Prototyping & Storyboarding Notes

Storyboarding is about communicating ideas, not creating aesthetically pleasing pictures.
Storyboards should effectively convey:
- Setting: Identifying the people involved, the environment, and the task being accomplished.
- Sequence: Illustrating the steps involved, what prompts someone to use the app, and the specific task being illustrated.
- Satisfaction: Explaining what motivates people to use the system, what it enables them to accomplish, and what needs the system fulfills.
Benefits of Storyboarding
- Holistic Focus: Emphasizes how an interface accomplishes a task.
- Avoids premature commitment to a specific user interface by not including specific buttons early on.
- Ensures all stakeholders share a common understanding of the project's goal.

Keep all materials in one place to prevent loss or damage to small interface widgets.
Work quickly and create reusable components to save time and effort.
Address simulation challenges, like progress indicators or right-click menus, by verbally describing the interaction instead of trying to simulate it.
Use backgrounds to contain the prototype and provide context for the user.
Combine hard and software as appropriate.
Incorporate familiar operating system elements to add context.

Digital mockups can be used as an alternative if creating physical prototypes is not feasible.

Use poster board, unlined index cards, and foam core, depending on the prototype's size.
Employ removable tape or restickable glue for quick component changes.
Transparency pens: Allow users to input content using transparency paper for input fields.
Employ stacks of index cards to simulate tabbed dialog boxes.
Use wide-tipped pens and markers (e.g., Sharpies) for better visibility.

Download Assignment 2 (PDF) from the course e-group, referring to the provided sample.
Complete Assignment 2 by the end of the week for the group project and recitation.