LUTE website design and implementation

The Laboratory for Usability Testing and Evaluation (LUTE) did not have a website in the fall of 2009. In the past LUTE had a website, but it had been incorporated into the Human Centered Design and Engineering Department website. As the LUTE Research Assistant, I was assigned the task of implementing a new, updated website that would be a solid resource for those wanting to use and learn more about the usability lab.

In my approach to designing the website, I took into account the close relationship that the lab had with the department. It is the only independantly funded lab within the department that allows students and other researchers to use it's facilities. With that in mind, the design I choose tied it to the department website using a similar layout and color scheme. The architecture of the website was slightly changed from when it was incorporated in the departmental website and a new logo was designed to give a unique and memorable identity to the lab.

To create the website wireframe, I used both Expression Blend 4 Sketchflow and hand coded XAML. Using this foundation, I hand coded the HTML and CSS in Dreamweaver for the actual website.

Skills used:UI design, Information architecture design, interactive wireframe using MS Expression Blend 4 Sketchflow, XAML, XHTML, CSS, usability testing, graphic design, typography, Dreamweaver CS4, Illustrator CS4, Photoshop CS4.

Instant messaging in the workplace: Examining use differences between managers and independent contributors

This course project was based on a literature review conducted to investigate prior research on concurrent instant messaging (IM) in the workplace. For this project, the primary goal was to examine the differences in instant message (IM) use between managers and independent contributors within the workplace using emperical research methods.

Data collection consisted of a web-based, digital survey in which the url was distributed to other students within the course, on the department blog, and to any contacts know to have used IM within the workplace. The results were statistically analyzed in SPSS. It was found that differences in IM use was most likely due to difference in work tasks and native language. The findings were presented in a research paper and a powerpoint presentation.

Skills used: Research design, survey design, statistical analysis, SPSS, technical communication skills, PowerPoint.

Promoting Oneself on Flickr: Users' Attitudes and Strategies

This course project involved examining self-promotion attitudes and strategies of Flickr users in the context of computer mediated communication. Following the acceptance of the project proposal, an interview protocol was created and revised. A literature review was then undertaken to examine if similar research had been done previously and to help build a foundation for the study. Ten participants, who were regular Flickr users from the area, were recruited. Each were interviewed using a standard protocol that we had written. The interviews were transcribed from the audio recordings and the qualitative data was analyzed using sorting and coding techniques. We found this to be a little studied area, and that there were specific attitudes and strategies used by the participants. The findings were presented in a paper and a powerpoint presentation.

Drawing upon the results of this research, a small group of the researchers prepared this data as an extended abstract for submission to the poster presentation section for Group '10, a conference that promotes the bridging between computer supported collaborative work and information systems. The abstract was accepted and the poster was presented at the Group '10 conference.

Skills used: interview protocol creation, literature review, interviewing, qualitative data analysis, coding, techical communication skills, PowerPoint.

This Charming Candy - user centered web design

This course project involved working with a newly formed company to provide them with a template for a website. "This Charming Candy" was the start-up company we choose to work with for this project. The project consisted of standard steps involved in practicing user centered web design. A project proposal was created which outlined the scope of the project,the assumptions and constraints, along with a competative analysis. A user/task analysis matrix was made, and using that information, personas were developed. One of the personas developed is shown here on the left. The next step in the project was to prepare a digital card sort, using WebSort. Based on the results of the cardsort, the information architecture of the website was created and a paper prototype developed. Based on the paper prototype, a digital prototype was created and then usability testing was completed using test scenarios we created. Finally, the coded template was presented to our clients.

We consulted with the company propriators through the entire process. In addition to completing the process above, we assisted in content creation as the company only had the logo design shown in the prototype at the beginning of the project. Although they liked the template we created, they choose instead to use a blog and an Etsy.com shop where they had a pre-built shopping cart and did not have maintain a website on their own. I felt that their logo and product colors did not work well together, so I created another version of the homepage design that addressed this issue.

Skills used: XHTML, CSS, Illustrator, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, WebSort, proposal writing, persona development, card sorting, paper prototyping, digital prototyping, usability testing, user/task analysis, usability testing scenario creation.