ICS3211 - Intelligent Interfaces II

Combining design with technology for effective human-computer interaction

Study Unit AimsAt the end of this unit you should be able to:

• Reason about explicit and implicit user models, take into account ethics, and evaluate them;

• Design systems that adapt to different users and contexts;

• Evaluate systems that maintain an interaction with the user using smart and innovative technologies;

Learning Outcomes• Identify different user models for specific contexts;

• Apply and justify the use of a specific model, adapted to a particular situation;

• Discuss how AI techniques can contribute to a system optimisation for a more effective HCI;

• Design and test user interfaces for different purposes;

Course Syllabus • Week 1: Intelligent Interfaces; overview &

perspectives

• Week 2: Theoretical frameworks in HCI

• Week 3: Choices & Decisions

• Week 4: Computers in HCI; input technologies & AI

• Week 5: Designing devices

• Week 6: Visual design for user interfaces

• Week 7: Multimodal interfaces

• Week 8: Interface design I

• Week 9: Interface design II

• Week 10: Testing & Evaluation

• Week 11: Case Studies: Healthcare

• Week 12: Case Studies: Games

Study Unit Modality

• A Blended model using face-to-face lectures and online interactive sessions

• 2 hours on Monday 9-11 am (face-to-face)

• 2-3 hours online study (available for online chats on Thursdays 9-10 am)

Study Unit Assessment• Project (60%) - group

• Work in small groups to design, implement and evaluate a user interface through an iterative design process with a series of graded milestones (T01-T06)

• Online postings (30%) - individual

• Use the UoM Moodle VLE to view weekly readings, and participate in class discussions

• Presentation (10%) - group

• Recorded 5 minute presentation (can use multiple modalities) tracing the development of your project

The Project

• Contains 6 gradable tasks (T01-T06);

• Milestones will be announced via VLE calendar;

• Milestones will be spread across the semester;

• Online discussions will also involve your project design & development;

• T01: Project Proposal & Analysis;

• T02: Designs;

• T03: Paper Prototyping;

• T04: Computer Prototyping;

• T05: Implementation;

• T06: User Testing;

T01: Project Proposal & Analysis

• Groups should be no bigger than 3;

• Choose your own project: either web, desktop or mobile

• Carry out (a) user analysis, (b) task analysis, (c) domain analysis

• Hand in a form of a web page for the project

T02: Designs

• Write and present scenario;

• Generate 3 different storyboard designs (preliminary)

• Combine text with sketches for your storyboard and explain how each works in the scenario

• Subsections on web page will include (a) scenario and (b) designs

T03: Paper Prototyping

• Prototype building (hand sketching can work);

• Draw static background, menu, and decide on the dynamic parts of the interface;

• Prototype testing will include: user debriefing, three tasks for your users to carry out, practice paper prototype;

• Subsections on web page will include (a) prototype photos/videos,(b) briefing, (c) scenario tasks and (d) observations;

T04: Computer Prototype

• Your prototype should be:

• High fidelity in Look

• Medium fidelity in Feel

• Low fidelity in Breadth & Depth;

• This prototype will be distributed amongst your class mates so that they can do a heuristic evaluation. Therefore make sure that your prototype can run on Windows, Mac or Linux;

• On your project webpage, include a subsection called computer prototype with (a) platform, (b) brief instructions, (c) which parts are shallow, and (d) prototype link downloaded in a single file;

T05: Implementation

• Due by presentation (end of semester);

• Brief on application purpose and user population;

• Walk through of interface;

• Answer questions about your design decisions and development process;

T06: User Testing

• At least 3 representative users from your population;

• Prepare briefing and tasks;

• Provide a formative evaluation including : (a) briefing, (b) tasks and (c) observation;

• On your website make sure you have the following: (a) final design (including screenshots), (b) implementation, (c) evaluation and (d) reflection;

Online Postings

• A combination of discussions on selected papers & publications as well as project discussions;

• In project discussions, you are expected to participate in forum discussion boards to highlight challenges and share strategies with other groups and collaborators;

Online Sessions• Week 1: Project discussion

• Week 2: Readings + discussion tasks [T01]

• Week 3: Project discussion

• Week 4: Readings + discussion tasks [T02]

• Week 5: Project discussion

• Week 6: Readings + discussion tasks [T03]

• Week 7: Project Discussion

• Week 8: Project Discussion

• Week 9: Project Discussion [T04]

• Week 10: Readings + Discussion Task

• Week 11: Project Discussion [T06]

• Week 12: Readings + Discussion Task [T05 to be presented in class]

The Presentation

• To be delivered after the end of the last exam (or as agreed amongst ourselves);

• Presentation should feature a 5 min run through of application as well as possible 5 mins briefing + questions as per T05;

User Interface Design

The evolution of human-computer interaction

• The human side of the human-computer interaction changes very slowly;

• Much of what was learned about our perceptual, cognitive, social and emotional processes when we interacted with the older technologies applies to our interaction with the emerging technologies;

HCI vs. CHI• HCI covers research areas of:

• human factors & ergonomics

• information systems

• computer science

• library & information systems

• CHI is narrower with a specific focus on computer science

Origins of H & I (19th century)

• Taylor (1911) - improve work practices by reducing performance time;

• Gilbreth (1914) - efficiency & worker experience as a founder of human factors;

• World Wars I & II prompted human engineering, human factors & ergonomics;

Origins of H & I (19th century)

• Late nineteenth century - the evolution of technologies & practices for compressing, distributing & organising information;

• Photography used for documentation;

• Library services & management in the US took precedence over technology;

• Otlet implemented UDC in Belgium - financed in 1919 to fund the Mundaneum;

• HCI has evolved from the memex, vacuum tubes, and early computing, to new systemic research based on vision and computer graphics, interconnectedness, and information science.

• More recent evolution of computer science, AI, & computer graphics and the Internet era

–Paul Boag

“Users are not always logical, at least not on the surface. To be a great designer you need to look a little deeper into how people think

and act.”