Frequently Asked Questions

Here are answers to some of the questions that many of you have emailed to me, I'm putting them here so everyone can see them...

First, some general comments:

The point of this whole project is the process for designing, specifying, and testing the user interface, not the quality of your actual interface. The assignment is about going through each step and learning the methodology.

Many of the items (like user characteristics, usability goals, some scenarios, storyboards, design metaphors) should take less than a page each. Scenarios might take a little more. For storyboards, it just depends on how you draw them. For the conceptual model, see the template in the assignment sheet, you'll probably have a few objects to specify, probably well under ten.

Conceptual model

Q: When defining "objects" that the user should know about, I've narrowed it down to two possible levels of description. I could say simply that the objects the user needs to know about are a "buddy," a "buddy list," etc. In this case, the menus and menu items would be listed as actions that can be performed in the objects. OR, I could bring in a lot more detail and discuss every single menu item and menu, etc. as objects, though I'm not sure what actions could be performed on menus. This second method strikes me as getting too bogged up in the details. What do you think?

A: The first way. At the conceptual (and semantic) levels, we don't talk about the user interface objects at all -- no menus, buttons, widgets. Just the underlying conceptual model (people, messages, lists). At this point, we're only designing the basic functions that the system can do. We haven't started to specify how the user executes those functions.

Q: Also in the conceptual model, are objects considered to be both the hardware interations (buttons, keyboard, jogdial, etc) as well as on screen things such as buttons?

A: Ditto -- no buttons, no screen widgets, just the underlying concepts (messages, users, groupings of users).

Q: For the objects (in the conceptual part deliverable) and their relationships (you mean data objects? which means information modeling) as opposed GUI objects.

A: Yes!

User, Usability

Q: User characteristics: Is this something arbitrary that I choose?

A: Yes, within the confines of the assignment sheet (it gives some parameters of the user population) and also of the kinds of test subjects you're likely to be able to get.

Q: Usability Goals: Is this just a summarization of the goals of the prototype?

A: State some more specific, quantitative goals -- x minutes to learn how to use, y seconds to send a single message, z% error rate.

Scenario, Storyboard, Metaphor

Q: I'm confused by the difference between scenarios, storyboards and design metaphors.

A: Scenario is a sequence of events to perform a task, like the man with the umbrella stroller in one of our lecture examples. Storyboard is a cartoon that illustrates a scenario. Metaphor is different...see question below.

The scenario describes how the system will be used -- but not which buttons the user will press to use it, it's more like a statement of requirements (think of the umbrella stroller example in class).

The storyboard gets a little more specific, cause you need some idea of what the interface will be like there -- but not much, you don't have to describe exactly which button the user presses.

Q: Scenarios / Story boards: I think you mean like layout a few scenarios of usage and how the design naviagates through these scenarios. Story boards meaning like small diagrams?

A: Yes, describe a few typical or key scenarios for using your device. And the storyboard is like a little cartoon strip (stick figures are fine, don't worry about your artistic skill) illustrating the scenario.

Q: For the story boards, do you want both GUI sketches and the actual physical hardware sketches? Also, can I use photoshop or some other computer drawing tool to create these image?

A: Just plain hand sketches showing some sequences or scenarios of the usage of the system. We haven't designed any specific screens or hardware at this point in the process. You're welcome to use a computer drawing tool, but it's probably overkill for the simple sketches you need here.

Q: I am unclear as to what the storyboard can be used to communicate at this conceptual level. As soon as I begin to draw the device, I am getting into widget and screen design. Since that is not part of this assignment, it seems the only thing to draw is a stick figure holding a box.

A: And then show the stick figure going through several steps of wanting to send a message, checking to see who's on line, or whatever. OK, the pictures may be repetitive, but you get the idea :-)

Q: Say if I have 3 scenarios, do I need to make 3 sets of storyboards to match the scenarios? Or can I pick the most involved scenario and just make one set of storyboards?

A: Yes, each scenario matches one storyboard, I don't see how to combine two scenarios into one storyboard. But you don't have to provide a storyboard for every one of your scenarios, you could skip some.

Q: Design Metaphors: not sure what to do for this

A: If you want to use any analogies or metaphors in your design (like we use a desktop for computer files), mention them here. For this project, it might be a telephone, or a cocktail party. Or you may not have a metaphor, depends on your plans for your design.

More details on conceptual model

Q: What do you mean by object attributes and object relationships?

A: Attributes: For each object (user, message) tell if it has any information associated with it (admin user vs. regular user, online vs. offline user). Relationships: What are the relationships between the object? User has zero or more incoming messages. Buddy list has zero or more users, etc.

Q: In the conceptual model template, for each object, we do not necessarily need to fill in all information regarding "object, object attributes, object relationship .. actions on object relationships", do we (i.e. we only need to do so when such information is relevant)?

A: That's right. And you want a separate copy of the template for each object, and fill in those parts of each template that apply to that object.

Q: So say ATM user is the object, then account number is attribute. Then what could be object relationship and actions on object relationships?

A: In this example, I'd say user and account are both objects. The relationship is that the user has one or more accounts. Actions on relationships could be that the user adds or deletes another account.

Miscellaneous

Q: Are we to deliver our papers to Bradley's email box (if so, what format is preferable?), or does Bradley have a physical mailbox that the papers need to be dropped into?

A: To his physical mailbox, which is in the EECS department office, using old fashioned paper hardcopy, in any format you like, including hand-drawn sketches where appropriate.

Q: I just noticed that the deadline for all assignments is 5:00 p.m. I am a commuter student, only taking this one class, is there any way you could extend the time to 7 or 8 pm, instead of 5? I already have to leave work early twice a week to make the class.