Assignment 1: Low Fidelity Prototype
Assignment
The purpose of this assignment is to create a low-fidelity (“lo-fi”) prototype of an object related to the interaction between humans and computers, or devices that may have embedded computing capabilities.
This is a team assignment, and ideally should be done by the same team as the term project.
Goals and Objectives
The goal of this assignment is to allow students to gain experience in building and evaluating lo-fi prototypes for the interaction between a user and a device.
Description
Your task in this assignment is to design and build a lo-fi prototype (usually a physical object) that enables the interaction between a user and a device. In order to successfully complete this task, you need to address the following issues:
- Context: Identify and describe the context in which the device is used. The context is frequently captured in user stories (also called use cases, or scenarios). It identifies the environment in which it is used, constraints for its use, and possibly different types of users (“personas” or “personae”).
- User Mental Models: How do users believe the device and the interaction with the device works? Different users may have completely different mental models, and the mental models may be inconsistent with the real device (see below). These mental models sometimes can be extracted from the user stories, but it may also be necessary to consult users. It can be difficult to identify them: The users may not be aware of their mental models, and asking them about their mental model may cause them to modify the existing one. Mental models can be described verbally, but are also sometimes captured as mind maps or simple block diagrams.
- Functional Model: How does the device actually work? This requires an understanding of the domain and the technology incorporated in the device. It is sometimes described in a user manual, but may also require additional research or consultations with a domain expert. Functional models frequently include block diagrams with the most important components of the device.
- Interaction Model: What are the interaction methods and processes to use the device? This is often described in an operating manual, and expresses what the creators or sellers of the device want the users to do with the device. In practice, users frequently don’t read manuals. Creating good manuals can be a challenge. Interaction models are often grouped according into related activities, and may include sequences of actions to be performed, diagrams illustrating relevant parts or activities, or videos demonstrating the use of the device.
Choice of System to be Evaluated
The discussion of this assignment uses as an example a remote control for a small air conditioning (AC) unit frequently found in motel rooms or similar environments. We will discuss alternatives in class, and try to identify an object or device that is of reasonable interest to most teams. This device should satisfy the following requirements:
- The focus is on the interaction between user and device, and not on the computational capabilities of the device. For example, a smartphone as a generic device is too complex for this assignment, but if the focus is on an app that implements a remote control for another device it may be suitable.
- There must be a meaningful but small set of interaction steps between the user and the object; for example, a digital set of dice where the only meaningful interaction is to press a button for a new pair of values is not sufficient.
- The selected object or device should be located on the university campus, and accessible or available to a significant portion of the university community. This is mainly to ensure that the environment and potential user base are accessible for research and evaluation purposes.
Deliverables
You need to submit the following items:- A physical lo-fi prototype that includes mockups of all necessary interaction constructs (such as buttons, dials, switches, etc.). The prototype should be as close as practical in the physical properties of a real device (dimensions, weight, material, color, etc.).
- A poster of size A2 that addresses the following aspects:
- Context, use cases, and personas. There should be at least three use cases, and at least two personas.
- Development process for your prototype. This process should include at least three iterations, such as initial sketches, revised sketches based on initial user feedback, and the physical lo-fi prototype.
- User feedback and improvements that influenced the progress of the design.
- A diagram that displays the lo-fi prototype and illustrates the interactions between the user and the device.
- Include your affiliation (Hochschule München), the class (Graphical User Interfaces Summer 2015), the team name/topic and the team members.
- A written report that accompanies the poster. In the report, you can refer to the poster, or include material from the poster. You should include more details in the report, in particular explanations for diagrams and images. If appropriate, include additional documents as appendices (e.g. user questionnaires, user discussion notes, additional design documents).
Submission and Deadline
Submission details will be discussed in class (e.g. submission through Moodle or Piazza).
The deadline for this assignment is the end of the day (midnight) as listed in the schedule.
Grading Criteria
I’ll be using a grading rubric with the categories listed below. The detailed description of the rubric will be provided (probably via Google docs), but the grades will be recorded on Moodle. I’ll use similar rubrics for the other assignments and for the project.
- Relevance of the chosen device/object
- Context, use cases and personas
- Development process
- User Feedback
- Prototype quality
- Supporting material (appendices to the report)