Assignment 1- ISU570 Human Computer Interaction

"Analyzing and critiquing some artifacts"

Due at the beginning of class, Friday, January 23rd

Professor Futrelle, CCIS, Northeastern University - Spring 2009

version of January 25, 2009


See the comments on your Assignment 1 handins

The comments here should help you in all your future assignments.

Introduction to Assignment 1

This will be your first exploration of interaction design. You'll do this by choosing four artifacts. (An artifact is a thing created by a human, rather than a natural thing.) Pay particular attention to the rules about formatting and handing in your assignment, as described on the introductory Assignments page.

The four artifacts

Computer-related artifacts you might choose from

If you choose a relatively simple artifact, you might be well-advised to pick more than one and compare and contrast them. On the other hand, if an app is complex, such as Photoshop or a high-end game, you'll need to focus on some limited aspect of its functionality. There are thousands of possibilities, including:

Non-computer-related artifacts you might choose from

What to look for

Much of what you need to look for is described in particular portions of Introducing Evaluation which is Chapter 12 of your textbook. Be sure to reference specific sections of the Chapter or other material in your book or other readings in your report, things that you used or found helpful. These portions should be particularly helpful:

How to write up your assignment

Some of the mechanics have already been described in the Assignments page. More specifically, for this Assignment 1: Keep your assignment to a modest length and to the point. It must start with a Summary section of the order of half a page (single spaced) that summarizes your work and your results.

Length: Your assignment, in addition to your Summary and any figures and references you might have, should be between two and three pages long, single-spaced, plus any diagrams or images you choose to include.

Make sure you've read the introduction on the main Assignments page that discusses your "audience" and the inclusion of figures in your reports.


Return to ISU570 Assignments page. or the ISU570 Spring 2009 homepage. or RPF's Teaching Gateway or homepage