Course Title: Create user interfaces

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term2 2015

Course Code: VART6061C

Course Title: Create 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

Federico Viola

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

A person who applies the skills and knowledge outlined in this unit works to technical and creative specifications provided by a user interface designer or other designers.


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

CUFDIG403A Create user interfaces

Element:

1. Clarify project requirements

Performance Criteria:

1.1 Identify relevant environmental issues in relation to fundraising and sponsorship
1.2 Identify available sources of funding or sponsorship including criteria, conditions or constraints related to funding
1.3 Conduct research to identify the most appropriate target public for fundraising or sponsorship activities in accordance with organisation profile and requirements
1.4 Identify and consider legal and ethical requirements in relation to fundraising or sponsorship
1.5 Make recommendations for fundraising, sponsorship campaigns or activities based on research findings

Element:

2. Generate ideas

Performance Criteria:

2.1 Evaluate organisation’s current operations and readiness to apply for funding
2.2 Develop a funding submission which meets the funding source’s guidelines and criteria
2.3 Ensure the submission complies with all legal and ethical requirements
2.4 Write the submission to meet the needs of the grantor and submitting organisation

Element:

3.Plan approach

Performance Criteria:

3.1 Confirm the aims, objectives, outcomes and evaluation measures for a fundraising or sponsorship campaign with senior management
3.2 Conduct a feasibility study to ensure all aspects of the fundraising or sponsorship campaign have been considered
3.3 Examine and agree upon budgets with senior management
3.4 Prepare and obtain agreement on a campaign plan for fundraising or sponsorship activities that meets organisational, ethical and legal requirements

Element:

4. Produce user interfaces

Performance Criteria:

4.1 Conduct a fundraising or sponsorship campaign in accordance with plan
4.2 Monitor progress of campaign and make necessary alterations as required|
4.3 Ensure any changes are agreed upon by relevant stakeholders
4.4 Ensure changes meet legal and ethical requirements

Element:

5. Evaluate user interfaces

Performance Criteria:

5.1 Evaluate campaign outcomes against outcomes documented in campaign plan
5.2 Obtain feedback on performance of fundraising or sponsorship campaign from stakeholders
5.3 Develop mechanisms to incorporate feedback into any future fundraising campaigns

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

6 Jul (1) Course Induction

13 Jul Introduction to User Experience
Presentation and Exercises to introduce the concept of User Experience, What is it and why is it important?

20 Jul Evaluate User Interfaces
Examines how we use UI to assess effectiveness, appropriateness to the user and audience and technical feasibility, of both new and existing interfaces.

27 Jul Big Data
What is Big Data, and why is everyone talking about it?
Examine the kind of data being collected. Examine how it can be used to create interesting and useful user interfaces.

3 Aug Typography and Design Re-cap
Look at Re-look at Typography and Design.
Examine student current levels and understanding with exercises.
Look at presentation techniques. Look at types of presentations, informative vs. the pitch.

10 Aug In class presentations

17 Aug 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

24 Aug Use software to develop Prototypes
Apply visual design and communication principles to the development of user interfaces.
Examine software tools, including tutorials on software techniques.

MID-SEMESTER BREAK 31 August – 6 September

7 Sep Project Definition – Branding your Ap
Does your project have a logo or any interesting graphics? In class we will use the creative suite to give your ap the brand definition that it would need in the marketplace.

14 Sep Visual design
We will look at organising the user interface purposefully, in meaningful and useful ways based on clear, consistent models that are apparent and recognisable to users.
Ensure user interfaces meet all design and relevant standards
Make sure the design makes simple, common tasks easy, communicating clearly and simply in the user’s own language, and providing good shortcuts that are meaningfully related to longer procedures.

21 Sep Style Sheets and Style Templates
Look at creating prototypes that meet professional standards
Save UI in appropriate output format

28 Sep Pitching to client
Exercises to prepare for pitching to client which is very different to an informative presentation.
Students Aps should be in the final iteration stage, ready for in class feedback

5 Oct Evaluate user interfaces
12 Oct Review UI to assess effectiveness, appropriateness to the user and audience and technical feasibility
19 Oct Assessment in class TBC
26 Oct Assessment Feedback - Resubmissions only
2 Nov Assessment Feedback - 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

Assessment 1 – Presentation: Examination/User Report
Individual, due: Submission on Blackboard – week 5, Sunday, 11pm, Presentation – week 6, in class)

Individually, students will be given a real user Interface to examine. This interface will be one that helps to manage data sets (such as tram tracker or webjet). 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.

Instructions:
• This assessment is an individual assessment
• The assessment and marking guide can be accessed through the Assessments folder in Create User Interfaces and Design User Interfaces. Students must follow the outline provided.
Assessment 2 – User Interface Design
Group, due: Submission on Blackboard – week 12, Sunday, 11pm, Presentation –Week 13, in class)

Working in groups, 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 in the Adobe Creative Suite. You will be given data sets, and the aim of user interface design is to make the user’s interaction as simple, efficient, enjoyable and perhaps even fun as possible. Your final prototypes will be presented.

Instructions:
• This assessment is an group assessment and will entail identifying project requirements and drafting design specifications
• The assessment and marking guide can be accessed through the Assessments folder in Create User Interfaces and Design User Interfaces. Students must follow the outline provided.
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.

Instructions:
• This assessment is an individual assessment.
• The assessment can be accessed through the Assessments folder in Create User Interfaces and Design User Interfaces. Students must follow the outline provided.

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


 

Course Overview: Access Course Overview