Technovation Challenge Spring 2013 (12 weeks)

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Week 3: User-Centered Design (2/17/2014)


Students will conceptualize how to design their app for its user. They will also learn about lists and loops.

User-centered design means that the design of the app serves the user, not the designer. For example, crash dummies were originally developed only in the form of adult men (since they were designed by adult men engineers). As a result of not designing with the user in mind, women and children were injured at higher rates. Additionally, when automatic faucets were first introduced they could only recognize white hands, since they were designed by an all-white engineering team. Products are frequently designed without the user in mind. What are some more examples?

Interface means the common boundary or link between two things. User interface is the link between the person and thing. The desktop of a computer is the interface between the user and the computer. User Interface Design is designing things while taking into account the people who use them and understanding how that user will experience the product. On the slide, there is the example of the PSP that is designed to maximize the screen space of the gamer; the keys are placed to be convenient for the gamer. If the keys were too close together or too far apart, it would impede the gamer’s playing ability.

Computer Science Concepts Taught in This Lesson:

  • lists
  • loops

Click here to download this week's PowerPoint presentation 

Guest blog post by Samantha Quist: To Build an A+ Technology Product, Start by Studying Your Users

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RodNEYGN08Q&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O94kYyzqvTc

Additional Resources

25 User Experience Videos That Are Worth Your Time

Task Discussion


  • annalise said:

    Check out our first guest blog post by Samantha Quist! Written just for Technovation students:

    To Build an A+ Technology Product, Start by Studying Your Users

    on Feb. 14, 2013, 7:22 p.m.

  • Mita Mallik said:

    The Block Editor on my mac doesn't open up anymore. It used to work before - but it suddenly stopped working. When I click on "Open Block Editor" - it just download the jnlp file and doesn't open up.

    Any help of this would be appreciated.

    Thanks,

    Mita

    on Feb. 10, 2013, 3:02 a.m.

  • Ms. B. said:

    Week #3 and we still can't watch the  videos because they are linked to YouTube.  Our District blocks YouTube and Vimeo.  Can this please be fixed for week 4?  Or, in the resources information, can you provide links to all the videos used in the course?  I can then download them from home.

    Thanks!

    on Feb. 9, 2013, 11:26 a.m.

    annalise said:

     

    We are working on fixing this, Elaine, and we're sorry for the delay. In the meantime, you can use a program like Keepvid to download the videos at home from YouTube and play them in class from your laptop. Again, we're sorry for the delay and will get them up on SchoolTube as soon as possible.

    AnnaLise

    on Feb. 9, 2013, 12:14 p.m. in reply to Ms. B.

    Ms. B. said:

    I would love to be able to download the videos from YouTube, but I don't see the links on the page which is why I requested a list to the YouTube links in the course resources.  Thanks.

    on Feb. 9, 2013, 3:53 p.m. in reply to annalise

    annalise said:

    Do you see them when you are on your laptop at home? On Sat, Feb 9, 2013 at 12:53 PM, elaine_blomeyer <
    on Feb. 9, 2013, 4:03 p.m. in reply to Ms. B.

    Ms. B. said:

    Can I watch the videos on my laptop at home? Yes. Interesting though - if I right mouse click on the video on the P2PU page (using Firefox) there is a "Copy Video URL" option. So, I can use this to find the videos. Yeah! However, if I simply click on the video on the P2PU page, I get a "This video is unavailable with the Educational Filter enabled. To view this video, the site network administrator will need to add it to the playlist." However, I think I can figure out how to download the videos. Yeah! On Sat, Feb 9, 2013 at 1:04 PM, annalise <
    on Feb. 9, 2013, 4:39 p.m. in reply to annalise

    annalise said:

    Glad to hear you found a solution, Elaine! Sorry for the inconvenience. AnnaLise On Sat, Feb 9, 2013 at 1:39 PM, elaine_blomeyer <
    on Feb. 9, 2013, 5:23 p.m. in reply to Ms. B.

    Nada said:

    You can use this site http://keepvid.com  to download videos from youtube.

    on Feb. 10, 2013, 4:59 a.m. in reply to Ms. B.

  • Liz Shelly said:

    Hi,

    Where is the "Lots of Circles" hack instruction sheet located?  I don't see it in the Course Materials page.

    Thanks, 

    -Liz

    on Feb. 7, 2013, 5:01 p.m.

    annalise said:

    Liz,

    It's there, it's just in the "Tutorial Instructions Part 2" doc, after LadybugChase and QuizMe. Let me know if you have trouble finding it! Hope you are well :)

    AnnaLise

    on Feb. 7, 2013, 5:03 p.m. in reply to Liz Shelly