Java Python 31777 | 32509 Advanced Interaction Design
ASSIGNMENT 1: USER EXPERIENCE JOURNALS
1. OVERVIEW
Our user experiences with digital products are affected by many factors. So, if we wish to design digital solutions that can potentially offer more desirable user experiences, we must first understand what these factors are and how they affect our user experience.
In this assignment, you will submit two (2) journal entries. Each journal entry will focus on your use of a prescribed digital product in a real-life activity. Your task is to document and later, reflect and analyse your interactions as well as experiences with each digital product. Each journal entry will assess your ability to:
• clearly and thoroughly identify the different factors involved in the interaction
• explain how and why each factor are involved in shaping your overall user experience
2. AIMS OF THE ASSIGNMENT
The assignment assesses the student’s ability to:
1. Identify the factors involved and explain how they affect the unfolding experience
2. Describe the unfolding experience holistically
3. Identify and describe the quality of the experience
3. REQUIREMENTS
Complete two journal entries using the template provided. The template is created to guide you in your description and analysis of the unfolding user experience.
4. FOCUS OF THE TWO JOURNALS
A. Journal 1: Using Miro to create a Persona
Background: this journal requires you to report and reflect on your user experience of using a digital product that you are somewhat familiar with
i. The interaction: Creating a Persona using Miro (@ miro.com)
You interviewed of some of your fellow students in Tutorial Week 1 and Week 2.
You were asked to create a Persona based on each of your interview data. Now, for this assignment,choose one set of interview data and create a Persona using Miro.
i. Advice: You should pre-prepare the relevant information required for the Persona before starting the activity for this journal (i.e. before you start creating your
Persona on Miro)
ii. The task: Document your interactions and experiences of using Miro to create
your Persona onto the journal template. Attach the Persona to the journal entry for your submission.
iii. Submission date: before your tutorial on Week 4
B. Journal 2: Conducting a team meeting using Zoom
Background: this journal requires you to report/reflect on your user experience of a digital product that you are familiar with but involves a strong social aspect
i. The interaction
Make a video call with your camera on with a group of your classmates (at least 2 others) from this subject using Zoom. The aim of the callisto share and learn about each other’s commuting experiences or to share your current design ideas. Everyone must also take turns to use share screen to share experiences/ideas. Make sure that one person in the meeting is recording the meeting and that the recording is shared with each other after the meeting.
ii. Requirement: You must switch on the camera during the meeting. You must also use the share screen function. You must record the meeting. When using the template, the ‘technology’ will include all the features involved during the call.
iii. Advice: Discuss with your teammates which team meeting you will use to
document this activity. Select one person as the host who creates and shares the zoom link with the others. The host is most likely the person recording the meeting.
iv. The task: Document your interactions and experiences onto the journal template. Individuals must provide the link to the meeting’s recording
v. Submission date: before your tutorial on Week 7
5. TEMPLATE
You must use the template to write your journal entry. The template provides guides with headings to ensure that you include all the necessary aspects when describing user experiences. Take your time to understand the different sections of the template and what is expected of you from each of the headings. Add more rows to the table as needed. Most of all, think carefully about the best way to tell your ‘story’ of what happened and your use experience of the technology.
You will get opportunities to try out the journal template during tutorial Week 1 and 2. You will also see a sample of a completed journal.
You will receive feedback for Journal 1 before submitting Journal 2. The feedback from Journal 1 can be used to help you improve your Journal 2. Each journal is worth 10 marks. There will be a video presentation to explain the sample journal and the journal template
Including supporting materials
Appropriate supporting materials such as sketches, annotated diagrams, pictures, etc., can help support the clarity and accuracy of your written descriptions. When used well, they allow the reader to gain a deeper sense or even empathise with your experience. When including these visual materials, it is important to annotate them carefully and descriptively to help the reader understand why the material is included.
6. SUBMITTING THE JOURNALS
Total Marks | 20 (10 marks per journal) |
Due Dates | Journal1 before Week 4 tutorial Journal 2 before Week 7 tutorial |
Submission | Submit via the link on Canvas (see Assignment tab) Late penalties apply without prearranged extension. |
Return | Journal 1 will be marked and returned by Week 6 |
7. MARKING CRITERIA
Criteria | not shown 0 | Poor 1 | OK 2 | Good 3 | Very Good 4 |
Can clearly and holistically describe the unfolding experience of the human-computer interaction (Template Part B) | |||||
Can convincingly describe and explain how the factors affected your human-computer interaction experience (Template Part C) | |||||
not shown 0 | Poor 0.5 | OK 1 | Good 1.5 | Very Good 2 | |
Description and explanations for improvements that are focused, relevant, and actionable (Template Part D, E, F) | |||||
Total marks for each journal (10 marks) |
To achieve high marks for Part B of the template:
• Detailed descriptions of actions, thoughts, and feelings. The reader clearly knows what the user is trying to achieve in every step of the human-computer interaction
• At each step, the experience is clearly described and whether this has been impacted by either the usability, usefulness, emotional impact, desirability, or meaningfulness of the system
• Clear and convincing explanations of why and how the user thinks it is usability, usefulness, emotional impact, desirability, or meaningfulness impact the ongoing experience
To achieve high marks for Part C of the template:
• Usability: able to describe the level of usability (poor, ok, good, very good, etc) and convincingly explain why this evaluation is provided using concepts ease of use, lack of errors, learnability, productivity, retainability/memorability
• Usefulness: able to describe whether the technology is useful in relation to the activity the
technology is used for to achieve the goal. This requires thorough convincing explanations using concepts like Utility, Fit for Purpose, Reliability.
• Clear and convincing explanations of why and how you believe it is usable, useful, has emotional impact, or meaningfulness and their impact on the ongoing experience.
• User:familiarity, past experiences and proficiency: needs to address each of the sub-points. Tech is not just the main tech but also include the devices/hardware
• User: expectations, anticipation, hope. Clear explanations of what was expected with regards to how you think the experience will be when using this tech to achieve the desired goal of this activity. Not about your expectations about the assignment or anything else
To achieve high marks for Part D & E of the template:
• The recommendations are derived from and related to the descriptions of UX earlier in the journal
• There are multiple recommendations
• The reasons for the recommendations are clear
• The recommendations are focused and actionable
NOTE:
Journal 1: Two marks will be deducted if the Persona is not attached to the submission
Journal 2: Two marks will be deducted if a link to the actual recording is not attached to the submission