Last update 8/28/02

Readings posted are those that you are expected to do before the Monday class that occurs on that date. It will be assumed that you have read the assigned readings and are able to discuss them and build on them for the in-class activities.
 

Week 1 8/26

Week 2 9/2

Readings
S. Dray. The Importance of designing usable systems. interactions 1995 2(1) pp 17-19. http://www.dray.com/articles/usablesystems.html
D. Orenstein. Is software too hard to use? Computerworld: August 1999 (re'printed' in CNN) http://www.cnn.com/TECH/computing/9908/25/easyuse.ent.idg/
Katie Hafner. Comforts of Home Yield to Tyranny of Digital Gizmos NY Times: April 28, 2002. (free registration required) Also available at: http://www.longdistanceconnection.com/artdigitalgizmos.html
www.baddesigns.com
 

Week 3 9/9

Readings
J. Nielsen. Usability Engineering. Chapter 1: Executive Summary. pp 1-21
C. Rowland Usability Matters. Webreview. March 10, 2000.
www.iarchitect.com/shame.htm
www.webpagesthatsuck.com

Assignment 1a due 9/16 (NB. if you have big problems getting volunteers email me)
 

Week 4 9/16

Readings
J. Nielsen.www.useit.com/alertbox/
This consists of various short relevant articles. Read those that look interesting to you. Pay particular attention to the ones in bold (those that have been most popular). Be prepared to summarise and explain the readings in class (different people will have chosen different articles to study).

Assignment 1b: choose your site by 9/18
 

Week 5 9/23

Readings
P.J. Lynch Web Style Guide info.med.yale.edu/caim/manual
Select appropriate chapters that will help you with your assignment. Split the reading with other group members
 

Week 6 9/30

Readings Browse through these and choose a couple to study more closely
world.std.com/~uieweb/moreart.htm
world.std.com/~uieweb/bookexpt.htm
www.indiana.edu/~iirg/ARTICLES/articles.html
education.indiana.edu/ist/faculty/iuwebrep.html
www.indiana.edu/~iirg/ARTICLES/usability/usability.main.html
www.iuinfo.indiana.edu/policy/

Additional resources about the mechanics of creating web pages
www.lis.uiuc.edu/lrl/links/www3.html
alexia.lis.uiuc.edu/~mach/workshop/

Assignment 1b Version 1.0 due  9/30

Week 7 10/7

Readings
Nielsen Chapter 3
www.asktog.com

Assignment 1c due 10/7
 

Week 8 10/14

Readings
C. Lewis & J. Rieman Task-Centered User Interface Design: A Practical Introduction. Forward & Chapter 1

Group response to 1c comments due 10/14
 

Week 9 10/21

Readings
Nielsen Chapter 5
M. Levi & F. Conrad. A Heuristic Evaluation of a World Wide Web Prototype. Interactions 1996 3(4) 51-61.

Improved version(s) of assignment 1b in the light of the 1c comments should be posted by 10/21 at the latest
 

Week 10 10/28

Readings
Lewis & Rieman 4 (omitting 4.2).
D.E. Rowley and D.G. Rhoades The Cognitive Jogthrough: A Fast-Paced User Interface Evaluation Procedure. Proceedings, CHI `92. 389-395.

Assignment 2a due 10/28
 

Week 11 11/4

Readings
Nielsen Chapter 6
Lewis & Rieman Chapter 5

Assignment 2b due 11/4
 

Week 12  11/11

Readings
Lewis & Rieman Chapters 2 & 3
Nielsen Chapter 4

Assignment 2c First version due 11/11
 

Week 13  11/18

Readings
Nielsen Chapter 7
M.B. Butler "Getting To Know Your Users" Interactions 1996 3(1) pp23-30
 

Thanksgiving Break

Week 14  12/2

Week 15  12/9

Readings
TBA

Presentations of prototypes

Assignments 1b & 2c Final Versions due 12/18
Assignment 3 due 12/20