HCI Design Project

[ news ]

10/09: We meet each Thu @ 9:00 virtually (email the instructor if unsure how to connect)

[ Sylabus ]

This course requires you to design, prototype, develop and evaluate an interactive system.
You will work in groups.
HCID/Interaction students: For students following one of the Interaction masters, the course is 14 weeks long, divided into 2 parts. We suggest you do 2 projects, for the first 7 weeks, you can choose a project that is a free topic. For the second 7 weeks, we suggest you select a project topic linked with one or more of the electives that you are taking. For this second part, start brainstorming on ideas in connection with the electives you are taking. Once you have a project, contact the professors to seek their advice (is it appropriate?) and supervision.
Students outside HCID/Interaction masters: For students from other masters, the course is 7 or 14 weeks long. The project that you will be doing can be either a free topic or linked to classes and knowledge you bring from your masters. Nevertheless, it still needs to follow a user-centered design process (discussed next).

Learning Outcomes

The students will be able to:

Apply HCI and Interaction Design principles in the design, development and evaluation of your interactive system.
Prepare and deliver a short oral presentation and written paper demonstrating your application in the design of the interactive system.
Conduct an in-depth project about the design and evaluation of an interactive system.

[ Deliverables and Evaluation ]

The deliverables will consist of weekly small updates, original software/hardware and complete documentation in the form of a report. The documentation is a writing that describes, analyzes, and discusses the design choices embedded within the system, conceptually, technically, and critically, and the resulting user evaluation/feedback.

Demo: Students will be expected to present the interactive system during an exhibition or demo session open to the public. As this year we are dealing with an exceptional situation we will consider an alternative in-class demo. Details on the expected content can be found in week 6 presentation.
Report: The formal writing of the project should be in the form of an paper, preferably in the CHI format. Details on the expected content can be found in week 6 presentation.
Design: Material for framing the Design Process can either come from the Design of Interactive Systems course (for the HCI/Interaction students) or can be inspired by the bootcamp bootleg document from the Institute of Design at Stanford University.

Studenst will be graded on their weekly progress, the quality of the work, the written paper and demo presentation of the project.

Weekly progress of process and class presence - 1/3
Final interactive system and oral presentation - 1/3
Report and documentation of the process - 1/3

We want projects to demonstrate an effective understanding and application of Design and HCI concepts in designing, developing and evaluating the interactive system. The user evaluation will rely on qualitative or quantitative methodologies of the student’s choice and is not mandatory but highly suggested. If appropriate, students should also prepare a video of their project, preferably with narration.

[ Classes ]

Please note that since every project is unique, the exact deliverables every week may be shifted/adapted based on your discussion with Anastasia.

[ week 1 ]

Class introduction, basic process and course admin information.

Creating project groups.

Preparing to empathize with users: Slides and recording

Further resources: Design of Interactive Systems class this year (slides from previous year on interview questions and interactition points); "empathaze" and interviews from bootcamp bootleg

[ week 2 ]

Analyzing outcomes of contact with users and deciding on a concept: Slides and recording

Further resources: Design of Interactive Systems class this year on interaction points, breakdowns, design concept (if you want to go further consider creating personas and user scenarios); "define", analogous empathy, story share and capture, empathy map from bootcamp bootleg

[ week 3 ]

With your concept in mind, ideate and prototype: Slides and recording

Further resources: Design of Interactive Systems class this year on brainstorming and design alternatives (slides from last year can be found here); "powers of 10, brainstorm, selectt from bootcamp bootleg

[ week 4 ]

Prototype, test, develop: Slides and recording

Further resources: Design of Interactive Systems class this year on video prototyping and gathering user feedback (slides from last year can be found here); "prototype for test, test with users, wizard of Oz bootcamp bootleg

[ week 5 ]

Develop: Slides and recording

We are now developing the prototypes/systems, goal of this week is to determine what will be built and how, what will be left as a wizard of OZ or video prototype.

[ week 6 ]

Prep for demo and report, develop: Slides and recording

We are now developing the prototypes/systems, goal of this week is to discuss what is expected next week (demo+feedback) and what is expected from the report. Also to discuss any remaining issues with development choices.

[ week 7 ]

Presentation order and audience info Slides - UPDATED.

[ week 8 ]

Starting again and loooking for groups, Slides and recording

[ week 9 ]

Finalizing project groups, starting thinking about how to empathize with users: Slides and recording

Revisit resources from week 1 on how to empathize with users.

[ week 10 ]

Analyzing outcomes of contact with users and deciding on a concept, start brainstorming and prototyping: Slides and recording. Revisit resources from week 2 and 3 for more information on the process.

[ week 11 ]

Ideate/brainstorm and prototype, prepare to get early feedback from users: Slides and recording. Revisit resources from week 3 and 4 for more information on the process.

[ week 12 ]

We are now developing the prototypes/systems, goal of this week is to determine what will be built and how, what will be left as a wizard of OZ or video prototype: Slides and recording. Revisit resources from week 5 for more information on the process.

[ week 13 ]