Interactive Systems: Research, Design and Evaluation
CSM.050
Times
Term 1, Week 1, Monday-Friday, 9:00 to 17:00, plus attendance at some workshop sessions.
Venue
Bowland North SR24.
Convener
Prof. Alan Dix, Dr. Keith Cheverst and Dr. Enrico Rukzio
Assessment
- Group report on group design prototyping exercise (25%).
- Individual report on group and individual work (25%).
- 2,000 word literature review concerning a given topic (25%).
- A structured project proposal (25%).
Objectives
Most electronic devices and computer systems are eventually used by humans, but this is often far from evident in their actual design! This course aims to give the knowledge and instil the attitudes that will enable students to design systems for real people. The course will especially focus on network applications and novel devices.
Core content and the development of advanced skills and knowledge
This course is based around the following indicative content:
- Overview of human-computer interaction and role of contributing disciplines including psychology, sociology, etc.
- Some appropriate examples of detailed knowledge from contributing areas (e.g., 3D vision).
- User centred design focus and related design issues (e.g., user experience in consumer products).
- Techniques for managing and designing interactions: e.g. scenarios, task analysis, dialogue modelling.
- Special issues for networked systems: timing issues, distributed interface architectures, impact of QoS on user experience, etc.
- Technologies: ubiquitous computing, wearable computing, augmented reality, bio-sensing, visualisation, etc.
- Small group design project.
| Topic |
Advanced knowledge areas |
Advanced skills |
| 1 |
Introduction: Psychology of interface design |
Design choices |
| 2 |
Dialogue styles; interface media |
Design mock-ups |
| 3 |
Cognitive constraints & dialogue design |
Task analysis & requirements capture |
| 4 |
User skills - Procedural |
Protocol analysis |
| 5 |
User skills - Conceptual |
Questionnaire design |
| 6 |
User skills - Strategic |
Experimental design |
7 |
The psychology of design |
Usability testing |
8 |
The design process |
Ethnography |
9 |
Usability evaluation |
Prototyping |
10 |
Integrating user-centred design & evaluation |
Heuristic evaluation |
Effective usability is essential for the efficiency of industrial applications and the appeal of consumer products. The understanding and skills obtained in this course will enable the student both to produce better designs themselves and to be more able to work with usability specialists resulting in systems that can be used more easily and sold more profitably. At the end of the course students will:
Have an appreciation of the range of issues involved in good design of usable systems including web and mobile applications.
- Be able to use a range of modelling and analysis methods.
- Understand special software architectural issues for user interfaces, especially for networked systems.
- Have experience of design techniques for innovative interfaces.
Coursebook
Dix, A., Finlay, J., Abowd, G., & Beale, R. (2004) Human-computer interaction (3rd Edn.). Hemel Hempstead: Prentice Hall.
Selected bibliography
- Preece, J., Rogers, Y., & Sharp, H. (2002). Interaction design: Beyond human-computer interaction. New York: Wiley.
- Shneiderman, B. (1997). Designing the user interface. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
- Jacko, J.A., & A. Sears (Eds.). (2002). The human-computer interaction handbook: Fundamentals, evolving technologies, and emerging applications. Mahwah, NJ: LEA, Inc.
- Carroll, J. (Ed.). (2003). HCI models, theories, and frameworks: Toward an interdisciplinary science. San Mateo CA: Morgan Kaufmann.
- Monk, A.F. & Gilbert, G.N. (Eds.) (1995). Perspectives on HCI: Diverse approaches. London: Academic Press.
- Blythe, M., Monk, A., & Wright, P. (Eds). (2003). Funology: From usability to enjoyment. Kluwer.
- Diaper, D., & Stanton, N. (Eds). (2003). The handbook of task analysis for human-computer interaction. Mahwah, NJ: LEA, Inc.
- Baeker, R. (Ed). (1993). Readings in groupware and computer supported cooperative work. San Mateo CA: Morgan Kaufmann.
- Greif, I. Computer-supported cooperative work: A book of readings. San Mateo CA: Morgan Kaufmann.
- Greenberg, S. (Ed). (1991). Computer supported cooperative work and groupware. London: Academic Press.
- Nielsen, J. (1993). Usability engineering. London: Academic Press.
- Preece J. et. al. (1994). Human-computer interaction. Wokingham: Addison-Wesley.