Designing, Implementing and Managing Interactive Projects

ATEC 4340
Fall 2005
Instructor: Marge Zielke
HRA 1102
12:30 to 3:15 pm
Friday

Instructor Contact Information:

• Cell Phone : 817-368-5772

• Email: maz031000@utdallas.edu. If you need to contact me by email, please put
subject as: ATEC 4340: Subject.

Class Format:

The deliverable for the class project is a prototyped project with a presentation that
outlines the evolution of the project and the final project concept, work schedule and
business plan. The presentation will be presented in class. An outline for the class
presentation will be provided.

Class for week of September 30 will be online. There will be graded components for
each of these class days.

In addition, on October 14, there will be no class so that you may do field research on
your own. This research will be related to your class project.

WebCT will be utilized throughout the class for posting of lectures, the online class,
posting of team and individual assignments and ongoing team communications. You
must have an active UTD logon for this process.

Class Objectives:

o Introduce students to full, multi-dimensional, interactive project development

“planning process” from a design, planning, development, marketing, financ ial,
testing and implementation viewpoint.
o Introduce scientific principles behind project design and management.
o Introduce students to business principles behind project design and management.
o Introduce students to “constantly evolving” environment in which they will be
working.
o Develop a sense of ethical and cultural implications of technology development
o Introduce students to career and project opportunities.
o Create portfolio piece.
Required Texts:

The following texts for the class are required. Students are expected to complete weekly
readings before class:

• Web Redesign: Workflow that Works, Kelly Goto and Emily Cotler, New
Riders Publishing, 2005 (WR)

• Caught in the Current, Jay Bookman, St. Martin’s Press, 2004 (CIC)

o Note: students may skip any passages in this book that they find
offensive.

• Other readings may be assigned as appropriate

You may wish to bring your texts to some classes.

Class Grading :

Team Grading
• Team Project Proposal (September 9): 6 percent
• Four Team Status Reports (Submitted Online): 4 percent
o September 16
o September 30
o October 14
o October 28

• Team Usability Test of Prototype and oral and written report (Test: October 21,
Oral and Written Report: October 28): 10 percent
• Final Team Project (November 11 and November 18): 20 percent

Individual Grading
• Four Individual Research Assignments: Five percent each, 20 percent total.

Research consists of finding an article and writing a short paragraph as to how the
article addresses the issue presented. Field trip report addresses how the field trip
was applicable to the project and what was learned.

o September 2: An example of a customer-driven interactive project –

article and paragraph
o September 23: An example of a technology-driven marketing process –
article and paragraph
o October 7: An example of an application of interactive technology that
presents an ethical issue.
o October 21: Individual field trip report
 • Individual Participation in the online course module: 10 percent
o September 30: Discussion of Caught in the Current

• Class Participation (All Weeks): 10 percent

o Class participation grade is based on active participation in class and team

project as outlined above. *****Extraneous surfing and doing
homework for other classes in class will also reduce class participation
grade.*****

o Class absences will also obviously affect class participation grade.

Attendance is expected. Please inform the instructor and your team
members of any absences. Email will be fine.

• Individual Take Home Final Exam (Due: Friday, December 2, 5pm CST): 20
percent

All assignments based on 100 point basis.

Class Calendar

Note: Project workshops will be available on weeks when outlined material is

completed.

August 19:

Topic: Class introduction, objectives, instructor and class introductions, form class
teams, assignments for week two.

1. Review Class Objectives, Texts, Project, and Grading Measurables.

2. Discuss class project.
3. Discussion: How to be a “good” team member. Attend class, attend meetings,
meet deadlines, communicate, and utilize online tools.
4. Team member “roles.” Skill roles and managerial roles. Business analysis.
Assign a leader.
5. Interactive resumes, instructor and class.

Readings to be completed for next week:

Goto: Chapter 1, 2, 10
Note: Caught in the Current needs to be read by Sunday, September 25.

August 26:

Topic: Project Management Overview

1. Lecture: Project Management Overview

2. Form Teams
3. Begin design of team projects. Concept to be presented on September 9.
4. Individual Assignment for September 2. Find an article on an interactive project
that exhibits a customer point of view. Upload the article to our class WebCT
site. Write a short paragraph and include with the article about why you think the
article exhibits a customer point of view. Be prepared to discuss at our next class.
(graded)

Note: Caught in the Current needs to be read by Sunday, September 25.

September 2:

Topic: The Interactive Customer and Customer Analysis/Global and multicultural

considerations in project design

1. Lecture – The Interactive Customer /Global considerations in project design

2. Class discussion: The importance of the customer. Global and multicultural
implications for class projects.
3. Discussion of individual research assignment on the customer.
4. Team meeting to determine project and plan presentation.

• Readings to be completed for next week:

• Goto, Chapters 3, 4, 8

Note: Caught in the Current needs to be read by Sunday, September 25.

September 9:

Topic: Information Architecture, Usability and Prototyping

Lecture: Concepts of Information Architecture, Usability and Prototyping. Designing a

prototype and usability test.

1. Lecture – Concepts of information architecture, usability and prototyping.

2. Team discussion: designing information architecture, prototype and usability test
for the team project.
3. Team Project Presentation
4. Assignment for September 16: An example of an application of interactive
technology that presents an ethical issue. Upload the article to our class WebCT
site. Write a short paragraph and include with the article about why you think the
article exhibits a customer point of view. Be prepared to discuss at our next class.
(graded)

Readings for next week:

Goto: Chapter 5-7, 9

Note: Caught in the Current needs to be read by Sunday, September 25.

September 16:

Topic: Project Management Leadership/Project Management Tools

Lecture: Project Management Leadership/Project Management Tools Leadership

1. Lecture: Project Management Leadership/Project Management Tools

2. Review format for final project and presentation
3. Begin design of team project plan
4. Status Report Due
5. Assignment for September 23: Find an article on a technology driven marketing
process that is appropriate for your class project. Upload the article to our class
WebCT site. Write a short paragraph and include with the article about why you
think the article exhibits a customer point of view. Be prepared to discuss at our
next class. (graded)
Note: Caught in the Current needs to be read by Sunday, September 25.

September 23:

Emarketing

Topic: E-Marketing Considerations in Project Design

1. Lecture: E- Marketing Considerations

2. Discussion of marketing articles

Note: Caught in the Current needs to be read by Sunday, September 25.

September 30:

1. Online Class

Discussion of Caught in the Current, Jay Bookman.

Requirement…Active participation in the online module. Class is discussion board in

format. Your participation will be graded.

2. Status Report Due

October 7:

Topic: Financial Considerations in Project Design

1. Lecture: Financial Considerations in Project Design

2. Team Exercise/workshop
3. Discuss Individual Field Trip
October 14:

1. Individual Field Research

Topic: Exploring “infield” interactive projects

2. Status Report Due

October 21:
Field Trip Report

Topic: Class Usability Testing and prototype presentations

1. Presentations of prototypes and usability testing. (graded)

October 28:

1. Discussion of Usability Test and Final Project Development

2. Turn in Written Usability Report
3. Workshop (Attendance Required)
4. Status Report Due

November 4:
Workshop (Attendance Required)

November 11:

Class Project Presentation

November 18:

Class Project Presentation

December 2:
Take Home Final Exam Due to Instructor by 5pm CST.

Class Policies:

• In fairness to other students, no late assignments will be accepted without prior

approval. Late assignments are highly discouraged.

• Attendance at class is expected. Please discuss absences beforehand with

instructor and your team. This is a project management class and your team
 depends on you. For each unexcused absence, 10 points will be deducted from
your total grade.

• Responses to phone calls or emails from instructor are expected within 24 hours.

• Students are expected to have done weekly assigned readings prior to class.

• Professional conduct as a team member is expected. Teams are encouraged to

work without need for supervision by instruc tor; however instructor is available
for coaching and consultation on subject matter.

However, should a team encounter nonparticipation (lack of attendance in class or

at other team meetings) by a team member, communication with the instructor is
encouraged and appropriate grade reflection will occur.

Team members are required to communicate with each other on a consistent basis
and to meet team established deadlines.

Project status reports will be prepared for the instructor throughout the course.
Lack of participation issues should be addressed in this document.

Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and

treat other team members with respect.

Team members will be evaluating each other as part of the final exam. Students
who uniformly receive unsatisfactory evaluations from other team members may
receive a decrease in team project grade, after review by the instructor.

• No extra credit is available. You must be able to work in a cooperative team

environment to complete the class.

• Please be courteous with the use of cell phones, pagers and surfing during class.
Please do not do your homework for other classes in this class.

• Academic dishonesty in any form will not be tolerated.

• The instructor reserve s the right to make adjustments to the syllabus as needed.

• Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance: It is the policy of UTD to provide

reasonable and appropriate accommodations for individuals with documented
disabilities. This college will adhere to all applicable federal, state, and local
laws, regulations and guidelines with respect to providing reasonable
accommodations as required to afford equal educational opportunity.