CS 3240 : Usability Engineering

CS 3240:Usability Engineering

Semester Hours:   3.0
Contact Hours:   3
Coordinator:   Abbas Heydarnoori
Text:   About Face: The Essentials of Interaction Design
Author(s):   Cooper, Reimann, Cronin, and Noessel
Year:   2014

SPECIFIC COURSE INFORMATION

Catalog Description

User interface design and human- computer interaction. Understanding the user. Design and prototyping of highly usable interfaces. Design notations, dialog styles, screen layouts, and usability testing. Event-driven programming language for rapid prototyping. Prerequisite: CS 2020.

Course type: SELECTED ELECTIVE

SPECIFIC COURSE GOALS

• I understand how the user interface characteristics of everyday objects affect their usability.
• I understand the history of user interface design and why it has become increasingly important to software development.
• I understand some human behavioral and perceptual capabilities and limitations that affect interface design.
• I understand different interaction styles and designs, their advantages and disadvantages, and under what circumstances their use is appropriate.
• I understand the dimensions of usability and some possible measurements.
• I understand basic principles of user interface evaluation and the use of standards and guidelines.
• I understand development methodologies and lifecycle models for building user interfaces.
• I understand the roles of prototyping in user interface design.

LIST OF TOPICS COVERED

• Introduction
  • Definitions of human-computer interaction and user interface design
  • Importance of interface design in software design
  • Cost/benefit of good interface design
• The Process - Usability Engineering: Stages in the development of user interfaces
  • Needs analysis
  • Systems analysis
  • User profiling
  • Preliminary design, including design notation
  • Rapid prototyping and interactive design
  • Formative evaluation techniques, including usability testing
  • Using standards and guidelines
• The Product
  • Input and output devices
  • Dialog styles
  • Screen layout and design
  • User documentation
  • Evaluative testing