HUMAN COMPUTER INTERACTION AND

COMMUNICATION
MIDTERM ASSESSMENT 01

NAME: ____________________________________

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Use the word processor on the computer to fill in this assessment.

2. Start by inserting your name in the space above.
3. Before you begin answering these questions, save this file using the required file name format:
“<YourStudentID> Midterm01.doc” where <YourStudentID> is your StudentID and there is a blank between it
and the Midterm01. When you are finished with the assessment, save the document again and then upload it to
the LMS.

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

Answer each of the questions below in the space provided. (5 points each)

1. Complete the following sentence: A product or website is usable when:

_______________________.

2. Name three of the things typically included in a research plan:

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3. What are five things that a homepage needs to convey and provide?

4. What are some of the benefits of including usability in your project?

5. What is a scenario and what type of information do you include in a scenario?

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MULTIPLE CHOICE AND TRUE OR FALSE QUESTIONS

Select the best answer for each question below. Enter your response in the space provided. (3 points each)

6. In a swimming lane diagram, the lanes represent the different people, roles, or organizational roles participating
in the flow. _____.
A. True.
B. False.

7. When conducting a persona interview, it is important to do all of the following except: _____.
A. Establish trust with interviewee.
B. Make sure the interviewee understands that you are in charge of the interview.
C. Plan and practice your interview.
D. Understand your interview goals.
E. Gather information on the tasks the persona needs to perform.

8. The Second Law of Usability says _____.

A. Get rid of half the words on each page. Then get rid of half of what’s left.
B. Getting rid of extra content reduces the clutter on a page.
C. Don’t make me think.
D. It’s the number of clicks that matters. Reduce the number of times users have to click to get what
they want.
E. The number of times the user has to click does not matter – as long as each click is a mindless,
unambiguous choice.

9. One of the differences between a use case and a scenario is: _____.
A. A use case usually doesn’t contain a lot of detail.
B. A use case is often more complete and detailed than a scenario.
C. Use cases don’t usually follow a template but scenarios do.
D. Uses cases are generally less formal and more about narrative and storytelling.

10. A typical process of competitive analysis includes all of the following, except: _____.
A. Identify and profile the competition.
B. Define a set of criteria or dimensions for the comparative analysis.
C. Compare competitors to each other and to your design using the comparison criteria.
D. Contact the competition to better understand their target audience.
E. Use the results of competitive analysis to create recommendations for action.

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11. The Third Law of Usability says _____.
A. Get rid of half the words on each page. Then get rid of half of what’s left.
B. Getting rid of extra content reduces the clutter on a page.
C. Don’t make me think.
D. It’s the number of clicks that matters. Reduce the number of times users have to click to get what
they want.
E. The number of times the user has to click does not matter – as long as each click is a mindless,
unambiguous choice.

12. How many personas should you create? _____.

A. One persona to represent each primary segment of the target user population.
B. One persona to represent the ideal user.
C. 3-5 personas at most.
D. A and C.
E. None of the above.

13. The First Law of Usability says _____.

A. Get rid of half the words on each page. Then get rid of half of what’s left.
B. Getting rid of extra content reduces the clutter on a page.
C. Don’t make me think.
D. It’s the number of clicks that matters. Reduce the number of times users have to click to get what
they want.
E. The number of times the user has to click does not matter – as long as each click is a mindless,
unambiguous choice.

14. Homepage designs must do all of the following except _____.

A. Appeal to any and all types of visitor.
B. Contain all of the information and functionality a user is looking for.
C. Accommodate multiple stakeholders.
D. Follow and abide by all usability laws and guidelines.

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15. A persona should be all of the following except: _____.
A. A memorable character.
B. An ‘archetype’ with characteristics relevant to the design.
C. A real person.
D. A typical user representing a meaningful segment or subset of the user population.
E. A character with personal and professional attributes, goals, background and context relevant to
the design.

16. The site’s navigation should: _____.

A. Help users feel oriented in the site.
B. Tell users what options are available in the current location.
C. Shows users what they can do in the current location.
D. A and B.
E. All of the above.

17. When people visit a website for the first time, they most often _____.
A. Read all content available to read on the site.
B. Follow all links available to click on the site.
C. Follow all links related to finding the best most optimal way to achieve their goal.
D. Quickly scan content related to their goal and quickly follow links to achieve their goal.

18. Getting rid of extra content on your page does all of the following except: _____.
A. Improves the visual design elements of your page.
B. Reduces the clutter on a page.
C. Makes useful content more prominent.
D. Makes the page shorter, allowing users to see more of each page at a glance without scrolling.

19. How is navigating a website similar to visiting a department store? _____.

A. You are usually trying to find something.
B. There are signs that help you browse.
C. There are signs that help you understand the size and scale of the website and all it has to offer.
D. A and B.
E. All of the above.

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20. As part of setting your research goals, you should: _____.
A. Conduct extensive persona interviews.
B. Make a list of the most important issues regarding how the user experience affects the business
goals of the company.
C. Expand specific research questions into larger, more general questions to be addressed by the
research plan.
D. Create scenarios for each of your personas.

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