DTUI Booksite Project 3: Storyboard Construction [Project 2] [Projects Menu] [Project 4]

Goals:

An HCI professional would be required to know how to work with others to design an interface from a scientific as well as an artistic (graphic design) point-of-view.

Task:

The problem is to provide a storyboard (sb) view of interaction with a computer application that supports a particular task. A storyboard is a picture/drawing that shows what the screen looks like at one instance of time. Several storyboards (sbs) in sequence show how the screen changes in response to user interaction.

The sbs should be prepared with any drawing/painting tools you wish to use. Indicate on the sb any sounds you wish to add to actions -- polite ones only please. Button presses causing belches (or worse) will lose points (OK, OK, so I'm no fun).

No implementation is to be done! This is an exercise in:

• task analysis,
• user analysis,
• screen design,
• icon design, and
• interaction design.

The interaction is required to support the building of a simple "sentence" on the screen so that the other person can see it and understand it. No words are to be used, only icons.

You may assume that very simple, introductory help is available for users in their own language.

All communication between the two users takes place via the interface. i.e., dont worry about where they're sitting, standing, etc.

Neither body language nor grunting is allowed/available as part of the communication. This is a gruntless interface.

The ``progression of the writer's sentence'' can be made visible if you want it to be. That seems pretty natural. The way that the sentence is formed over time, and what that means must be clear, and is up to you. The alternative is to just have the final sb indicate the whole meaning.

Try not to be too concerned about possible implementation of this system. Just make design choices that are possible to implement in a reasonable way (i.e., no holographic icons).

The ``sentence'' that the system must show being ``written'' is:

Mary became sad at the Airport as she remembered John getting onto the plane to leave for England. {Footnote}

Hand In:

The sbs you hand in should show how the ``writer'' finds the icons s/he wants, selects them and arranges them for viewing. You do not need to include all the icon selection actions if the sequence is long, but it should be clear from the sbs you provide how each will be done. Sbs showing both the initial and final screens are required.

A system that can be used to build all possible sentences would need to offer very many icons for selection. We don't expect that your sbs will show anything other than the icons related in some way to the ones you need for the target sentence given above.

You are to design both the screen layouts, and the appropriate icons. Consequently there are many design decisions to be made. Hand in a document that describes the rationales for the screen and icon designs.

Evaluation:

Each presentations will be evaluated by the rest of the class. The evaluation criteria are given below. Forms will be provided.

Evaluation Criteria:

(1 = weak; 2 = OK; 3 = good; 4 = very good; 5 = excellent)

                                                                 SCORE  
                                                        _________________________

Do the screen designs look attractive?                  1     2     3     4     5   
Is the use of the screen intuitive/natural?             1     2     3     4     5   
Do the Icons show creativity?                           1     2     3     4     5   
Can you easily understand the "sentence"?               1     2     3     4     5   
Could an African pygmy use the system successfully?     1     2     3     4     5   
Would it work just as well if one was left handed?      1     2     3     4     5   
Would it work just as well if one normally wrote 
  from Top to Bottom?                                   1     2     3     4     5   
How well have all the design decisions been explained?  1     2     3     4     5   
                                                        __________________________
                                        Column totals=
                                                        __________________________

                                          Grand Total=  



___________________________________________________
Footnote:

     Hey, it could have been worse! 

     e.g., "If music be the food of love, play on."
           "Who's on first?"
           "Oh no, not the Comfy Chair!"
           "Play it again Sam."
           {your favorite here}

Please send comments and suggestions to the Booksite Director Last Updated: 12 March 2000