Review Syllabus and Make a Database Let’s do all the admin stuff we need to do. Then we’ll do an activity to get to know each other and begin to think about how the web works today.
Provocation #1: Create a Shifting House We’ll cover more Github basics and demo Figma. Then we’ll explore the potential of your own space on the web using Beaker Browser.
Assignments:
Create (2) two proposals for a personal website; your proposals should be one paragraph each describing the content and design of the site
For each proposal, create a rough sketch of the main interface. This can be hand drawn or in Figma, but sketches should be in a Figma file with the url shared with Derrick before class begins. If you hand draw the sketch, simply embed a photo of it in the Figma file.
Provocation #2: It Takes Two Let’s review and build upon Provocations #1. After a critique we’ll explore what it means for the web to be ”social.“ Guest Critic: Kevin Zweerink
Assignments:
Think of a social exchange/ritual you do in physical space. Now make that something you do on the web. Draw a few sketches to show how it would work. Do this exercise at least twice. Present at least two of these sketches next week.
Think of a social exchange you do with a friend online/in an app. Now remove the other person and insert a stranger/a bot. What changes in this interaction? Sketch an example of how you would make this more accessible to a new user.
No readings for this week (smart students might read ahead and read part of Week 4’s readings)
Provocation #3: Soylent (Data is People) We’ll review and brainstorm new ideas for Provocation #2. Then we’ll explore how data influences design, and had the potential to hurt users. Guest Critic: Jack Koloskus
Assignments:
Design a tool/application/something that helps users understand privacy issues. (This is purposefully open ended and you should feel free to be weird/imaginative about it.)
Take one concept you have sketched in previous weeks. Think about the potential privacy and data implications. Design a potential solution.
Find a project on Glitch that relates to one of your previous sketches. Remix it on Glitch and make the changes you’d like to see in your own project.
Find a project you like on Glitch. Remix it, but make sure you add to it using concepts we’ve previously discussed in class.
If you’re not really into coding, you can still do the above assignment but not get into the coding portion. You should instead remix the work in Figma and focus solely on the design part of the work (visual design, interactions, experience)
Design Project: Creating a Problem Statement We’ll wrap up the brainstorming portion of the class and start our longer project.
Assignments:
Come up with two projects you would like to continue with for the next ten weeks. Create a problem statement for both projects. Be sure to have a clear audience, a clear problem, and how interaction design can solve it. Refer to the presentation from this week.
Week 7
Design Project: User Research Take your Problem Statement and add a layer of research to it. Guest Critic: Marie McGwier
Assignments:
Pick a final direction for your project. Remember to reference the presentation from last week. If your project is not in the form of audience/problem/solution then it should be in the form of audience/reaction/activation. That should answer “What is the audience?”, "What is the reaction you believe the audience should get from this interaction?", and "How do you plan to activate this reaction using interactive technology?"
Include both analytical and qualitative research into your problem statement. Analytical research might be articles you find on the internet or from other reputable resources. For the qualitative research, please create 3-6 survey questions. Find a good sample of people and record their results. Share these survey answers with me.
Design Project: Idea Generation and Storyboarding Let’s talk about our research. How did it alter our projects? Then we’ll make a bunch of concepts and figure out which ones to storyboard. Guest Critic: Liz Wells
Assignments:
In addition to the Crazy Eights you’ve done in class, do three more rounds of them. This should give you plenty of ideas to explore. Please photograph all of your crazy eights and put them in your Figma file.
From all of your Crazy Eights, take three ideas and storyboard them. Each storyboard should include 6-8 panels. These panels should not be entirely UI screens; panels should also include context and point of view around use. Use the storyboards to tell the story about why your project solves your audience’s problems.
Design Project: User Flows We’ll do a Q&A with some great designers. Then we’ll look at last week’s homework and do a quick exercise to understand how user flows work.
Assignments:
Choose four (4) important actions in your app. Write out the steps a user would have to follow to achieve them. Since its a mobile app consider if there are any device features that could be utilized.
Draw a blockframe/wireframe for each of these steps in the four user flows.
Find a couple potential users. Tell them the important actions in your app and ask them what they think the steps would be. Show them your user flows and see if they can guess what each block is.
“Blockframing” (Ignore the upsells. Again, the content is valuable.)
Week 10 4/2/19
Design Project: Visual Design Let’s review the user flows we made for each action. Then we will work on the thing most of you are probably most excited by: visual design. Guest critic: Kelsey Hunter
Assignments:
Design two (2) directions for the design of your app. These designs do not need to be full style guides, but should account for typography, color, and button styles.
Apply each of these design directions to your four action/user flows.
Use each design direction to design one “marketing page” for your app. The point is not that it be a perfectly design marketing page, but that it uses the design system you have developed and shows how it can work beyond just the app.
Week 11 4/9/19
Design Project: Prototyping I We’ll review our Visual Design homework and begin paper prototyping. Guest Critic: Sabrina Hall
Take each action and associated user flow and print them out. Show each action to at least five (5) people and see how each user reacts to each action. Make updates to the design when multiple get stuck in the same steps.
Design Project: Prototyping II There will be no class this day. We will review your assignments in 15min crit slots which you can sign up for here: https://form.jotform.com/90986501533157
Week 13 4/23/19
Design Project: Presentation and Portfolio We’ll review your InVision prototypes and begin to think about your final presentation.
Readings
Please read Mike Monteiro’s Presenting work with confidence: Dropbox Link
Assignments
Create a first round of your presentation. You can use whatever application you like (Google Slides, Keynote, Figma, etc). The presentation must be no longer than 5min and should tell the story of your app. The presentation should focus on the problem you’re solving, including how you use design and research to solve it. A few example slides are available here.