EST 207 Interaction Design
Assignments

Team Projects

Over the semester, you will work on 2 team projects. They are ...

1. Utility App: Design an app that will help someone to do something.
    
2. Educational Game: Design a casual game that will either teach someone something new or reinforce something learned elsewhere.

Project Assignments

1. Create an ePortfolio for the project
• Create a new ePortfolio - you only need 1 for the team, but should work on this together.
  • Go to http://stonybrook.digication.com/ and login using your NetID
  • Click on the '+' to create a new e-Portfolio. If you are new to this, be sure to look at the Quick Start Guide.
  • Create a Title indicating the Project and Team designation (e.g. Project 1, Team Z).
  • Under Permissions, make the ePortfolio Private within SBU, and add the other team members (using their Stony Brook email) and give them Admin status.
  • Allow Comments from Registered Users, and choose to Show Comments Immediately.
  • Click on Create New ePortfolio.
• On the main page, write a Vision Statement (Design Brief) with the following information:
  • The problem: frame it in terms of who cares (stakeholders) and why a different solution is needed.
  • Design principles: aspects of the problem that help to guide the design.
  • Suggest the solution at a high level.
  • Team: list all team members, and indicate what each one is in charge of
• Click on Save, and then Publish This Page. You can click on the Published tab to see what everyone else can see. If you are not happy with it, or want to make changes, you can always go back and Edit.
   
2. Create a Scenario and 1 or 2 Personas - have 1 team member write the Scenario, and the other(s) write a Persona
• Create 2 new sections in your ePortfolio, entitled "Personas" and "Scenario"
• Persona - write about fictional someone who might use this app. In it, include ...
  • Relevant demograph information (e.g. age, gender, socio-economic status)
  • Relevant abilities (e.g. reading level, prior knowledge, other apps this person likely uses)
  • Relevant limitiations (e.g. eyesight, dexterity, reading level)
  • Goals of the person, related to use of the app
• Scenario - write about the situation in which the identified person(s) would use use app. This description should include ...
  • Where this app would be used (e.g. at home, school, work, or while travelling)
  • Whether there would be likely distractions
  • How much time the person would be expected to spend using the app at one time
  • How frequently you expect the person to use the app
• Save and Publish the ePortfolio
   
3. Create Wireframes - have each team member create their own independently; the Instructor will select the best one
• Create a new section entitled "Wireframes", with a separate page for each team member
• For each team member's wireframes, show the layout of the first screen and any other major screens, indicating what options are available
• Save and Publish the ePortfolio
   
4. Collect Assets - create a new section entitled "Assets". This must include ...
• Color palette: show swatches of key colors used in the interface (no more than 5)
• Logo: create a logo or header for your app that identifies it
• Graphics: show any additional icons, borders, backgrounds, sprites, etc. that will appear in the interface
   
5. Evaluation - Be prepared to talk about and show an early version of your app. You will be placed into groups of teams.
• When your team is presenting, you are the Observer:
  • Download your app to the tablet given to your group of teams:
    Select Build -> App (provide QR code for .apk) and use AI Companion on the tablet to read the QR code
  • Briefly explain the purpose of your app
  • Start the app for them but let them have control
  • Observe their use: are they able to figure out how to use it? does anything go wrong? are there aspects that seem to confuse/frustrate them?
  • Write your (individual!) observations as a Comment in your own team's ePortfolio
• Otherwise you are an Evaluator:
  • Listen to the presenting team's explanation, and then try using the app
  • Open the presenting team's ePortfolio and read any documentation there
  • On the presenting team's ePortfolio, add a Comment regarding ...
    • whether the application is appropriate/relevant to the intended audience
    • the look and feel of the interface
    • how easy it was to figure out to use
    • any potential problems you foresee
       
6. Presentation - you have 2 minutes to ...
   • Explain what the app is for, who is likely to use it, and in what situation they will use it
   • Show the app (Note: you may not have time to show the whole thing, so select a "representative sample")