Block 1 Elements of the user experience
Week 1 – Introduction to New media – 9.1
Read: Elements of the User Experience
From the reading you should be able to answer the following:
- What are the goals of Apple’s website? How does Apple’s website address the needs of a user who has just purchased their first MacBook? (Chapter 3)
- What are the functional specifications of your preferred social media’s home page? If you are not on social media what are the specs for google? (Chapter 4: Functional Specifications, Content Requirements an Prioritizing Requirements)
- What are four architectural approaches to information design and organization? Find one example of each. (Chapter 5: Information Architecture)
- What percentage of The Huffington Post index page is navigation, and what percentage is content? What about Google, Wikipedia, and Etsy? (Chapter 6)
- How does http://landor.com guide the readers’ eyes and focus their attention on what is important? (Chapter 7: Follow the eye )
Week 2 – Discuss The Elements – 9.8
In-class: Wrap up a better morning strategy by exploring personas and begin outlining the scope of the project.
Homework: Project 1: Benchmark 1 – Write up your strategy, and scope for a better morning. Specific requirements will be posted online. Begin work on a user flow diagram: https://creately.com/blog/diagrams/user-flow-diagram/
Week 3 – Group and Individual Meetings to Discuss Proposal & Benchmark 2 – 9.15
Due: Part 1
Lecture: Prototyping
Bring Sketchbooks and drawing materials
Homework: Project 1: part 2 – Create a structure and skeleton for your better morning app, then craft a paper prototype for user testing. Specific requirements will be posted online.
Week 4 – User Testing of Benchmark 2 – 9.22
Due: Part 2 Wire-frames & paper prototype.
Homework: Project 1: part 3 – see details posted under projects.
Week 5 – Critique 9.29
Due: Part 3
Read: Thoughts on Interaction Design: Chapters 1 & 2
From the reading you should be able to discuss:
- What makes up interaction design and what are some of the industry’s challenges?
- What is interaction design, how its evolving. What fields does it draw knowledge from?
Post your thoughts to the blog.
Handout: Observation. For three weeks, simply observe how people interact with their environment and everyday object. Take a minimum of 75 photos noting what you see and identify the type of interaction: reaction, co-opting, exploiting, adapting, conforming or signaling. From your collection of notes and photos produce a simple website to share your observations.
Explore: https://www.uxmatters.com/mt/archives/2018/09/the-role-of-observation-in-user-research.php
Block 2 Augmented Reality
Week 6 – Understanding Interaction Design – 10.6
Discuss: Chapters 1 & 2
Watch: Black Mirror
Homework: Read Thoughts on Interaction Design: Chapters 3, 4 & 5
Handout: Project 2: Augmented Reality
From the reading you should be able to answer the following:
- What information can ethnographic tools give you to improve the interactivity of an online banking website? (pp. 48-54)
- At what point is a design finished? What makes it a success? What is its purpose? (pp. 54-62)
- Identify a product family you use regularly (can be anything from technology to consumables except for coffee). How has its branding affected your use, relationship and experience with the product? (pp. 78-84)
Post your thoughts to the blog.
Week 7 – Connecting People, Emotions and Technology –10.13
Watch: Objectified
Discuss: Chapters 3-5
Read: Thoughts on Interaction Design: Chapter 6 – post response.
Week 8 – Getting to know who you are designing for – 10.20
How to interview: Guest Lecture by TBD
Due: Observation booklet
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGLUzYUKhTs
Week 9 – Work week and Individual meetings – 10.27
Week 10 Present Project 2: Augmented Reality – 11.3
Block 3 Wearables
Week 11 – Wearables – 11.10
Watch: Terms and Conditions May Apply
Handout Final Project: Specific requirements will be posted online.
Week 12 – Work Week and individual meetings – 11.17
Due: Draft 1 for your Wearable proposal: this should include a strategy, scope, user profiles and a process flow diagram.