Itinerary – Week 9

Studio Day – Continue working on your wireframes.

Homework – Week 8

1. Finish site map presentation for “before” and “after.”  Focus on visualizing the information architecture effectively.  Use whatever materials you see fit to dress it how however you want, as long as it looks professional.  This work will be on display for the whole school to see.
2. Start  your wireframe redesign.   Take a screenshot of an internal (tier 2) page on the existing Web site and break it down into a grayscale wireframe in Photoshop.  Then redesign the wireframe in Photoshop through the eyes of your Personas in the same way you approached the site maps.  Prepare to print the screenshot and wireframes out on presentation quality materials, as you will display these with the site map boards.

Itinerary – Week 8

Studio Day – We will spend the class working on the Card Sorting phase of your final project.  Be sure to bring the appropriate materials if you want to get a head start on the presentation.  Otherwise, you will have to do the exercise using scraps of paper and translate the results to Word so you can replicate the information architecture on the cards outside of class.  If you finish both (before and after) site map presenations before the end of class, then you can move onto the wireframe phase  (see me for details).

Homework – Week 7

Due at the beginning of Week 8 class:

1. Read Chapter 7
2. Submit your finished Personas and Scenarios
3. Purchase materials for your Card Sorting project and bring them to class:
   • Poster boards – Get two (2) poster boards, one for the “before” site map and one for the “after” site map, that are big enough to fit all of your cards.  You could buy the boards first, then but cards to fit, or you could buy the cards first, then buy a board big enough to fit them.  The purpose of these boards is to professional present your site maps, which we will probably mount in the hallway for the rest of the school to see.  I am open to different materials and colors as long as you present it professionally.
   • Notecards – You could take a traditional approach with 3″x5″ notecards and write the text on the blank (no lines) side, but keep in mind you have to mount these cards (representing the before and after site maps) on a poster board.  So, if you think you will run out of room, buy smaller cards, like name cards for a place setting at a wedding.  You can get small cards at a stationary store.
   • Office Supplies – Bring the appropriate scissors, pens, and glue for the above materials.

Itinerary – Week 7

1. Discuss Personas, then create a 1-page persona for each of your 3 target user groups.
2. Discuss Scenarios, then create a task-based scenario for each of the 3 personas.
3. Conduct a Card Sorting exercise on your restaurant’s Web site:
   • Based on all of the information you have gathered about your users
   • Using the Personas and Scenarios to guide your organization decisions
4. Discuss the Final Project:
   • Expectations
   • Requirements
5. Read Chapter 7 by next class for homework

Itinerary (catching up) – Week 7

1. Take the pop quiz
2. Submit your Usability Testing Report via email in a Word (.doc) file
3. Submit your Facebook Analysis by replying to last week’s post

Homework – Week 6

1. Recruit 5 representative users and conduct a live 5-10 minute usability test based on the in-class example.  Type up your results for each user in a one-page usability test report.  Print the reports out and bring them to class next week.  Email the reports to me before class.
2. Compare the new and old Facebook in a short analysis using the principles you have learned in class.  Speak from an Information Architecture perspective and evaluate the interface and design changes.
3. Read Chapters 5 and 6.  There will be a pop quiz at the beginning of class.

Itinerary (Exercise 2) – Week 6

Observe  your teammate perform the previous exercise and answer the following questions as if you were conducting a usability test with them:

1. What did you observe about how they interacted with the site?
2. What competitors’ sites did they visit and why did they leave this one?
3. What search terms did they use and did they yield the expected results?

Reply to this post with your analysis.

Itinerary (Exercise 1) – Week 6

Exercise 1

Jimmy is looking for a simple recipe to make pulled pork BBQ in the slow cooker he just received as a gift.  Put yourself in his shoes as he visits http://www.food.com to start his quest by answering the following 3 questions from the Chapter 5 reading:

1. Am I in the right place?
2. Do they have what I am looking for?
3. Do they have anything better?

Discuss how the Food Network site organizes their information in relation to Jimmy’s objective, specifically through organization systems, labels, and navigation design.

Reply to this post with your findings.

Homework – Week 5

1. Read chapter 5 and 6 and prepare to discuss them in class.
2. Review the A List Apart’s 2007 Survey for People Who Make Websites (download on the right) and write a short (at least 100 words) reply to this post about what you learned.
3. Finish the in-class exercises. Mail/email your letters. Once you get written permission from the owner, post your ads. Come to class next week with names and contact information for 5 participants recruited using these methods.
4. Last, but not least, turn in any late assignments by Friday at midnight if you want to receive credit for them before I turn in grades on Monday. You will not receive credit for them at a later date.