3. Exam
• January 15th, 2pm - 4pm, W610*
* if this is wrong, it is your responsibility to find the correct details
4. Questions
• There are SIX questions in the exam, each
worth 10 marks.
• You have to answer FOUR of the six.
• This means that even if you spend 20
minutes reading the paper, you still have 25
minutes per question.
7. So what’s in the exam?
• Material from lectures 1 - 17!
8. So what’s in the exam?
• Material from lectures 1 - 17!
• Knock off the last few because there is no
Flash in the exam.
• That means lectures 1 - 13
9. So what’s in the exam?
• Material from lectures 1 - 17!
• Knock off the last few because there is no
Flash in the exam.
• That means lectures 1 - 13
• Which really means lectures 2 - 13
10. Caveat
• Although the exam will be focussing on
material from lectures 2 - 13, this includes
all handouts.
• Includes the videos.
• So not as simple as memorising the slides
11. Where to focus?
• Look at each lecture’s slides.
• The techniques are important.
• The reasons to use them are important
• Knowing when and where to use a
technique.
12. Lecture 2: Menu Flow
• You should be able to write about:
• Why you would plan menu flow?
• What the benefits are of planning in
general?
• What the benefits are of use case
modelling (menu sketching)?
• The processes you would use to create
satisfying menus
13. Lecture 2: UI standards
• You should understand when and where
you would use each type of UI component.
14. Lecture 3: Colour
• What is colour for?
• do you really understand the different uses for
colour?
• How do we pick a colour scheme?
• What tools can we use?
• What is the reasoning behind these choices?
• How do colours ‘pop’?
15. Lecture 4: Layering &
Separation
• There are a number of Data Visualisation
techniques discussed in the lectures.
• What is Layering?
• What is Separation?
• How can you use these techniques?
• Can you think of games where these
techniques are used?
16. Lecture 5: Text
• There are technical issues in using text.
• There are design issues in using text
• What are these?
• What can you do with a font?
• What is the difference between good use
of fonts and bad use?
• How can text be problematic?
17. Lecture 6: Micro / Macro
• Another data visualisation technique
• How does it differ from use of colour?
• How does it differ from use of layering &
separation?
• What are the benefits? What are the
downsides?
18. Data Visualisation in
General
• If I were to throw up a screen-shot, could
you identify the techniques used to
communicate?
• Could you use correct terminology where
appropriate?
19.
20. Lecture 7:
Semiotics & Icons
• What is semiotics?
• How can an understanding of semiotics
make you a better designer?
• What are the rules for good icon design?
• Can you identify good vs bad and argue
your case?
21. Lecture 8: Expert
Evaluation
• What are benefits & weaknesses of expert
evaluations compared to user evaluations?
• Can you explain why, when, and where you
would want to carry out a Cognitive
Walkthrough or a Heuristic Evaluation of
an interface?
22. Lecture 9: User Input
• What are benefits and drawbacks to user
evaluations?
• How can you carry out a user evaluation?
• Open Vs Closed Questions - when to use
each / differences / how to write each
• What is card sorting? Why would you use it?
• Open Vs Closed sorting
• How can you analyse card sorts?
23. Lecture 10: Prototypes
• Why bother?
• What are your prototyping tools?
• Wireframes / Paper / Digital prototypes
• what are the differences?
• why cascade?
24. Lecture 12: Usability
• What are the attributes of a useable
interface?
• What are the human factors that
contribute to usability?
• What techniques can you use to help make
a layout ‘feel’ good.
25. Lecture 13: Platforms
• How do you design for a platform?
• Consider also the iPhone video.
• How can you take something very rich (like
desktop app) and redesign for a small device?
• What techniques can you use to deliver the
core experience without doing a direct 1 for 1
translation?
26. In general...
• 6 questions from 11 lectures
• Move from instinctual understanding to
scientific understanding
• be able to answer the questions with
reference to the content of the slides &
examples (e.g. if I say that ‘colour is for’ x
things, be able to recite that in the exam,
with examples)
27. Guaranteed Pass
• Take this lecture.
• Take each of the ‘questions’
• answer them thoroughly
• check against the original lectures’ slides
& handouts ‘till you know the material
inside out