Phase 5 specification – CS 3724 (Bowman)

Focus: case study analysis

Task: reflect on the use of case studies in an interface design project

In Phases 1-4, you have designed and evaluated “version 2” of the PhoneWriter system, using the existing PhoneWriter case study from the usability case study library as a basis, and writing your own updated case in the process. In this phase, you are to write a reflection on this process that will help us refine the use of case studies as a teaching tool for HCI.

Your HTML submission for this phase should be one coherent essay (approx. 2000 words), but should at least include the following components:

• Analysis of the existing PhoneWriter case: What was helpful about using the original case materials in phases 1-2? Did the case make some concepts more concrete for you? Did it give you examples of how to perform various tasks, for example? Did the structure of the existing case help you in thinking about issues with your new design? What information was not available in the existing case that would have been useful to you in any of the phases?
• Advantages and disadvantages of using cases as a basis for a new design: Identify and explain at least three advantages (upsides) and three disadvantages (downsides) for the use of an existing case as the starting point for a new interface design of the same system. Overall, would you recommend this approach for teaching HCI? If there are differences of opinion within your group, represent all those opinions in this section.
• Analysis of your updated case: You have, in effect, been updating the PhoneWriter case study in phases 1-4. Now think about your project reports as a case study that will be used by future students to learn about interface design. Do you think that your case study would be beneficial in this way? Does your updated case study address any of the deficiencies of the existing case that you identified above (not deficiencies in the original interface design, but deficiencies in the presentation, structure, or content of the original case)? Give at least four specific ways that your updated case would need to be changed to make it a more effective teaching tool for HCI.

By midnight on Dec. 11, send the link to your submission to the TA.