Overview

The project for this course is the creation of a company consult debrief that analyzes an existing web application with regard to its human-computer interaction (HCI) and recommends solutions for improving the application to meet the needs of the intended audience. This assessment will give you a chance to demonstrate your skills in employing user-centered methodologies in the analysis of an existing web application, and you will make recommendations for improving the application to meet the end user's needs.

Outcomes

In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:

• Assess the potential of user interfaces for meeting their intended audiences' needs

• Determine the extent to which IT applications demonstrate compliance with accessibility guidelines in recommending improvements that align with standards-based policies

• Evaluate user interfaces using heuristic evaluation techniques for their compliance with human-computer interaction best practices

• Propose user-centered solutions that apply human-computer interaction best practices in meeting the intended audience's needs
Prompt

Use one of the web-based applications listed below as the basis for your analysis and recommendations.

• Wufoo. Wufoo allows you to create surveys and invitations and even to take orders online. You can show the results in graphical form with pie charts, bar graphs, and line graphs. This is a free application, but it requires registration.

• FreshBooks. FreshBooks features invoicing, web-based time tracking, and expense tracking with rich functionality. Because the free version allows for up to three customers, this application is most useful for service-oriented businesses with just a few clients. This is a free application, but it requires registration.

• MailChimp. MailChimp enables you to quickly create email newsletters. This is a free application, but it requires registration.

• Capsule. Capsule is a customer relationship management (CRM) system designed for small businesses. This is a free application, but it requires registration.

• Weebly. Weebly's website-building and hosting service allows you to build up to two sites. You can also set up a blog, and readers can post comments. This is a free application, but it requires registration.

• PayPal. PayPal offers a secure electronic shopping cart that gets your electronic storefront up and running within minutes. This is a free application, but it requires registration.

Critical Elements must be addressed:

Step One; 1. Overview. Identify the application you chose, its intended audience, and the reasons you chose it.

Step Two; 2. Analysis. Assess the existing application with regard to human-computer interaction (HCI), being sure to employ appropriate HCI terminology.

a. Visual/Graphic Design. Describe the application's overall aesthetic quality, layout of information, and clarity of visual elements (e.g., icons) with regard to how they are presented to the audience. You may also wish to provide details about whether these elements are aligned with industry best practices.

b. Ease of Use. Describe the navigability of the application and its ability to move users through tasks in a logical and flexible manner with respect to HCI best practices. Justify your position with specific examples.

c. Functionality. Assess the functionality of the application with respect to HCI best practices. For example, how long does it take for each page to load? Do the application's required user actions correspond to their goals? How accessible is the information the user is trying to obtain? (That is, must the user go to multiple systems for information?) Justify your position with specific examples.

d. Environmental Factors. What potential factors in the intended audience's environment would impact the use of the application? For example, if the site requires sound to relay critical information and the audience is in a library, how would that impact the user experience?

e. Cognitive Load. Discuss how the application accounts for human limitations in cognitive capabilities (e.g., how user friendly the application is for users with various levels of technical knowledge), as well as sensory capabilities (e.g., how well the application is designed to avoid eye strain), with respect to HCI best practices. Justify your position with examples.

f. Human Factors. Describe the impact of human factors-such as culture, gender, or socioeconomic status-on the intended audience's use of the application.

g. Accessibility. Discuss whether the application demonstrates compliance with accessibility guidelines. Justify your position with specific examples. For example, you might use the following Section 508 standards to identify potential gaps in the current application: "Software Applications and Operating Systems," "Web-Based Intranet and Internet Information and Applications," and "Functional

Performance Criteria."

Step Three; 3. Recommendations. Recommend changes to improve the human-computer interaction, and describe the methodologies that back up your recommendations.

a. Changes. Given the analysis you have conducted, describe specific changes you would recommend for improving the application's human-computer interaction with respect to its intended audience, and describe how you would implement those improvements.

b. Accessibility. Given the analysis you conducted above, describe specific changes you would recommend for bringing the application into full compliance with accessibility guidelines, and describe how you would implement those improvements.

c. Methodologies. Describe the user-centered methodologies that support your recommendations, and describe how they support your recommendations. For example, what human factors should be taken into account in improving the effectiveness of the user interface for a broader audience?

d. User's Environment. What recommendations would you make in aligning the application to the needs of the user's environment? Why? For example, if critical instructions are in the audio and the environment is not conducive to hearing them, how would recommend that information be conveyed?

Steps to project

Step One: Application Overview and Initial Analysis

You will submit an overview of your selected web application and an analysis of the application's design and ease of use with regard to human-computer interaction (HCI). This task consists of the following parts:

• Application Overview. From the list of options in the Final Project Guidelines and Rubric document, identify the application you will analyze for your final project, explain why you chose it, and identify the intended audience.

• Analysis. Analyze the application's design and ease of use with regard to HCI best practices. Support your position with examples, and use appropriate HCI terminology based on information in the first three modules. Also provide recommendations for improving the application's design and ease of use.

This step should be submitted as a two- to four-page Word document that uses double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, and APA style for any citations.

Step Two: Application Analysis

You will assess the human-computer interaction (HCI) of your selected application. Your submission should include related research and best practices, along with recommendations for best practices, using appropriate HCI terminology.

Specifically, the following elements must be addressed:

• An analysis of the application's functionality with respect to HCI best practices
• An analysis of how the application accounts for cognitive load
• An analysis of the impact of human factors on the use of the application
• An analysis of whether the application demonstrates compliance with accessibility guidelines
• Recommendations for improving the application's HCI with respect to functionality, cognitive load, human factors, and accessibility

This step should be submitted as a two- to four-page Word document that uses double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, and APA style for any citations.

Step Three: Company Consult Debrief

You will submit your company consult debrief. It should be a complete, polished artifact containing all of the critical elements of the final product. It should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course.

Your company consult debrief should be submitted as a Word document that uses double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, and APA-style citations. The debrief itself (not including the title page and resources) should be three to five pages in length