Human-Computer Interaction

Grading Rules

Each project will be graded from 0 to 10 points.

The most important requirements are:

• The interface design must consider that the application could be used by persons having no (or limited) computer experience.

• The project name should be interesting in order to give it a proper identity – please, reveal its etymology and provide details about the branding solution(s).

• It is desirable that the icons, images, and other multimedia content of the user interface to be original.

• There are no restrictions regarding the implementation solution: hardware and/or software platform(s), programming language(s), framework(s), etc. Open source approaches are highly expected.

• The developed solution will consists of interactive prototypes (e.g., based on JavaScript) and/or video demos – having English and/or Romanian subtitles provided by the student team.

• The code-source and additional content must be available under the terms of Creative Commons and/or GNU licenses.

Supplemental aspects regarding the project evaluation:

• Overall impression of the project (e.g., impact on the final users, business factors).

• Creativity of the proposed solution.

• Team work.

• Implementation maturity.

Deliverables

Each student team (2—4 persons) must deliver:

• Minimum 3 ideas/concepts with storyboard (and/or wireframe) for each, including the intermediary stages of the project development.

• Minimum 3 real examples of using QOC (Question Option Criteria) method. These examples could also give the motivation for choosing a certain idea/concept.

• Additionally, a full solution will include personas, use cases, and design patterns.

• A public blog, wiki and/or personal Web site recording the project progress.

Project Proposals

1. Adict (Operating System Administration Tool)

   Inspiration: Fix It, webmin Imagine a (mobile) Web application providing support for the remote administration of an operating system, including auditing, regular management of the resources – such as users, devices, files, local/network services, etc. –, detecting potential security problems, alerting and others.

2. Augma (Aural Game Platform)

   Propose a game platform – to be deployed within a conventional/mobile Web browser – able to facilitate non-conventional interactions with the users (for example, using exclusively aural means). Think about sound-based stereo and/or surround (5.1) augmented reality in the context of Web interaction, considering the mobile/tablets contexts.

3. GamR (Game Ressurection)

   Inspiration: Retrogaming Choose a classical game and propose a modern version of it by using non-conventional I/O devices – for example, vocal input or interaction via (pseudo-)haptic handheld devices and 3D output.

4. GoodMa (Goods Manager)

   Resource: Recommendations APIs Using QR codes or a similar approach, develop a Web application to be deployed on a mobile device (tablet or smart phone) able to intelligently recommend best prices/deals for a set of desired goodies, including several information of interest (characteristics, geographic availability, risk factors, etc.). The application will also recommend products/services on the basis of the user's social graph (his/her "friends" on Twitter and Facebook). Bonus: current information about the recommended stuff will be stored in a cloud-like repository.

5. HI (Health Info)

   Resources: Cure4Kids, Scanadu Develop an innovative multimedia experience that educates children about certain illnesses, diseases and healthy living (keeping fit, diet, nutrition, etc.). The related knowledge will be provided via linked data. The interaction with this software application will considered multiple devices and communication paradigms.

6. IUC (Interactive University Courses)

   Inspiration: Curriki, Evernote, iTunes U, UberNote Every important university is looking for an interactive way to distribute its courses to students and, at the same time, to offer an innovative experience permitting students to manage their academic knowledge: notes, courses, assignments, schedule, social interactions with academic personnel or colleagues, etc. Also, professors need a way to make notes regarding the student commitment, current status, grades, and other data of interest. Imagine a (semantic) Web-based solution for the management of this academic information. Consider the use of multiple devices and interaction paradigms.

7. KiTa (Kids Tablet)

   Inspiration: Interaction Awards 2012 Winners Develop a serious learning game for kids in which they can learn and test – in an interactive way – their knowledge in a selected subject area such as Math, English, Geography, History, etc. The results of the test can be reported to the parents. Consider multiple difficulty levels depending on the age of children and also a tablet interface for the game. Also, take into consideration that some children learn in pairs.

8. Me@TV (Multimedia Experience Television)

   Inspiration: NoTube, Why Smart TV User Interfaces Suck Imagine an innovative TV multimedia experience. Consider at least two means of interacting with the TV interface (mobile devices, remote control, Kinect, etc.). Also, take into consideration that this kind of multimedia experience is both personal and social – not just one user, but several users, sometimes grouped. Bonus: consider different communities of practice interacting via smart TVs.

9. MoNo (Mobile Notes)

   Inspiration: Aurora Provide an innovative solution for a better interaction between very busy people and their devices and desktop PCs and home appliances. The solution will be focused on integrating all the notes, schedules, visited Websites, visited locations, etc. and providing an unique user experience. Consider factors like user profile (social status, background knowledge, preferences, mood, etc.), current agenda, environment, and other significant aspects.

10. PaMI (Patient Monitoring Interface)

    Due to the large number of patients of a hospital, the medical staff has difficulties to keep up monitoring every patient. Thus, the medics need a system able to monitor patients and provide them with information regarding each patient history, current condition, illness evolution and other useful data (e.g., latest medical news available on the Web). The patients could be monitored either by using a device built for this purpose or a regular mobile phone. The patients' status, history, evolution, etc. can be consulted by the medical personnel via a mobile device (smart phone or tablet).

11. PeMA (Personal Medical Advisor)

    Inspiration: Blood Preasure Monitoring, The Eatery Develop a mobile application that monitors the user's health, weight, diet, and provides useful recommendations regarding the diet (what meal to prepare for dinner/lunch/breakfast by using certain recipes), weight loss (keeping fit with exercises and how and when to do them, even with reminders), and what to do when a given user has a certain illness (e.g., common cold). The health-related knowledge could be provided and/or augmented via linked data.

12. SocSLI (Social Sign Language Interface)

    Inspiration: Google Goggles, Word Lens Create a Web application to be deployed on a mobile device (tablet or smart phone) able to facilitate communications with people having speech impediments. A common approach is to use the sign language to communicate. This application will interpret, display, and render the sign language in/from an audio or text format. Remark: a limited set of words is accepted to be used, only if the application will work with audio I/O.

13. TIP (Tourist Information Point)

    Develop a (mobile) Web application able to provide useful touristic information. The user interaction will consider three mediums: desktop PC, mobile device (tablet or smart phone), and a custom made device. Also, take into consideration aspects regarding internationalization, car GPS integration, and the integration with social Web applications (e.g., Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, etc.). Bonus: conduct a study regarding the use of existing local devices (for example, in Iasi).

14. ViD (Visualising your Data)

    Resource: Weave Create a (mobile) Web application helping users to visualise their own personal data sets using several representations such as graphs, pie charts, interactive tables, 3D worlds, etc. The application will provide smart features to determine the possible relationships between multiple data sets.

15. ViTa (Virtual Taverna)

    A club/pub/restaurant needs to create a new social experience for its customers by making use of social networks: Facebook, FourSquare, Pinterest, Twitter, etc. Imagine such an experience – by considering a mobile and/or a TV/ambient interface – helping customers to connect with people they know or find people having similar interests and exploring social activities (concerts, social contests, meetings,...) performed in the current location. Pay attention to the data visualisation and privacy issues. Bonus: provide the information of interest by using linked data.

16. Wecoha (Web-mediated Control of Home Appliances)

    Inspiration: Mogees Propose a Web-mediated – using non-conventional means (vocal, gestural) – solution for interacting with common home appliances, such as DVD players, kitchen robots, washing machines, and others.