Logistics
Class meets Mondays and Wednesdays 9:30-10:45 in Room 307 Manning Hall
Laptop computers required for many class sessions
Required textbook: Shneiderman, B. & Plaisant, C. (2004). Designing the user interface (4th edition). Boston: Addison-Wesley (available in campus bookstore)
Other readings will be assigned
Instructor
Professor Gary Marchionini www.ils.unc.edu/~march
email: march@ils.unc.edu
Office: 203 Manning
Phone: 966-3611
Brief Course Description
This course introduces principles of user interface design and evaluation with particular emphasis on systems that support information seeking and information use. The primary assignments and activities will focus on user-centered design principles and processes; iterative development and testing; and usability testing. In addition to reading and discussion, Participants will conduct needs assessments, critique existing web-based user interfaces, draft design specifications, create prototype interfaces, and outline usability studies. Examples from ongoing research and development projects at SILS will be used to illustrate theory and practice.
Assignments and Evaluation
Term group or individual project: Public service website design (Addison-Wesley contest) 30%
Class participation (readings and discussion in class and online) 15%
Needs assessment 10%
Critique 10%
Design Specifications 10%
Usability study outline 10%
Final exam 15%
Tentative Schedule
Wed. Aug 25
Course overview
Term project
Read chapters 1 & 2
Mon. Aug 30
Laptop setups with ISEE
Knowledge Navigator as vision of interaction
Light switch design discussion. Extend to hot and cold water (function, affordance, mapping between f and a; learnability and usability)
Wed Sept. 1
Term Project brainstorming and commitments
Automobiles: steering, powering, braking
What makes general purpose computers more challenging?
Mon. Sept 6 no class (Labor Day)
Wed. Sept. 8
usability.gov
discuss Chapter 1 Usability of interactive systems
discuss Chapter 2: Guidelines, principles, and theories
Read Chapter 3 for next week
Mon. Sept. 13
[meet at Chapel Hill Housing for Project needs assessment]Discuss Chapter 3: Managing Design Processes
Human physiology, psychology, and culture
Wed. Sept 15
User needs assessment discussion
User needs assessment assignment (due Sept. 29)
Read Chapter 4 for next week
Mon. Sept. 20
Discuss Chapter 4: Evaluating interface design
Interface critique assignment (due Oct. 6)
Wed. Sept 22
Project updates
Read Chapter 5 for next week
Mon. Sept 27
Discuss Chapter 5: Software tools
Wed. Sept 29
ISEE video lab
Mon. Oct. 4
Design Process: Library of Congress Case study
Assign design specifications (Due Oct. 20)
Wed. Oct. 6
Guest Lecture: Todd Barlow
Mon. Oct. 11
Open Video Case
Read Chapter 6 (p. 214-234)
Wed. Oct. 13
Guest Lecture: Jason Morningstar
Discuss direct manipulation
Read Chapter 7
Mon. Oct. 18
Discuss menus, forms, dialog boxes
Wed. Oct. 20
Project updates
Assign usability study outline (Due Nov. 3)
Read Chapter 8
Mon. Oct. 25
Discuss command and natural languages
Wed. Oct. 27
Relation Browser examples
Read Chapter 9
Mon. Nov. 1Input/Output devices and techniques
Wed. Nov. 3
project designs
Read Chapter 13
Mon. Nov. 8
Help and Documentation
Wed. Nov. 10
Project presentations
Read Chapter 14
Mon. Nov. 15 no class (ASIST)
Wed. Nov. 17 no class (ASIST)
Mon. Nov. 22
Search and visualization
[project meeting at CH housing]Wed. Nov. 24
Relation Browser front end and backend
Read Afterward
Mon. Nov. 29
Social issues and impact
Wed. Dec. 1
Final Exam Prep
Week of Dec. 12: Final Exam (date to be determined)