Wireframing Assignment

In this assignment, you will gain experience with wireframing (i.e., creating a prototype/mockup),learn how to use the rapid wireframing tool balsamiq, and apply concepts from the first half ofthis course.

You will be critiquing a website that you think could could be improved based on the principlesand concepts you have learned in this class so far. You must choose a website together with thegroup you sit at a table with in class (you will all be critiquing the same website for the purposesof a future assignment, but for this assignment you are doing all of the work individually).

With your group, choose a website that you are familiar with and you think could be improved.You will critique this website and make recommendations for how the design of the interfacecould be modified to improve its usability. You must choose a website that is available to anyonewho has the URL (e.g., no pay wall or login page should stand between the user and maincontent).

Part 1: Before

Recreate the website as a wireframe (free trial license info is below).This wireframe should recreate the existing interface as closely and accurately as possible.

Part 2: After

Think of three (3) changes you would make to improve the interface, each drawing from threedifferent principles and concepts from below.

Create a wireframe (or more if needed) for each ofthe changes, to effectively illustrate how you are recommending the interface should bedifferent.

These wireframes should be detailed enough that if you handed them to a softwaredeveloper, they wouldn't need to ask you any clarifying questions and they would implementyour changes exactly as you are expecting them.

Part 3: Rationale

For each of the three changes you propose, explain in a few paragraphs why your changeswould improve the usability of the interface. The rationale you provide should be articulate andreasoned enough to convince a product manager to push for your changes, or a CEO of astartup to invest minimal resources into your changes over other priorities.

Principles and concepts (choose 3 bullets)

• Affordances

• Signifiers

• Constraints (physical, logical, semantic, cultural)

• Mapping

• Feedback

• Conceptual models

• Gulf of execution / Discoverability

• Gulf of evaluation

• Knowledge in the head and knowledge in the world / Recognition vs. recall

• Slips

• Mistakes

You will turn in your assignment via Blackboard, in one PDF and one balsamiq file (.bmpr). ThePDF must include all parts of the assignment. Export your wireframes from balsamiq into imagefiles or take screenshots, and include these images in your PDF next to your writtenexplanations. You are including the .bmpr file only to show your work.