Gooey: Soft & Sticky

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Completed

Assignment Introduction

gooey
adj : soft and sticky
Source: WordNet ® 2.0, © 2003 Princeton University

When a lot of us hear the word "gooey," we think about sticky buns or creamy sugary fillings. Others, especially the software designers and even industrial designers, think "GUI", as in "Graphical User Interface." A GUI is what computer types call the system of icons, taskbars, and other objects that our computers use to display and access information. But nowadays, even smallest portable devices, for example, your mobile phone or my mp3 player, carry a GUI.

Many our designers have a MAC or some unlucky ones are still dreaming of having a MAC, because, as they say, besides many other reasons, a MAC has a “better” GUI than PC’s. Why the “Start” button, even with a “click here to start” slogan, failed to start the designers to open their eyes and wallets? There must be a reason, and we are going to find out why.

Target Competency Area(s), Competencies and Level(s)

Entrance Level :Level of Prior Competency Development (Optional)

Learning Objectives

Understanding the concepts and structures of GUI. Learning the user centered process of GUI design, from analysis, prototyping to evaluation. And having some fun with Websites and Operating systems.

Learning Activities

Lectures
2 hours, on GUI history, GUI structures and components, GUI design and evaluation.
Presentations and discussions
8 hours.
Activities
Students are grouped into teams. Each team
  • [Task 1, 15 hours] reads a book on GUI design and present 9 "golden tips" from the book to the rest of the class. Each tip should come with 2 examples which are not from the book.
  • [Task 2, 15 hours] either
    • finds two extreme examples of web designs of the same kind, that the team likes most and hates most. Redesign the worst example. Presents the results.
    • compares two OS GUIs (for example MAC OS X, KDE, GNOME, and Windows Desktop). Redesigns one of them for a target user group of the team's choice. Presents the results.
    • designs a GUI for an application.

Deliverables

List of Available Reference and or Background Materials

Books for team work

Other recommended books

Websites