Transcript
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Campus Solution Redesign: The Importance of User-Centered DesignHF 490

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Abstract

When designing a system it is always important to know how to engage the user.

This revolves around the concept of User Experience Design. It is important to know that

one does not design a positive experience but creates the tool to guide the user towards

the positive experience. Once the user is engaged it is vital to provide them with a

feasible way into immersion, which can then help the user achieve a flow state. The flow

state and immersion are two distinct terms that often get interchanged. Immersion is

defined as “suspension of disbelief in an activity”, where as a flow state is, in layman’s

terms, an “in the zone” state. A designer can effectively guide the user into immersion

but the flow state primarily depends on the user. Due to a limited amount of time and

restriction of resources, further assessments may have to be done before product

deployment.

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This section of the assessment contains my report done for my Human

Factors in Entertainment Systems course. The reason behind this particular report is due

to the fact that it encompasses the development process and approach I have performed

in order to create a prototype.

Before diving into depths of various applications of UX Design, first we must

learn what is UX Design. UX Design, or User Experience Design, can be derived from

human- computer interaction studies of the Human Factors field.  Although there might

not be a pinpoint date on when UX Design emerged, several experts say that it flourished

in the technological industries around the 1980’s and 1990’s. The discovery of the

benefits of this field created a dire need of UX designers, which caused the definition of

UX design to become vague. Over the years, experts have been debating over the content

of UX design and it’s necessity.

(http://community.infragistics.com/pixel8/media/p/95683.aspx)

    What is UX design? There is no standard definition, which causes everyone to

give their own perception of what it is. Several experts say it’s “Every aspect of the user's

interaction with a product, service, or company that make up the user's perceptions of the

whole.”(http://www.usabilitybok.org/glossary). By definition, this is quite vague in

content, which causes an immense amount of confusion. This confusion causes a

distorted idea among companies. For example, website designers often think UX design

is solely aesthetics and emotion. Where as more technical industries view it as

programming. Although I might not be an expert with a wooden gavel to set a standard

definition, I have come up with a simple introductory concept of what UX Design is.

UX Design and its Application in Campus Solutions

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Before going into further detail I would like to state that the following content are my

opinions based on research and articles I have read and done.

UX design is the collaboration of various fields in order to create or enhance an

existing product. An article by Aaron Weyenberg (Free Lance Front End Developer),

states that the idea that a user experience can be created is false, but rather that “What is

actually being designed is a support system to facilitate the formation of user

experiences.” (http://aaronweyenberg.com/1934/why-im-not-a-ux-designer-and-neither-

are-you). In other words, designers are developing products and tools that allow us to

create our own experiences.  I agree with his statement due to my perception of UX

design. A user experience is individual, not every one person can have the same exact

experience. Although the experience is unique towards each person, designers can aim

towards a certain range of experiences. This can be done in several ways, such as

analyzing the users mental model to a simple task analysis.  The User Experience is

generally composed of a combination of visual design, interaction design, information

architecture, system development, programming, and information content. Depending on

the nature of the product, the emphasis of each portion fluctuates.   UX design also

emphasizes on the overall mood it sets for the user when executing tasks.

    How does UX design apply to redesigning Campus Solutions? First and foremost,

UX design is used initially to engage the user, usually via visual design, of the overall

product. It can range from appearance to tactile attributes of the human-computer

interface or much more tangible characteristics, such as the specific type of glass Apple

uses on their IPhones. This is much more than making a product aesthetically pleasing

but rather attracting the user via biological responses. This is as simple as feel; for

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example, if you introduce a two types of controls, one rough and one soft (or smooth), to

a user , inevitably the user would prefer the control with the smooth or soft exterior. Why

is this? This is due to the fact that rough is usually synonymous with pain and discomfort,

while smooth or soft is usually related to comfort. By nature we analyze objects through

basic stimulus and senses, such as touch. You can easily see this idea come into play

when infants are wandering around trying to touch everything. According to a UK user

experience consulting firm, Webcredible, “people aren't able to distinguish usable and

less usable objects, believing the aesthetically pleasing ones to be most

usable.”(http://www.webcredible.co.uk/user-friendly-resources/web-usability/aesthetics-

usability.shtml) They came to this conclusion based on a study done with multiple ATM

interfaces, where users were asked to give a usability rating for each interface. The

studied showed that users weren’t able to tell aesthetics and usability apart but rather one

in the same. This is what they refer to the “Halo Effect”; which Google dictionary refers

to “The tendency for an impression created in one area to influence opinion in another

area”. Although aesthetics gives the first impression, much more is needed. Webcredible

continued on stating that “This halo effect doesn't hold for long...” and “Usability

becomes an important factor after a limited interaction with a product”. 

    I am going to deviate from the artistic feel portion of the UX design and enter

into the more technical aspects, such as information architecture , programming , and user

research. UX designers are usually confused as programmers with an artistic background

among the technological industries. Although that might not be the case, it is always good

to have programming skills when creating prototypes. There is obviously an immense

amount programing gone into hardware and software but the programmers projects have

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to be given parameters in order to create a functional prototype. The main reason behind

this is that once the programmers have created a product without parameters from user

researchers, the project usually becomes more technology-centered rather than user-

centered. This will call for corrections to be made, which causes negative effect on

budget and time constraint. 

    User researchers are an essential need for a UX design team in order to assess the

users needs. User researches in video games asses the physical and cognitive interaction

that a user under goes thru when executing a task. They find ways to make actions much

more intuitive rather than robust. This bridges the gap between user and designer. The

users mental model allows the designers to make system much more adaptable to the

user. It also allows the designer to know where and how to prevent users from

committing errors.

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Before the actual design process begins there is essential information that has to

be acquired to lay the foundation of the overall product. First we have to identify the

users’ needs by establishing a set of requirements and identifying the users. Based on the

product and users, proper methods have to be chosen amongst the large selection that can

retrieve this information. The appropriate methods for the Campus Solution Database are

Analysis of Similar Systems, System Usability Scale, and focus groups. There are two

types of users, students and professors, and each encounter different interfaces based on

the nature of the tasks; this assessment will focus on student users.. Due to the different

interfaces between the two users a different assessment will have to be performed for the

employee (professors) interface.

System Overview

University databases are a traditional medium in which both students and faculty

access information, communicate, and perform university related tasks. Embry-Riddle

uses two databases: ERNIE and Campus Solutions. The database that will be reviewed is

Embry-Riddle’s Campus Solutions. The purpose of this study is to conduct multiple

usability assessments using Human Factors test and evaluations and interaction design

concepts to enhance user experience, run optimally, and to reveal the importance of

human centered design.

Campus Solutions is a database that consists of a home page that can be accessed

through Embry-Riddle’s primary database, ERNIE. Once entering the Campus Solutions

homepage there are several links, task based applications, and search bars that redirects

the user to certain information and tasks. Within the actual interface lies plenty of room

Phase 1: Concept Exploration and Definition

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for revision from information structure to visual design. Each aspect of the interface, such

as font size and information structure, do not seem to have an immense negative impact

individually but when cumulated they have a damaging effect on the user experience and

task performance. By enhancing each and every aspect we eliminate the need of constant

revision and change of databases.

The key for a system to run optimally is to remember that the user is also part of

the system. If the user cannot properly achieve the optimum task performance, the overall

system fails to accomplish its purpose. During the usability assessment, human factors

methods will be implemented on every phase of the system design. Mental and physical

activities will be measured to determine how much workload is placed on the user

according to the task. Another aspect that will be reviewed is information

communication. Choosing the proper words to communicate a specific function

eliminates confusion on what a command does versus what a user might think it does. It

is also vital that the meanings of these words do not overlap with each other and be

descriptive of the function. Creating a user-centered design versus a technological

centered design will allow the user to run the application efficiently and successfully.

Campus Solution Survey

Survey Process

A survey is a type of questionnaire that can be used to assess quantitative data on

a subject. The survey was performed in the first phase of the system development process

(concept exploration and definition) in order to create parameters for future tests,

prototype design, and to assess usability measures. The surveys were distributed thru an

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online survey website. This was done to ease accessibility of information depending on

the users environment at the time. Unfortunately there were a few major drawbacks

regarding time and information.

Before having access to users to create sample groups for testing, an IRB form

had to be filled out. This is where I encounter my first obstacle, where there was an

inconvenient amount of time retrieving permission to proceed. This created a time

restriction on the overall project time span. Permission was granted during the spring

break session of the university, which was roughly the last quarter of the semester.

Mainly due to students’ busy time schedule at the end of the semester, the late response

created difficulty obtaining sample groups. Based on this particular experience, I have

learned to take into account for users’ time environment. Although this was a major

setback, information was retrieved and relevant.

Survey Composition and Analysis

The survey was divided into two portions, which included a system usability

survey and task specific survey questions. The system usability survey was done to

analyze the overall system usability according to performance, reliability, and integration.

This portion consisted of 10 questions with a likert scale answer key. The answer key

rating was ranged from 1 to 5, 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being strongly agree. The

system usability survey portion was obtained from a standard system usability scale

provided by John Brooke’s SUS pdf.

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The first question asked the user if they would like to use this system frequently,

which got an average response rating of 2.5. The data consisted of 54.6% of survey

takers responding strongly disagree (1,27.3%) or disagree (2, 27.3%). The remaining

responses varied from neutral (3, 18.2%) , agree (4, 18.2%), and strongly agree (5, 9.1%).

The overall system usability rating for campus solutions was 527.5 , which is below the

average threshold of 600. This number was retrieved by the standard system usability

calculations.

These numbers have shown that there is a direct correlation of poor usability and

a negative user experience. Looking at the chart above can show this. This would lead to

system under utilization, where 54.6% of users stated they would not like to use this

system frequently. These calculations show that there were various problems that users

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encountered while using the system. Examples of these problems were inconsistency,

integration, and ease of learning. As shown in questions 4, 5, and 8 there was an

abnormal distribution of scores deviating from both extremes. This abnormal distribution

called for a more in depth investigation on these topics, thus setting the parameters for

following analysis.

The second portion of the questionnaire consisted of 4 task specific questions and

a suggestion question. The first question asked the user how much time does it take to

complete a task on campus solutions. The answers ranged from “A lot less than I

expected”, “Less than I expect”, “About what I expected”, and “More than I expected”,

and “A lot more than I expected”. The majority of users, 58.3% to be exact, answered

“More than I expected”. This narrowed the one of issues to time of task execution. The

following question pertained to what features the students use in campus solutions. As

shown in chart A below, course registration came in first while viewing transcripts and

viewing finances came in second. This was done to obtain the primary and secondary

tasks when organizing the prototype layout. Although this shows a rough idea of what

tasks users perform, the third question asked about the frequency. In chart B, one can see

that the most frequently used application was viewing finances but it also validates that

the overall system is under utilized. One of the answer keys provided a comment box,

which allowed the user to state any non-listed applications or random comments they

may have. One specific user stated that they were unaware of the many applications that

campus solutions had to offer. This infers that there is a problem with the overall

organization of the system.

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(A)

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(B)

The last two questions dealt with system quality and suggestions. The users were

asked to rate the quality of specific sections of the system thru a likert scale answer key.

The answer key ranged from “Unacceptable”, “Below Average”, “Average”, “Above

Average”, and “Very High Quality”. As seen in chart C below, each section of the

system and the overall system were rated below average. The home page specifically

was rated below average by 75% of the users. We can infer that the users are unsatisfied

with the overall system due to poor usability based on the information given. The last

and final question was optional and had two responses. The question asked the users to

state any suggestions or comments they about campus solutions. One user informed that

campus solutions was an initial step deviating away from Embry-Riddle’s prior database

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but it had a quite a few bugs to fix. The second response was much more verbally explicit

but it shows a strong discontent and satisfaction towards campus solutions.

(C)

The survey helped acquire parameters and sections that should go under analysis.

Although there were a few setbacks, the information obtained was relevant. It helped

narrow down specific issues that need to be dealt with, what were the primary tasks, and

the users satisfaction of the overall system. The information given infers system under

utilization that can cause the developers to design a new revised system. Without a proper

analysis, the developers may not know how to fix the issues.

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These are the set of requirements that were obtained by the end of this phase.

The set of requirements range from task/information requirements to project goals.

Which are:

-Function and Purpose: Campus Solutions should provide students with an

easy and accessible way to obtain information.

- User Attributes: The system must be intuitive by nature allowing a low

learning curve for users. No training must be required.

- Environment: The medium in which Campus Solutions will be accessible

is thru a website display.

- Project Goals: The purpose of this study is to conduct multiple usability

assessments using Human Factors test and evaluations and interaction design

concepts to enhance user experience, run optimally, and to reveal the importance

of human centered design.

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Task Analysis and Methods

Hierarchical Task Analysis

When creating a system or product it is vital to ensure that there is a strong

relationship between the user’s and the designer’s mental model. By bridging this gap the

designer will be able to ensure that user will understand the message they are trying to

convey. Initially, a designer must analyze each and every task within a product. This is

done to obtain the designer’s perspective on how to approach a task. A simple

hierarchical task analysis, where every task is broken down into sub groups of human

computer interaction, will provide the designer with an outline of where they can shorten

task execution. By performing a hierarchical task analysis, the designer can eliminate

any unnecessary actions to avoid any user errors. According to the survey data, an HTA

(hierarchical task analysis) was performed on primary and frequently used tasks. Such as

viewing transcripts, viewing Finances / Financial Aid / Payment Plan, and Course

Registration / Catalog / Schedule.

The first task analysis was based on viewing transcripts. As we can see in the

chart below, we began the analysis at the home screen of Ernie, Emrby-Riddle’s primary

database, and clicked the Campus Solutions icon. This brought up a separate window that

directed us to the solution center of Campus Solutions. There were two ways to proceed

to the view transcript page. On the top of the page there is a horizontal menu layout. This

menu contains four tabs: Favorites, Main Menu, Self Service, and Student Center. The

two options to access the view transcript page are Main Menu and Self Service. If you

click the main menu tab, a drop down menu opens up. Afterwards, the user must click

self-service. This can also be achieved if the user were to originally click the Self Service

Phase 2: Concept Demonstration and Validation

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tab located on the horizontal menu. After opening the self-service tab or drop down

menu, the menu once again branches out giving the user multiple actions. The user then

has to click Academic Records to access another menu choice. Finally there is a View

Transcript option. Once the user clicks the view transcript option, they are transferred to

another web page. This second interface contains two drop down input bars, both only

containing one choice. After the user is done selecting their input then they can hit the

view report button. Afterwards they are presented with two separate options that that will

lead to the same transcript pdf and information.

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After analyzing and breaking down each task into separate sub elements, I

discovered there were redundancy issues, inconsistent menu compatibility, and

inconsistent content labeling. The first aspect of inconsistent content labeling can be seen

on the first interface the user encounters. Since the user is directed to the solution center,

they infer that they have arrived at the home screen when in fact they have not. If they

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were to click the home button, located at the right corner of the page, they are transferred

to a blank page.

In this particular moment is when the inconsistent menu compatibility issue

arises. The 4 tab horizontal menu shortens two primary tabs. Only through processes of

elimination can the user identify icons and their functions. The trial of process of

elimination can be divided into two categories: Visual/Cognitive trials and Physical trials.

A Visual/Cognitive trial is the procedure of using previous knowledge of a system layout

to determine the icon function along with using color coordination and labels. During this

moment the user is referring to their mental model of the system to determine their next

action. After this initial step of the process of elimination the user moves on to physical

interaction trials. A physical interaction trial is the process of constant human computer

interaction. This inconsistency travels throughout the system layout, which deteriorates

the overall performance of the user and the system.

The third issue that can be witnessed at the solution center interface is

redundancy. In the horizontal menu there are two different options to arrive to the same

information. As the user proceeds deeper into the system layout similar redundancy

occurs. There two types of redundancy: Structured Redundancy and Unstructured

Redundancy. Structured redundancy is creating multiple ways to perform one action in an

organized manor based on the necessity of the task, while they do not overlap each other.

Unstructured redundancy is the processes of creating multiple ways to perform one action

but they over lap each other. The issue at hand is unstructured redundancy. Unstructured

redundancy creates an over flow of information that is displayed to the user. The

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overflow of information causes the user to go back and forth in between several pages.

This can be seen in the two HTA flow charts below.

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Verbal Protocol Analysis

Afterwards I obtained the user’s mental model by executing a verbal protocol

analysis. In this particular analysis the user performs a certain task while verbally

describing every single cognitive and physical action. Although it is time costly, it

effectively allows designers to know the users mental model of the product.

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From this we can analyze what visual and audio cues allow the user to infer how to get

from point A to point B. For example, the use of underlining and bolding significant

words or sentences conveys much more information than physical contrast. Although

simple, this contrast guides the user to predict future interactions. Without any physical

interaction, the user can infer what content they will encounter, what future actions they

will have to perform, and how to reverse their actions. Simple and basic cues help

develop the users mental model of how the product behaves or will behave. This

information helps the designer create a product that adapts to the user rather than the

other way around, therefore lowering the learning curve of the product. Another benefit

of a verbal protocol analysis is the ability to track speed of task execution. By calculating

the mean speed of a sample group, designers can then establish a set time it would take to

execute a task. Once again because of the time restriction on both the students and I had,

I was unable to obtain a large sample group. For the verbal protocol analysis I asked the

users to perform the three primary tasks, which were viewing transcripts, viewing

Finances / Financial Aid / Payment Plan, and Course Registration / Catalog / Schedule.

When the users were asked to view their unofficial transcripts, there were a lot of

miss interactions. The user started off at the ERNIE home page and then afterwards

clicked the Campus Solutions Icon. When the user arrived at the solution center page is

where the first encountered a Miss. As shown in the picture below, the user instinctively

clicked student account link. The link brought the user to a different feature. The user

then proceeded to view statement of account, where again the user encountered a Miss.

Eventually after returning to the solution center screen, the user clicked to the my

academic link. This revealed another approach than originally expected. Once transferred

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to the correct webpage the user was presented with various options, one of them being the

transcript page. After properly being directed to the view transcript page , with the drop

down menus, the user encountered another issue. When user hit the view transcript

button, they complained about the computer freezing. What has happened here was in

fact improper validation of their action. As shown on the picture below, the loading icon

was designed to appear on the far right of the screen away from the users focus.

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The user was asked to perform the same action but with different tasks. The user

encountered similar issues as the initial verbal protocol analysis. One of the tasks was to

view the payment plan section of the finances. Eventually after a couple tries the user

decided to give up. The third task the user was asked to perform was to register for a

class. Once again the user found an unexpected way to reach the course registration page.

Overall the user faced a high challenge from the system while only having a low skill set.

While the user was asked to perform the different tasks, stress was

reported beyond the actual navigation process. The user’s frustration derived from three

separate stressors that gradually increased simultaneously. The three stressors were

nature of the task, previous experience with Embry-Riddle systems, and navigation

process. As the flow chart below indicates, the each stressor are caused by different

reasons.

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The first stress indicated by the user began before the actual

commencement of the task. The stressor was due to the nature of the task. This

encompasses registering for courses to transcripts and everything in between. For

example, the user might be worried about the course availability when registering for

course. Then the user starts thinking deeper about the task, such as “what professors are

available, what times are available, are there any prerequisites, what happens if I have a

hold?” Due to the nature of the stress, the stress is going to fluctuate between students.

Due to this reason the developers cannot manipulate this stressor.

The second type of stressor is derived from the user’s previous experience

with the universities prior performance in different systems. This experience cannot be

fixed immediately but over time thru new guidance of a revised user-centered system.

The third stressors are based on the overall usability of navigation and task execution. By

conducting a variation of task analysis, it allowed me to reevaluate and redesign the

system. Eliminating the stressors we can control, we can decrease the overall stress of the

user by a great amount. This will the user to concentrate on their primary goal rather than

how to use the system.

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Analysis of Similar Systems

Rutgers University

Database

Campus Solutions Facebook

Organization Unclear, Poor Redundancy issues,

below average

Above Average

Clear Content

Labeling

Unclear, Poor Some What Unclear,

Average

Above Average

Key Features Menu Layout Map Consistency Visual/Audio Cues,

Action Validation,

Update Reports

Design Approach Scattered Information

Technology-Centered

Technology-

Centered , Desk

Approach

User Profile

Approach , User-

Centered

The chart above is a brief summary of the results from an Analysis of

Similar System. An Analysis of Similar Systems was done to compare tasks and

information presented. This was done to observe various techniques that have had to

success or failure, which will be used as guidelines when designing the interface. The

similar systems that were compared are Rutgers University’s database and Facebook.

The reason behind the analysis of Rutgers State University’s database was due to the

fact that both Embry-Riddle and Rutgers had the same goals but different executions.

Due to restrictions placed by account beholder, the system was not eligible for an in

depth assessment. Although there were restrictions, the brief assessment did provide

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relevant information. The database was prime example of a fully technologically centered

design. The overall organization and integration was poor. The user, in this case myself,

was provided with the same tasks from the verbal protocol analysis. After logging into

the database, I encountered an unintuitive brief layout of the system. Each content, such

as finances, were links that redirects you to a page that deviates in design and consistency

from the prior page. Due to the difficulty of navigation, I was unable to complete any of

the tasks. I encountered an abnormal amount of stressors that inevitably led me to stop.

This analysis set a standard on poor design that I used as guidance on what not to do.

The next system was Facebook. This social networking website did not

have the same goals as Embry Riddle but it was a prime example of proper usability.

After analyzing the interactions within Facebook, I obtained its design approach and

features that enabled proper usability. One of the key features was the use of visual cues

that enables users to infer the action of each item in the website and validate their actions.

Visual cues was also used to help set the overall tone of the website. For example, in the

home page the use of presenting the users profile picture with a task directly underneath

allows the user to know it is their profile. This is what I refer to a profile approach, where

the information is presented to the user as an extension their identity rather than just a

blunt tool of communication. The second key feature is audio cues to alert the user when

some one is trying to communicate with them. The third feature was the change of

content for validation. An example of this is when a user added a friend; the icon will

change to friend added. All of these key features and approaches from every system set

parameters on what to do and what not do in design.

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In this stage of the system development process function mock up and

proto-types were designed based on the standards and parameters set by the analysis.

This section also entitles the designers approach of the product.

Design Approach and Prototyping

Design Approach

My design approach was to redesign campus solutions as a profile. All the

information and tools provided serves much more purpose than just a blunt way to

execute tasks. The information presented is the user’s identity. From the users

demographic information (address, name, etc) to the ability to enroll in classes is the

users past, present, and future. Thru the user’s perspective the information and tools are a

part of the everyday life. Where as the original design has a desk approach, in layman’s

terms the interface resembles a desk cluttered with papers. Before reading this section of

the assessment, it would be helpful to open the prototype and interact with it as you read.

Prototype Alpha

The prototype is a functional wire-frame that can be used for testing.

Currently it is in the midway mark of its final development process, where most tasks are

functional. With more time and resources, a fully scaled prototype can be developed. This

serves as guidance for web designers when creating the final product. Attached to this

assessment will be a html folder and a pdf of the prototype.

Phase 3: Engineering and Manufacturing Deployment

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The picture above is the home page of the prototype. The homepage

consists of 5 canvases (layouts). The first canvas is the Embry-Riddle logo, which states

the provider of the database. The Second canvas is the human silhouette with a golden

circle background. The purpose of the silhouette is to provide the user with a visual cue

indicating that Campus Solutions is their profile. This sets the overall perspective the user

should take when approaching the system. This allows the users to infer that all their

information is located in this database. Although this might not seem significant it is in

two major ways; it allows the user to be at ease and it’s consistent to popular social

networking sites. The third canvas contains the user’s name and identification with an

edit option. This edit option is identified by the word Edit followed by a pen icon. The

edit icon is a strong visual cue that allows the user to change any information without

digging thru the system. The fourth canvas is located on the left side of the home page

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with four links. All of these links were reported to be used periodically and also label as a

primary task by the users. This will allow the users with to know where these primary

tasks are located when the time comes to use them.

The fifth canvas contains four tabs: Home Page, Course Registration

Tools, My Finances, My Tools, and My Information and Settings. All of these tabs were

organized in order of use and importance. The fifth canvas will be the only display that

changes while the other canvases will remain stationary, keeping the main focus of user

on the center of the screen. This allows the user the location of future outputs of each tab

within the canvas, which creates consistency throughout the system. The information

displayed in the homepage is the users current semester schedule that will automatically

change every semester. Each course is a link, indicated by blue and underlined fonts, that

leads to course description and professor. The reason behind the blue underline fonts is

due to the attributes of hyperlinks seen commonly on the Internet and various soft wares.

The tab that is in use, in this example the home page, will be highlighted in blue with

white fonts while the other tabs are white to indicate that they are hidden.

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When the user enter the Course Registration Tools tab, they will encountered with four

tabs that could only be expanded by clicking the arrows located next each task. This

specific task is not available in the prototype but will be included in the final beta

version. The tasks shown above pertain to the Course Registration Tools, which are

Course Catalogue, Search For Classes, Academic Planner, and Drop Classes.

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The picture of above is a zoomed in view of the expanded course catalogue option. The

purpose of the expansion is to allow the user one page to view information, as they desire

in order to navigate and obtain information easily. This was also done in response to

users indicating frustration when being transferred to multiple pages. The course

catalogue will provide with a pdf catalogue button for download and an online course

dictionary that is currently in Campus Solutions. Users will have the options to add

classes to a planner for future reference.

Page 34: Embry-Riddle Campus Solutions UX Design

In the following page is an expanded view of the Search For Classes tab.

The students will have one single page, instead of multiple pages shown in the prior task

analysis, to enroll in classes. In order to eliminate frustration of being transferred between

the results page and the search form, the search form will be placed on top and the results

will be displayed in the bottom. Every time the student performs a new search the results

will change without alter the information in the search form. In the results section , the

students will be able to enroll or add the course to a shopping cart. Originally the every

action was validated by the change of color of the button but due to feed back , the colors

will change. Users will also have the option to view enrolled classes and their shopping

cart.

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Page 36: Embry-Riddle Campus Solutions UX Design

The following two options, Academic planner and Add/Drop Classes, will

follow the same format as the previous options as shown in the following pictures.

Page 37: Embry-Riddle Campus Solutions UX Design

The following two tabs will also follow the format seen in the previous tabs as shown in the expanded views below.

Page 38: Embry-Riddle Campus Solutions UX Design

By performing this assessment I have witnessed the vital necessity that is

User Experience Design. Before the actual design begins it is important to understand the

user’s needs and set standards and parameters. The process of user experience design

revolves on intuitive approach that is obtained by bridging the gap between the user and

the designer. In order to bridge this gap, analysis must be made to retrieve the designer’s

intentions and the users approach of the design. Although there were a few major

setbacks, such as time restriction, valid information was still retrieved. I have learned that

certain standards and criteria must be made and implemented through out all of Embry-

Riddles future systems. These criteria will create guidelines for developers and

consistency across systems, thus creating a user-center design approach.

Due to the nature of the assessment, limited time, and limited resources this assessment

is still under process. The prototype attached to this report is still in the early stages of a

rough design. With more time the final prototype before production should be completed

with every functional detail.

Conclusion


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