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    <p>Start: after class on Monday, October 29, 2018; Due: By 8:00pm (20:00) Eastern Time on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2018; conflicts resolved in class on Wednesday, October 31, 2018.</p>\
    <p>All of the assignments in this course will be individual. Most of them will involve creating a simulated user interface for a complex device. Each student will pick a different device. However, for a multi-function device, multiple people can pick the same device as long as they pick different functions on that device (for example, someone can do basic setup of a DVD and someone else can do setting of timed recordings on a DVD-R). You will use the device you select for the entire course, and your device will need to be tested by multiple users over the course of the mini, so choose wisely. You will need to pick a device with some complexity. That is, <i>it should have a POOR or PROBLEMATIC user interface</i>, so it is worth redesigning. For example, you might pick an app or website you have struggled with, or anyway you should have some difficulty with the user interface. Is it hard to use? Are there aspects that would confuse people and you can try to redesign better?</p>\
    <p>You will need to be able (for homework 1) to come up with enough tasks that an expert doing all of them will take about 5 minutes to perform, and a novice would take about 15 minutes (so they need to be somewhat complex). A general guideline is that your system should involve at least 30 controls, not counting web links. For web pages, it should have at least 10 pages (including product description pages). For desktop or mobile applications, it should have at least 5 different screens, panels or dialog boxes containing at least 30 controls total.\
	<p>It is <i>NOT</i> appropriate to do a game, since most of the issues will be with the game play, not the UI, and even if it has a poor UI, the game parts are too distracting. \
	<p>Also, it is <i>NOT</i> allowed to use a speech-only or mostly-speech interface or text-based "chat-bot" systems, so you cannot select something like Siri, Amazon Echo, Echo Show, conversational agents, a converstational user interface (CUI), or Google Home - there is no way to prototype a better UI for homeworks 2-6, since that just involves a smarter AI.</p>\
    <p>I have put everyone who is registered in random order in a GoogleDoc spreadsheet, which you will be able to find on Canvas. Everyone should enter three or more choices, and the make sure that the people above you didn\'t pick what you selected. We will try to give everyone their choices, but everyone must have unique device.</p>\
    <p>Note that if you want to use a product, system or website of your company, that is fine, but it has to be public (that is, not secret), so that others can see the current design, and your prototype for a redesign.</p>\
    <p>Note: for Homework 1, you will have to test a user on a real version of the device, so you should select something you own or have access to.</p>\
    <p>Below are some examples that might be selected, but feel free to make up your own, with permission of the instructor.</p>\
    <p>Before class on Wednesday, October 31, 2018, each student will pick a device. Here are some ideas:</p>\
    <ol type="1">\
        <li>Any desktop or web interface that has at least 30 controls, not counting web links. For web pages, it should have at least 10 pages (including product description pages). For desktop applications, it should have at least 5 different screens or dialog boxes.</li>\
		<li>The systems with bad UIs listed <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AMn49vUgPzy-EIn6pZPlqZTYsQzgnF9VJNcdxCwqc1w/edit#heading=h.qgpdcqs5sbvr">on this GoogleDoc</a></li>\
        <li>Web sites that are hard to use</li>\
        <li>Copy machine with 2-sided copying and coversheets</li>\
        <li>Configuring a home internet device, such as a router or modem, including security settings</li>\
        <li>Wireless network chooser (select, security settings, on/off)</li>\
		<li>Cloud virtual machine setup<li>\
        <li>VCR or DVD/R: basic setup (which channels, clock, input source, record speed, etc.)</li>\
        <li>VCR or DVD/R: setting timed recordings (record in the future)</li>\
        <li>Cable TV or DirectTV configuration and control interfaces</li>\
        <li>Data Projector configuration user interface (pick source, brightness, keystoning, etc.)</li>\
        <li>High definition or "smart" television configuration with various wide-screen modes</li>\
        <li>Digital camera including specifying different resolutions, white balance, turning on and off the flash, etc.</li>\
        <li>Digital Watch setup or apps that are hard to use</li>\
        <li>Microwave with cooking, defrost, set current time, timed cooking, etc.</li>\
        <li>Wall Oven, with bake, broil, self-clean, timer for timed cooking, etc.</li>\
        <li>Washing machine, with parameters for water temperature, different cycles, timed wash, etc.</li>\
        <li>Robotic vacuum cleaner (speed, obstacle avoidance)</li>\
        <li>Conventional vacuum with digital controls</li>\
        <li>Digital video recorder (schedule recordings) (e.g., TIVO)</li>\
        <li>Universal remote control (programmable)</li>\
		<li>Configuration and setup of almost any other IoT (internet of things) device</li>\
        <li>Music player with play-lists (e.g., Windows Media Player)</li>\
        <li>Augmented calculator (e.g., ability to see past computations, etc.)</li>\
        <li>Complex Alarm clock (set time, multiple alarms that are different on different days, daylight savings time, etc.)</li>\
        <li>Audiobook player (configuration, select book, jump to specific locations, etc.)</li>\
        <li>Programmable light (brightness, weekly on/off schedule)</li>\
        <li>Programming lawn watering system, with timers and sensors</li>\
        <li>Printer configuration (orientation, sides, color, scale)</li>\
        <li>Multi-function printer (print/fax/copy)</li>\
        <li>Home heating and air conditioning (HVAC) controls (programmable)</li>\
        <li>Automobile heating and air conditioning (HVAC) controls</li>\
        <li>Automobile HD Radio</li>\
        <li>Stand-alone HD Radio</li>\
        <li>Automobile navigation system</li>\
        <li>Hand-held navigation system</li>\
        <li>Any digital medical device that is hard to use or hard to configure</li>\
        <li>Self checkout system for supermarket (like at Giant Eagle), especially for fruit and items without bar codes</li>\
        <li>Programmable exercise equipment</li>\
    </ol>\
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