Welcome to TC310Spring 2004

Instructor: Jennifer Turns

Teaching Assistants:Raina RichartAaron Stroud

Today’s Plan

1. Go over syllabus

2. Exercises to introduce class themes

3. Moving to assignment 1, Analysis

TC 310 - Syllabus

• Key Points– Learning objectives– Assignments and Grading– Class schedule and structure

• Read on your own– Required materials– Student responsibilities– Instructor responsibilities

Questions

1. What software tools are important for TC professionals?

2. What does it mean to know how to use software like a TC professional?

3. What strategies do you prefer to use when learning new software?

Questions

4. What is technical communication?

5. What is design?

6. What is usability?

Identification of a Need

Problem Definition

Information Gathering

Generation of Ideas

Modeling

Feasibility of analysis

Evaluation

Decision

Communication

Implementation

Problem Scoping

Exploring Alternative Solutions

Project Realization

Design Process ActivitiesDerived from analysis of 7 engineering texts

Design Process Timelines

00:00:00:00 00:16:00:00 00:32:00:00 00:48:00:00 01:04:00:00 01:20:00:00 01:36:00:00 01:52:00:00 02:08:00:00 02:24:00:00

PDGATHGENMODFEASEVALDECCOMM

Successful Graduating Student (Quality Score = 0.63)

00:00:00:00 00:16:00:00 00:32:00:00 00:48:00:00 01:04:00:00 01:20:00:00 01:36:00:00 01:52:00:00

PDGATHGENMODFEASEVALDECCOMM

Canonical Entering Student (Quality Score = 0.37)

Atman, Cynthia J., Justin R. Chimka, Karen M. Bursic, and H. L. Nachtmann, “A Comparison of Freshman and Senior Engineering Design Processes,” Design Studies, vol. 20, no. 2, pp. 131-152, March 1999.

Design Process Timelines

Atman, Cynthia J., Justin R. Chimka, Karen M. Bursic, and H. L. Nachtmann, “A Comparison of Freshman and Senior Engineering Design Processes,” Design Studies, vol. 20, no. 2, pp. 131-152, March 1999.

Dimensions of Usability

• Definition: – “The extent to which a product ca be used by specified users to

achieve specified goals in a specified context of use with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction.” ISO-9241-11

• From Nielsen– Satisfaction, Learnability, Memorability, Errors, Efficiency

• Also– Understandability, Scannability, Readability

Homework (for Wednesday)

A continuation of these activities

• Two parts– Complete “getting to know you” survey

Available through the course website– Submit your first assignment in E-portfolio

A 300 word explanation of TC

• Due Wednesday at 8:00 am (so we can go over responses by class time).

Moving on to Assignment 1

• Read assignment 1

• “Analysis of the communication event”– What does this mean?– What did you learn in TC 231, TC333 and

other TC classes?

Analysis of the communication event

Some questions: • Product: What exactly are you being asked to design?• Users: Who are the users? What do we know (would

we like to know) about the users? • Tasks: What tasks will the users do with the product? • Context: What is the context in which these tasks will

be carried out? Under what circumstances?• Usability: What usability considerations are relevant

here?

Your task: Think – pair – share…

Product Statement – Useful synthesis

• Example– The product will be a responsive, understandable,

flexible Internet site that offers basic customer services, keeps customers well informed, and partners with the community to protect the environment. The web site will primarily support SPU residential service customers to manage their accounts, access service information, and access environmental information in a way that is easy, fast, efficient, and instills trust. In addition, the site will support tiered access for the following audiences: SPU commercial customers, engineers and contractors, community organizations, and the media.

Product Statement

• Example– The product will be a responsive, understandable,

flexible Internet site that offers basic customer services, keeps customers well informed, and partners with the community to protect the environment. The web site will primarily support SPU residential service customers to manage their accounts, access service information, and access environmental information in a way that is easy, fast, efficient, and instills trust. In addition, the site will support tiered access for the following audiences: SPU commercial customers, engineers and contractors, community organizations, and the media.

Product TypeProduct Characteristics

Tasks supported

BusinessGoals

Usability criteria

Users