Posts Tagged ‘ helpful tips ’

Skills learned in CGT 512

Here is a list of skills I think you have at least experimented with and learned (even if not mastered yet) in CGT 512. Please choose from this list as you revise your portfolio. Don’t undersell your work and what you’ve learned! This is not the time to be modest.

OVERALL

  • How to go through the iterative UCD process
  • How to use research methods specific to UCD
  • How to use creativity methods specific to UCS
  • How to create a range of artifacts (sketches, wireframes) and documents (reports) specific to UCD

1. USER RESEARCH

  • how to plan a user research study
  • how to collect data
  • how to analyze data
  • how to extract design requirements out of data
  • how to write personas, scenarios, and design requirements

2. HEURISTIC EVALUATION

  • how to apply usability principles to evaluate an interface
  • how to identify usability issues
  • how to rank the severity of usability issues
  • how to conduct heuristic evaluation

3. CONCEPTUAL DESIGN

  • how to use methods to stimulate ideas
  • how to chose between competing ideas
  • how to translate an abstract idea into a tangible artifact
  • how to create UCD artifacts such as sketches, story boards, and wireframes
  • how to conduct a cognitive walkthrough
  • how to identify and prioritize usability issues through a cognitive walkthrough
  • how to communicate your ideas for user experience and explain them to others

4. USABILITY TESTING

  • how to plan a usability study: what metrics, data, procedures, instruments to use
  • how to collect data for a usability study
  • how to analyze qualitative and quantitative data for a usability study
  • how to identify usability issues from a usability study
  • how to prioritize usability issues
  • how to apply usability heuristics to suggest solutions for the usability issues you have identified
  • how to present the findings and write a usability report
2013
12/13
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How to assign severity ratings to usability issues

One of the tasks you will do for the next usability report is identify usability issues and assign them severity ratings. This blog post from Measuring Usability (a blog I recommend you follow) helps you learn how to assign severity ratings. Please read it and learn from it.

2013
10/18
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Some tips for user research

  • Keep in mind this is a class project with very limited time. You might not be able to collect all the data you want. Some data is better than none. Even if you collect a lot of data, keep in mind you have to analyze it later, and that takes time, too! So, it might be ideal to conduct 12-20 interviews, but you probably should stop at about 6.

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  • Take detailed notes during data collection, in addition to audio recordings. You will probably rely on your notes a lot, because you might not have time to transcribe your recordings. Transcription is very time consuming.

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  • Remember to focus on understanding user behavior, but not asking people what they need, want, and how they would build it. It might be wise to run your interview questions by me. Your goal is to observe and understand human behavior very well so you can see opportunities for innovation.

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  • DO take advantage of existing secondary research. Look at existing reports and data, and then conduct a bit of qualitative research so you can get a deeper understanding of the issues and gain empathy for the users. For example, I am sure there are reports about how young adults consume news, or about difficulties small businesses face. (I’m not sure on any research about Thirsty Thursday, but there must be something about what constitutes good campus life). Also, there is a lot of information about teaching and teachers and how they should teach things like modeling and simulation. Find some. Don’t reinvent the wheel! You can include a summary of this secondary research in your user research report, or allow it to inform the persona(s). Make sure you cite your sources.

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  • In your user research, follow the steps you learned in class and cite your sources for the methods and processes you are using!

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  • Do not let your assumptions get in the way. Avoid the risk of seeing what you want to see – especially if you think you already know how to solve problems you haven’t researched yet.

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  • ASK ME QUESTIONS. I’m here to help. I believe there is value in you figuring things out, so try, but if you find that you are struggling too much, email me or ask me to a group meeting.

Finally, please remember that reading this blog as well as classmates’ blogs and commenting on them is a requirement of participation in this course. I think/expect that you read my posts within 1-3 days after I post them. Is that the case? Please let me know by interacting with this post as soon as you read it. It is important information and I need to know if you saw it. Like, rate, comment.

2013
09/27
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Sketchnotes

I am puzzled by how few notes students take in class these days… Maybe you have better memory than me!

I want to introduce you to a different way of taking notes – a visual way. Please browse these sets on flicks to see what sketchnotes look like:

And then, look at these slides about how to take sketchnotes and why:

What is your note taking strategy? Do you take notes? Why? Why not? How do you take notes? How do you decide what’s worth writing down and what isn’t? How do you show links and connections between ideas in your notes?

2013
09/17
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Task and time-on-task consistency across groups

[UPDATE] Please record each one of your participants’ time on task in this spreadsheet.

I have just reviewed the research plan for all groups. If you have not heard back from me, please email me ASAP.

I am noticing that groups are getting creative with writing the usability tasks and what they consider as task success. You are welcome to do so, as long as you record time on task for the initial moment when the user has found the page (has reached the URL) with that information. Record that time as T1 for each task. Then, if you ask the user to do something else on that page, that’s fine. You can record that time as T2 for each task.

It is important we keep the tasks consistent across groups, so we can see some comparisons across groups.

The tasks I wrote on the Google Doc for this assignment are:

  1. Find information about requirements for admission in the CGT graduate program.
  2. Find what courses are required for a MS in CGT degree.
  3. Find the main areas of study within CGT.
  4. Find contact information so you can request more information.
  5. Find information about receiving funding assistance for your graduate studies.
  6. Find information about CGT professors’ areas of research.
  7. Find the page where you can begin the application process for admission to graduate school.

Please keep them as they are (some MINOR wording modifications are fine, but not really necessary) and measure T1 for each task consistently for all groups.

Let me know what questions you have.

2012
11/15
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Mid-term self evaluation feedback

I have just finished reading all mid-term self evaluations. Please find individual feedback on Blackboard. I would like to elaborate here on some thoughts that apply to all or most of you:

Blogging

The blog seems to be the most difficult part. This is understandable, because it requires constant attention, and is different from what you’re used to. There are two main difficulties students reported: 1) Fear that blog posts aren’t smart enough; 2) Time management.

Fear

Please understand that blog posts do not need to be finished masterpieces. They document your thoughts, even unfinished ones. This is one of the few instances where I emphasize quantity rather than quality. Why is that? Because the purpose of the blog assignment in this class is to keep HCI on your mind; to train your mind to notice and evaluate user experiences in everyday life.

The reading reflections are meant for you to show me evidence that you read. I think they’re much more dignified than quizzes.

Time management

You need to figure out a combination of tools to help you stay on track. For me, it is my calendar client and list management tool todoist.com.

I will help you a bit more by posting some reminders on the blog – though I am a bit overqualified for the personal assistant job 😉

From what I read in the self-evaluations, you are enjoying the class and learning a lot. I am glad that is the case. If you encounter difficulties, please email me so I can help you earlier rather than later.

Now, post those reading reflections! We only have two more readings this semester!

2012
10/26
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Reading guidance for Oct. 17, 2012

While you are working on the Persona report, we are reading about the next step: Conceptual design.

As you do the readings, try to understand:

  1. What are the products of conceptual design? When we are done with conceptual design, what tangibles do we have?
  2. Some of the tools that help us come up and communicate the conceptual design are sketches, wireframes, and prototypes.  They have various levels of fidelity: low (sketches); medium (wireframes); or high (prototypes). Although we read about prototypes next week, try to figure out: Why do we use redundant tools at different levels of fidelity? And what does it mean for something to have less or more fidelity?
  3. What are other useful tools and techniques for creating conceptual design?
  4. What are some major do’s and don’ts of conceptual design?
  5. What role do users, user research, and user feedback play in conceptual design?
2012
10/15
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Reading guidance for Oct. 10, 2012

This week, you will read about some core concept of user-centered design: Personas, Scenarios, Use cases, and Task analysis. As you read, try to understand:

  1. What each concept is, and how it is different from the others
  2. How to create each one
  3. Why these are used, why they are useful, and how they are used in the larger design process
2012
10/05
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Reading guidance for Oct 3, 2012 readings

Please read the Cooper chapter first, for an overview of the topic, and the UXB chapter second, for detailed how-to information. Cooper will provide the context you need to better understand the UXB chapter.

As you do the readings for Oct 3, please focus on finding answers to these questions:

  • What are the goals of user research?
    • Why conduct it?
    • What kinds of information do we want to find out?
  • What are some available tools (research methods) for conducting user research?
  • What kinds of data can we collect? What counts as data?
  • What are some big mistakes (pitfalls) to avoid when conducting user research?
2012
09/26
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Tips on making good presentations

I have selected some slide decks from slideshare (there’s much more good stuff out there if you want to learn!) that teach and illustrate how to make good slides for presentations:

7 Tips to Create Visual Presentations

Don’t be a Powerpoint Felon

… and here is one of many good examples of good slides. You can find some on slideshare and critique them for one of your good/bad designs examples.

My challenge for you for the next presentation: DON’T USE BULLET POINTS. At all. See what happens.

2012
09/20
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