Assignment 05a: Usability Inspection
| Assignment | Description | Due on | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | user analysis | 06 Feb | 10% |
| 02 | task analysis | 25 Feb | 10% |
| 03 | your rationale for the design decisions made | 06 Mar | 20% |
| 04 | prototype and system description | 10 Apr | 20% |
| 05a | usability inspection of a design developed by one of your classmates | 17 Apr | 10% |
| 05b | response to a usability inspection of your design | 22 Apr | 05% |
| 06 | planning a usability test of your own design | 06 May | 15% |
| participation | in class and online | daily | 10% |
Interface design and evaluation go hand in hand. Thus, this course will provide an opportunity for you to participate in two types of evaluation assignments:
- a usability inspection of a design developed by one of your peers, and
- the planning of a usability test of your own design
Assignment 05a: Usability Inspection
Prior to Wednesday, 10 Apr 2013, you will be asked to select one of the class projects in which you are particularly interested and/or about which you are particularly knowledgeable. Prior to that class session, you will have had a chance to see the prototypes demonstrated (25-27 March and 01-03 Apr 2013). On Friday, 12 Apr 2013, I will assign you to evaluate one of the projects. Each project will be evaluated by at least one class member; each class member will evaluate one project.
To be finalized by 11 Apr 2013
| Usability inspector | Designer(s) | Project to be evaluated |
|---|---|---|
| Curt Arledge | Matt Poland | Baltimore Music Map |
| Sharon Austin | Daniel Pshock | BOOKSABOUT |
| Jacob Bartel | Mary Gillen | SILS Help Desk Equipment Loan System. |
| Jonathan Bartel | Allen Bell | Transformative Organizing Website |
| Allen Bell | Viena Covarrubias | SIBUC website |
| Nakia Best | Vilman Garrido | Electronic Nursing Documentation |
| Kristen Brews | Diane Pahl | Connect the Dots |
| Jason Carter | Jacob Bartel | Cross-Domain Content Sharing Manager |
| Viena Covarrubias | Jason Carter | Resource and Engagement Management Tool |
| Meredith Edgerton | Erin Morris | BEC website |
| Vilma Garrido | Meredith Edgerton & Vikram Raisinghani |
Morrison Community website |
| Mary Gillen | Alex Hardin | IPDB |
| Alex Harding | Pan Hu | UNC map application |
| Pan Hu | Kenny Li & Bo Yao |
Deals and Coupons Sharing Website and
site map |
| Kenny Li | Xin Zhang | Home of RTP Chinese |
| Erin Morris | Jonathan Bartel | BEC website |
| Diane Pahl | Nakia Best |
Heart Center Observation Area Intranet Page
and link to view the wireframes |
| Matt Poland | Curt Arledge |
ILSSA website
and
prototype. |
| Lindsay Pope | Diane Pahl | Connect the Dots |
| Daniel Pshock | Kristen Brews & Lindsay Pope |
Mapping Manning |
| Vikram Raisinghani | Sharon Austin | Piano Picker |
| Bo Yao | Meredith Edgerton & Vikram Raisinghani |
Morrison Community website |
| Xin Zhang | Kenny Li & Bo Yao |
Deals and Coupons Sharing Website and
site map |
For the evaluation, you will have access to the complete documentation of the design. You may also communicate with the designer concerning questions of clarification. In addition, the designer may ask that the evaluator consider focusing on particular areas of interest or concern.
Method
- Review the project documentation, paying special attention to the goal of the system, the scope of the user group, and the task to be supported. Also, be sure that you understand the scope of the prototype itself.
- Identify five strengths/weaknesses to be the focus of your evaluative comments. Of the five, one or two points should focus on strengths of the design, i.e., aspects that should be retained in the design. The remaining three or four points should focus on problems in the design, i.e., aspects that could be improved.
- For each of the five points:
- Describe the aspect of the design being discussed, and state whether it is a strength or a weakness; and
- support your evaluation with a rationale, based on the user analysis, the task analysis, and the literature, as appropriate. Each point must be supported with a general principle, a specific guideline, or research findings published in the literature.
This portion of the assignment should be completed by the end of the day on Wednesday, 17 Apr 2013. An electronic version of your comments should be provided to the prototype designer on or before that day.
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