ssignments

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Homework 2: Observing everyday interactions (ATM

machine)

The purpose of this assignment is to give you further practice in observing how other people interact with an everyday device, trying to perform a well-defined task, and to

reflect on why some devices are simple to use, and others are hard to use.

For this assignment, observe another classmate or some other willing person using an

automated banking machine (ATM for a deposit and for a withdrawl, from walk up to

walk away (or possibly in a drive-through ATM. !rite down the steps involved (like

a simplified task analysis, and then inspect the interface and the interaction for

anything that would pose a problem for the user in completing the two tasks.

"ou should focus on the human capabilities of the user such as perceptual abilities (ordisabilities# cognitive or mental processing, including memory# and physical

movements or responses. $ow does the physical device, the screen, the buttons, the

interface, the flow of the transaction, etc., support or fail to support the user in

completing these %simple% tasks& Also, don't forget social considerations like privacy,

comfort, preferences, etc. These concepts should tie in with the lectures on human

abilities and task analysis. Ask yourself uestions like, !ere the buttons too small

(user's finger si)e was not considered appropriately by designer& !as the display too

hard to see for the older users, but no problem for the younger ones (design does not

support what we know about aging vision& *id the button-to-action mapping make

sense (stimulus-response mappings, cognition issues& $ow many times would it taketo learn the steps reuired to complete a task (learning aspects of cognition&

"ou are to write a brief report (+ pages or less on your observations. n this report,

include a clear description (aided by pictures, perhaps of the ATM (and its location

you chose and the specific task you wanted to observe people performing. Then you

are to summari)e the observations you made of other people trying to use the obect to

 perform that task. Finally, try to come up with some sort of story about what, if

anything, about the design of this ATM failed. "ou should try to use the principles

from the *FA book or the heuristics that /orman describes to back up your story,

and support your observations and conclusions with some of the things we knowabout human abilities.

$ere is a sample outline of the report you should prepare0

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ntroduction

!here was the ATM you observed and what specific task(s was it used for. riefly

indicate if you think the system is hard to use for its intended purpose.

1bservational method

!hom did you observe (what are the characteristics of that participant&, and how didyou observe that person performing the selected task&

2esults of observation

!hat were the results of your observations&

Analysis

!hat aspects of the task were easier3harder to complete& !hy& $ow& 4rovide a

theory supported by usability principles from the *FA or /orman te5tbook to

e5plain why you think the problem e5ists. f you observed few problems, discuss the

design features that were particularly good and helped avoid problems.

6ompare your observations and conclusions to other everyday obects in terms of ease

of use. For e5ample, if button si)e was a problem on the ATM, on what other

everyday obects is it also a problem& 1n what other devices could it be a problem,

 but is not&

Homework 3: Speech nter!aces

The purpose of this assignment is to have you consider the issues involved in

designing speech interfaces. "ou will call two different airline flight check systems

and perform the following hypothetical task. 7uppose that a friend of yours is flying

in that day from 6hicago to Atlanta on a flight departing around 8 pm. and arriving

around 9 pm. Find the flight number and arrival time.

Try this task on two different airline services0 *elta Airlines (8-:;;-+<=-8>>> and

American Airlines (8-:;;-<<+-=9+?. As you will see, these are two very different

speech interface styles.

6all each service twice. 1n the first time, ust perform the task to get a ualitative feel

for how the interaction works. 1n the second time, count the number of responses you provide, errors you make, and total time duration of the call.

"ou should turn in a one page review of the audio interfaces created by the two

airlines, critiuing their functionality, and suggesting possible improvements or

alternate methods of implementing such a capability. Also report your counts and

times.

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Homework ": #ind an nteresting n!ormation $is%a&i'ation

Find an interesting (static visuali)ation of data in a publication that you read or on a

web page. @se some of the visuali)ations shown in class as e5amples of what can be

found.

!hat to turn in0 Turn in a copy of the visuali)ation, or the original, if you can. Also,

submit a brief critiue (a page of the visuali)ation, assessing whether you feel it is an

effective graphic and whether it meets the obectives it was likely designed for.