Project 2
This is an exercise designed to get your feet wet in designing something and trying it out on some users! This will explain to you why you can never get that Ikea furniture together right.... You job is to create a set of instructions for folding a paper airplane. You will then try the instructions out on some users
First: in class, learn how to fold the airplane
Pay close attention, you at least need to be able to do it yourself!
Second: make some instructions
Draw up a paper set of instructions for creating the airplane from a sheet of paper. You can be as creative as you like, but stick to two-dimensional paper. No power point, sample 3-D airplanes, etc.
Third: Try it out on some live humans
Recruit three people to try these instructions out on. Hand them the instructions, several sheets of paper for folding the plane.
- Explain beforehand what they can expect during the test.
- Try and recruit a variety of people. This is tough with three people, but try some people from other majors, women and men, etc.
- Ask the subjects to speak outloud while completing the task.
- Take notes and time them. Make sure you tell them that it isn't a race, and they aren't being judged on how long it takes them.
- Try not to help them while they are working. If they get stuck or take a wrong turn, let them work on it. If they are really stuck, thn give them some advice and take note of it.
- Set a reasonable time limit.
- Afterwards ask them for what parts they thought were difficult to understand.
- Thank them profusely for helping you.
Fourth: Prepare a revision of your instructions and try it out on three different people using the same procedure
Fifth: post a writeup through SPARK, including a copy of both sets of instructions
Grading (out of 10 points):
- Coherent discussion of what problems you identified in your first revision (5 points)
- Final instruction design (3 points)
- Discussion of how effective your changes to the instructions were and further notes for improvement (2 points)