HFS306 Contextual Inquiry Illustrate how you would conduct a contextual inquiry about a user activity: User Centred Design for Interactive Systems Assignment, SUSS, Singapore

Question 1 – Contextual Inquiry Illustrate how you would conduct a contextual inquiry about a user activity, to understand the environment/context in which the activity takes place, how users perform tasks in that activity, and users’ needs in that activity. The user activity can be about work life, home life, or leisure.

Examples include workplace activities, grocery shopping, cycling, etc. The activity must involve the use of an interactive system, such as workplace equipment, a household appliance, computer software, a smartphone app, etc. The system must provide a range of functionalities and involve user interactions that span multiple steps. A product with a single on/off switch, while it is interactive, will not be acceptable for this question. You must conduct at least one contextual inquiry and may conduct more than one contextual inquiry to answer this question.

(a) Describe the user activity you have selected: the objective of the activity and the environment/context it takes place. Describe the interactive system that is involved in the activity: when it is used and what it is used for. (8 marks)

(b) Describe the initial focus of your contextual inquiry by identifying THREE (3) different aspects about the user activity and/or the interactive system that you want to understand more about from the contextual inquiry. For each aspect:
• Explain why it is important.
• Write down the words of an interview question that you will pose to the user about that aspect. (12 marks)

(c) Describe FIVE (5) different findings from the contextual inquiry. For each finding:
• Describe what you observed and/or what the user demonstrated to you. Include CLEAR photos(s) that you have personally taken and/or drawings/diagrams.
• Describe what are your further insights/interpretations from what you observed and/or what the user demonstrated to you.
• Explain how it will help you redesign the existing interactive system or design a new interactive system for the user activity. (50 marks)

Question 2 – Nielsen’s Usability Heuristics Apply Nielsen’s usability heuristics (refer to Study Unit 6, Chapter 3, Section 3.1) to evaluate the interactive system from the contextual inquiry in Question 1. Choose FIVE (5) out of the 10 Nielsen’s usability heuristics. For each chosen heuristic:
• Explain where in the design of the interactive system is either a good/positive example of the heuristic or a bad/negative example of the heuristic.
• Explain why it is either a good/positive example of the heuristic or a bad/negative example of the heuristic.
• Include screenshot(s) that were captured by yourself and/or photo(s) that were taken by yourself in your explanations.

(a) Answer for your chosen Nielsen’s usability heuristic #1 (6 marks)
(b) Answer for your chosen Nielsen’s usability heuristic #2 (6 marks)
(c) Answer for your chosen Nielsen’s usability heuristic #3 (6 marks)
(d) Answer for your chosen Nielsen’s usability heuristic #4 (6 marks)
(e) Answer for your chosen Nielsen’s usability heuristic #5 (6 marks)