Semester Project Overview – CS 3724, Fall 2007

The semester-long project will allow you to practice all of the major components of the scenario-based design (SBD) process. The five phases will build upon one another in a cumulative fashion, and you will be working on the same problem/system the entire semester. Although we will do these phases in a modular, linear way due to the constraints of this course, keep in mind that typically the different components of SBD are interweaved in an iterative, non-linear, parallel way.

Each group has the task of designing a new interactive system using SBD. The project will progress through five phases:

• Phase 1: Requirements analysis.
• Assigned Aug. 30.
• Due Sept. 13.
• Phase 2: Activity and information design.
• Assigned Sept. 13.
• Due Oct. 2.
• Phase 3: Interaction design and prototyping.
• Assigned Oct. 2.
• Due Oct. 30
• Phase 4: Evaluation.
• Assigned Oct. 30.
• Due Nov. 15.
• Phase 5: Redesign and final report.
• Assigned Nov. 15.
• Due Dec. 4.

The result of the semester project is not meant to be a robust, working system. Rather, it is a well-developed system design with one or more prototypes.

Groups will be able to choose from three broadly-defined options for their interactive system:

• Option 1: An in-car system to help a driver find a parking space on campus

Assume that there exists a system that keeps track of free parking spaces and their location, and that the system knows where the driver’s car is currently located. The system must also be interactive, not merely informational.

• Option 2: An in-seat entertainment and internet system for the economy section of airplanes

Assume current constraints on seat size and free space on major airlines. The system should allow, at a minimum, the choice of on-demand video, audio, and games, as well as email viewing and composition, and web surfing.

• Option 3: A system to facilitate in-person meetings among online friends and communities

Assume that the user has multiple online friends and/or communities (e.g., from myspace, facebook, special interest forums), and that the user wishes to be able to meet those people in person when the opportunity presents itself. Also assume that a back-end system to integrate information from all of these communities already exists. The system should give the user real-time information to make this possible, and also allow the user to specify criteria and privacy options.

These options are purposely left open-ended and vague. Multiple groups will pursue each option, and it should be interesting and instructive to see how different groups come up with different designs and solutions for the same general topic.