Spring 2014 Syllabus

PSAM 5152 – B – Spring 2014
Mondays 7:00pm to 9:40pm – 2 W 13th St – Rm 1103

Joana Kelly
Adjunct Professor
Course Description

This class will explore user experience (UX) design for mobile devices.The goal of this class is first to encourage students to extend their understanding of UX/interaction design to the mobile space, and second, to broaden students’ awareness of the current and emerging mobile ecosphere.

Students will leave the class able to fluently converse about design patterns for custom mobile applications. Students will not leave this class as masters of iOS development. They will, however, be poised to continue pursuing their interests in mobile development.


Weekly Breakdown and Assignments

Class participation
Students are expected to respond to classmate presentations and to contribute to general mobile media topic discussion. This participation can come from class time spoken discussion and/or in written responses on the class blog. During presentations and discussion, students will keep laptops closed and other devices put away.

#thursdayapps
One of the best ways to learn about mobile development is to look at what other folks are doing. We will begin every class by briefly mentioning apps and games that folks are currently enjoying. These don’t need to be Apple only, please feel free to bring in examples of Android apps, web apps, or whatever you think is interesting. Throughout the semester students will contribute at least 2 apps or games for discussion (at least one before midterm and one after.) This will be a portion of your class participation grade. Before or after sharing your app in class, please post a screenshot, a link, and a description of what you like about the app to the class blog to receive credit.

As a side note the Mobile Media section that has the most #thursdayapps will get to present at the inter-class crits on the later date.

Special topic lectures
  1. Mobile media introduction
  2. Great iOS apps/games that you should know about
  3. iOS accessibility
  4. iOS app economics
  5. Android app stores economics
  6. App Marketing- screenshots, searching and keywords, videos, featuring by Apple, blogs
  7. Development basics- Xcode, provisioning, developer account
  8. Scrum/agile process talk, and tools (PivotalTracker)
  9. What an actual team looks like

January 30
Syllabus breakdown – class objectives and expectations
Why are you taking this class?
Get folks set up on the class blog
App Scramble selection (write: 1. noun 2. app store category 3. user group, draw one of each, groups of 3)
Assignments:
App Scramble designs
Start thinking about Project 1 idea, if you want to post it, go ahead
Read HIG and/or Android Design Guidelines and post 3 things

February 6
App scramble presentations (10 mins)
HIG Discussion
Lecture - MM Intro (process— wireframes, app maps, and paper prototypes; design; bad habits to avoid)
Assignments:
Post Project 1 idea to the blog for feedback. You’ll want to do this early, so that you have time to still do your wireframe.
Create wireframe for Project 1

February 13
Lecture - iOS Accessibility
Project 1 Wireframe Presentation
Assignments:
Using feedback from presentation, iterate on wireframe and add accessibility learnings

February 20
Lecture - Prototyping
Project 1 Wireframe/Accessibility Presentation
Assignments:
Iterate on wireframes, create paper or POP prototypes for next week

February 27
Lecture - iOS app economics & Android app stores economics
Project 1 Paper and Audio Prototyping
Assignments:
Iterate and work on designs for next week's design presentation

March 6
Lecture - App Marketing
Project 1 Design presentations
Assignments: 
Iterate, get ready for project 1 final presentation next week

March 13
Project 1 final presentation with guest crits
Assignments:
Come up with Project 2 concept, present next week

March 20
Lecture - Development basics
Project 2 Concept Presentations
Assignments: 
Wireframe Project 2, have delightful spring break! 

March 27
No Class - ¡Spring Break!

April 3
Lecture - Scrum/agile process talk
Wireframes
Assignments: 
Iterate on wireframes, create paper or POP prototypes for next week

April 10
Lecture - What an actual app team looks like
Paper prototyping
Assignments: 
Iterate and work on designs for next week's design presentation

April 17
iPhone/iPad Design Presentations
Assignments: 
Iterate on designs for interclass-crits

April 24
Inter-class crit

May 1
No Class - Joana at Úll conference

May 8
Úll report
Inter-class crit
Assignments: 
Iterate on designs for final presentation!

May 15
Project 2 final presentation with guest crits

Learning Outcomes
By the end of the semester, students will be able to:

 1. Successfully design wireframes to document an app's structure and functionality
2. Create and use paper prototypes to measure the success of an app's UX and UI
3. Discuss UX and UI meaningfully in the context of mobile apps
4. Become familiar with iOS and/or Android UX/UI best practices
5. Be able to meaningfully contribute to app conceptualization discussions
6. Develop an understanding of the app market, including app store economics and marketing

Deliverables and Grading

Class participation- 16%

App scramble- 4%

Project 1 wireframe- 3%
Project 1 wireframe/accessibility- 3%
Project 1 prototype- 5%
Project 1 design- 5%
Project 1 presentation- 15%

Project 2 wireframe- 8%
Project 2 design- 8%
Project 2 inter-class crit presentation- 8%
Project 2 final presentation- 25%

Grading Standards

F - Failing grades are given for required work that is not submitted or for incomplete final projects. Make-up work may be permitted only with the approval of the instructor and the program director.

D - Work adheres to all of the general guidelines of formatting and the minimum terms of the assignment. Designs receiving a “D” grade may have clear organizational problems, which may or may not impede the user’s ability to accomplish or even discern what their tasks are. “D” wireframes, designs, and presentations may show that little time has been spent on the work.

C - These are average designs. They will demonstrate some success in engaging with the assigned problems and addressing user expectation and need. The work will show that the student can identify and work with simple mobile design patterns and purposefully apply these patterns to their designs. However, the design still leaves holes in user navigation and shows an incomplete analysis of user need. Often these designs will continue to not use patterns or ideas even if they have been clearly identified in previous critiques or class discussions.

B - These are very good designs. The “B/B+” design does everything a “C/C+” design does, but demonstrates design thinking that is more complex than a design at the “C/C+” level and more consistently responds to mobile design patterns and user need. What also distinguishes a “B/B+” design is the design’s ability to offer a unique or creative user experience design solution for the particular design problem. The designer’s point of view is clear and consistent throughout the design. Although minor errors in flow may be present, they do not impede a user from being able to carry out designed tasks.

A - These are exceptionally good designs that go above and beyond the expectations and requirements set forth in the assignment. They demonstrate substantial effort and achievement in the areas of critical thinking and mobile design patterns and user need. They also demonstrate a high level of creative design thinking for difficult design problems. The point of view that is offered is consistent throughout the design and governs all interactions. These designs will show a complete understanding of mobile design patterns, user expectation.  “A/A-” designs are very well organized, and are free of errors of flow that stop a user from clearly being able to carry out the designed tasks.

I - A grade of I (Incomplete), signifying a temporary deferment of a regular grade, may be assigned when coursework has been delayed at the end of the semester for unavoidable and legitimate reasons. Incomplete grades are given only with the written approval of the instructor and the program director. The Request for an Incomplete Grade form must be filled out by the student and instructor prior to the end of the semester.

For graduate students, the maximum deadline for completion of an Incomplete is one year though a shorter period may be imposed at the discretion of the instructor.


Divisional, Program and Class Policies

Attendance - Faculty members may fail any student who is absent for a significant portion of class time. A significant portion of class time is defined as three absences for classes that meet once per week and four absences for classes that meet two or more times per week. During intensive summer sessions a significant portion of class time is defined as two absences. Lateness or early departure from class may also translate into one full absence. 

Student Disability Services - Students Disability Services (SDS) assists students with disabilities in need of academic and programmatic accommodations as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

In keeping with the university’s policy of providing equal access for students with disabilities, any student with a disability who needs academic accommodations must contact Student Disability Service (SDS). SDS will conduct an intake and, if appropriate, the Director will provide an academic accommodation notice for you to bring to me. This letter is necessary in order for classroom accommodations to be provided. Once you provide me with this notice, we will have a private discussion about the accommodations in relation to this course.

SDS is located at 80 Fifth Avenue on the 3rd floor. The office can be reached at 212.229.5626 or via email at luchsj@newschool.edu or studentdisability@newschool.edu. Students and faculty can review the Student Disability Services webpage at http://www.newschool.edu/studentservices/disability/.


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