Your team will:
First, decide what features of your prototype, process, and research you want to communicate. What should be most salient? This is not a marketing spiel - it is an academic exercise. Communicating three months of iteration, research, and design decisions in a very short time means making tough decisions. The more you boil your work down to its essence, the better. Take the core concepts and communicate them rather than explaining every detail.
Then consider the two visual deliverables you are creating, the slide and your poster, and how their content should differ. The slide is a high-level look to entice people to come and learn about your project, and should complement the 30-second presentation that you will be making while the slide is projected. Your poster is a medium-level look at your iterative, user-centered design process.
Prepare for your slide and pitch by thinking about how you want to introduce your prototype for the first time. You have thirty seconds, and most of the audience has never seen your application before. How can you provide a high-level understanding of what your application does, or what needs it addresses? Find the "hook" that will interest people and persuade them to find your poster later on. We recommend scripting your presentation and practicing it many times until it is smooth. We will have a timer running, and any presentation that goes over 30 seconds will be cut off.
Prepare for the poster session by thinking about how you are going to explain your prototype to people. Are you going to let them hold the iPod/iPhone and try it themselves? Are you going to hold it and show them? Why did you make that decision? What are you going to say to them? What part of your design do you want to emphasize? Keep in mind that attendees don't have all the background and insight into your application. Present them with the user need first, show your solution, and explain why your work is unique. Your poster should stand on its own without explanation. There will be many people there and you will not be able to engage every single person who will look at your poster.
Finally, prepare a 1-minute demo of your prototype. Keep it short, while showing off all the features of your application. When jurors and visitors come to your poster, your quick demo should inspire them to pick up the phone and continue to play around with your app. It is important to have a demo rehearsed. There will be many people there and it is important to come across as prepared and knowledgeable to your visitors.
| Category | Nope | Adequacy | Proficiency | Mastery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pitch 4 points |
Presentation is unplanned and confusing. | Presentation sufficient to convey project concept. | Presentation had a good flow, was memorable and creative. People wanted to visit your poster | Presentation was very well planned and had unique and creative elements that made it stand out. The 30 seconds was memorable and the time carefully utilized. People clamored to visit your poster. |
| Poster 4 points |
No poster created. | Poster is poorly made and sparsely communicates the basics of the application. The poster requires the team to be there to explain the details of the application. | Poster clearly communicates the key points of the application and the design process that led there. The poster can stand on it's own, but the visual layout and content do not sufficiently convey the point of view. | Poster creatively communicates the design process, the design goal, and conveys the point of view. The poster stands on its own and there is no filler content on the poster. |
| Demo 4 points |
The demo wasn't shown to the TA or the demo hasn't been planned out or rehearsed. It is a total mess and doesn't present any useful information. | The demo has been planned out, but not rehearsed at all. The demo shows one of the following items: main point of the app, creative view point, and a compelling scenario. | The demo has been planned out, but is not well rehearsed. The demo shows two of the following items: main point of the app, creative view point, and a compelling scenario. | The demo has been clearly rehearsed and carefully planned out. The TA can immediately answer the following questions after your demo: What is the problem your app solves? Does your app take a creative point of view? Do you show a compelling scenario? Is your app different/better than other ways people could solve the same problem? |
| Visual Design 4 points |
Prototype not submitted. | Prototype exists but has a few lingering bugs. Interface appears rough. Evolution of the application throughout the quarter is minimal. | Prototype functions smoothly, but may still have an "unfinished" feel. Clear progress has been made throughout the quarter to improve the interface. | Prototype is high quality and simulates the experience of a fully-formed application. The user experience is smooth and realistic. Significant progress has been throughout the quarter to improve the user experience and help the user accomplish the task at hand. |
| User Need 4 points |
The Pitch/Poster/Demo don't clearly articulate a user need. | While the team articulates a user need, it isn't that compelling. It may be a gadget doesn't fill a real user need. | The pitch, demo, and poster clearly articulate a real user need, but the design doesn't fully address that need. | The pitch, demo, and poster clearly articulate a real user need, and the design elegantly addresses that need. |
| Point of View 3 points |
The Pitch/Poster/Demo don't clearly articulate a point of view. | It's not clear what's unique about this prototype. | The prototype has a clear point of view, but it doesn't quite line up with a user need or fill a hole unmet by similar applications. | The pitch, poster, and demo conveyed a clear and unique point of view. The point of view clearly conveys how the design differs from prior work. |
Outside the Box 2 points. Up to 5% of submissions. |
The pitch memorably and creatively conveyed a user need and value proposition. The poster and demo clearly showed how the ptototype achieves that user need. The idea has a unique point of view. | |||