Thursday, 2 April

User-Centered Design 1/4

User-Research, Stanford dSchool, dMindsets, the Five Modes of a User-Centered Design Process, IDEO, David Kelley, Bill Moggeridge

Eight Worst Technology Predictions of All Time

Summer HCI/d Class Opportunity

If you might be interested in a 400-level class this summer that takes these ideas further, and that meets the HCC (Human-Centered Computing) requirement please email me -- mitchelc@indiana.edu

Project 3.3 Resubmission Opportunity

Since some of you didn't get feedback on Project 3.2 before submitting 3.3, I'm giving anyone who wants it the opportunity to edit and resubmit project 3.3.

If you wish to do this please do not take time away from Project 4. Instead incorporate the changes after completing Project 4.

The deadline for the resubmission is: Tuesday, 5 May at 12:01 am

If you plan to resubmit, please email your mentor to let them know to look for your project.

 
More on IDEO

IDEO.org Amplify Project

Bill Moggeridge, inventor of Interaction Design

Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum (a part of the Smithsonian Institution)

Review Project 4 progress

What organizations are you considering working for?

Have you contacted them?

What needs for design have you identified?

Non-Profit Organizations in the Community

Design Thinking Process Guide
 
Bootcamp Bootleg

Three ways to get a bad grade on Project 4.1:

1. Not choosing a worthwhile, non-profit cause
2. Not having made contact with the client or client group in advance of submitting your interim work
3. Not having done 1 and/or 2 and jumping to the conclusion that the organization needs a technological solution, e.g. webpage or app

Review final exam study questions

Presentation by Mentor Shankar Balasubramanian

Meet with your team and discuss your work with your mentor for a Participation and Professionalism grade

Homework for Tuesday, 7 April at 12:01 am through Assignments on Oncourse:

Complete Project 4.1

Complete Reading Response 11: Read UXD pp. 144 – 155 and answer:

1.  What is empathy? Why is it important? How is it cultivated in the UXD context?
2. What is project management? Why is it important? What tools are available to help with project management? Do you use any of them in your projects?
3. What approaches are available to visualize interface designs? Review a range of options and cite examples of any of the approaches that you, yourself, have used.
4. What tools are available to help elicit feedback from users? Be specific about the approaches and their characteristics.
5. What is a “prototype”? What are the two types of prototype? What are the characteristics and benefits of each?

Tuesday, 31 March

User-Centered Design 1/4

User-Research, Stanford dSchool, dMindsets, the Five Modes of a User-Centered Design Process, IDEO, David Kelley, Bill Moggeridge

Error Messages are Evil

How did your Usability Testing projects turn out?

Exam Grades Posted

Everyone received a 6.67 point curve on your grade

If you want your exam back please check with your mentor

Extra Credit Sketchnoting

Submit scans of good pages to your (new) mentor by noon on Friday, 17 April

Reading Response 10 Question Review

1. Why is user-research important?

Because it enables you to create designs that deliver a better experience.

2. What are the two basic questions of an interactive design process? Describe the nature and importance of each?

1. Who will use it?
2. What will it do?

3. What are four of the ways of learning about users and the context in which designing takes place. Please set out the characteristics of each.

1. Surveys
2. Interviews and focus groups
3. Field studies
4. Generative approaches

Introduce Project 4: User-Centered Design

Context

The Stanford Institute of Design (dSchool)
http://dschool.stanford.edu/ 

IDEO
www.ideo.com

IDEO.org
www.ideo.org

  
Review Project 4 Brief, and interim assignments

Good student examples:

Problem Identification (though formatting should be more designerly)

Of complete project (though cover page should not be numbered):

Meet with (new) Team

Homework for Thursday, 2 April:

Choose potential organizations to serve as your user, preliminarily contact them. 

Thursday, 26 March

Week 10: Usability Testing 3/3

User-Centered Design (UCD), User Journeys, Narrative


Looking ahead to Project 4: User-Centered Design

If you wish to change teams for Project 4 please notify your new intern by email by Friday, 3 April at noon.

For additional help with your project please arrange to attend office hours.

Note: if you ever have any concern about any of the advice you've been given or don't fully understand the comments about your project you can always ask me!

You, and your team, need to choose a non-profit community organization to do a design for. To start, here's a list of some you might consider:

http://www.bloomingtononline.net/directory/category/Non-Profit-Organizations/64

Graphic Design Legend Paul Rand

Review Mid-term Exam Answers

Project 3: Usability Testing Progress?

Are there any remaining questions on the project?

What are the main things you've learned so far in the project?

 Review Brief 

 Review good student work

Portfolio presentation by Mentor Danny Rudzinski

Meet with Teams

Homework for Tuesday, 31 March at 12:01 am through Assignments on Oncourse:

Complete Project 3: Usability Testing, along with a personal reflection and evaluations of each of your team members

Complete Reading Response 10, Read UXD pp. 41 – 47

1. Why is user-research important?
2. What are the two basic questions of an interactive design process? Describe the nature and importance of each? 
3. What are four of the ways of learning about users and the context in which designing takes place. Please set out the characteristics of each.

Tuesday, 24 March

Week 10: Usability Testing 3/3

User-Centered Design (UCD), User Journeys, Narrative

http://www.dezeen.com/2015/03/18/john-maeda-silicon-valley-design-businesses-worth-billions-dollars-tech-industry-design-in-tech-report/

Inconsistent Feedback

Reminder re: new Mentor assignments for the remainder of the course:

Edward Tufte Group: Shankar Balasubramaniam • shrabala@indiana.edu

Dieter Rams Group: Jeffrey Gadzala • jagadza@indiana.edu

Jony Ive Group: Tori Rice • tjrice@indiana.edu

Don Norman Group: Danny Rudzinski • drudzins@indiana.edu

Brian Eno Group: Karthik Rao • karrao@indiana.edu

Steve Krug Group: Shannon Grimme • seschenc@indiana.edu

IDEO Group: Omar Sosa-Tzec • omarsosa@indiana.edu

Additional Extra Credit Opportunity

Submit scanned (not photographed) examples of your good sketchnoting to your (new) Mentor

 Review Reading Response 9 Questions:

1. What is User-Centered Design? What are its characteristics? Why is it important? 
2. What are “user journeys”? Why are they important in UXD? What are the stages of such a process? 
3. What are the aspects of a “narrative”?
4. Please cite an interaction you’ve had, e.g. with a game, and explain the narrative in terms of the framework set out in the book. 

Looking ahead to Project 4: User-Centered Design

You, and your team, need to choose a non-profit community organization to do a design for. To start, here's a list of some you might consider:

http://www.bloomingtononline.net/directory/category/Non-Profit-Organizations/64

Project 3: Usability Testing Progress?

Are you happy with your first interim submission?

What have you learned?

What has surprised you?

 Review Brief 

Look at Student Examples

In-class: Your new mentors will come around and check off your work to date as part of your Participation and Professionalism grade

Note: if you wish to change teams for Project 4 please notify your new intern by email by Friday, 3 April at noon.

For additional help with your project please arrange to attend office hours.

Homework for Thursday, 26 March at 12:01 am through Assignments on Oncourse:

Complete interim project 3.2, including:

Additional usability test of the website and app. Include “Background,” enhance the write up of your team’s Case Study through the “App Mode” subsection. Set out preliminary Findings, as well. 
 

 

Thursday, 12 March

Mid-term Exam.

Have a great spring break!

Homework for Tuesday, 24 March at 12:01 am through Oncourse Assignments:

Complete Reading Response 9: Read UXD pp. 26 – 33; 64 – 67; 102 - 103

1. What is User-Centered Design? What are its characteristics? Why is it important? 
2. What are “user journeys”? Why are they important in UXD? What are the stages of such a process?
3. What are the aspects of a “narrative”? 
4. Please cite an interaction you’ve had, e.g. with a game, and explain the narrative in terms of the framework set out in the book. 

Tuesday, 10 March

Usability, Ethnography, Wireframes, Fun design, Feedback 

Ethnography a branch of anthropology that studies people in their normal environment

Wireframes examples from Mentor Karthik Rao's in-class presentation

Thank you for your Reflections! They are very helpful to us.

Reflection is a key quality in HCI/d

Key themes in your submissions seemed to include:

• A better sense of what the field of HCI/d as a whole is
• A more detailed awareness of the nature of our interactions with technology (and how poorly designed many things are from this point of view)
• Designerly presentation and sketchnoting skills
• The applicability of many of the skills being learned here to other classes and to your future career as a whole (re: student CVs)
• Others?

I would add that you are developing not just your awareness and presentation skills, but also:

• Design thinking skills/active learning through the project work
• Good work habits and the right attitude
• The ability to work effectively in groups 
• Familiarity with the methods and protocols learned in the field and, ultimately
• The ability to engage in user-center design itself.

Other thoughts?

Review Reading Responses 8 Questions:

1. How, according to the authors, does one “design” a fun experience? Cite an example from your own experience.
2. What is usability a “measure of,” according to the authors?
3. What is the value of simplicity in UXD? Cite an example from your own experience where it is present and where it is not; what are the consequences of each?
4. What, according to the authors, is the importance of feedback in a design and what happens if appropriate feedback is not present?

Are there overall questions on Project 3: Usability Testing?

What is the main thing you've learned so far?

How different was the user experience of the website and app?

Presentation of interim work

Notes:

• No one from your team can be the subject of your study

• Your subject may not use the search function while conducting the study

• You may use standard, not reduced size, PDFs if you need to for quality reasons (so long as the file can be uploaded to Oncourse)

More principles from Steve Krug:

Krug's three laws of usability: 

1. Don't make me think!
2. It doesn't matter how many times I have to click, as long as each click is a mindless, unambiguous choice
3. Get rid of half the words on each page, then get rid of half of what's left.

Krug's first law of usability testing:
Testing with one user is 100% better than testing with none

Krug's "Trunk Test" answer, quickly, the following questions:

• What site is this? (Site ID)
• What page am I on? (Page name)
• What are the major sections of this site? (Sections)
• What are my options at this level? (Local navigation)
• Where am I in the scheme of things ("You are here" indicators)
• How can I search?

Review Next Steps in Project 3 Evolution

Questions on the Mid-term Study Questions?

Mentor Jeffrey Gadzala to present on "Interaction Design in the 'Real World'" -- Thoughts on Interactions 2015 in San Francisco

Team Meeting Opportunities 

Homework for Thursday, 12 March:

• Prepare for Mid-term Exam
• Continue work on Project 3 
• Interim Project 3.1 due date extended until noon on Friday, 13 March
   

Project 3.1. Pilot Usability Study Interim Assignment Hints

Based on questions that arose in class with the teams yesterday here's a few additional hints that might help you complete the interim pilot usability study due on Tuesday.

First to reiterate key aspects of the assignment:

What's due on Tuesday, 10 March at 12:01 am through Oncourse Assignments?

3.1. Pilot usability test of website and app by a single subject

In other words, you will choose a person to engage in certain specified tasks on the website and app of the same company/entity/organization.

What is to be included in your interim project submission?

Title and subtitle and the following aspects of the Case Study:

Method:
The method you are using is a simplified version of the process Steve Krug sets out in the resources linked to from the Project Brief. The six steps he identifies (with the approximate time for each) are:

1. Welcome (4 minutes)
2. The questions (2 minutes)
3. The Home page tour (3 minutes)
4. The tasks (35 minutes)
5. Probing (5 minutes)
6. Wrapping up (5 minutes)

Process:
This is how your team actually went about the study. What site/app did you choose? Why? Who was your first subject? What is his/her demographic background (age? techy or novice user? etc.). How long did the studies take? Each team needs to detail how they applied the six stages of a usability study and use this as a framework for presenting your findings.

In particular you want to specify the scenarios you are having the user engage in. While you want people to complete a single, specified task on both the website and app you also want to ensure that the task has adequate complexity. In general have three aspects of the task, or three scenarios, e.g. registering as a user, shopping for and evaluating an item, and placing it in a wish-list, would be appropriate.

Background on the User Interfaces:
Include annotated screen shots of the key pages, identifying their primary elements.

Website Mode:
Present, step-by-step, the stages of doing a significant action through the website, e.g. making a purchase. What inputs do your subjects make? What feedback are they given by the site, step-by-step? How do they know when the action is complete? What information are they given to let them know? What works well for them? What confuses them? Present a flow chart of the actions taken and the associated feedback from the site. 

It may be helpful to record the whole interaction on the site using Jing, or another program that allows you to record a video with sound of everything taking place on the screen during the interaction. The video can then be used as a resource and a table produced with descriptions and annotated screenshots showing the key aspects of the interaction and/or the video itself could be edited and annotated to provide a digest of the key interactions.

App Mode:
Present, step-by-step, the stages of doing a significant action through the app, e.g. making a purchase. What inputs do your subjects make? What feedback are they given, step-by-step? How do they know when the action is complete? What information are they given? What works well for them? What confuses them? Present a flow chart of the actions taken and the associated feedback from the app.

It may be helpful to record the who interaction on the app using one of the programs discussed in the links below. The video can then be used as a resource and a table produced with descriptions and annotated screenshots showing the key aspects of the interaction and/or the video itself could be edited and annotated to provide a digest of the key interactions.

Findings:
Findings are not due as part of this interim assignment but you might find it useful to go ahead and reflect on the similarities and differences in the functionality of the two modes, as well as on what you learned from engaging in User Testing itself.

Potentially Helpful Links re: Screen Recording Software:

User Recording Software:

• http://silverbackapp.com/  

• http://www.techsmith.com/morae.html

Video Capture of Screen:

http://www.techsmith.com/jing.html 

http://blogs.techsmith.com/tips-how-tos/screen-capture-tablet-ipad-tutorial/

http://fieldguide.gizmodo.com/how-to-record-your-screen-on-an-android-phone-or-tablet-1643311413

http://www.macworld.co.uk/how-to/iphone/how-capture-iphone-screen-video-3522253/

Thursday, 5 March

Usability Testing 1/3

Task Modeling, Expectations, Trust

Question: Did the Zipcar Usability Test show:

1. Good task modeling?
2. Did the site meet the user's expectations?
3. Did you user trust the site?

From the point of view of designerly principles what's wrong with this picture?

Discuss mid-term Reflections addressing:

1. How has your understanding of HCI/d changed so far this semester?
2. Are your finding the class more or less useful than you expected? 
3. What has been the most valuable thing you’ve learned so far?

Facts:

• Xerox Star Graphical User Interface: 1981
• Mac OS: 1984
• Windows: 1985
• iPhone launch: June 29, 2007
• Android 1.0 launch: September 2008

Recommended for Introverts:

 
http://www.thepowerofintroverts.com/about-the-book/

Questions on the Midterm Exam Questions?

• Exam next Thursday, 12 March
• Essay exams may be taken before: please email your current mentor to arrange

Review Project 3 Brief

What sites/apps are you considering?

Volunteers to Present 3.1 on Tuesday (for extra credit)?

Review Steve Krug Resources

User Recording Software:

• http://silverbackapp.com/  
• http://www.techsmith.com/morae.html

Video Capture of Screen

• http://www.techsmith.com/jing.html

Meet with Your Project 3 Team

• Plan usability testing project approach

Homework Tuesday, 10 March to be submitted through Oncourse Assignments by 12:01 am:

Complete Project 3.1: Pilot usability test of website

Complete Reading Response 8: Read UXD pp. 80 – 87:

1. How, according to the authors, does one “design” a fun experience? Cite an example from your own experience.
2. What is usability a “measure of,” according to the authors?
3. What is the value of simplicity in UXD? Cite an example from your own experience where it is present and where it is not; what are the consequences of each?
4. What, according to the authors, is the importance of feedback in a design and what happens if appropriate feedback is not present?

Tuesday, 3 March

Usability Testing 1/3

Task Modeling, Expectations, Trust

http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21645180-smartphone-ubiquitous-addictive-and-transformative-planet-phones

Project 2 Wrap Up look at a few examples

You will each remain in your same group but from this point forward you will have a different Mentor (see Syllabus)

Discuss Reading Response Questions


Chris Atherton uses the following “tools” she uses in her work:

• Card sorting
• Personas (combined with User Journeys)
• Usability testing
• Usability recording software
• Statistics
• The right attitude

What is she attempting to accomplish through application of this range of tools?

Taking Stock:

 We've developed a range of skills now that will enable us to turn our attentions to others -- the "Humans" in Human-Computer Interaction/Design

Specifically we will focus on:

• Usability Testing

• User-Centered Design

Introduce Project 3: Usability Testing

Review Project 3 Brief

Review Successful Project Examples

Watch the following video and write down the top three usability problems you observed.

 Homework for Thursday, 5 March, due through Oncourse Assignments by 12:01 am:
Meet with your team mates to decide on which website/app to study, identify your three "subjects" for your usability testing study

Complete mid-term Reflection Paper addressing:

1. How has your understanding of HCI/d changed so far this semester?
2. Are your finding the class more or less useful than you expected? 
3. What has been the most valuable thing you’ve learned so far?