In-Class Activity #7:
Interaction Design Process

Overview and Learning Objectives

In this In-Class Activity, you will get started (if you haven't already) with the physical design of your group project's interface. In particular, you will use the low fidelity prototyping technique to develop high level task sequences and lower level interface designs for three core tasks.

Ideally, you would perform low fidelity prototype tests with prospective users, who might participate as equal members of your design team (participatory design). If you are able to find prospective users who can come in for Thursday's class, then, by all means, invite them! However, since it is unlikely that you will have prospective users at your disposal during the class period, you are free to perform low fidelity prototyping sessions with a "buddy" group.

The specific learning objectives of this in-class activity are:

• to begin to flesh out the physical design of your project group's software for three core tasks
• to practice applying low fidelity prototyping methods to a real design problem.

Note: Please consult the Lecture 8 slides if you need guidance on how to run low fidelity prototyping sessions.

Steps

Prior to coming to class on Thursday, please do the following with your project group:

1. Develop three key scenarios that your group project software will be able to handle.

2. For each scenario, develop a detailed sequence of steps that a user can perform in order to complete the core task within the scenario.

3. Use either WOZ Pro or simple art supplies to develop a low fidelity prototype. If you are using WOZ, create all screens necessary for the three scenarios. If you are using art supplies, construct the elements that you expect will be needed for the three scenarios you have chosen. These elements might include buttons, menus, screen forms, and the like.

During the in-class activity, spend one hour on the following:

1. Team up with a "buddy" group. Have one or two users in your buddy group interact with your low fidelity prototype, as you play "wizard of oz." Ask the buddy group user(s) to "think out loud" as they complete the tasks you have prepared. They should let you know if they become confused, have questions, see something they like or do not like. Emphasize that your prototype is in the early stages of design, and that you need their feedback to improve its design. Have a member of your group take notes on the key events that occur, the key issues that arise, and the possible design changes that are suggested by your results. Members of both groups should observe the session.

2. Now switch to your buddy group's prototype. As your buddy group plays "wizard of oz," you should think out loud as you complete the tasks that the buddy group has prepared.

3. Be prepared to present your low fidelity interface, and your results, to the class for feedback and discussion. Also be prepared to reflect on your experiences in running a low fidelity prototyping session.

Note: I am having you run low fidelity prototyping sessions this week in order to help you get started with the physical design of your software. I am hoping that you will be able to use the outcomes of this in-class activity as a starting point for the prototype walkthrough that you will performing the week after spring break. Take advantage of the time!

Assignment Option #7

Note: As stated in the course syllabus, you are required to hand in at least four assignment options, one from each of the three major sections of the course (Background and Theory, Designing Interactive Systems, Evaluating Interactive Systems). In other words you need to hand in

1. assignment option #1, 2, 3, or 4;
2. assignment option #5, 6, or 7;
3. assignment option #8, 9, or 10; and
4. one additional assignment option of your choice.

Assignment Tasks

Important note: It is permissible for multiple members of the same group to complete this assignment option, so long as each member does the assignment independently. This means that each member might even create a slightly different paper prototoype, based on that member's interpretation of the feedback obtained in the in-class studio activity.

This assignment option invites you to get a head-start on your group project's design by performing a "bonus" design iteration with the low fidelity prototype that began to emerge in this in-class studio activity. Performing this extra design iteration could ultimately improve the usability of your group project's interface. Here are the steps:

1. Based on the preliminary results and progress you made in class, re-design and further flesh out your low fidelity paper prototype for the three core tasks you converged on as a group. Make sure that you feel comfortable simulating your paper prototype in response to test users' actions.

2. Now find three prospective users of your software project. Try to pick test users who might actually use your software.

3. Sit each of test users down with your low fidelity prototype. Use the following script as a guide to facilitating each low fidelity prototyping session:
   1. Thank you for coming in today. My project group is designing a new software application that [describe your application in one sentence].
   2. I would like you to help improve the usability of this software application by taking about 15 minutes to provide me with feedback as you interact with a prototype of the software.
   3. The prototype you will be interacting with today is implemented with paper. I will present you a series of tasks to complete with the prototype. To interact with the prototype, please use a pen as your mouse and keyboard.
   4. I would like you to think out loud as you interact with the prototype. Let me know about what you are thinking as you work through tasks. If you find anything confusing, if you do not see what you expected, if you find something particulary easy or hard, please let me know. Any feedback you provide will help me to improve the usability of the software.
   5. When you have completed a task as far as you think you can, please say so by stating that you are done.
   6. The prototype you are interacting with today may not be fully functional. If you reach a part of the prototype that is not functional, I may ask you to stop, or I may ask you what you might expect at that point.
   7. I realize that this may be a somewhat unnatural situation, but try to suspend your disbelief and interact with the prototype as though it were implemented on a computer.
   8. Now practice "thinking aloud" by reading the first task aloud (hand task description to participant).
   9. Are you ready to begin?
      
      
4. As your test user interacts with the prototype, play "wizard of oz" by presenting the next screens in response to the test user's actions. In addition, either take notes on problems that emerge, or videotape your session and take notes on the recording later.

Additional Research Task for Graduate Students

Read the ACM SIGCHI 2006 best-paper award nominee entitled "'LINC-ing' the family: the participatory design of an inkable family calendar" by C. Neustaedter and A.J. Brush . It is available on-line at http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/1124772.1124796. (Make sure you're inside the WSU firewall before accessing this document; otherwise, you will not have access to the full PDF of the article.)

This article presents a user-centered design of a shared family calendar. It describes many of the early data gathering techniques discussed in class this week. Prepare a two page (double-spaced, 1" margins) critical review of the article. Your critical review should not only identify the key points of the material, but also analyze and critique its underlying perspective. The following list of questions provides a useful starting point for your critical review:

• Who are the authors? What is their academic history? From what intellectual perspective are they coming? What are their biases?
• What are the key points of the article?
• Are there any gaps in logic or presentation? How could the presentation or argument of the article be improved?
• How does the article compare, and fit in, to others you've read on this topic (if any)?
• What do you like about the article? What do you not like? Why?

Deliverables and Grading

By the deadline, hand in a hardcopy written report that includes the following sections:

1. Description of low fidelity prototype and tasks. For each of the three tasks, present your prototype's screen shots. The idea is to illustrate, in a step by step fashion, how a user would complete that task. Note: You must provide (scanned in) screenshots of your paper protoytpe in order to get full credit on this part of the assignment.

2. Description of low fidelity prototype study. In a couple of paragraphs, provide a narrative of your study. be sure to answer these questions:
   1. Who were your participants? I'd like to know (a) how many people participated and (b) who they were, in terms of their general levels of experience and background (do not name names!) .

   2. How did your run the study? I'd like to know some of the procedural details of the study: (a) how long study sessions lasted, (b) what you told participants (did you basically use the script above?), and (c) whether you had any problems simulating the interface.

3. Results of study. In a few of paragraphs, describe any usability issues that emerged from your study. Make each problem an item in a bulleted list. Be sure to cite explicit empirical evidence that documents each problem. The more detail you provide with respect to how particular test users experienced the problem, the better!

4. Suggested design changes. Finally, for each problem that you encountered, suggest a change to your design that might fix the problem. Illustrate each change by presenting a new screen sketch of the appropriate user interface element.

We will use this assessment form to evaluate your work. The critical review required of graduate students will be evaluated according to this assessment form. Be sure you that carefully read these forms ahead of time, so that you can take the assessment framework into account as you write your report.