Overview
The final project for this course is the creation of a company consult debrief that analyzes an existing web application with regard to its human-computer interaction (HCI) and recommends solutions for improving the application to meet the needs of the intended audience. This assessment will give you a chance to demonstrate your skills in employing user-centered methodologies in the analysis of an existing web application, and you will make recommendations for improving the application to meet the end user’s needs.
The project is divided into two milestones, which will be submitted at different points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Three and Five. The final project is due in Module Seven.
Outcomes
In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:
Assess the potential of user interfaces for meeting their intended audiences’ needs
Determine the extent to which IT applications demonstrate compliance with accessibility guidelines in recommending improvements that align with standards-based policies
Evaluate user interfaces using heuristic evaluation techniques for their compliance with human-computer interaction best practices
Propose user-centered solutions that apply human-computer interaction best practices in meeting the intended audience’s needs
Prompt
Use the web-based applications listed below as the basis for your analysis and recommendations.
PayPal. PayPal offers a secure electronic shopping cart that gets your electronic storefront up and running within minutes. This is a free application, but it requires registration.
Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
Overview. Identify the application you chose, its intended audience, and the reasons you chose it.
Analysis. Assess the existing application with regard to human-computer interaction (HCI), being sure to employ appropriate HCIterminology.
Visual/Graphic Design. Describe the application’s overall aesthetic quality, layout of information, and clarity of visual elements (e.g., icons) with regard to how they are presented to the audience. You may also wish to provide details about whether these elements are aligned with industry best practices.
Ease of Use. Describe the navigability of the application and its ability to move users through tasks in a logical and flexible manner with respect to HCI best practices. Justify your position with specific examples.
Functionality. Assess the functionality of the application with respect to HCI best practices. For example, how long does it take for each page to load? Do the application’s required user actions correspond to their goals? How accessible is the information the user is trying to obtain? (That is, must the user go to multiple systems for information?) Justify your position with specific examples.
Environmental Factors. What potential factors in the intended audience’s environment would impact the use of the application? For example, if the site requires sound to relay critical information and the audience is in a library, how would that impact the user experience?
Cognitive Load. Discuss how the application accounts for human limitations in cognitive capabilities (e.g., how user friendly the application is for users with various levels of technical knowledge), as well as sensory capabilities (e.g., how well the application is designed to avoid eye strain), with respect to HCI best practices. Justify your position with examples.
Human Factors. Describe the impact of human factors—such as culture, gender, or socioeconomic status—on the intended audience’s use of the application.
Accessibility. Discuss whether the application demonstrates compliance with accessibility guidelines. Justify your position with specific examples. For example, you might use the following Section 508 standards to identify potential gaps in the current application: “Software Applications and Operating Systems,” “Web-Based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications,” and “Functional Performance Criteria.”
Recommendations. Recommend changes to improve the human-computer interaction, and describe the methodologies that back up your recommendations.
Changes. Given the analysis you have conducted, describe specific changes you would recommend for improving the application’s human-computer interaction with respect to its intended audience, and describe how you would implement thoseimprovements.
Accessibility. Given the analysis you conducted above, describe specific changes you would recommend for bringing the application into full compliance with accessibility guidelines, and describe how you would implement those improvements.
Methodologies. Describe the user-centered methodologies that support your recommendations, and describe how they support your recommendations. For example, what human factors should be taken into account in improving the effectiveness of the user interface for a broader audience?
User’s Environment. What recommendations would you make in aligning the application to the needs of the user’s environment? Why? For example, if critical instructions are in the audio and the environment is not conducive to hearing them, how would recommend that information be conveyed?
Milestones
Milestone One: Application Overview and Initial Analysis
In task 3-2, you will submit an overview of your selected web application and an analysis of the application’s design and ease of use with regard to human-computer interaction. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone One Rubric.
Milestone Two: Application Analysis
In task 5-2, you will assess the human-computer interaction of your selected application in terms of functionality, cognitive load, human/social factors, and 508 accessibility compliance. This milestone will be graded with the Milestone Two Rubric.
Final Submission: Company Consult Debrief
In task 7-2, you will submit your company consult debrief. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. This submission will be graded with the Final Project Rubric.
What to Submit
Your company consult debrief should be submitted as a Word document that uses double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, and APA-style citations. The debrief itself (not including the title page and resources) should be three to five pages in length.
