05-436 / 05-836 / 08-534 / 08-734 Usable Privacy and Security

Homework 5

Print your homework out and submit it in person at the start of class (3:00pm) on Thursday, February 20th. Homework will not be accepted after 3:05pm on that day.

Note that, as usual, you must complete Part 1 individually. Turn in Part 1 on paper as usual. However, you may do Part 2 and Part 3 in groups of 1--3 students (i.e., with at most 2 partners). Each group should only print out and turn in a single submission (listing everyone's names) for Part 2. For Part 3, send only a single email with your slides.

• Part 1 (30 points): Write a 3--7 sentence summary and short "highlight" for each of the readings assigned for February 18th and February 20th. Students taking the 12-unit version of this class must also submit a summary and highlight for one of the optional readings from either of those days.


• Part 2 (60 points): With your partners, observe people in a public place using a computerized system. For example, you might observe people using a public transit ticket machine, a parking garage pay station, a hardware store self-checkout machine, a library self-checkout machine, or an airport self-check-in kiosk. Stay long enough to observe both experienced and inexperienced users using the system.
  
  Alternatively, recruit a few people you know and observe them using a computer or computerized device (cell phone, microwave oven, etc.) to complete a task. Try to recruit someone who has used the device before and someone who has not.
  
  What kinds of problems did people have using the system? What aspects of the system appeared to be easy to learn? What aspects of the system appeared to be difficult to learn? What aspects of the system seemed to frustrate experienced users? Most importantly, how might the design of the system be improved?
  
  Write up a short report on your observations and recommendations to turn in. Include an appendix with photographs or sketches of key elements of the user interface you observed. The report should be 2-4 pages, plus the appendix. Remember: turn in one report per group.


• Part 3 (10 points): Create 2--6 powerpoint slides showing photographs or illustrations of the computerized system from Part 2 in action. Choose photos that make the usability aspects of the system clear. You may duplicate photos from your Part 2 appendix.
  
  Do not print out your slides. Instead, email them before class to privacy-homework@mailman.srv.cs.cmu.edu