User Interface Design

COMS 4170 · Spring 2020

Hey! This is an old version of this class.
The examples might be embarrassingly outdated!

Columbia COMS 4170 Spring 2022 is here.

Goals

1. Build websites that suit the needs and abilities of users.
2. When the needs and abilities of users are uncertain, design systems by learning from iteration.

TAs
  • Serena Schneier (scs2208)
  • Michaella Schaszberger (mls2290)
  • Nick Cancar (n.cancar)
  • Maddy Placik (mep2209)
  • Hector Jin Fan Liang Chan (hl3169)
  • Karen Lin (kl2985)
  • Jen Ozmen (eo2419)
  • Catherine Du (yd2386)
  • Priya Pai (pbp2110)
  • Kenny Yuan (kky2114)
  • Julia Sheth (jns2157)
  • Daniel Li (daniel.li)
  • Mel Sawyer (melanie.sawyer)
Weekly schedule
  • Section 001
    Monday, Wednesday
    4:10–5:25pm
    CSB 451
  • Section 002
    Friday
    10:10–12:40pm
    CSB 451

Grading

Grade Buckets
Expect grades not to be curved.
90% <= A
80% <= B < 90%
70% <= C < 80%
60% <= D < 70%
 0% <= F < 60%
Grade Breakdown
  • In-class participation: 15%
  • Weekly assignments, due Wednesday before class: 65% (5% each)
  • Final Project: 20%
We will drop your lowest 2 participation scores.

Late Policy
Assignments may be turned in up to 5 days late.
Each day late (each 24 hours) represents 10% deducted from the grade.
Late work will not be accepted after 5 days (120 hours).

If you have an illness or emergency, and request an extension you must send an email to Prof Chilton before the deadline with your timeline for turning in the work.
We cannot extend the deadline past 5 days.

Class participation points can only be made up when the absense is excused.
You must first provide us with evidence that the absense is excused with:
(1) advanced notice of missing class and
(2) a note from your advising dean.

Next you can make up participation by doing both of the following:
(3) write a 1-page summary of the key points of the lecture and
(4) go over the summary with a staff member in their office hours. (Bring a print out of the summary)

Regrade Requests
If you believe there has been an error in grading your assignment, please contact the staff member in charge of that assignment (see syllabus) before by the date indicated in the syllabus.
Send an email to that staff member with a written request of what you would like re-graded. Include what problem number you would like to be considered and why you think your answer is correct.
On any assignment that you request a regrade, we reserve the right to regrade all parts of the assignment, not just the ones you indicated.

Syllabus

Monday Wednesday Friday
January 20

No class
January 22

Participation Form
Usability Heuristics
Homework 1 out

January 24

Participation Form
Usability Heuristics
Information Design
Homework 1

January 27

Participation Form
Information Design
January 29
Homework 1 due @ 4pm
Contact Michaella for grading questions by Feb 12 11:59pm)
Homework 2 out
Participation Form
Grids and Layouts
January 31

Participation Form
Grids and Layouts
User Interaction Models
February 3
Participation Form
HW1 Review
User Interaction Models
(same as 1/31 slides)
February 5

Homework 2 due @ 4pm
Contact TA Kenny for grading questions by Feb 19 11:59pm
Participation Form
Homework 3 out
JavaScript, Widgets, and Events
February 7
Participation Form
JavaScript, Widgets, and Events
Events and Feedback
February 10
Participation Form
Events and Feedback
February 12

Homework 3 due @ 4pm
Contact Priya for grading questions by Feb 26 11:59pm
Homework 4 out
Participation Form
Direct Manipulation

February 14

Participation Form
Direct Manipulation
Menus and Navigation

February 17
Participation Form
HW3 Review
Menus and Navigation
February 19

Homework 4 due @ 4pm
Contact Melanie for grading concerns.
Participation Form
Homework 5 out
(contact Hector for grading concerns)
people.zip
Saving Data on the Server
February 21

Participation Form
Saving Data on the Server
Color, Type, Gestalt

February 24

Participation Form
HW4 Review
Color, Type, Gestalt

February 26

Homework 5 due @ 4pm
Participation Form
Database-Backed Websites
Homework 6 out
(contact Julia for grading concerns)
February 28

Participation Form
Database-Backed Websites
Accessibility
March 2

Participation Form
Homework 5 review
Accessibility
March 4

Homework 6 due @ 4pm
Participation Form
Navbars and Habits Formation
Homework 7 out
(contact Maddy for grading concerns)
March 6

Participation Form
Navbars and Habits Formation
User Journeys
March 9

No class

March 11

No class
Extra office hours in CEPSR 612: 4 - 5:25

March 13

No class
Homework 7 due @ 4pm

March 16

Break — No class
March 18

Break - No class
March 23
No Class

March 25

No Class

March 27

Participation Form
Design Project & Brainstorming
Homework 8 out
March 30

Participation Form
Iterative Design
April 1

Homework 8 due @ 4pm
Participation Form
Low-Fi Prototypes
Homework 9 out
April 3

Friday group sessions with TA

April 6

MW group sessions with TA

April 8

Homework 9 due @ 4pm
Running Paper Prototypes
Participation Form
Homework 10 out
April 10

Lecture: Running Prototypes
Friday group sessions with TA
April 13
MW group sessions with TA
April 15

Homework 10 due @ 4pm
Participation Form
Medium Fidelity Prototypes
Homework 11 out
April 17

Lecture
Friday group sessions with TA
April 20
MW group sessions with TA
April 22

Homework 11 due @ 4pm
Guest lecture on React
Participation
Homework 12 out
April 24

Lecture
Friday group sessions with TA
April 27
MW group sessions with TA
April 29

Homework 12 due @ 4pm
Homework 13 out
May 1

Review
Friday group sessions with TA
May 4
Review
May 6
(no class)
Homework 13 due @ 4pm
May 12

Final Project due at 11:59pm.