HCI-ZINE, a project done in a group of 3 for a Multimedia Design Introductory Course. Site Map / Wireframe / Content Inventory.
User Group 1: Unemployed
Our first group of users is the unemployed. They are students who recently graduated or on the verge of graduating. This user group includes those who have held job positions in the past and/or are currently looking for a new position. Either way, their goals are the same. This user group wants to do research about their prospective new employers and would like to know which company will suit what they are looking for. For example, some questions they may ask are whether or not certain companies have a branch near the area they live in. Are the companies well-known or did they just start?
User Importance: This user group is important for our site because they represent a large portion of people who want to find a job. Some of these people are graduates with an HCI degree and decide to work due to many reasons such as finding financial support. Other may have come from a different background such as Graphic Design and is trying to see if their skills and experience can possibly offer them a career change. What we wanted to do was create an informative resource about the different types of HCI-related jobs are on the market and we wanted our users to learn more about them without having to visit multiple sites.
Prior Beliefs: My prior beliefs about the information the unemployed group needed was that the user would probably want to know what company the individual could work for and what he or she could do with their degree. After creating the user persona I realized that there were other questions the user might have such as could they stay local? Are they qualified enough for the job or should they seek an internship? — (Karen)
Melvin Holmes is on the verge of graduating from the University of California, San Diego, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Cognitive Science with Specialization in Human-Computer Interaction. He has no plans to go to graduate school at this time because he wants to know what it will be like to work in the industry first. He also heard from a friend that some companies may financially support their employees to receive a higher degree and he would like to know if this was true or not. After a few job searches, Melvin realizes that not a lot of jobs are appearing on search engines such as Monster.com. He realizes that it would be better if he could access a job listing on the company’s website instead. The only problem is that he does not know which company to check. He is a San Diego native and he knows that there are major companies in the area that look for people with Cognitive Science degrees. However, one of the problems that Melvin faces is the lack of convenient transportation. He relies solely on public transportation to get to places so would prefer that he finds a place to work at that is either close-by La Jolla or Sorrento Valley. Since he has not finished school yet, Melvin prefers that his ideal company offers part-time paid or non-paid internship positions with some job training. Although he has finished all the electives that he needs for his HCI specialization, Melvin feels that he is lacking in his abilities. For instance, although he is well-versed in Cognitive Ethnography methods he is still a beginner in web design. More specifically, he would like to learn the following programming languages: AJAX, Flash, and PHP. Melvin wonders if he can gain these skills in his future job position or elsewhere. Either way, Melvin is devoted to not only strengthening his resume but his future as well.
User Scenarios
Goals:
1. Find a job position to apply for
2. Find a local company that is within traveling distance
3. Look up internship positions
4. Get information on web design programs
5. Find out if certain companies offer career or degree advancement opportunities
Needs:
Access to search engines and list of company websites with HCI positions
Access to listing of local companies as well as a Google Map tool
Access to information about abilities one can acquire through job training
Access to a listing of web design classes taught at other learning institutions
Access to general information about financial support for employees who decide to seek higher education, an advance degree, or a certificate of proficiency
User Tasks:
1. Find more about the different types of open job positions in the market and their requirements
2. Learn more about companies that are located within the distance of the desired location
3. Find open internship positions
4. Compare and contrast web design programs offered at different learning centers
5. Search and find out which companies support learning and career development
Scenarios:
1. Enters the URL in the browser
2. Clicks on “Careers”
3. Clicks on “Job Descriptions”
4. Clicks on “Entry Level Positions”
5. Clicks to view qualifications for “UX Design Researcher”
1. Enters the URL in the browser
2. Clicks on “Careers”
3. Clicks on “Companies and Corporations”
4. Clicks on “Comparison Chart”
1. Enters the URL in the browser
2. Clicks on “Careers”
3. Clicks on “Current Job Openings”
4. Clicks on “Internship Positions”
1. Enters the URL in the browser
2. Clicks on “Careers”
3. Clicks on “Learning and Career Development”
4. Clicks on “Certificate Programs”
5. Clicks on “Web Design Programs”
6. Clicks on “Comparison Chart”
1. Enters the URL in the browser
2. Clicks on “Careers”
3. Clicks on “Learning and Career Development”
4. Clicks on “Company Supported Programs”
User Group 2: Prospective Graduate Student
Current undergraduate students who are interested or thinking about going to grad school after graduation are an important user group for our e-zine. These users would be looking for general advice on whether or not they should go to grad school, information on cognitive science or HCI graduate programs in the nation, as well as advice from current or alumni of graduate schools. Some questions they might ask are: What does one need in order to get into a good HCI program (i.e. GPA, recommendations, etc)? What are some good programs within the region? Should I go straight to grad school right out of college, or work a few years first?
User Importance: This user group is important for our site because many undergraduates (especially those in their 3rd and 4th years) plan on continuing on with higher education in the field of HCI, or at least have considered/wondered the question of whether or not grad school is right for them. Many of these students are just beginning to research grad school programs and may not have any idea of what the process entails. Our site would be the perfect place to start.
Prior Beliefs: My prior beliefs of what prospective graduate students would want on our site were affirmed by the answers I collected from the interviews. I figured this user group would want information such as a list of known HCI programs across the nation (with comparison chart comparing rankings, tuition, etc) and general info/advice on the application process. One of my interviewees said she would also like information and advice on the standardized tests necessary for grad school. — (An)
Naseem Roy is in her third year at the University of California in San Diego. She is majoring in Human Computer Interaction and would like to know what other HCI-related grad programs are offered at other universities. Since she is only a third year, she is just beginning the search process and is overwhelmed by how information is massively distributed. She wants to learn more about the application process at different universities and what she needs to provide (i.e. recommendation letters, transcripts, etc). If possible, she would like a comprehensive list of universities in the nation that actually have programs in the HCI field. She is also having trouble deciding on either pursuing a Masters or PhD degree program. After visiting many not-so-friendly websites, she has narrowed down her interest to: information visualization, artificial intelligence, and user-centered design. She is also worried about financing her graduate school education and would like to look into financial aid, fellowships, and scholarship information. Naseem would also love to contact current or alumni grad students at various schools for first-hand feedback on the programs.
User Scenarios
Goals:
1. Find or narrow down choices for potential graduate school
2. Learn how to apply to graduate schools
3. Learn more about specific graduate schools
4. Get honest feedback on specific programs
5. Find out if her GPA is good enough to get into a specific program
Needs:
Access search engine with large database of nationwide graduate programs
Access general information on application and preparation process
Access information on specific schools
Access to alumni or current student contact information
Access to requirements for specific programs
User Tasks:
1. Search through database of graduate schools and filter according to need
2. Get general information on the application and preparation process
3. Find information on specific programs across the nation
4. Talk to current students or alumni of specific graduate programs
5. Find requirements on specific programs across the nation
Scenarios:
1. Enters the URL in the browser
2. Clicks on “Graduate Students”
3. Clicks on “Prospective Graduate Students”
4. Enters search queries in search bar
1. Enters the URL in the browser
2. Clicks on “Graduate Students”
3. Clicks on “Prospective Graduate Students”
4. Clicks on “Preparation”
1. Enters the URL in the browser
2. Clicks on “Graduate Students”
3. Clicks on “Prospective Graduate Students”
4. Clicks on “List of Graduate Schools”
5. Click on a specific school
1. Enters the URL in the browser
2. Clicks on “Forum”
3. Clicks on “Graduate Schools”
4. Start a new thread or view existing discussions
1. Enters the URL in the browser
2. Clicks on “Graduate Students”
3. Clicks on “Prospective Graduate Students”
4. Clicks on “List of Graduate Schools”
5. Click on a specific school
User Group 3: Undecided Undergraduate Student
This user group includes UCSD freshmen and sophomore undergraduate students that are undeclared but have interest in the field of cognitive science. They are unsure about cognitive science and want to learn more about the different specializations. They may have interest in Human Computer Interaction and want to find information on what actions and requirements are needed to graduate with a Human Computer Interaction degree. Questions that these users may have are: What courses are required to take? Who are the professors currently teaching? What makes the field of HCI different from any other?
User Importance: These users are important because they may not know much about the field of Human Computer Interaction. They may know of Cognitive Science, but are not sure on what to specialize in. This time for decision making is essential. Our site will be a great place for these users to learn more about HCI. And if they feel HCI is something they want to pursue, we will have the resources to help them through the process.
Prior Beliefs: My prior beliefs were that professionals may find our e-zine helpful in collaboration or keeping up to date with current events in the field of HCI. After an interview with Professor Kirsh, I found that this might not be the case. Current publications or upcoming conference dates would be helpful, but then we figured that we would change our user group from HCI professionals to Undecided undergraduates. Before the interviews, I felt that undergraduates especially when declaring a major would look for a few things, (1) requirements (compare what has been taken and what is needed), and (2) what have people accomplished with this specific major. It was agreed that class requirements was a must. It was said that it would be helpful to incorporate comments from past students (similar to RateMyProfessors or CAPE) to go beyond the general class description. — (Jade)
Cassandra Mills is currently a sophomore at UCSD and is majoring in Communications. She is worried about how far a degree in communications will help her in reaching her career goals. She started interning at Calit2 over the summer and became very interested in web and graphic design. She has taken a few lower division classes in cognitive science and computer science and is currently facing the long debate of changing her major. She recently learned about Human Computer Interaction from a friend, but is unsure about what it involves. With little time remaining, Cassandra wants to find out whether HCI is right for her, if she could complete the degree in time, and whether or not it will give her better career options. After several trips to the counseling office without any progress, Cassandra wishes to talk to an alumni to ask for their opinions.
User Scenarios
Goals:
1. Learn more about HCI requirements at UCSD
2. Learn more about HCI
3. Hear feedback from current UCSD HCI graduates
4. Learn about different HCI career outlets
5. Learn more about each HCI required course (professor bios, past class projects, comments)
Needs:
Access to 4-year plan templates, class requirement listings
Access to an HCI introduction page
Access to comments and/or contact information for UCSD HCI Alumni
Access to Career Opportunities page
Access to specific HCI course details (professors, projects, class comments)
User Tasks:
1. Compare and contrast courses already taken to find out what additional courses are needed to fulfill HCI requirements
2. Find out more about the topic of Human Computer Interaction
3. Hear from UCSD HCI Alumni
4. Find out if there are any HCI career opportunities of interest
5. Find out about which professor will teach a specific HCI course
Scenarios:
1. Enters the URL in the browser
2. Clicks on “Undergraduate Resources”
3. Finds “Course Requirements”
4. Compare/Contrast courses needed
1. Enters the URL in the browser
2. Clicks on “About HCI”
1. Enters the URL in the browser
2. Clicks on “People in the Field”
3. Finds “Alumni”
4. Choose among the list for contact information
1. Enters the URL in the browser
2. Clicks on “Undergraduate Resources”
3. Finds “Career Opportunities”
4. Choose among the list of career options for more detail
1. Enters the URL in the browser
2. Clicks on “Undergraduate Resources”
3. Finds “Course Requirements”
4. Click and choose specific HCI required course
5. Be directed to a course specific page with more information on professors (current and past)
Importantly Similar Websites
- Has search filter feature that we are looking to implement
2. http://www.bcs-hci.org.uk/about/interfaces/archive/
- Provides a nice list of undergraduate and graduate programs worldwide
- This is a good site in terms of simplicity and serves a good example of an e-zine on technology
4. http://www.webdesignermag.co.uk/
- This is a good site in terms of organization, we may want to implement a similar navigation bar
- Good site in terms of topic introduction and way of showcasing interaction design resources
- Visually appealing design (really like this look)
- Provides many of the resources we were thinking of providing in our e-zine
