Assigned Readings

Assigned Readings

Each of the project teams in the class will take a turn introducing one of the readings. The first sets of readings below have a project team name next to them. Members of the team typically get started on the reading one class session before the rest of the class. They then make a presentation at the start of the next class, based on the following four points, to assign the reading set to the rest of the class (for them to complete by the following class session).

  1. The main themes and takeaways from the reading [2 minutes]
  2. A reflection on the the value of the techniques/ideas presented in this reading [2 minutes]
  3. How examples from the reading can be discussed in terms of other technologies and interfaces that are emerging today or will be soon. [3 minutes]
  4. How the reading influenced how you and/or your team approach the project with take aways from the reading in mind (concrete actions) [3 minutes].


Below is a list of all the readings and the teams assigned to them.


The time slots are 10 minutes to present the total set of readings. The rule of thumb is 2 minutes per person presenting and everyone presents. People can pair up to present one paper or article.

Reading 1 (Teaching Team)

kick-off presentation 9/7/17

all students complete readings by 9/14/17


Inmates are Running the Asylum (Alan Cooper) Chapters 1 and 2 [link to protected readings page] - note that you must initially request access to this page (likely through a Google account).


Reading 2 (Jaapokki)

kick-off presentation 9/11/17

all students complete readings by 9/18/17


Design of Everyday Things (Donald Norman) Chapters 1 and 2 [link to protected readings page]


Reading 3 (Comic Sans)

kick-off presentation 9/18/17

all students complete readings by 9/25/17

Read the User Profiles chapter in the protected Readings link until the “cluster the attributes” header about 13 pages in. https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnwyMDE2b2xpbmhmaWR8Z3g6NjAyMTQ5YWI4OTBiN2U3Nw

Also read

Wilkens, Todd. "Avoiding Half-Baked Personas" Ideas. adaptive path. 11 January 2011. http://adaptivepath.org/ideas/avoiding-half-baked-personas/


Reading 4 (Ubuntu)

kick-off presentation 9/25/17

all students complete readings by 9/29/17


Pick 2 of the 5 areas listed below to read individually. Try to make sure at least one person on your team has read each section


(1) Review of Research:

Interviewing Humans (Just Enough Research)


(2) Personas:

Personas, Dead Yet?


(3) Design Scenarios:

Design Scenarios


(4) Brainstorming Meetings:

How to Run a Brainstorming Meeting


(5) Sketching:

Sketches vs. Prototypes

Clarity is not always the right path to enlightenment (Sketching User Experiences pp 115-118).



Reading 5 (Haettenschweiler)

kick-off presentation 9/29/17

all students complete readings by 10/5/17


From Caroline Snyder's Paper Prototyping PDF in the protected readings page

  • Chapter 8 (Introduction to Usability Test Facilitation)
  • Chapter 9 (Usability Testing with a Paper Prototype)
  • Chapter 11 (Data) at least up to the middle of p.247 (up to "Debriefing Meeting")
  • Also as much of Chapter 4 (Making a Paper Prototype) as you find useful. There are lots of good tips, so it's worth at least flipping through.


Reading 6 (Roboto Light)

kick-off presentation 10/5/17

all students complete readings by 10/12/17


Destructive Errors & Undo-ing

Historically, this was more of "what if you exit your document without saving?"

Now that we have auto-save, sometimes companies do it intentionally.

What if you swipe left on the love of your life?


Tinder+ with undo Button


Preventing In Progress Errors

Some of this is just making things intuitive.

some of this is displaying appropriate in line messages.

Form validation design is a great example.


Accessibility

All of these guidelines are good design principles in general, not just good for accessibility. They look a little long but is mostly bulleted and quite quick to read.

Overview of web accessibility (so you'll know the four principles and can dive in deeper later!)

3.3 - Errare Humana est - continuing on the error theme w/ an accesibility bent

1.3 - Present Content in Different Ways

1.4 - Separate Background & Foreground (Focused on color) OR 3.1 - Easy to Read (Focused on text)

2.4 - Focused on Information Architecture



Reading 7 (Jokerman)

kick-off presentation 10/12/17

all students complete readings by 10/19/17


Evaluating prototyping tools (Shared by Amon w/ the whole class):


Comparing Layer-based and Code-based Prototyping Tools

Comparing Four Popular Page-based, Interactive Prototyping Tools


Nielson Heuristics:

https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ten-usability-heuristics/


Cognitive walkthroughs:

https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/how-to-conduct-a-cognitive-walkthrough


Platform specific guidelines (either do the one applicable to your project, or one you find interesting -- you don't need to read all of these! Please make the summary more about how generic design differs from platform specific).

Apple

Android

Voice (Alexa)

AR/VR


Reading 8 (Impact)

kick-off presentation 10/19/17

all students complete readings by 10/26/17


Wireframing

https://blog.prototypr.io/getting-started-with-wireframes-8aff9b92a4c0#.1gim6dvrg (also talks about tools)

https://www.uxpin.com/wireframing-hands-on-guide?section=how-to-build-an-interactive-wireframe

[optional] https://medium.com/@dustin/how-to-get-value-from-wireframes-f40c2cf27960#.jevdcy95k


Reading wrap up (Gotham)

kick-off presentation 11/27/17

Revisit any 5 readings from the semester that your team found the most helpful and explain why in terms of your own project.

-or-

Tie learnings from the optional readings given during the "Designing with Perspective" class session to your project: