Web Usability
English 4200/8900 17371/16324 Spring 2008
Upcoming Assignments:
In class 4/24:
- FOD: Internet & Politics II: Video
- Discuss schedule & presentations
- Lingering questions, thoughts, and issues: what is yours?
- End of semester wrap-up
In class 4/22:
- FOD: Internet & Politics
- Reading Responses
- Discuss Readings
- Workshop
In class 4/17: Cultural & User Differences with Laura Young
In class 4/15: Access & Accessibility Issues with Michael Keleher
Accessibility resources:
- Web Accessibility Checker from ATRC: http://checker.atrc.utoronto.ca/index.html
- Microsoft vides of accessibly case studies: http://www.microsoft.com/enable/casestudy/default.aspx
- Screen reader simulation: http://www.webaim.org/simulations/screenreader.php
- Blind Date Game (works with speech synthesis or without): http://rnibblinddate.nomensa.com/
- Vischeck offers two color for web site designers concern with making their sites usable to those who are color blind. The Vischeck tool stimulates how web sites look to people with various types of color blindness and the Daltonize tool is a color blind image correction algorithm. http://www.vischeck.com
- Other resources: http://www.colostate.edu/Dept/ATRC/tools.htm
In class 4/10:
- FOD: Problematic (?) web design example: Screen 1 & Screen 2
- Go over schedule
- Discuss readings Collaborative & Team methods
- Group & class analysis of methods:
- Methods comparison: van den Haak et al. “Evaluation of an Informational Web Site…”; -Van De Haak et al. “Employing think-aloud protocols…” [G/UG]
- Think aloud: Krahmer “Thinking about thinking aloud…”; van Waes “Thinking aloud as a method”; Boren & Ramey “Thinking aloud…” [G/UG]
- Group/Team methods: Boy “The group elicitation”; Downey “Group Usability Testing…” [G/UG]
- CI: van den Haak “Constructive Interaction…”; Als et al. “Comparison … with children”[G]
- Workshop time
In class 4/8:
- FOD: Browser Use
- Go over schedule
- Discuss last week, review readings, and thanks
- Discuss readings and topics for today
- Workshop time
In class 4/3: Meet in the MOO
MOO info:
- Login: http://moo.engl.ttu.edu:7000/ (note you must have JAVA and some firewalls can cause problems)
- Brief Guide to TTU MOO: http://english.ttu.edu/tc/moo/
- Make sure you test the computer you are going to use in advance!
In class 4/1: Workshop
In class 3/27: Multimedia & Technology with Brian Snead
In class 3/25: Information & Support with Shae Anderson
- Discuss reading responses
- MOO info:
- Login: http://moo.engl.ttu.edu:7000/ (note you must have JAVA and some firewalls can cause problems)
- Brief Guide to TTU MOO: http://english.ttu.edu/tc/moo/
- Make sure you test the computer you are going to use in advance!
In class 3/20:
- FOTD: Collaboration in the workplace
- Discuss Collaboration: What works for you?
- Workshop/Project time
In class 3/18:
- FOTD: Top web brands and sites
- Go over schedule and make plans for when I am away
- Discuss Website Critique assignments
- Discuss reading
- Paper Prototyping: testing & analysis
In class 3/13:
- Discuss reading
- Paper Prototyping: testing & analysis
In class 3/11:
- FOTD: Hotness, self-confidence, and virtual selves
- Discuss reading
- Discuss Website Redesign Project
- Discuss schedule & grading
- Continue Paper Prototyping
In class 2/28:
- TOTD: Usability Jobs
- Brief Discussion of reading
- Project check in/ hand in & schedule (spring break grading)
- Paper Prototyping
In class 2/26:
- TOTD: Usability Jobs
- Finish audience & task analysis:
- Choose an audience
- Create a persona
- Figure out 3 key goals and the related tasks
- Discuss Reading
- Schedule & Questions
In class 2/21:
- FOTD: Online Shopping
- Discuss Reading
- Do an audience & task analysis:
- Choose an audience
- Create a persona
- Figure out 3 key goals and the related tasks
In class 2/19:
- FOTD: What is a usability professional?
- Compare methods (class activity--from last time)
- Discuss Reading & Resources
- Sample Usability Test
- Go over Website Critique and Recommendation: additional possibilities and more
In class 2/14:
- FOTD: User skills
- Discuss Other Evaluation Methods
- Compare methods (class activity)
- Go over project possibilities
In class 2/12:
- TOTD: Using visuals in your work
- Discuss Web Heuristics & Heuristic Evaluation
- Critique Websites with Heuristics
- Introduce Website Critique & Recommendation
In class 2/7: "Online" class (see email for details)
In class 2/5: Writing for the Web with Adrian McLeer
In class 1/30:
- TOTD: Greeking! Example
- FOD: Fonts can display professionalism on a site
- Graphic Design PPT
- Critique Websites:
- Go over schedule & announce the Seminar Presentations that have been setup
In class 1/29:
- FOTD: Calculator Construction Set
- Interface design types & hints PPT
- Discuss reading & review sites
- Go over schedule & announce the Seminar Presentations that have been setup
In class 1/24:
- FOTD: The Future of the Internet II
- Web task 1: http://photo.net/
- Web task 2: Your political candidate
- Discuss reading
- Go over schedule & announce the Seminar Presentations that have been setup
In class 1/22:
- TOTD: TinyUrl (discuss) & underlining
- FOTD: Banner Blindness
- What are your web design pet peeves?
- Discuss reading & critique sites
In class 1/17:
- FOTD: How old are web browsers?
- Discuss reading and reading responses
- Class critique websites
- Discuss next class & quick summary of Seminar Presentation grad project
In class 1/15:
- FOTD: How old is email?
- Discuss reading and reading responses
- Class critique of GSU website
- Critique usability of a product
- Discuss next class
In class 1/10:
(Think of a usability issue that drives you nuts)- Usability 101 & Discussion: What is usability?
- Discuss usability issues
- Critique usability of a product
- Discuss next class