Assignment 3: Storyboard & Prototypes

Grade Value: 75 points

Due: Thursday January 14, in class

brief

In part 1 of this assignment, you will take your project concept a step further by storyboarding it. The storyboards should:

In part 2 of this assignment, you will develop a paper prototype based on your storyboard. As Carolyn Snyder writes, "Paper prototyping is a variation of usability testing where the representative users perform realistic tasks by interacting with a paper version of the interface that is manipulated by a person 'playing computer' who doesn't explain how the interface is intended to work." Your group will construct a paper prototype and then test the prototype on your classmates and write up the results.

assignment part 1: storyboards

example storyboardA storyboard is a comic strip-like set of drawings about what your interface does and how it is used to accomplish tasks in an actual usage scenario. Draw inspiration from McCloud’s “Understanding Comics” reading.

Your storyboards should be titled “How might we…?”, where you are to fill in a task to be accomplished. For example, your storyboard may be titled “How might we make finding an ice cream shop easier?” You could show a family on summer vacation who is looking for a cold treat. You could then illustrate how they would use your mobile ice cream locator interface to enter their desired flavor of ice cream and get directed to the nearest parlor. You should include sketches showing your interface’s actual presentation and layout, especially if there are tasks that will need to be completed by navigating menus, pressing a sequence of buttons, etc.

Pick one major/key/complex task to be done with your interface. Create three alternative storyboards for accomplishing the task, varying the interface itself, the scenario, or both. Each storyboard should require 5-8 panels, so in total you will have 15-24 panels to turn in. Each storyboard should fit on two 8.5” x 11” sheets of paper and be drawn with a thick pen, like a Sharpie.

(Target time: This exercise should take you about 3 hours.)

design goals and evaluation criteria

storyboard examples from cs147 (fall 2007)

Kevin Lai
Christopher Archibald
Brandon Heller


Paper prototypes for three versions of a home thermostat. From [Tohidi CHI2006].

assignment part 2 - paper prototypes

Create a paper prototype that illustrates 3 major tasks for your interface / interaction design, likely (but not necessarily) based on your storyboards. The prototype should be complete enough to "run" a new user through each task. Use paper prototyping techniques covered in the Snyder reading, and optionally PaperPrototyping.com to guide your process.

Design your paper prototype with specific STUs – situation, task, and user – in mind. For example, your prototype might address how a kid (user) buys a "snow cone" (task) from a ice cream truck (situation) with PayPal mobile.

Find one appropriate user [who is not in your group] and run them through the major tasks in the prototype to make sure that you have something that works. Be sure to iteratively refine your prototype until you feel satisfied that it works. You will be using it to run tests on fellow students in studio!

(Target time: This exercise should take you about 4 hours as a group.)

prototype examples from cs147 (fall 2007)

Gillum et al.'s paper prototype
Lee et al.'s paper prototype

in studio

Please bring your storyboards to class! Like on Tuesday, we will again be presenting them informally. As a group, you will briefly describe the STU(s) chosen.

Each group will then run "Wizard-of-Oz" user tests in round robin fashion. In each round, one member of a team will participate in another group's study. We will cycle until everyone in class has participated in a study at least once. All major tasks should be tested. If possible, every group member should play the part of "Wizard" or "computer" at least once. Time permitting, each group member will then tell a 30-second story about what they learned.

Be sure to keep a good record of observations during each study run! The next assigment will require you to report your results as part of the design rationale for your system mock-ups.