Project Component II - Low fidelity prototype

The objective of this assignment is to develop a low-fidelity paper prototype of the best ideas you had regarding your project. In class we will have already been doing much of the brainstorming on tasks, ideas, and a storyboard. Here you will turn your storyboard into a prototype and create a short video of it.

Task

Create a paper prototype that illustrates a major use case for your interface / interaction design, likely (but not necessarily) based on your storyboards done in class. The prototype should be complete enough to "run" a new user through the use case and the benefit of your solution. Use paper prototyping techniques covered in class or found in the literature to guide your process. The prototypes have to be somewhat interactive (i.e., they have to have some moving parts). Just enough to prototype realistic interaction, but you do not need to animate every single menu, list, text field, etc. Your goal for developing the paper prototype is to have an artifact that you can put in front of a user and learn whether your design is usable and complete. Any time you are not sure how much effort you need to put in any part of your prototype, just ask yourself whether you expect to need it when you test it out.

Design your paper prototype with specific situation, task, and users in mind. For example, your prototype might address how the improve the experience of standing in line for a senior citizen (user) who stands in line to get a form (task) from a government agency (situation). The prototype should represent a digital device and software of some sort. You are free to project yourself 20 years into the future and come up with designs and devices that are not yet possible to be built (but you should be able to make them out of paper, thus do not envision something that relies solely on voice input).

I recommend to check your designs by finding one appropriate user [who is not in your group] and run them through the prototype to make sure that you have something that works.

Next, make a video prototype of your paper prototype to show how your design works. You can do this using a variety of tools:

  • stop-motion from pictures, e.g. put on a powerpoint presentation and screen-recorded
  • taking videos using a camera, your cell phones, etc.
  • you are also welcome to use prototyping tools to create your video - such as: http://www.invisionapp.com/ ()

Make sure that if you make a stop-motion type of video that the pictures you put into it are of your paper prototype and not electronically created - and that you can see clearly where interaction happens. In a touch-interface you may want to indicate a finger somehow.

Look at the examples I showed in class for inspiration.

Use some of the freely available video editing tools: http://www.techradar.com/news/software/applications/best-free-video-editing-software-9-top-programs-you-should-download-1136264 if you need to

Further requirements:

  • The names of your team members need to visible in the video
  • Limit the video to 5 minutes

Sample design goals and evaluation criteria

  • Are the target users clear?
  • Is the context/scenario of use clear?
  • Is the design concept well justified?
  • Is the design concept well presented?
  • Does the paper prototype work for the Paper Prototyping phase?
  • Can the prototype be used to run the major interface tasks with a user in an evaluation scenario?
  • Is the verbal communication (text or oral) effective?
  • Are visual aids appropriately used?
  • ....

Hand-in instructions

  • Upload your video to youtube. You can make it public or only share it with people who have the link. Send me the link by 23:00 on March 13. On March 14 in class we will watch all the videos.
  • Bring the paper prototype to class and hand it it (unless it is very big, then I just want to see it). If you have many small pieces put them in an envelope. Label with the names of your team members.