CS 6470: The Design
of Online Communities
Professor Amy Bruckman
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Due: |
11/26 |
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Format: |
Double spaced, numbered pages, 12 pt. font |
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Approximate Length: |
20 pages, one paper per team |
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Percentage of Grade: |
25% + 5% for presentation |
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Team size: |
2-3 people |
Design an online community. Make sure that you do human-centered design: begin with a group of people with a need, and show how you can use technology to meet that need. Begin by doing interviews with 3-6 members of your target user group. Each team member must do at least 2 interviews.
In your design plan, account for each of Amy Jo Kim's Nine Principles for Community
Design. For each design decision, explain why you made the decision you
made. Note that while I am assigning only parts of Kim's book "
Cite the readings in your analysis. Where appropriate, note possible alternate design approaches and explain why you chose the approach you did. Compare and contrast your proposed site to existing sites, especially those we've viewed in class.
In a paint program or other prototyping tool or by hand, prepare designs for all the main screens of your system. Include these in your paper. (You may use the color printer in the GVU lab.)
In your paper, make sure to cite the course readings and include a detailed bibliography. Papers must be handed in on paper; however, you may optionally also chose to prepare an HTML version with links. HTML papers may be linked to the course web page if you wish.
This is not an exercise in science fiction-- please make your design technically realizable. Do not include features that require major technological advances to achieve. It's acceptable to describe a feature that would require such an advance only if you also provide a currently practical alternative.
If you have more than one team member, include a page in your paper noting who did what.
While you will not actually found a new community as part of this class, students whose designs are promising may be invited to do so either as an independent study or as sponsored research. However, please keep in mind that starting such a community implies an ongoing commitment to the real people who chose to become members.
Grading criteria:
Prepare a short talk (ten minutes maximum) about your design.