Week Seven Guide -- October 14, 2013 -- Interface Design

Welcome to Week Seven! Here's how to get started.

1. Read Chapter Eight in the textbook.
2. Read the additional reading linked below.

Here are the objectives for Week Seven -- in other words, the most important concepts I want you to "get" by the end of our first week:

1. List and describe principles for effective interface design.
2. Describe the process of developing design comps

Let's Talk

Multimedia Interface Design

Chapter 8 discusses the following:

• conceptualization
• working with design standards
• what to include in design comps
• how to write a design rationale document
• how to present to a client

I found the section on design comps to be helpful, as well as the design rationale document. Depending on the client, a document that explains your rationale for your interface design and visual elements could be useful. A document that answers these questions could go a long way toward stopping scope creep before it starts. Consider these questions about a multimedia or web interface:

1. How does the imagery used support your overall theme?
2. Why did you choose specific color schemes?
3. How do your font choices specifically communicate ideas?
4. How do your comps fit into brand identity guidelines?

By writing a design rationale, you can explain to your customer your design plan and hopefully answer their questions and stop unnecessary additions to the project.

Interface Design in Multimedia

For class Monday, let's concentrate primarily on the topic of interface design. Read this fairly lengthy article about interface design; I'd like you to read it and be ready to answer the questions that follow. 1. User Interface Design Principles for Interaction Design -- an article
	This article discusses interface design from a research perspective. Starting on page 99, the authors present 10 elements of an effective interface. 1. Read the article. 2. Then, contribute to our interface design document for "How to Drive a Car" -- the script we collaboratively wrote last week. Under the interface element assigned to your name, write a paragraph (or so) about how the interface you might build would address your element. 3. Finally, head over to the Google presentation slide I"ve built to add to the interface mockup for "How to Drive a Car".
For example, if your element is a "starting point", explain how you visualize that the user would start the application -- and how to stop. Would this be by a start button? If so, where is it? Where is the stop or exit button? How do you see the interface in your mind? Your contribution will be shaped by the thoughts of your classmates, so pay attention to what they are writing as you write and then possibly revise your own comments. Our Interface Design Document (Google doc) The Interface Mockup (Google presentation slide) The "How to Drive a Car" script from last week

For Class Discussion Monday, October 14, 2013

We'll also discuss these questions based on the interface design article:

1. How does the article attempt to define inteface design?

2. Why did they stratify content into a continuum bounded by scientific and poetic extremes?

3. Do you agree with their four content delivery strategies? Are these sufficient to describe all users and usage situations? What about the consumer? Is everyone either a hunter or a browser?

4. Which of their principles do you think is the most important? (You can choose more than one).

Assignments for Week Seven

• Collaborate on the multimedia interface design documents for class discussion
• Read and discuss Assignment 2 with your teammates