HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION

FINAL EXAM
I. PROGRAM OUTCOME/S (PO)
 Communicate effectively with the computing community and with the society at large about
complex computing activities by being able to comprehend and write effective reports,
design documentation, make effective presentations, and give and understand clear
instructions. 

II. COURSE LEARNING OUTCOME/S (CLO)

 Evaluate the effectiveness of a design of an application or product in solving domain-
specific problems

III. LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of this content, students must be able to:

 Identify applications that uses ubiquitous computing, virtual reality,

augmented reality and information visualization
 Identify applications that uses hypertexts, multimedia, the design for world wide
web that illustrates hypermedia design, animations and videos that are dynamic,
and dynamic web content

IV. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

What is Prototyping?

Prototypes are experimental and incomplete designs which are cheaply and fast
developed. Prototyping, which is the process of developing prototypes, is an integral
part of iterative user-centered design because it enables designers to try out their ideas
with users and to gather feedback.

The main purpose of prototyping is to involve the users in testing design ideas and get
their feedback in the early stage of development, thus to reduce the time and cost. It
provides an efficient and effective way to refine and optimize interfaces through
discussion, exploration, testing and iterative revision. Early evaluation can be based on
faster and cheaper prototypes before the start of a full-scale implementation. The
prototypes can be changed many times until a better understanding of the user interface
design has been achieved with the joint efforts of both the designers and the users.

Prototyping can be divided into low-fidelity prototyping, medium-fidelity prototyping and

high-fidelity prototyping. In some literature, it is only simply classified as low-fidelity
prototyping (also called Lo-Fi) and high-fidelity prototyping (also called Hi-Fi), where
low-fidelity prototyping is mainly about paper-based mock-up, and high-fidelity is mainly
about computer-based simulation. The determining factor in prototype fidelity is the
degree to which the prototype accurately represents the appearance and interaction of
the product, not the degree to which the code and other attributes invisible to the user
are accurate. We will consider a fully-functioned prototype as a high-fidelity prototype.
HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION
FINAL EXAM
Other prototypes will be divided into low- fidelity and medium-fidelity prototypes. We will
focus on the low-fidelity and medium-fidelity prototyping techniques. Medium-fidelity and
high-fidelity prototyping are discussed together on some attributes indicated as medium
(high)-fidelity prototyping.

Low-fidelity prototypes are quickly constructed to depict concepts, design alternatives,

and screen layouts, rather than to model the user interaction with a system. Low-fidelity
prototypes provide limited or no functionality. They are intended to demonstrate the
general look and the feel of the interface, but not the detail how the application
operates. They are created to communicate and exchange ideas with the users, but not
to serve as a basis for coding and testing. A facilitator who knows the application
thoroughly is generally needed to demonstrate the prototype to the users.

In contrast, high-fidelity prototypes are

fully interactive, simulating much of the
functionality in the final product. Users
can operate on the prototype, or even
perform some real tasks with it. High-
fidelity prototypes are not as quick and
easy to create as low-fidelity
prototypes, but they faithfully represent
the interface to be implemented in the
product. Medium-fidelity prototypes
partially simulate the system interaction
and functionality. The figure shows the
transition of techniques from low-fidelity
prototyping to high-fidelity prototyping.
However, the fidelity degree of each
technique may vary in different practice.
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FINAL EXAM
V. ACTIVITY (40 POINTS)

1. Draw and introduce a new hardware prototype that is not available in the market.
The prototype must be labeled properly with detailed parts. Specify the purpose of
each part. (20 pts.)

2. Enumerate all the materials that you will need and use to create your prototype. (10
pts.)
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FINAL EXAM

3. Write the instructions on how your hardware prototype will be connected to your
software prototype.
(10 pts.)

VI. QUESTION AND ANSWER (10 POINTS)

Briefly answer the questions below. Avoid erasures. Cite sources for all non-original
ideas.

1. Why is it important to involve your users in testing design ideas and get their
feedback in the early stage of development?