School of Computing

User Centred Design Assignment Brief

Contents
Module Details...........................................................................................................................1
Assignment Description.............................................................................................................2
Learning Outcomes....................................................................................................................4
Advice and Guidance.................................................................................................................4
How is this assessment marked?................................................................................................6
Marking Criteria.........................................................................................................................9

Module Details

Module code: COM7034M-2024-25 Level of Study: 7

Module Leader(s): Dr Gayathri Karthick Credits: 15

(Module Director)
Assessment format: Coursework Method of submission: Turnitin within Moodle

Deadline or Assessment 21st Jan 2025, 12Noon Feedback date and 12 Feb 2025
Period: place: Written feedback within
Turnitin/Moodle
Assessment limits: N/A Component number: 1 of 1
length, load, word count,
etc.
Is this exempt from No Component weighting: 100%
anonymous marking
under the policy?
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Assignment Description

Assessment Task: This coursework will assess your User-Centred Design-related skills in real-life
scenarios/problems. You must choose the application or device from a range of Project Topics
which are given at the end of this document or choose any topic, for example, the Well-being
applications and inform the module leader about the topic. The topics provided in the assignment
are comprehensive, so you have to narrow down the topic to a small part that can be solved. Please
make assumptions whenever needed to clarify and justify your point of view. Each project topic
includes a system specification and basic details of its intended operation. Beyond this, you will be
free to interpret all other aspects of the system specification. For this coursework, you are required
to write an Assignment for a prototype application or a device that you will develop.

You will devise a plan to identify requirements and prototype the application or device and its
design. You will need to think about and reflect on the methods, techniques, and tools you will use
to complete the coursework and then implement these. To do this, you are expected to draw from
the material covered during the module, as well as to go beyond what was taught and use several
external sources. The content must be underpinned with the inclusion of relevant academic theory,
concepts, models where appropriate, and contemporary industrial insights. According to York St
John Harvard Referencing, these should be accurately cited and referenced. This assignment should
be written up in the form of a report as outlined below.

A. Introduction: In this section, you will introduce the project and briefly describe the User-
Centred approach. Additionally, indicate the business requirements, the methods and tools used
for prototype development, justify the decision-making process and demonstrate the integration
of references to support your choices [Marks – 20%].

B. Requirement gathering: In this section, you will describe how you generated and
developed your requirements and will formally describe the requirements for your project. This
should include information about the participants that you think is relevant, e.g., numbers
involved, age, gender, background, etc., and a description of how you obtained the
requirements, including the methods used and your reasons for selecting these methods (using
references to support your decisions). Where relevant, this section should present the results of
any applicable requirements-gathering activities concisely and informally; for example, any
tables or graphs, observations, quotes, or other data (if included) should be easy to read and
understand
[Marks – 20%].

C. Prototype Design: In this section, you will explain how you translate the user
requirements into the design of the prototype solution. You need to show any diagram based on
your project flow. For example, it can be a flow chart diagram or Activity based on your
chosen project. You should include screenshots or sketches of the interaction design for the
prototype you created to show essential design elements or features (10 marks). You can use a
software tool to create your illustrations and other techniques; hand-drawn designs are
unacceptable. You will explain the rationale for the selected design solutions, connecting both
your requirements gathering and design. Principles drawn from the literature (using references
where necessary to support your choices) to your prototype solutions (20 marks). You will not
need to develop a fully working application or device - this coursework focuses on interaction
design rather than on the underlying functionalities of the technology or software. Your high-
fidelity prototype, you could record a short demonstration video for the prototype (10 marks),
[Marks – 40%].
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Assignment Description

D. Poster Presentation of your project: In this section, you will create a well-designed
poster; you will effectively show critical findings, engage viewers and spark discussions. It
aims to engage the audience with engaging visuals, succinct content, and data visualization.
You need to insert this as a Figure in your report [Marks – 10%].

E. Reflections: You must summaries the solution, lessons learnt, limitations and reflections.
References and citations must be provided. The arrangement of the table of contents, text,
headings, subheadings, and visuals on the page should be appealing and easy to follow.
Consistency in formatting font, terminologies, and style throughout your Assignment. Figure
numbers and references to the figure numbers are essential [Marks – 10%].

Deliverable- Multiple file submissions:

 Assessment report: Report should include supportive screenshots (should be formatted into
figures) along with well justified explanations for the screenshots provided.
 Also, you should record a short demonstration video of the prototype and
 Designing/coding files you created for this project.
Sample List of Topics
 Emotional Design:
o Basic Requirements: Well-being applications can be created for any age group,
supporting users in maintaining a positive mindset and improving their lifestyle.
 Metaverse system for education:
o Basic Requirements: This system allows learners to access their learning
materials in a virtual environment. Students can gain practical experience through
simulations and role-playing exercises, enabling them to apply theoretical knowledge
in a safe and controlled setting.
 Smart Home Design:
o Basic Requirements: You can design your dream home with sensors, signals, and
application controls.
 Purchase app using Barcodes:
o Basic Requirements: The system will allow users to purchase goods from a shop
or supermarket using barcodes. Users can scan products with their applications and
make payments, avoiding the need to wait in a queue to pay bills.
 System to manage, organize, personalize and analyse gaming activity:
o Basic Requirements: The system will allow users to manage their games, rank
them, monitor time spent on each gaming activity, and visualize data through graphs
and charts.
 Sports Injury Tracking system:
o Basic Requirements: The system will allow users to take a picture of their injury,
assess the severity, and book a doctor’s appointment.
 Plant Monitoring system:
o Basic Requirements: The system will allow users to monitor their soil and plants,
ensuring proper weather conditions and humidity levels through sensors and tracking
via an application.
General Considerations
 Sample Design Tools: Please consider using the following tools to design your
applications: Balsamiq, Sketch, Figma, Adobe XD, Gravit Designer, Eon XR.
 Submission Guidelines: You are expected to submit original and reflective text. Ensure you
provide proper in-text citations and use appropriate referencing techniques to avoid plagiarism.
A complete reference list must be included at the end of the report.
 Report Submission: Submit a report summarizing your findings, including survey links,
 School of Computing

Assignment Description

interview forms, illustrations and any tables and charts that support your analysis. Be sure to
include a brief discussion of any limitations related to your design.
 Understanding the Subject: A high level of understanding of the subject must be
demonstrated.
 Marks Allocation: This assessment consists of five sections following the cover page, with
each section carrying a specific allocation of marks.

Assignment Structure Marks Allocation

(100%)
Introduction 20%
Requirements gathering 20%
Prototype Design and Artefacts 40%
(Coding file/Video file, Interactive
apps etc.)
Poster Presentation of Your 10%
Project
Reflections 10%

Learning Outcomes

PLOs 7.1-7.7

This coursework is designed to achieve the following PLOs:

PLOs 7.1-7.7
1. Evaluate computer science concepts and principles and their application to
computer-based systems' effective design, implementation, and usability.
2. Apply the findings of advanced scholarship and/or contemporary research and
practice to solve computer science problems.
3. Critically evaluate computer science problems, including those at the forefront of
the field.
4. Demonstrate operation within applicable professional, legal, social and ethical
frameworks.
5. Demonstrate originality and creativity in the solution of computer science
problems.
6. Recommend, with detailed justification, the appropriate computer science
principles and practices to apply to significant domain-specific activity.
7. Apply standards, quality processes and engineering principles to solve computer
science problems.
 School of Computing

Advice Guidelines

Guidelines for Students:

Students must submit their own work. They must acknowledge the sources used in this
assignment, failure to acknowledge would be plagiarism which is an academic offence and
a penalty can be imposed. Students need to write by reading other papers on their own with
citations and leave references at the end of the assignment.

Students work would be submitted to the national plagiarism facility. This identifies the
sources from the internet and other extensive databases. Once the student’s work has been
submitted to detection services, work is stored in databases electronically and compared
their work from other sources. It is necessary to keep a backup of their work. Students’
materials would be stored in the database electronically for indefinite periods.

It is essential that you acknowledge the source of any research, information, ideas,
opinions, theories, or other material which is not your own. Effective referencing, quoting,
paraphrasing, and summarising show evidence of the reading you have done and ensure
that you avoid accusations of plagiarism.

The University's fundamental stance on the use of Turnitin is geared toward supporting
students' academic development. You can use this link to check your work for areas where
you might be at risk of plagiarising.

Please submit your assignment on time. All assignments may be electronically submitted
using Turnitin (via Moodle) by midnight on the due date. Please do not submit your
assignment last minute. Please also allow time for any problems or issues with systems.

The work you present should be your own work, and not just copied from others. You can
quote from others, but you must say who the author is and use quotation marks or
paraphrase. If you do not do so, we will investigate your work for academic misconduct.
This is particularly likely if your Turnitin similarity score is above 25% and/or individual
matches are above 6%.

If you require support with your study skills, please visit

https://www.yorksj.ac.uk/students/study-skills/

It is important that the content is underpinned with the inclusion of relevant academic theory,
concepts, and models where appropriate, as well as contemporary industrial insights. These should
be accurately cited and referenced according to York St John Harvard Referencing throughout.

Please refer to the York St John University Code of Practice for Assessment and Academic
Related Matters 2023-24.

We ask that you pay particular attention to the academic misconduct policy. Penalties will
be applied where a student is found guilty of academic and/or ethical misconduct,
 School of Computing

Advice Guidelines

including termination of programme (Policy Link).

You are required to keep to the word limit set for an assessment and to note that you may
be subject to penalty if you exceed that limit. You are required to provide an accurate
word count on the cover sheet for each piece of work you submit (Policy Link).

For late or non-submission of work by the published deadline or an approved extended

deadline, a mark of 0NS will be recorded. Where a re-assessment opportunity exists, a
student will normally be permitted only one attempt to be re-assessed for a capped mark
(Policy Link).

An extension to the published deadline may be granted to an individual student if they

meet the eligibility criteria of the (Policy Link).

How is this assessment marked?

Your work will be marked according to the assessment instructions provided within this document
and the selected Learning Outcomes’ (LOs) (see above).

Furthermore, this assessment is marked using the assessment marking criteria or a similar rubric
that aligns with the University’s Generic Assessment Descriptors (see below). 1 This is to ensure all
assessment decisions are comparable regardless of the discipline or mode of assessment.

Please note that you must meet the required baseline standards (50 – 59%) which will include the
LOs and minimum expectations of the assessment. Further still, you must ensure you meet the
requirements of each grade boundary to progress to the next, i.e., you should demonstrate your
learning through the standards of the Pass, Merit and Distinction to reach a Distinction (70 – 84%).
These standards are designed to scaffold and build your learning to achieve your fullest potential in
each criterion being assessed.

Deliverables for Task:

Deliverables (Criteria) Deliverables Marks (100%)
Introduction  Student should effectively introduce the project. 20%
(Research Skills)  Student should clearly explain the User-Centred
Approach (UCD) and
 Students should demonstrate a deep understanding of
User-Centric methods, tools & technologies used for
prototype development.
 Students must justify why they have chosen this
1
A rubric is a type of scoring guide that markers use to set out specific components and expectations for an assignment for their students.
It is then used to guide the marking they undertake.
 School of Computing
topic,
 Students must discuss the concepts with references
integrated into the explanation.
Requirements  Students must provide the requirements generation 20%
(Thinking Skills and Creativity) and development process well-detailed.
 Participant information is effectively incorporated,
and the methods used to obtain requirements are justified
with references.
 Functional and non-functional requirements of the
design should have been explained.
 Results are presented concisely and clearly, using
tables, graphs, observations, and quotes.
Prototype Design and Artefacts  Students must explain user requirements in prototype 40%
(Coding file/Video file, design coherently.
Interactive apps etc.)  The prototype design should be well-developed.
 Present the project flow diagram and interaction
(Practical Skills and design screenshots/sketches clearly with an explanation.
Professional Learning Skills)  Justify design choices with references, linking
requirements, design, and literature principles.
 Students must provide a high-fidelity prototype
demonstration video of good quality and coding files to
justify their work.
Poster Presentation of Your  Students must provide the poster presentation. 10%
Project  In poster design, use engaging visuals, concise
(Practical Skills and Creativity) content, and appropriate data visualisation.
 The poster should be well organised to engage
viewers and prompt discussions.
Reflection, Presentation  Student must provide a conclusion that effectively 10%
(Presentation skills, References) summarises the solution, lessons learned and clarified
(Thinking Skills & Research reflections.
Skills)  References and citations are appropriate and well-
integrated.
 The document is well-arranged with consistent
formatting.
 Figures and tables are accurately numbered, and their
references are appropriately incorporated.
 School of Computing

Marking Criteria
Pass Grade Bands (100 – 50) (Learning Outcomes must be met)
Fail Grade Bands (49 – 0) (Learning Outcomes are not met)
 School of Computing
Assessment descriptor:

Total Marks Available: 100

Not Successful Unsuccessful Fail (0-29%) Total
Descriptors Higher Distinction Distinction (70-
Merit (60-69%) Pass (50-59%) (45-49%) (30-44%) Marks
(85-100%) 84%)
Criteria
Deliverables
Incoherent UCD Incomplete 20
Excellent Well-explained Adequate UCD explanation or UCD
Lacks UCD references, explanation or
introduction, UCD and topic, explanation, Basic introduction,
Research explanation or unclear or references,
thorough UCD minor gaps in justification limited justification
Skills references, incomplete unclear
Introduction explanation, strong reasoning or missing some or references,
unclear or introduction. introduction.
justification with justification, depth, limited minimal UCD
incomplete
well-integrated references reference explanation.
introduction.
references. present. integration.

Requirements Thinking Minimal detailed No evidence of

Skills and requirements or detailed
Highly detailed, Adequate
Creativity Good Lacks detailed clear requirements or
well-presented description but
requirements Basic coverage of requirements or explanation, clear
requirements; clear missing key
explanation with requirements with clear missing explanation,
functional/non- details or 20
minor gaps, use limited clarity and explanation, references. missing
functional methods,
of references, reference use. missing references.
distinction; strong references are
generally clear. references.
references. minimal.

Prototype Practical Excellent inadequate No evidence of 40

Design and Skills and Lacks clear design design
prototype; coherent Well-developed An adequate Basic prototype
Artefacts Professional design coherence, coherence,
flow, justified prototype with prototype lacks design with
(Coding Learning coherence, justification, or justification, or
design choices; good design coherence or minimal
file/Video file, Skills justification, or artefacts are artefacts are
high-quality demo coherence, thorough explanation or
Interactive artefacts are incomplete. incomplete.
apps etc.) video and coding justified choices. justification. justification.
incomplete.
files.
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Poster Practical inadequate No evidence of 10
Presentation Skills and Adequate poster organization design,
of Your Creativity Engaging visuals, Good visuals with minimal details, poor organization,
Lacks
Project well-organized; and content; visual Basic poster with visuals, or poor visuals, or
organization,
strong content, minor gaps in engagement, limited visuals or unclear content. unclear content.
poor visuals, or
effective data organization or lacking strong organization.
unclear content.
visualization. clarity. data
visualization.

Reflection, Thinking inadequate No evidence of 10

Presentation Skills & Excellent reflection, Lacks reflection, major reflection, major
(Presentation Research Good reflection Adequate errors in errors in
clear conclusions, Basic reflection reflection,
skills, Skills and summary; summary, with citations, or citations, or
well-organized with with some citation major errors in
References) minor issues minimal citation disorganized disorganized
accurate citations or formatting citations, or
with citation or or formatting formatting. formatting
and consistent inconsistencies. disorganized
formatting. errors.
formatting. formatting.