A course project will be a major component of your work. This will require hands-on experience with HCI, while remaining open to different possibilities.
Because you are still new to HCI research, we do not necessarily expect you to produce publishable work Instead, the expectation is that you will do something interesting. It is then up to you to define interesting according to what you want to accomplish in this project, seeking appropriate feedback from staff. For example, you might choose to:
We expect most students will do projects in groups of three. We will consider groups of two, and very strongly discourage individuals. Working in groups is a necessary part of doing research, and also important for the logistics of this course.
Project deliverables are defined in terms of a proposal, a pair of self-defined milestones, and a final report. These are due:
Your proposal will define your initial plan for this project. You can and should update this plan based on feedback, progress, and findings. But the proposal needs to demonstrate a robust initial plan for your project.
Course staff will be available to meet and provide feedback on Friday, January 8. Meeting is optional. You can also email to request feedback or to inquire about arranging another time to meet. Sign up for the reserved meeting times here:
http://doodle.com/poll/6gfw4v8wcqqqfg6i
You are welcome and even encouraged to align your project with your research goals outside this course. However, it is critical to define what you will specifically accomplish in the course project. The course project must stand on its own.
Proposals consist of a short document and a short in-class presentation.
Prepare a one-page document addressing the following points:
What makes the project interesting? What is the problem or research question?
What is the pain point you want to solve, the new capability you want to enable, or the research you want to explore?
What existing understanding of the problem has been developed?
For a research proposal, this will briefly cover the most important related work in the space you are exploring.
For a design proposal, this will introduce existing solutions, why they fall short, and the potential opportunity.
What milestones will the group plan to accomplish?
There are two milestone reports in the quarter, one early and one late. These are opportunities for feedback and guidance from staff and classmates.
Explain what your group will plan to accomplish by each of these milestones. You will be asked to revisit these plans during those milestone reports.
What might the group explicitly decide to omit?
Progress requires compromise, as you cannot accomplish everything. Explain what aspects of the project you might choose to ignore or defer in this course. This is your opportunity to scope the project appropriately for this course.
Each group will give a short in-class presentation of their proposal. This is an opportunity for feedback from staff and classmates. Your presentation should cover the same information as the document.
This is an opportunity for feedback, not a formal presentation. Please be appropriately candid, thoughtful, and engaged.
Due: Uploaded the night before class Thursday, January 14, 2016
Submit your document in PDF format.
https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1021534/assignments/3121657
Submit your presentation as no more than three slides in PDF, PPT, or PPTX format.
https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1021534/assignments/3121658
Two milestone reports serve as a check on the trajectory of your project and an opportunity for feedback and guidance from staff and classmates. Convey the state of your project and your plans for the remainder of the quarter.
Milestone reports consist of a short document and a short in-class presentation.
Prepare a one-page document addressing the following points:
Each group will give a short in-class presentation of their proposal. This is an opportunity for feedback from staff and classmates. Your presentation should cover the same information as the document.
This is an opportunity for feedback, not a formal presentation. Please be appropriately candid, thoughtful, and engaged.
Due: Uploaded the night before class Thursday, January 28, 2016 and Thursday, February 25, 2016.
Milestone 1 document: https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1021534/assignments/3143418 Milestone 1 presentation: https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1021534/assignments/3143419 Milestone 2 document: https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1021534/assignments/3164485 Milestone 2 presentation: https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1021534/assignments/3164486
Submit your document in PDF format.
Submit your presentation in PDF, PPT, or PPTX format.
Your final report should be presented in the same general structure as the papers you read this quarter:
Format your report according to the SIGCHI Document Format:
https://sigchi.github.io/Document-Formats/
Your report should be 4 to 10 pages in length, excluding references.
Write according to the content you have. Be appropriately thorough and precise in your presentation, but do not needlessly pad your text.
Additional guidance regarding effective paper writing can be found in:
Jacob O. Wobbrock. Catchy Titles are Good: But Avoid Being Cute. Writing Advice, White Paper, 2015.
Due: Uploaded by the end of day Monday, March 14, 2016.
https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1021534/assignments/3164488
Submit your document in PDF format.