Introduction
Purpose
Your goal is to create a design for a software interface. You will
experience the scope of the design process from brainstorming ideas
and gathering information about users’ needs to storyboarding,
prototyping, and finally, testing and refining your product.
As you work on the software interface, you will demonstrate your
ability to apply fundamental Human-Computer Interaction principles
to interface analysis, design, and implementation. You will be
responsible for delivering project components to your professor at
several points during the course.
Deliverables
This project should follow the main steps of the first three phases
and presentation. Details description and diagrams should be
included in each phase.
Phase One:
You will need to decide on an idea for an interface. It could be a
web site, a mobile app, an appliance touch screen, etc. Don’t make
your idea too broad. Focus on something that solves a problem or
fills a need.
Another approach is to take an interface that is very poor and
reimagine it. Your project idea needs to be sufficiently complex to
show your ability to design multiple screens and interaction flows
as the user carries out a small number of tasks. For that you need
to do the following:
1. Brainstorm ideas. You might want to use a free, online
mind-mapping tool like SpiderScribe or Mindomo, Coggle etc
(Optional). Here are some questions you might want to consider to
focus your brainstorming:
a. Think of a service you or your friends use. What’s the biggest
avoidable hassle (inconvenience) customers must endure?
b. What happens in your daily routine that is complex or confusing?
How could you simplify it?
c. Think of a domain that interests you: shopping, elementary
education, exercise, social media, etc. What possibilities are
there to do something new or better? What might be redesigned for
newer or different technologies like smart phones or gaming
platforms?
2. Narrow your choices down to one idea.
3. Write a brief description of the problem, including the
following main points:
a. The Problem
b. Why It’s Interesting
c. Main Users Affected
d. The guidelines and principles violated by the problem
e. Current Solutions (if any)
f. Make a list of the needs/goals/tasks you observed (at least 10).
Group and organize this list as appropriate.
g. A brief literature review of at least two literature resources
related to your idea. The resources can include peer reviewed
journal and conference papers, books, product manuals and product
websites. All resources must be cited in APA style.
Phase Two:
A high-fi prototype shows the main elements of a user interface
connected and working together using a software tool. Its purpose
is to get a quick clear and precise look of the final interface,
which provides both designer and user the ability to interact with
the system and check some of its functions. You can use a high-fi
prototype to identify usability issues such as confusing paths, bad
terminology, layout problems, and missing feedback. Please note
that your prototype does not need to be as extensive, 3-5
interfaces to show the main functions will be sufficient. Your
prototype should allow people to navigate from screen to screen,
recover from errors, and change their choices. Don’t try to show
every possible action or detail. Focus on the main
interactions.
1- Using any software prototyping application, create a prototype
for your interfaces following the instructions above.
2- Write a description of each of the interfaces (include
screenshots) explaining the following:
a. The purpose of the interface.
b. The main functions in the interface.
c. The previous and next status of each action.
d. Potential improvement introduced by your project.
e. The layout of the interface.
Phase Three:
1- You will conduct a heuristic evaluation of your prototype with
expert users. Your classmates in this course would make great
expert reviewers. You should use Jakob Nielsen’s Ten Usability
Heuristics or another set of heuristics approved by your
professor.
a. Allow at least 3 expert users to use the high-fi
prototype.
b. The purpose of the heuristics is to guide your expert users and
help them find as many different types of usability issues as
possible.
c. Instruct your experts to describe each issue noted as
specifically as possible. Allow the expert to explore the interface
and follow any paths.
2- Make sure to practice with your prototype so that you can
operate it effectively and not waste time. Doing several practice
runs or walkthroughs will help you identify missing pieces and dead
ends.
3- It would be a good idea to do this testing in groups. One person
can be the expert tester while another works the prototype and the
others take notes. Then, everyone can switch roles until all
participants have been experts and had a chance to test their
designs.
4- Review the feedback you got from your reviewers.
5- Write a summary of the prototype testing results describing what
worked and what did not. In addition to a list of specific changes
you want to make to your interface. This summary must
include;
a. Average subjective satisfaction of reviewers
b. Number and details of terms/metaphors unfamiliar to
reviewers
c. Number and details of action sequences considered confusing
lengthy by reviewers
d. Number and details of inputs/outputs not understood by
reviewers
e. All principles and guidelines satisfied through your
interface.
And you can add any further items of interest from review
activity.
Phase Four:
Prepare a presentation of your project idea describing all of the
following:
1- Background: Introduce the idea of project you chose including
problems with existing interface and its possible impact.
2- Summary of Work: Explaining what your implemented changes to
interface accomplish, how you designed it, and what possible
improvements were brought in comparison to problems you listed
earlier.
3- Problems: Describe limitations with existing interface
4- Features: Describe of the main interface elements and features
you implemented
5- Reviewer Testing: Describe briefly the reviewer evaluation
results as you compiled those in your report including all problems
identified.
6- Evolution: Describe how your implemented interface makes the
system better from perspective of usability and user satisfaction.
List all improvements experienced by reviewers or other sources who
evaluated your interface. Include graphics to show before and
after.
7- Conclusion: Briefly discuss the conclusion and any future
improvements you can suggest about interface of your selected
system. Address problems that remain and what your next steps for
the product might be if you were to continue further working on
same system.
ANSWER:::::::
you can share your screen for any expert advice are seeking help from people whom you surveyed for your development of app or web page
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