Modules

Syllabus

Project


Module 2

Understanding Users

Objectives

  1. Define cognition
  2. Describe how cognition is applied to Interface Design
  3. Describe how interfaces affect people
  4. Create audience analysis

Topics

  1. Cognition
  2. Attention
  3. Perception and Recognition
  4. Memory
  5. 7 + 2
  6. Personas
  7. Audience Analysis
  8. Affective Aspects

Readings

1. Design of Everyday Things, Chapter 2
2. Text Chapter 3
3. Text Chapter 5
4. Text Chapter 7
5. From Information Today Inc. Personas

Assignment (Homework #2)

1. (INDIVIDUAL) (2 Points) Create a persona for a possible user of your project activity.

2. (1 point) What is the

    a) activity your project will provide?
    b) Who is your audience? That is, who do you think your your users are. and what do they want to do?

3. (2 points) Audience Analysis Create an audience analysis for your project. Do not send it out yet. Wait until we give you feedback on it. Specifically:

    a) Identify who you will send/give it to
    b) Decide on the mode (interview, questionnaire, etc.) you will use
    c) Create questions that will help you design your project *for your users*.
There are many ways to receive information about/from your users: Questionnaires, Interviews (includes contextual inquiry), Focus groups, Ethnographic Studies (as done in Homework 1). You may plan any combination of these as appropriate to your project.