CSE 440 - Introduction to HCI - Autumn 2026

Assignment 1.4: Design Ideation

Due: Wednesday, October 14, 15:00

This assignment is a component of Milestone 1. Be sure you have reviewed that larger context for this assignment.

The goal of this assignment is to begin thinking about how to plan design research to inform your design process.

Generate 10 different ideas related to each of the following design dimensions of your project proposal:

  • Forms: types of technology on which a design might be developed (e.g., wearables, watch/phone/tablet/laptop, appliances, other artifacts in an environment).
  • Data: types of data a design might build upon.
  • Tasks: what a person might accomplish with a design.
  • Features: a specific capability a design might have.
  • Contexts for Interaction: Contexts in which a person might interact with a design (e.g., physical environments, social relationships, related goals or activities).

We will provide this worksheet to help structure this brainstorm:

design-ideation-worksheet.pdf

Write or sketch your ideas, one in each square. Each idea should be either a single sentence or a quick drawing with a caption. A person familiar with your project but not in your group should be able to understand each idea.

All ideas should be different. The goal is to begin exploring the space of possibilities, not attempting to polish some individual possibility. Focus on the quantity of ideas, and avoid become stuck on the quality of any one idea. Ideate as a team to develop a greater range of ideas. When you get stuck, find a context to inspire new ideas.

After this brainstorming, you will have a broad space of possible directions. Your project will soon need to gather information on how to further generate and consider ideas in such directions.

Following up on the above, you should additionally brainstorm:

  • People: types of people you might work with to learn more about problems and opportunities.
  • Focus: specific aspects of problems and opportunities you might focus on learning more about.
  • Method: how you might engage such people to learn more about problems and opportunities.

Submission

Due: Wednesday, October 14, 15:00

Within the Drive folder for course project files:

  • Identify the Slides deck corresponding to this assignment for your group. The deck provides a template for this assignment. Edit the deck in-place, so that you can easily share it in critique.

  • Prepare a Slides deck with the following structure:

    For each ideation category (5 total):

    • 1 slide:
      • 10 ideas in that category (e.g., an image of this page in the worksheet).
      • Indicate 3 to 5 that are your favorite or "best" ideas in that category (e.g., add a star to the idea).

Also include your proposed design research directions: the people you might work with, what you hope to learn, and the methods you might use.

Reminders and requirements:

  • Submission via Canvas is also required, in support of grading.

    • Remove instruction slides and template markings from your deck before submission.

    • Export a PDF of your deck, via the menu: File -> Download -> PDF Document (.pdf).

    • Because groups are evolving, we have not yet created Canvas project groups. Ensure at least one member of your group individually submits, then we will ensure everybody named in the submission receives credit.

  • This is a group submission. Ensure your section and names of all group participants are appropriately clear.

  • Review and follow guidance on Clarity and Presentation.

The Drive folder for course project files is here:

https://tinyurl.com/cse440-au26

Submit via Canvas here:

https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1916801/assignments/11576732

Grading

This assignment is worth 27 points total:

  1. Design Ideation (15 points):

    Generate 10 distinct ideas for each of the five design dimensions. Your ideas and insights should suggest interesting design directions or topics to explore.

  2. Design Research Directions (12 points):

    Propose relevant and meaningful ideas for the people you might work with, the focus of your research, and the methods you might use.

Clear writing and presentation help us understand your work and are considered when grading each criterion.

Your score on this assignment counts toward Milestone 1's total of 100 points. Milestone 1 as a whole is worth 5% of the overall course grade.

Prior Samples

Samples are also intended only to illustrate a variety of approaches, and were not selected to be ideal or exemplary.