CS182-1: Investigation 7

Pen-Based Interfaces

Due: Friday, April 28th, 11:59pm, by email

This is a pair/group investigation.  Most of you will work in groups of two (4 pairs), but probably there will be one group of 3.  You can work with anyone you want on this investigation.

A note on extensions: You may use an extension on this investigation if anyone in your group still has not used their extension.

Goals

The goals of this Investigation are:

Before you Begin

Read Chapter 8.2 and 8.3.4 of  Interaction Design.  We didn't talk in depth about different types of low-fidelity prototyping in this class (we touched briefly on paper prototyping).  Part of this assignment is to implement a card-based (or storyboard) lo-fi prototype.  This reading will give you the necessary context/background.

Assignment

This assignment is based off of an interactivity from the Interaction Design book: Using an Interactive Sketching Tool.  It asks you to prototype a web site design using DENIM and using paper, and then to test both prototypes with users.  You will then (as usual) critique the DENIM tool from a UI perspective.

Part 0: Handling Tablet Logistics

I would like everyone to do the DENIM part of this assignment using the tablet computer.  I have 3 tablets that I can loan out.  To make sure that everyone gets a chance to use the Tablets, I will check these computers out to groups for 24-hours at a time.  Sign up early for a slot.  You can sign up for more than one day, but I will let everyone get in at least one slot before promising people more than one slot.  If you know someone else who has a tablet computer, you are welcome to use their computer for the DENIM prototype development part of this assignment.  

Send me email to sign up for a day with the tablet.  I will coordinate scheduling (although I may ask groups to pass the tablets directly to one another).

Part 1: Choose your domain

Choose a task set/domain for which you will develop a web site.  You may choose either of the domains suggested by Preece, et. al, in the interactivity from the book (a ticket machine interface or a library catalogue interface), or think or your own domain.  Your domain must be well supported by a web-form-based interface.  Ideally, this should be a domain where the task analysis is simple or already done.  I do not want you to spend a lot of time on task analysis.  That's not the point of this assignment.

Part 2: Design your interface using DENIM

Based on some sort of task analysis (either a quick one that you do, or the task analysis given in the book), design a lo-fi prototype using the DENIM prototyping tool.  As when we did paper prototyping, make sure your prototype is designed to handle two (not three, this time) specific tasks that you will ask your users to perform.

You may want to start by going through the DENIM tutorial (see instructions on the Interaction Design Interactivity page).

It is critical that you do your design using DENIM before you prototype your design on paper.  I want you to get the experience designing using a pen-based computer, so you can realistically compare this experience to designing on paper (which you have already done before).  When designing, keep in mind both the issues that we discussed related to pen-based interfaces, such as suitability of the interface to the pen, recognition, modality, as well as our standard UI issues like feedback, affordances, etc.

Part 3: Create a Paper Storyboard

Create the same storyboards (i.e. lo-fi interfaces designed to support specific tasks) on paper.  You may want to use index cards to represent the different screens in your interface.

Part 4: User Testing

Test your interface with at least 4 users using both the paper storyboard and the DENIM interface (users will perform only one of the two tasks with each type of interface).  Two of the users should start with the paper prototype, and two should start with DENIM, to try to even out order bias a little.

You should use a normal (i.e., mouse-based) computer to test your DENIM-based interface.  The idea is that your interface is designed to work with a mouse, so that's what you should test with (you only used the pen in designing the interface).

Part 5: Analysis

Write a short critique (~1-2 pages) including the following:
  1.  DENIM as an interface design environment.  As usual, focus on the specific UI issues we have discussed in class (some of which are listed above in Part 2).  At the same time consider: How does DENIM compare to paper?  How do you think it would compare to a mouse-based design tool?  What does it do well?  What could it do better?
  2. The computer as a lo-fi prototyping tool.  What advantages did the computer offer over paper in your user testing?  What disadvantages did it present?  Which did users prefer?  Which generated better feedback about your interface?  (And, in all cases, why?)

What to Hand In

Back to CS182 Investigations Page