User Interface Design

COMS 4170 · Spring 2022

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The examples might be embarrassingly outdated!

Columbia COMS 4170 Spring 2024 is here.

Our Goals:

1. Understand users and build websites that suit the needs and abilities.
2. Design useable systems through iteration and feedback.

TA Office hours
    The list of TA office hours is here
    To attend office hours, hang out in the Slack channel "oh-waiting-room".
    Add yourself to the OH queue here (and pinned to the oh-waiting-room slack channel. A TA will ping you on slack when they're ready for you. Feel free to chat with other students in the waiting room channel.
Weekly schedule
    Monday, Wednesday
    4:10–5:25pm
    IAB 417

Grading

Grade Buckets
92% <= A  <= 100%
90% <= A- < 92%
88% <= B+ < 90%
82% <= B  < 88%
80% <= B- < 82%
78% <= C+ < 80%
72% <= C  < 78%
70% <= C- < 72%
60% <= D  < 70%
 0% <= F < 60%

No A+ grades will be given.
Grade Breakdown
  • In-class participation: 10%
  • Weekly assignments: 60% (5% each)
  • Midterm Project: 10%
  • 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 need to request and extention, you must do all of the following:
  • 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.
  • have your advising dean email Prof Chilton confirming your illness or emergency. That way I know you are getting support.

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:
  • send an email to Prof Chilton before the deadline with your timeline for turning in the make up assignment. This must be done within 5 days of the missed lecture.
  • have your advising dean email Prof Chilton confirming your excused absense.

    • Next you can make up participation by doing both of the following:
    • write a 1-page summary of the key points of the lecture and
    • go over the summary with a your TA 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 your TA within 3 days of your grade being released.
    • Send an email to your TA and cc Prof Chilton.
    • The subject of that email should be "Regrade Request HW #n". Where n is the number of the homework.
    • Tell us what problem number you would like to be considered for a regrade and why you think your answer deserves more points.
    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 17

    No class
    January 19

    Usability Heuristics
    Homework 1 out

    January 21

    Homework 1 Warm up due

    January 24

    Information Design
    January 26
    Grids and Layouts
    Homework 2 out
    January 28

    Homework 2 Warm up due

    January 31
    User Interaction Models
    February 2

    JavaScript, Widgets, and Events
    Homework 3 out

    February 4
    Homework 3 warm up due
    February 7
    Events and Feedback
    February 9

    Direct Manipulation
    Homework 4 out
    February 11

    Homework 4 warm up due

    February 14
    Menus and Navigation
    February 16

    Saving Data on the Server
    Homework 5 out
    people.zip
    February 19

    Homework 5 warm up due

    February 21

    Homework 4 Review

    February 23

    Database-Backed Websites
    Homework 6 out
    February 25

    Homework 6 warm up due

    February 28

    Color, Type, Gestalt

    March 2

    Inclusive Design
    and Accessibility
    Homework 7 out
    March 4

    Homework 7 warm up due

    March 7

    Habit Formation
    March 9

    TBA

    March 11

    Homework 7 (midterm) due
    March 14

    Break — No class
    March 16

    Break - No class
    March 21

    Design Project Kickoff & Brainstorming
    Homework 8 out
    March 23

    Iterative Design
    Warm up due
    March 25
    March 28

    TA meetings: Lo-Fi Prototype
    Homework 8 due
    Homework 9 out
    March 30

    Testing and Iteration
    Low-Fi Prototypes
    April 1
    April 4

    TA session: low-fi prototype feedback
    Homework 10 out
    April 6

    Lecture cancelled - work with your groups improving prototypes.
    April 8
    April 11
    TA Meetings: mid-fi prototype feedback
    Homework 11 out
    April 13

    Technical Prototypes
    April 15
    April 18

    TA sessions: technical feedback
    Homework 12 out
    April 20

    Final Project and Graphic Design
    April 22
    April 25
    TA session: technical feedback
    Homework 13 out
    April 27

    Lecture: Review

    April 29

    May 2
    TA feedback session: Graphic Design and Soft turn-in
    May 6
    (no class)
    May 9

    Final Project due at 11:59pm.