Identify an interaction design problem that is caused by the poor design of an existing interactive product, or a need that a newly designed or redesigned interactive product could address.

Coursework: User-Centred Design

This is a coursework in 5 phases.  Please check the module handbook for information about submission dates.

Identify an interaction design problem that is caused by the poor design of an existing interactive product, or a need that a newly designed or redesigned interactive product could address. This problem or need could be related to your work activities, family or social life, hobbies or causes you care about. You will address this through a sequence of design exercises that are typical of a user-centred design process. These are

• Requirements gathering (20%)    
• Low-fidelity prototyping (20%) 
• Inspection-based evaluation (20%)
• User Based Evaluation (20%)
• Relative summary(20%)

Please note that each phase is awarded a mark out of 100.  However each phase is worth 20% of the overall mark. 

Phase 1:  Requirements Gathering

Initial Problem Statement (20 marks)

Describe your interaction design problem.

In particular, briefly describe the following:

The problem or need you have identified, and why it is worth addressing. For this part of the question, be sure to focus on the problem from the user’s point of view, rather than what a possible solution might be.

Write up to 300 words.

Design context: areas to explore (15 marks)

Describe and justify the issues that need to be explored in order to establish the requirements for your particular interactive product, including:

• Activities
• Physical environment
• Technology or device
• Social context
• Cultural context
• Legal context

Write up to 300 words.

Methods for requirements gathering (20 marks)

Identify at least two methods that would be useful in order to explore the issues you identified in Question 4 and to gather the requirements.

• Explain briefly how you would conduct each method.
• Describe what data you would collect.

Discuss what you might gain from using more than one method. Consider how the data from the different methods might differ, and how it might be combined to provide a richer understanding of the requirements.

Write up to 300 words.

Planning an interview (20 marks)

Plan a 30-minute interview with a representative from your user group. Consider each of the following questions, which will help you to form an interview plan.

• Briefly describe the user you will interview, and explain why you chose them.
• Explain where you will conduct the interview. Why that location? If appropriate, include a diagram of how you will arrange the room and explain why you have chosen that layout.
• What do you need to learn about the activity and the environment in which it is to be carried out? Make a list of the main questions you will ask. Will you ask the participant to carry out any activities? If so, describe them and explain why they are important.
• Explain how you will record the data.
• List what you will take with you when you conduct the interview.

If you are in doubt about any of the above, ask the advice of your tutor or fellow students on the module discussion forum.

Write up to 300 words.

Now complete the interview.

Establishing requirements (25 marks)

Based on your interview notes:

• Describe how the interviewee currently carries out the activity and explain why they consider it to be problematic (if indeed they do). Also include any positive comments they make about carrying out the activity, or any alternative comments they make about how they might carry out the activity in different circumstances. Include one or more quotations from the interviewee to support your description and to illustrate the user’s perspective.
• Create a persona characterising the interviewee as a typical user for your interactive product.
• Write (or draw and annotate) a scenario summarising how the interviewee carries out the activity and representing the requirements you have identified.
•  Identify three requirements that emerge from the interview.

Write up to 600 words (less if your answer to 3 is drawn rather than written).