I214 Fall 2006

FINAL PROJECT ASSIGNMENT

Your project is to perform a preliminary needs and/or usability assessment on a software product, information system, web site, or something similar. You may choose an existing system or service, or one under development. The more real it is, the better the project. If you can work with a client organization or group, that's great. But you can also pick a site or product with which you have no direct connection.

Generally, projects are one of two kinds:

• needs assessment and recommendations for a service or product not yet created; or
• needs assessment, evaluation, and recommendations for revisions for a service or product in at least the prototype stage, and possibly fully implemented.

You must use a minimum of three substantive methods that we address in the course. You may not be able to carry them out in full -- e.g., you may only be able to involve a handful of users -- but you should do as complete a study as you can -- e.g., even if you have only a handful of users, you should do a full analysis of your findings. We'd like for you to provide your client (if there is one) valid and useful information, but the primary purpose of this project is for you to get experience doing needs and usability assessent.

This can be an individual or a group project; group projects are recommended.

This will be 40% of your final grade.

Due date: TBA. You will do a class presentation on your project during the last two weeks of class.