Assignment 1: Project Proposal

In this assignment, you will develop a proposal for an interactive system solving an interactive human-computer interaction problem. You will design and develop this interactive system over the course of the term.

Overview

In this submission, you will describe the problem that your user interface will solve, the people that will use this system, the tasks that these users will perform with the system, and the hardware and software environment that the system will be built with.

You must be able to complete your project within this term. It is important to make your project sufficiently simple that you will be able to complete it, test it and iteratively refine it before the end of term. Part of the challenge of this proposal is to show that you have identified an interesting project idea that can be implemented within the available time.

Please use the following structure for your report.

Problem Description (1 page)

Provide a brief and precise description of the problem to be solved. The problem should be expressed from the perspective of prospective users of the system. This section should not provide a solution (e.g., user interface design or software architecture.)

Specify how you will gain access to typical users of the system in order to interview them, gain their feedback on your design, and perform user testing.

User Characterization (2 pages)

Drawing from techniques presented in class, describe the characteristics of prospective users of the system.

Provide two personas capturing distinct types of users of the system.

Task Model (2 pages)

Using techniques described in class, provide a hierarchical model of the tasks users will perform with your system. This should focus on the users' tasks, not on system design or specifiics of interaction with the system. Provide supplemental text as necessary to explain your task model.

Target Environment (0.25 pages)

List the target environment you intend to use for your interactive system (e.g., web, iPhone, Windows app.) List any special hardware that will be required for your system (e.g., Kinect camera, Oculus Rift VR headset) and confirm that you have access to any necessary hardware.

Development Tools (0.25 pages)

List the development tools you intend to use to create your interactive system.

Group Coordination Plan (0.25 pages)

Describe in one paragraph how your group will work together. Perhaps you will largely work separately, coordinating by email and GITLab, and meeting one hour/week in person to coordinate activities. Or perhaps you will have two long in-person meetings in CASLab weekly where you will all work together. You should commit to at least one weekly in-person meeting that all members attend. Specify the time and location of this meeting.

To Hand In

Using OnQ, submit a report for your group consisting of the following parts:

  1. Title page, including title of the project, and names of all group members
  2. Description of the problem your system will solve
  3. User characterization
  4. Task model
  5. Target environment
  6. Development tools
  7. Group coordination plan
  8. Group contribution statement
  9. Group contract signed by each group member

Your report should be a single document in PDF format. Please use 11 point type, 1.5 line spacing, with 1" margins. There should be one submission for the group.

In addition, each group member should submit a peer review form. This should be submitted to the individual peer review assignment submission.

Group Formation

Your project should be performed in a group of five people. All group members should sign up for the same group on OnQ. Group signups must be completed by January 13, 2020.

Evaluation

The assignment will be graded with the rubric provided in OnQ. Please review this rubric while completing the assignment.

© 2020 Nicholas Graham