6.831 User Interface Design & Implementation
Fall 2004
HW1: User Interface Hall of Fame and Shame
Due Wednesday, September 15, 2004, in class
Help populate the UI Hall of Fame and Shame! Find 2 examples of
good user interface design, and 2 examples of bad user interface design.
Your examples should be specific.
It's very hard to find a large interface that's completely good or
completely bad, so don't try. Instead, focus on a
particular feature or aspect of a user interface that makes your
case. Avoid
fuzzy words like intuitive and user-friendly. Find concrete
reasons for your judgement.
You aren't limited to desktop software. Web sites offer many
great candidates for fame and shame. You aren't even limited to
traditional computer interfaces. Feel free to go out into the
real world, and consider consumer appliances, car dashboards, building
entrances, traffic intersections, shower controls, etc. (Norman's
book Design of Everyday Things
includes a lot of examples of this kind, which you may find
inspirational.)
Your handin should include 2 good examples and 2 bad examples.
For each example:
- describe the purpose of the overall interface
- describe the particular aspect you find good or bad
- explain why it's good or bad
- if bad, speculate why it might have been designed that way, and
suggest a better design if possible
- illustrate with screenshots or photographs wherever possible
Hand in your problem set as hardcopy on Wednesday.