Project #2 - Designing a New Tool

In this assignment you will work in teams of 5-7. Each team will have one of the following design goals:

• Digital Camera of the Future: This camera will not just take pictures, but also be able to perform things such as automatic (and error-free) settings adjustments, post processing operations, and direct online publishing and archiving. What exact tasks should it support - that's one of the things you need to determine. In the end, you need to have a 3D paper and cardboard prototype, along with a user's manual.
• Digital Editing Tool of the Future: This is a software challenge. Current tools tend to have multitudes of features and options which make use difficult. At the same time, many are missing the tools that people really want. You need to find out what people really wish they could do, and then prepare paper prototypes of the interface, and storyboards or PICTIVE prototypes showing how your software would be used to meet those desires.
• Photo Collections of the Future: This may be software, or a combination of software and hardware that people can use with their current digital cameras and available technology. You need to discover how people want to build collections and search collections and then prepare prototypes showing how your system will look and how it will be used both by people creating collections as well as those who are searching through collections (not necessarily collections they built).

For each team, the objective will be to:

• Identify who the target users will be. You need to identify populations who are not currently happy with what is currently available.
• Determine what tasks this user base will want to accomplish. You need to encourage your participants to think "big" - detailed task scenarios can help push the boundaries of current technologies.
• Create low-fidelity prototypes to flesh out ideas. Do not limit yourself based on costs or current technologies - this is a paper prototype where the goal is to say what we should have.
• Submit a written report / design portfolio to the Vice President of Development at your company detailing your work and results. Some more specifics of this are on the supplemental page for this project. This report/portfolio will contain things such as:
  • a list describing expected users of the system and their work contexts
  • a list of actual, representative tasks that people are expected to do
  • a prioritized list of system requirements
  • a low fidelity prototype
  • a task-centered walkthrough of the prototype
• Give a 15-20 minute PowerPoint presentation about your creation that shows what it will allow users to do, how it will allow them to do these things, and why your design makes sense.

Some goals of this exercise are that you will gain experience in: