Course Title: Design user interfaces

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term2 2017

Course Code: VART6060C

Course Title: Design user interfaces

School: 650T Vocational Business Education

Campus: City Campus

Program: C6140 - Advanced Diploma of Business (Public Relations)

Course Contact: Julia Makin

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 5175

Course Contact Email: Julia.makin@rmit.edu.au


Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Julia Makin

julia.makin@rmit.edu.au

Nominal Hours: 50

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

None

Course Description

This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to design user interfaces for interactive media products.


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

CUFDIG402A Design user interfaces

Element:

1. Identify project requirements

Performance Criteria:

  1. Discuss concept with relevant personnel to ensure that design briefs are fully understood
  2. Identify technical parameters of interactive media products, including delivery platform
  3. Identify target audience and user characteristics
  4. Obtain information architecture specifications if available

Element:

2. Draft design specifications

Performance Criteria:

  1. Visualise concepts and develop preliminary sketches based on content architecture and audience characteristics
  2. Sketch basic screen layout showing main spatial zones
  3. Specify functional areas within screen layouts
  4. Specify metaphors and look and feel of user interfaces
  5. Develop final detailed sketches taking into consideration all ideas generated
  6. Gain approval from relevant personnel to ensure that interfaces meet all requirements
  7. Write user interface design specifications to include relevant advice to development teams

Element:

3. Finalise user interface designs

Performance Criteria:

  1. Develop focus test plans for user interfaces to identify their strengths and weaknesses
  2. Incorporate design changes to information architecture in design specifications
  3. Obtain final agreement from relevant personnel for finished designs


Learning Outcomes



Details of Learning Activities


Students will undertake creation of user interfaces that:

  • visually communicate to target user and audience
  • meet required standards and technical parameters of the specified platform
  • visually communicate to target user and audience
     


Teaching Schedule

This course is co-delivered and co-assessed with VART6061 Create User Interfaces.

Week

Week Commencing

Topics

Assessment

1

3/7

What are User Interfaces?
Induction to the course
Meet your teacher and class

 

2

10/7

Introducing User Experience
Presentation and exercises to introduce the concept of UX (User Experience). What is it and why is it so important?

 

3

17/7

Evaluate User Interfaces
Usability Heuristics and how to assess effectiveness, appropriateness to the user and audience and technical feasibility.

 

4

24/7

Big Data
Analytics and Infographics
Examine the kind of data being collected. Examine how it can be used to create interesting and useful user interfaces.

 

5

31/7

Typography and Design Re-cap
Typography and Design in modern UI (user interfaces).
Examine student current levels and understanding with exercises.
Look at presentation techniques. Look at types of presentations, informative vs. the pitch.

Assessment 1 submission due:
Sunday, 11pm

6

7/8

In class presentations

Assessment 1 Presentation In class

7

14/8

Brainstorming
Look at different brainstorming techniques and idea generation.
Plan approach: design selection, graphic software choice, explore typographical and visual design elements.
Paper prototypes: concept sketches including functional areas and design specifications.
 

 

8

21/8

Graphics - Branding your App
Design and create a logo
Create a style guide

-

BREAK

28/8 - 1/9

Mid-Semester Break

 

9

4/9

Use Software to Develop Prototypes Part 1
Apply visual design and communication principles to the development of user interfaces.
Examine software tools, including tutorials on software techniques.
UX tools.

 

10

11/9

Use Software to Develop Prototypes Part 2
More time will be spent on giving students a chance to get accustomed with the software.

 

11

18/9

Applying the Software
Every pair will work on their assessment. The teacher will support.

 

12

25/9

User Testing
Exercises to prepare for pitching to client which is very different to an informative presentation.
Students Apps should be in the final iteration stage, ready for in class feedback
 

Assessment 2 submission due:
Sunday, 11pm

13

2/10

In Class Presentations

Assessment 2: In Class Presentations

14

09/10

Preparation for Test
Preparation for Assessment 3 (Test)

 

15

16/10

Assessment 3 - In Class Test
Individual test on Blackboard

Assessment 3 - Due In Class

16

23/10

Resubmissions only

 


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts


References


Other Resources


Overview of Assessment

Assessment may incorporate a variety of methods including technical requirements documentation, homework, assignments, group and/or individual projects, in class exercises, written and practical assessments, problem solving exercises, presentations, direct observation of actual and simulated work practice, presentation of a portfolio of evidence which may comprise documents, and/or photographs and/or video and audio files, review of products produced through work-based or course activities.

Students are advised that they are likely to be asked to personally demonstrate their assessment work to their teacher to ensure that the relevant competency standards are being met. Students will be provided with feedback throughout the course to check their progress.


Assessment Tasks

This course is co delivered and co assessed with VART6061C Create user interfaces

Students are required to complete 3 tasks. All tasks must be completed successfully to be deemed competent in this unit.


Assessment 1 – Presentation: Examination/User Report
Group, due: Submission on Blackboard – week 5, Sunday, 11pm, Presentation – week 6, in class
Working in pairs, students will examine and test a real user Interface of an app. Students are then to produce a detailed analysis report to be uploaded to Blackboard and delivered in class. This presentation will cover all aspects of the user experience, that include the words that users have to interact with, the visual representations the user interacts with on the interface including, typography, diagrams, icons, and other graphics. The space with which the user or users interact, the content that changes over time such as sound, video, or animation, and the behaviour defines the user’s actions/ reaction to the interface and how they respond to it.

Assessment 2 – User Interface Design
Group, due: Submission on Blackboard – week 12, Sunday, 11pm, Presentation –Week 13, in class
Working in pairs, the second assessment will focus on the design and creation of a professional prototype of a User Interface. This project will involve a range of research and technical tasks to be completed using various software tools you will be introduced to and trained in in class. Students will develop a concept for a commercially viable app and design the user interfaces for the various stages. The aim of the user interface is to make the user’s interaction as simple, efficient, enjoyable and perhaps even fun as possible. The final prototypes will be presented in class.

Assessment 3 – Online Test
Individual (Due in class Week 15)
Individually students will complete an online test in class. You will need to show a solid understanding of key material covered over the semester including User Experience (UX), digital platforms, and prototyping software.

Additional notes to students:
If a student receives an NYC for any assessment, or part of an assessment, they will not be deemed competent for the course and therefore will receive an overall grade of NYC.

*More detailed assessment sheets for each assessment task will be disseminated throughout course delivery.


Assessment Matrix

Critical aspects of assessment

Evidence of the following is essential:

  • creation of user interfaces that:
    •    visually communicate to target user and audience
    •    meet required standards and technical parameters of the specified platform
  • visually communicate to target user and audience

Required knowledge

Assessment

  • Industry knowledge, including:
    • roles and responsibilities of project team members, e.g. designers, content creators, information architects, programmers and coders
    • sound understanding of the relationship between technical and creative aspects and requirements of interactive media projects
    • issues and challenges that arise in creating user interfaces
    • standards as they apply to user interfaces, including W3C Accessibility, interoperability, usability and readability

Task 2 and 3

  • visual design and communication principles, including user-centered design principles

Tasks 1, 2 and 3

  •  design elements

Tasks 1, 2 and 3

  •  typography

Tasks 1, 2 and 3

Required skills

Assessment

communication, teamwork and literacy skills sufficient to:

  • interpret and clarify written or verbal instructions
  • interpret design specifications
  • work collaboratively in a team environment - both independently on assignment and under direction
  • present a range of user interface designs to team members for discussion and feedback
  • respond constructively to feedback received from other team members
  • complete workplace documentation
  • seek expert assistance when problems arise

Tasks 1, 2 and 3
 

  • creative skills sufficient to:
    • generate feasible ideas for user interface designs that meet specifications
    • apply visual design and communication principles to produce user interface designs

Task 2

  • technical skills sufficient to:
    • proficiently use graphics software to produce user interface designs
    • create user interface designs to meet standards and platform parameters

Task 2

  • self-management and planning skills sufficient to:
    • prioritise work tasks
    • meet deadlines

Tasks 1, 2 and 3

  • manage files and directories using standard naming conventions

Task 2

Course Overview: Access Course Overview