Assignment
Imagine that your Professor is the director of a non-profit animal rights agency that you are trying to convince to hire you, based on your deep understanding of HCD issues.
Professor Wirth is interesting in hiring you to create an cutting-edge digital system to streamline rescue pet adoption. As part of the services for which he is paying you $300/hour, he has asked you to do a competitive analysis of pet adoption services from apps and websites. He wants to be sure that his organization's digital service and app are cutting edge and emotionally engaging Because he has metrics that speak to the high rate of possible abandonment of use of the agency's existing website, he is also very interested in ensuring that any new solution doesn't replicate the usability mistakes and issues of human-centered understanding that is obvious in his competitors' service offerings; mistakes and issues which apparently alienate potential adopters.
Along with employing Schneiderman's 8 Golden Rules of usability to guide your comparative analysis of two pet adoption websites or apps of your choice, your usability report will be expected to include conceptual language drawn from the course readings. You should also demonstrate an understanding of all relevant opportunities and challenges, both within the client's industry and around digital services design, delivery, and maintenance. Therefore, it would be advantageous to you to think of this project as one important way of showing Professor Wirth that you have kept up with your review of the course content.
Upload your paper here as a PDF please. Using any other format will cause your paper to be rejected by the Professor and a grade of zero entered into the system.
Paper Structure and Writing
Is the paper structured in a logical and organized manner, and written in good, understandable business English?
HCD Terminology Usage
Does the paper use appropriate language drawn from the HCD and Design Thinking readings and videos assigned in this class? (E.g. Design of Everyday Things; Joy of UX; and other readings or Lynda.com videos
Digital Pet Adoption Systems (Apps or website) Choice
Are the two applications, websites, or systems chosen for the analysis both digital systems? Has a rationale for the choice of each digital pet adoption system been provided? Is the choice and rationale plausible given the project goals?
Usability Guidelines (From Schneiderman)
Does the paper appropriately use the required Schneiderman's Eight Golden Rules of Interface design to structure their usability analysis?
Analysis
Is the analysis of the app, system or site logical and appropriate to the goals of the assignment as usability analysis case study? Does it reflect the needs of human users and their mental models?
Recommendations
Are the design and marketplace recommendations provided in the paper presented in a logical and appropriate way? Are they well-grounded in HCD methods and perspectives? Do they display a sense of empathy for the end user of the systems?