Overview

For this assignment, you will be choosing and describing two products that require human interaction. The goal is to practice describing and analyzing a product's interface as well as develop an awareness to different kinds of users and to what constitutes good or poor design.

Choosing your products

To complete this assignment, you will need to choose two products: one that you find particularly easy to use and one you find difficult to use. Simple software applications (e.g. calculators, image viewers, text editors) or Web sites are examples of possible choices. Public domain software and Web CGI's and applets are a good place to look. Tangible products such as ATM machines or CTA ticket dispensers are acceptable too. On the other hand, complicated office and business software such as word processors, database systems, or spreadsheets are too complicated given the time and effort expected of this assignment.

Describing your products

For the product you find easy to use, describe or answer the following (each in a few sentences):

• What is the product?
• What task does the product perform?
• Present one way in which this product is easy for you to use
• How would someone else find this product difficult to use?
• How could this difficulty be resolved?

For the product you find difficult to use, describe or answer the following (each in a few sentences):

• What is the product?
• What task does the product perform?
• Present one way in which this product is difficult for you to use
• How could this difficulty be resolved?
• How would someone else find this product easy to use?

With a few sentences, summarize an important difference between the two products that affected your answers.

Questions?

Send me email (cmiller@cs.depaul.edu) if you have any questions. I am also willing to provide some feedback on your choice of product or on one or two of your responses, but please don't wait until the last day for my help. For email messages, I generally work best with simple text (as opposed to attachments).

Grading

This assignment is worth 15 points. A report that reasonably responds to all of the instructions will generally receive 12 or 13 points. A report that consists of thoughtful and well-edited answers will merit 14 points and, for some outstanding reports, 15 points.

Here are some considerations for creating that outstanding report:

• While obvious answers (e.g. "A hearing-impaired user would have difficulty with the telephone menu system") may technically answer a question, consider less obvious cases for describing usability issues.
• Consider the usability of your report. For example, think of helpful ways to format your report so that I can quickly find your answers.
• Consider a user's experience and knowledge when answering the questions. Be precise when descibing these characteristics.

Submission

Submit your report using any widely available format (e.g. Word, PDF, HTML) to dlweb.