| Project 1
Design of a Web-based Information Interface
This project is a multi-step team activity that spans several weeks
and includes the creation of: project definition documents, organizational
schematics, workflow diagrams, screen mock-ups, and possibly an HTML
prototype. Upon completion of this project, we will conduct informal
“reviews” and usability testing of your designs. Each team
will be required to turn in a condensed report outlining the design
process they followed and their final solution.
Options
Each group is free to choose one of the following subjects for their
interactive system:
- Tree Identifier-an interactive system which allows
users to identify trees against an information database.
- Dating Service -an interactive system for identifying
Mr. or Ms. Right.
- Music Recommender -an interactive system that finds
music you'll like.
Web-based
The interactive system you design for this project will be designed
for the World Wide Web and be used through a Web browser (on a computer,
hand held device, etc.) We are focusing on a Web-based product for several
reasons. The Web is the de facto standard for information retrieval,
and only promises to become more widespread in the coming years. Also,
Web pages are easy to mock-up and familiar to most people.
Process & Schedule
There are four assignments that make up this project: a Project Definition
Document, Organization & Workflow Diagrams, Visual Mock-ups, and
a Final Report. We'll go over each section when it is assigned in class.
You will have 1-2 weeks to complete each assignment and have in-class
time to work as a group each week.
Assignment 1: Project Defintion
The objectives of your site and your target audience make up the bulk
of your project definition. Because, this document needs to thoroughly
describe your target audience, you are required to include at least
two user needs studies such as: interviews, field studies, surveys,
personas, or segmentation.
Remember short and concise is better than long and wordy. Someone reading
this document needs to quickly understand your objectives and your audience.
Don't underestimate the importance of this step. Your project definition
will serve as a guide for the rest of the design process and will be
used to evaluate your final product: did you meet your goals? have you
accomodated the users needs you've outlined?
Assignment 2: Organization
The project definition phase is intentionally abstract. It is intended
to give your team lots of ideas and insights into your users. For the
second part of Project 1, you need to start thinking a bit more concretely.
What information and activities will you provide to the audience you
have identified? How will it be organized?
For assignment 2 you will turn in an organizational diagram that outlines
the information your system will include and organizes it in a manner
that makes sense to your audience. You will also organize the most important
activity (action) in your system with a flow diagram. Examples and additional
information will be provided in class.
Assignment 3: Visual Mock-Ups
In the third assignment, you will be moving from diagrams to screen
layouts: from line drawings to photos, colors, and buttons. Make sure
you consider the visual communication principles (visual organization
& look and feel) we discussed in class and in our readings. You
may consider starting with black & white wireframes to iron out
your layout then adding colors, fonts, and images once you solidify
your designs.
At the end of this assignment you will turn in a sequence of screens
that illustrate how a user would interact with your system. We will
perform usability testing on your designs so create enough screens to
properly illustrate how your system works.
Assignment 4: Reviews & Testing
For assignment four, we will conduct in-class reviews and usability
testing of your designs. Be prepared to get lots of feedback. You are
required to summarize what you learned about your designs in your final
report. You should also make revisions to your designs based on user
feedback.
Assignment 5: Final Report
The final report for project one will be turned in electronically (via
email) and in hard-copy (printed & bound). It should include your
project definition & user research summaries, your organization
& work flow schematics, your visual mock-ups, a summary of what
you learned during usability testing and the changes you made because
of it. In other words it should be a record of the interface design
process you followed for the project and a presentation of your final
designs.
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