SY DE 542  INTERFACE DESIGN

(2005)

Dr. Renee Chow

Updated: Jan. 31, 2005

 

Email: chow@mie.utoronto.ca           Tel: 416-635-2000 x 3015

 

 

Classes: Mon 1:30-4:30 E2 1303E

 

Text: Burns and Hadjukiewicz (2004).  Ecological Interface Design.  Taylor and Francis, UK. 

 

Website: www.eng.uwaterloo.ca/~sd542

 

TA: Munira Jessa (Email: mnjessa@engmail.uwaterloo.ca; Tel: xtn 4904; Office: E2 1303N)

 

Lecture Schedule (Approximate)                                                                                         

 

Jan 10                         Introduction to Work Domain Analysis

                                    Chapter 1 and 2 (first half)

 

Jan 17*                        More advanced WDA, Information Requirements

                                    Chapter 2 (second half), Ch 4                                                          

 

Jan 24*                        The Language of Interface Design: A/D representations

                                    Design Phase 1: Basic design of Information Reqs

                                    Chapter 3 (first half), Ch 4

 

Jan 31*                        The Language of Interface Design: Context and Salience

                                    Design Phase 2: Single Variable Constraints

                                    Chapter 3, Ch 4

 

Feb 7*                         Multi-variate Display: Configural and Mass Data Displays

                                    Design Phase 3: Multi-variate Constraints

                                   

Feb 14*                       Guest Lecture: Interface Design for Petrochemical Processing (Tentative)

 

Feb 21                         Reading Week, no class

                                   

Feb 28                         Design Phase 4: Navigation and Organization

                                    Prototyping, quick review of expectations

 

March 7                       User Testing

                                    Project Presentations

                                    -> Report 1 DUE

 

March 14                     Controls

                                    Project Presentations

                                   

March 21                     Projects with Atypical Models

                                    Project Presentations

 

March 28                     Projects with Social Constraints

                                    Course Wrap-Up

                                    -> Report 2 DUE                                                                                

                                   

 

Grading

 

This course is a design course concentrating on a major interface design project.  There will be no midterm or final examination in this course.  You will be graded throughout the term on your progress on the design project and your ability to use lecture concepts and examples in your design.

 

Project Checkpoints 5 x 5%

These are quick checks on your project progress.  * indicates weeks on which checkpoints are due.

 

  1. Project Proposal
  2. Work Domain Analysis (WDA)
  3. Information Availability Analysis
  4. Design Sketch Phase 2
  5. Design Sketch Phase 3

 

Report 1: Prototype and Description of Design (March 7) 40%

 

Report 2: User Testing Results and Recommendations for Design Improvement (March 28) 20%

 

Presentation: Show us what you did (as scheduled) 15% (dependent on class size)

 

All checkpoints (#3-5) and both reports should be submitted electronically.  Please zip your files or convert them to pdf.  Pdf is a very compact format. 

 

All checkpoints (#3-5) are due by 5 pm.

All reports are due by 1:30 pm. 

Late checkpoints are deducted at 1 mark per day.  (i.e. the checkpoint must be passed that week)

Reports are deducted at 10% per day to a maximum of 50% of the value of the report.

 

Checkpoint 1:  Proposal  - Due Next Monday

Write a paragraph max 200 words describing what your project might be.  Answer the following questions:

-          What is the problem you are trying to solve?

-          How do people solve it now?

-          Why would EID be a good approach?

 

Guide to Checkpoint Marking

Are you truly solving a problem?                                 /2

Does EID fit the problem?                                          /2

Do you know how the problem is solved now?          /1

Late 1 day                                                                   -1/day

Explanation too long                                                    -1

 

Checkpoint 2: Work Domain Analysis – Due Jan 24.

Submit a 1 page version of your WDA.  Discuss or write a paragraph that answers the following questions:

  1. Where is the system boundary?  What’s in the system and what’s not?
  2. What are the purposes of the system?
  3. What are the principles behind the system?

 

Guide to Checkpoint Marking

Understanding of levels and bounding            /5

Late 1 day                                                       -1/day

Explanation too long                                        -1

 

Checkpoint 3: Information Availability - Due Wed. Feb. 2.

Submit a 1 page table of Information Requirements from your WDA.  Indicate which variables are readily available, which could be calculated or simulated, which can not be obtained.

 

Checkpoint 4: Design Sketch Phase 2 - Due Wed. Feb. 9.

Submit a 1 page sketch of your design to date.  The design should show major variables and elements of context. 

 

Checkpoint 5: Design Sketch Phase 3 – Due Wed. Feb. 16.

Submit a 1 page sketch showing 1 place in your design where you can develop a graphic that integrates several variables.

 

Report 1: Prototype and Description of Design (Due March 7) 40%

  • Work domain analysis with information requirements and availability discussion 10/40
  • Description of the design (using course terms counts here) 5/40
  • Description of prototype (tools used, level of prototype, objectives) 5/40
  • Prototype (demonstration of design concepts, quality of the prototype as a testing tool, pizzazz) 20/40

 

Report 2: User Testing Results and Recommendations for Design Improvement (Due March 30) 20%

  • Write up as a lab report.
  • Objectives -  describe your key areas of interest. 5/20
  • Method – describe your method, show how it attains objectives, set targets. 5/20
  • Results – frankly report your results in a quantitative manner. 5/20
  • Discussion – what is good about your design, what needs improvement, be honest. 5/20

 

Presentation: Show us what you did (as scheduled) 15%

·         Presentations are 15 minutes long with 5 minutes for discussion/questions.

·         Either bring your own laptop or burn a CD. Only MS Powerpoint and Internet Explorer will be available on the provided laptop.