Assignment 1: Tangible User Interface (TUI) Analysis
(Task A due Friday, September 17th in class,
Task B due Friday, September 24th at 11:59 pm)
Task A:
Your first task is to present to the class an analysis of a tangible user interface.
To accompish this goal, you will first select a tangible user interface, then read a research paper describing the interface and prepare a 5-7 minutes PowerPoint presentation. You should submit your presentation to the course Assignments FirstClass conference on September 10th before class, but your presentation in class may take place anytime during the semester.
To explain to the class how the TUI you discuss looks like and works, you should include photos or a short video clip of the system (that you may find online) in your presentation. Your presentation should cover the following aspects:
1) Design concept: what kinds of information or commands are represented physically, what kinds are represented digitally? What shapes and materials are used by the interface designers and why?
2) Use scenarios: who are the typical users of the system? what is a typical use scenario for this TUI?
3) Interaction techniques: how does the user interact with the system to perform different tasks?
4) Implementation: what are the main physical components of the system (e.g. projector, Wiimote, PC computer) ? how are they connected and related to one another. You may use a block diagram to describe the system. What sensing technology is used to implement the system and how is it used?
5) Interface related skills and knowledge: what reality-based skills and knowledge the system leverages? What skills and knowledge that are not related to the application domain do users need in order to use this system (e.g. using a mouse)?
To prevent overlaps in presentations, please use the Doodle survey below to select a TUI. The research papers describing the different TUIs can be found in the course E-Reserve conference.
Task B:
In this task you should apply two frameworks from the following list and use them to analyze the TUI you presented in class. Your analysis should consist of a discussion that relates concepts or themes introduced by a framework to the TUI you presented in class. Most of the papers that introduce conceptual frameworks include case studies. Use these case studies as an example for how to structure your discussion.
Post your TUI analysis in your blog.
Conceptual frameworks for TUIs:
Reality-Based Interaction
TAC Paradigm
Hornecker & Buur (2006) (E-Reserves)
Fishkin (2004)(E-Reserves)