, with WIMP interface (windows, icons, menus and pointers)
• ubiquitous computing
• pervasive computing
• wearable computing
• mobile devices

For ideas about what to build check out some of the websites that illustrate other interaction design projects.

This task is designed to enable you to practice your interaction design skills in a mobile context.

Project Sub Tasks:

• Project Group Members: Confirm your group members – notify your lecturer by Week 6
• 
  Project Proposal (63K)
  
  Project Proposal ( approx 3 pages – due after the semester break)
  • A template based on a document from Finding Out Requirements is provided for you create your project proposal. This will be the beginning of your project documentation
  • Complete
    • project purpose
    • client, stakeholder details
    • product users information( as much as you can at this stage)
    • constraints
    • relevant facts and assumptions
  • Include project management details for your project:
    • Task Allocation - responsibilities of each group member?
    • Communication plan -how regular contact with group members and stakeholders
    • Risk management plan - identify any problems/issues that you foresee and possible strategies for resolution
    • Development approach - what development lifecycle will you follow?
    • Development timeline - this should align with chosen development strategy,
  • Each group will be required to give a brief informal presentation about their interaction design project during classes week 8
• top ↑
  Requirements Activities
  • Identify user needs for your product/application (use at least three techniques to ascertain this: eg interviews, observations, reviewing other similar product, documentation studies)
  • Based on your user requirements, choose two different user profiles and produce one persona and one main scenarios for each, capturing how the user is expected to interact with the system
  • Perform a task analysis on one of the main tasks associated with your device/ application
  • 
    Volere Shell (24K)
    
    Based on this analysis, produce a use case at a high level and where necessary supporting use cases (see resources from Cockburn)
  • Using the data gathered above, and subsequent analysis, identify different kinds of requirements for your project using the Volere documents.
  • Write up the requirements in the style of the Volere shell
• top ↑
  Design Activities
  • Conceptual Design - Conceptual Models
    • Using information from the requirements activities, suggest three different conceptual models for your system.
    • Consider each aspect of the conceptual model: interface metaphor, interaction style, interface style activities it will support, functions, relationships between functions and information requirements
    • Decide which of these is most appropriate and explain why
  • Physical Design - Prototyping
    • Produce a range of prototypes for your chosen conceptual model
    • Storyboard the main task – get informal feedback from two or three potential users
    • Produce a second low-fidelity prototype for the use case of one of the main tasks. again, get informal feedback from two or three different potential users
    • Use a software based prototype that incorporates all the feedback you have had so far
    • Finally consider the product's detailed design. Construct a prototype using whatever materials are most appropriate that demonstrates the interface that users will interact with.
• Evaluation activities
  • Usability Testing
    • Using either your paper or software prototype, evaluate its usability.
    • Based on your knowledge of the requirements, develop a standard task
    • Select three typical users: friends, classmates and ask them to do the task
    • Consider the relationship between yourself and your participants. Do you need an informed consent form. If so – prepare a suitable form. Justify your decision.
    • Note the problems encountered by your users. Where appropriate time their performance (a video camera is available for internal students to use).
    • Develop a list of revisions you would now recommend.
    • While full field studies are not possible in this project, outline how you would conduct a field study of this system. What would you need to take into account; what sort of data would you collect, how would you analyse it?
    • Briefly outline the advantages and disadvantages of usability testing and filed studies
  • Analytical Evaluation
    • Evaluate one of your prototypes using an heuristic evaluation.
    • Develop an appropriate set of heuristics for your project.
    • Conduct the evaluation, recording your findings
    • Based on these findings, redesign the prototype to overcome the problems encountered.
    • Compare the findings from this evaluation with those from the usability testing.
    • How are they different? Which does your group prefer. Explain why

Group evaluation (49K)

Group Participation

• You will be required to evaluate your own and your group members twice during the project . ( week 10; week 13)
• The same form will be used

Submission

• Deliver the final project documentation to the School ot IT office – COB Friday Week 14
• Your final submission should contain the following components
  • Cover page
  • Project description
  • Requirements: specification & illustrative materials
  • Design process
    • Conceptual model/s informing the design
    • prototype iterations & feedback
  • Evaluation activities report
  • References
  • Final group evaluation
    top ↑

Project criteria (98K)

Assessment Criteria

Group Participation will be worth 15% of the overall grade
Design Project will be worth 85% of the overall grade