Human-Computer Interaction for Mobile Application Design 2021/2022

Ben Gurion University
364–1–1201

University of Primorska
Human-Computer Interaction

This class introduces the fundamental human-computer interaction methods for the design, implementation, and evaluation of mobile user interfaces and mobile apps. The emphasis is on user-centered design, human abilities, design thinking, and prototyping tools to create rich user experiences. Stepping away from the traditional stand-and-teach lecture style, this course focuses on prototyping techniques for Human-Computer Interaction from the theory to hands-on work. In this course, you will learn how to design technologies that people will enjoy!

This class is international! The students will learn from the teaching staff at BGU and the UP. Students will work together in mixed teams with students from both countries.

This will be a unique opportunity to meet others with similar interests, learn about a new culture, and make new friends!

PROJECTS

Bi-national teams of students will participate in three projects throughout the semester. For each project, the teams will design and build a prototype around a set of needs. The teams are tasked with deliverables throughout the semester. The final project will give the team an opportunity to take one of the projects towards a functional proof-of-concept that is presented in slides, posters, and demos at the Project Fair in front of international jury.

PROJECT NO. 1 - Sports

In this design sprint, you will design a smartwatch app to support people with physical activity. This could be encouraging people to take up new physical activities, support them in their current practices, bring them together around a social physical activity, etc. This is up to you! The goal of this assignment is to learn how to use first low-fi prototyping in the early stages of UI design and then medium-fidelity prototype using an interactive user interface design tool. You will first sketch different design realizations that will implement your idea. You will then select the best of these realizations to test further. You will build a low-fi prototype of this best design and then perform a usability test. You will incorporate the results of the test into design changes and use interactive tools to build a medium-fidelity prototype of the improved design.

Group name
Project name
Presentation
Hiking sweets
Active time
Tapi2
CoachForYou
Basic dudes
Coin Dogs
Corona Beer
Workout prototype
Traveling restaurant
Runnin App
Double Roomies
Fit-Prize
The tigers
Marathon app
Sababa group
MatchUs
International girls
MOTUS
Musical Sunset
Project 1
MVP
We-Fit
The cook and the baker
Sport project
Professional coffee
RSA
Traveling dogs
Sports - smartwatch app
The best group
Workout wars

 

PROJECT NO. 2 - Sustainability

In this design sprint, you will design a mobile game to support one of UN Sustainability goals named "Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns". Your task is to design a game that can help people understand this goal, notice their own consumption patterns, or improve their habits towards this goal. The aim of this assignment is to first sketch a storyline using paper prototypes (as is common in the early stage of the UI design), to then define an application flow that will be used as game logic, and finally develop a mobile game prototype using a code-free mobile game development tool. You will first sketch different storylines that will implement your idea. You will then select the best of these designs to help you define an application flow. Finally, you will develop a mobile game prototype which follows the chosen application flow as game logic. You will then test your app with participants.

Group name
Project name
Presentation
Basic dudes
Redemption of the apes
Corona beer
Roger platformer
Double Roomies
Clean and green
Hiking sweets
New Old Fashion
International Girls
COLO
Muscial Sunset
The bin game
MVPs
Garbage flop
Professional coffee
ECO runner
SABABA Group
RecycleIt
Tapi2
CanYouCan
The Best Group
Recycling
The Cook and The Backer
A video game
Tigers
Play in saving the world
Traveling dogs
CityClick
Traveling restaurants
Earth runner
PROJECT TYPE NO. 3 - Fake news

Fake news, as defined by the media scholar Nolan Higdon, are “false or misleading content presented as news and communicated in formats spanning spoken, written, printed, electronic, and digital communication.” Fake news refers to stories that are fabricated that obtain little to no verifiable facts. They can cover anything from politics, vaccination, stock values and nutrition. They can be divided into several categories: false connection, misleading content, misplaced context, imposter content, manipulated media, fabricated content/fake news. In this design sprint, you will design a mobile application that will help users to recognize and understand any or a particular form of fake news through storytelling. Your task is to educate users to understand the harm fake news can pose, make them aware of their source news or in any other way help them understand the topic.

Group name
Project name
Presentation
Basic dudes
Fake news
Corona beer
Fake News
Double Roomies
Fake news
Hiking sweets
Fake news
International Girls
Dolus
Muscial Sunset
The Fake News Game
MVPs
Fact fake
Professional coffee
Fake news ruined my life
SABABA Group
The Article Creator
Tapi2
ShapeBook-News
The Best Group
Fake news
The Cook and The Baker
Fake news
Tigers
Fake news
Traveling dogs
Investigate Twitter
Traveling restaurants
Fake News


TIMETABLE

Please note the dates as attendance is mandatory and graded! The classes run from 1pm to 7pm CET and from 2p to 8pm Israel time. Students are expected to watch the videos before coming to class.

DATE TOPICS VIDEOS ASSIGNMENT
OUT
ASSIGNMENT
IN
GRADE DUE
Pre class Pre-class preparations Definition
History of HCI
24/03 Need Finding, Ideation and Conceptualization Design thinking
Needfinding
Prototyping
Project 1
31/03 Ideation and Design Exploration Ideation
Tasks and Task Flow
Sketching and Storyboarding
Paper Prototyps
14/04 Prototyping and Evaluating Wizard of Oz
Cognitive walkthrough
Heuristic evaluation
Project 2 Project 1 06/05
12/05 Concept and Interaction Wireframing
Conceptual models
Interface metaphors
Project 3 Project 2 20/05
26/05 Human Abilities Memory
Affordances
Interface Design
Project 3 30/05
09/06 Project Expo Final Project

Note: There might be changes in the topics and / or timing of the lectures.
Team projects will be conducted both in class and as part of the assignments.

TEACHING STAFF

Lecturers

Dr. Jessica Cauchard
-

Ben Gurion University
of the Negev

jessicacauchard.com

Dr. Matjaž Kljun
-

University of Primorska

pim.famnit.upr.si

Teaching Assistants

Lee Juliette Yamin
-

Ben Gurion University
of the Negev

Cuauhtli Mijangos Campos
-

University of Primorska

LOGISTICS

Grading structure

Component Weight
Group Project
(group grade)
You will develop skills in designing and prototyping mobile applications. This is an on-going effort throughout the entire course across three assignments. Teamwork is key to this course and projects will be presented in class at various stages for the benefit and learning of all teams. This grade is divided in three assignments: 10% each 30
Final Project (group grade) You will choose your best project and present it as a final project. 10
Project Contribution (Individual) Individual contribution to the group project (peer graded by the other group members). 20
Presentation (Individual) Final presentation (individual grade). 20
Quiz (Individual) There will be two (or three) in-class quizzes, each accounting for 5% of the final grade (in case of three quizzes two best will be taken into account). 10
Class participation (Individual) You are expected to attend and participate in class. This will account for your final grade. 10
Total 100
Late policy: no lates on group assignments.

There is no final exam and no “Pass” requirement regarding the final exam.

The grades will be awarded as: excellent, very good, good, satisfactory, passing, or failed and will be converted to the Israeli or Slovenian system accordingly.

Assignments

Students will complete most of their work in teams. There are 3 group projects, each including presentations and write-ups. There will also be a final project including a pitch-slide, a poster, and a final presentation in front of a jury composed of international experts. Additionally, there are 2 quizzes and individual contributions grade.

RESOURCES

Online Tools: Links and Tutorials

Participating in the course activities

Miro miro.com/index/

Miro tutorial youtu.be/pULLAEmhSho

Prototyping

Axure www.axure.com/edu

Balsamic www.balsamic.com

Brainstorming

Miro www.miro.com

Multimedia

Vector graphics Inkscape inkscape.org

Bitmap editor Gimp www.gimp.org

Video editor kdenlive kdenlive.org

Video editor OpenShot www.openshot.org

Audio editor Audacity www.audacityteam.org

Course textbooks

  1. Norman, D. (2013). The design of everyday things: Revised and expanded edition. Constellation.
  2. Dix A., Finlay J., Abowd G.D., Beale R.: Human Computer Interaction, Third Edition, Prentice Hall, 2003.
  3. Rogers Y., Sharp H., Preece J.: Interaction Design: Beyond Human-Computer Interaction, 3rd Edition. John Wiley & Sons, 2011.
  4. Shneiderman, B., Plaisant, C., Cohen, M., Jacobs, S., Elmqvist, N., & Diakopoulos, N. (2016). Designing the user interface: strategies for effective human-computer interaction. 6th Edition. Pearson.

This course is part of the WILLIAM Erasmus+ Capacity Building Initiative for Internationalization at
Home
and co-funded by the EU Commission. We thank the WILLIAM program for giving us the
opportunity to run this course.