Overview:

The course project is a group exercise intended to give you hands-on experience in task and user centered design, prototyping, evaluation, redesign, and implementation. You will first begin by proposing an idea that will form the basis of a course project. In subsequent parts of the project you will perform a task analysis, followed by low-fidelity prototyping and rough usability studies, ending with a high-fidelity prototype that can be user tested more rigorously.

Your current assignment is to form a group of 2 to 4 students and to propose the idea that will form the basis of your group project.

You are encouraged to pick a topic within the themes of the course, but you are not strictly limited to a topic in those areas, or to any particular technology platform, language, or development tool. You are also encouraged to think out-of-the-box and include new or different interaction techniques and technology platforms (e.g., mobile devices, tangible interfaces, speech interfaces, vision based interfaces). You should focus on improving or creating a specific tool, application, or service. The more specific you get, the more likely you will be able to design, implement, and evaluate the user interface for your project within the course timeframe. Be aware of your group member's skills and limitations when proposing a topic. Also be sure you know and have the appropriate tools to do the job. Note that the focus here is on the user-interface and not all the other technological pieces that would be required to really get some of these projects working in the real world (some backend functionality is needed so that you can appropriately evaluate your system, but the whole system does not have to be "production ready").

The CHI Student Design Problem is suitable

From the cfp:

A predominant cultural shift is underway, as societies begin to embrace the real-world implications of sustainable design. This shift has been described in a number of ways, including "slow design" or "act local, think global"; each description attempts to capture the nature of living a life that brings raw materials and production closer in proximity to their origins. By utilizing resources that are locally produced, and by disposing of these resources in a way that supports the local environment, a regional value system can be established that affords sustainable practices and that financially supports the local culture.

Design an object, interface, system, or service intended to support the idea of utilizing or consuming local resources rather than global resources, in a sustainable and environmentally efficient manner. Use methods of ethnography and contextual research to understand the problem space, and develop user-centered design solutions to support, assist, enhance or otherwise benefit your target audience. Your solution could address the methods of production or transportation of local resources, or could focus on the consumptive and disposal processes; whatever the focus, however, the solution must clearly illustrate positive value to both local stakeholders and to the local environment in your respective region.

To enter the competition, student teams may present either a concept (a clear, detailed design specification that can be taken to prototype), or a fully realized prototype. Either way, teams must clearly illustrate their design decisions and demonstrate the user centered design processes that have been followed. Additionally, as this problem has a broad cultural and social focus, "system design thinking" is encouraged. We strongly encourage consideration of:

Here are some other sample, deliberately vague, topic areas:

Generic project ideas with no current sponsor

collaboration or communication :

interfaces that are appropriate to users at different skill levels:

universal usability

personal information management / productivity tools:

electronic commerce

Proposal:

Write an essay of no more than 4 pages of single spaced 12 point text. On the cover page (not included in the page count) you must list the name of your group and the members names.

Your essay should address the following broad issues:

  1. problem or idea
  2. analysis
  3. suggested improvements and what you intend to do

Here are some guidelines on writing this proposal:

Creativity

The proposal should try to address a practical problem with a novel use of technology or present a new or enhanced work practice enabled by technology. Be innovative!

Writing

The writing must clearly present the important facts and be terse and concise. The nitty-gritty details are not needed at this point.

Problem or Idea

The problem description should be short and specific about the high-level goals of the project. It states what the problem is and why it is a problem or describes a new idea and why it will enhance an existing application or work practice. It should also drop a hint at the proposed solution to the problem.

Analysis

The analysis section should give more background for the problem or new idea. It does not just focus on the negative aspects of the current situation, but also identifies some positive aspects that may be beneficial to retain. A few salient examples from existing systems or work practices should be used to support those claims.

Suggested Improvements

Here the proposal should propose specific changes to solve the problems or implement the new ideas described earlier and briefly explain why it is believed they will work.

Grounded in the Literature

Wherever possible, you should cite relevant literature.