Week

Date

Topics

Due at the beginning of class

1

1/22

- Introduction:  What is usability engineering?
- The context of usability.
- Course logistics, and syllabus review.

2

1/29

- Norman book
- Mental models

- Read Norman book.
- Read Markman and Gentner article.
- One example each of good and bad design (NOT a web site)

3

2/5

- The science and practice of usability
- Perception and cognition

- Read the Carroll article and the Olson and Olson article.
- One example each of good and bad web site design

4

2/12

Lab visit:  IX Lab
- Hosts:  Bias, Hans Huang, Sam Burns
- Methods:  End-user testing

- Read Chapters 1 - 4 in the Rubin book.

5

2/19

Discount Usability Engineering
- Discussion of Krug book
- Heuristic Evaluation
- Pluralistic Usability Walkthrough Discussion of Rubin book

- Read Chapters 5 – 12 of the Rubin book.
- Read Krug book

6

2/26

 John Morkes, Expero, Inc. – User requirements gathering

7

3/5

Scott Isensee, IBM
Eugenie Bertus, Kenshoo Inc.
--  Bridge Methodology

- White paper on a topic in the science of usability

8

3/12

David Richard, Design for Use
-- Rapid iterative testing

9

3/26

Panel discussion – Usability and agile computing:
- Jack Alford, IBM
- Tanya Payne, Vignette
- Gordon Montgomery, Neudesic

- Test plan for project.

10

4/2

Panel discussion – Recent iSchool grads doing usability-y work in the field:
- Will Meuer, Mumboe
- Kijana Knight, projekt202
- Maybe one other.

- Read Chapters 13 – 14 of Rubin book.

11

4/9

Workshop – We’ll help each other with our usability evaluations.  Run as test subjects.  Review test plans.  Review test reports.  Whatever.

12

4/16

Another workshop

13

4/23

Oral presentations of projects

- Written projects

14

4/30

Oral presentations of projects

15

5/7

Oral presentations of projects