Project 3: “WebSolutions, Inc.”
Timetable:
3/27
--Proposals presented in class.
3/30
--Groups selected and work contracts due by class end.
4/10 —Written Analysis of client and user needs and paper storyboard/site sketch due.
4/20--Working Prototype and First submission of final memo 3.1 due for peer critique
5/1 --Presentations of Report and Prototypes, Final Submission of group memo 3.2, Prototypes, and Group Evaluations due in class.
The specific goal for this project is for you to work as part of a team to develop a recommendation report and presentation for building or upgrading a web site. Your client will be an organization (e.g., local artist, non-profit organization, campsu department, or campus student group) that currently lacks a web page or wishes to expand, improve, or upgrade one. This organization should also be committed to the idea of usability -- that is, learning more about who uses their site and how their target populations use the site, all in order to improve the quality of the site and the client's approach to managing it.
For this project, the class will operate as a simulated consulting firm called WebSolutions. Because WebSolutions prides itself on well-researched and user-centered solutions (our clients believe not just any old web page will do), you have several research goals to meet to ensure that your team can produce a quality report:
- Improve your knowledge of usability, user-centered, and web design.
- Practice your research, design, note taking, analysis, and reporting skills.
- Improve your knowledge of what makes web pages more or less usable for specific user groups.
- Clarify what the client and user group(s) you select may need and want
Requirements:
The site should include at least 3 screens for each group member.
There should be at least three screens (total) that contain substantial text. You should choose your projects appropriately, so you have the chance to develop content.
Additionally, all group members must understand and be able to execute the technical skills and strategies employed in your design. In other words, you should not be divvying it up so that only one person does all the technical work. If you want to use more advanced design or code, all group members must understand and be able to explain how it works and why you chose to do it that particular way.
You should choose a group name, and create a node on the class wiki where you do your collaborative writing and group coordination. You should use the wiki to coordinate group meetings, post the work schedules, etc.
There are several parts to the project:
- A proposal in which you identify a client that either has a site that could benefit from an upgrade or does not have a site and would like you to develop one. For this part you will need to have done some preliminary research to see if they would be interested in working with you and also write a clear and compelling problem statement. Every person in the class will write a proposal and present it to the class (in 5 minutes or less) on March 27.
- After teams are formed you will write a group contract and work schedule detailing individual responsibilities and deadlines for task completion; this document will be due at the end of clas on March 30.
- A written analysis of client and user needs. This part will require additional research. You also will need to have a paper prototype of the website you intend to create. This will be due in class on April 10, and we will do peer review of the documents.
- Development of a prototype site that meets the client and user needs and employs the good design practices we have been learning in class.
- A presentation of your analysis of the client needs and your response to them (in the form of design prototype) to be given on the final day of class along with a final, functioning prototype that is viewable online (the URL should be emailed to me)--May 1.
- A final memo summarizing the client/user needs and goals and how your redesign meets them. This memo should be turned into the class dropbox and also to the client and is due on the last day of class May 1.