Labs/Course/topics2011

Student Outreach - Collaboration topics

1. Mobile - Intersecions between potential user needs and evolving technologies.
2. Tablet - Multitouch interaction, gestural interface design for controlling web activities.
3. Apps - Apps for mobile is a well-known way to interact with the Web; anything bigger than that?
4. HomeDash - Are people buried among all tabs, pages, histories and notifications? How a browser can help people manage that?
5. Do It For Me - Make your favorite web activity easy to do, across all websites!

Topic 1: Mobile for the future

<In collaboration with: Mozilla Mobile>

• When, where and how do people use mobile right now? What are use cases that demonstrate their pain-points, wishlist or alternative/substitute choices?

• How would people like to use mobile in the future? What future scenarios we can thinking of, that is valuable and meaningful to people?
• Considering the use context (bus stop, cinemas, family reunion,etc) and nature for mobile, it is portable, people can just plug it into any devices, displays, etc. What future mobile scenarios we can thinking of that is valuable and meaningful to users?
• Considering the evolving technologies, 3D, sensors, cloud, storage, etc. What future mobile scenarios we can thinking of that is valuable and meaningful to users?
• How these use cases could be transferred into design? (ideas, concepts, storyboards, prototypes, no limitation, no technical boundaries)
• It would be plus if the concept is scalable or more as a platform.

Topic 2: Tablet

<In collaboration with: Rainbow - Mozilla Labs>

• With the multi-touch screen, or a embedded camera, what the future would look like when people interact with the web?

• For two purposes: web page manipulation(e.g. navigation, activation, history, bookmark...etc.) and online media control, what would be a fun and meaningful way to interact without a keyboard and a mouse?
• If we use gestural interfaces via camera, what would be meaningful controls?
• If we use multi-touch screen, what would be the meaningful interactions?
• What value would these interactions add to users?
• Transfer these ideas to prototypes or concepts

Topic 3: Apps

<In collaboration with: Appetizer- Mozilla Labs>

Apps are quickly becoming a significant way for users to interact with the Web on mobiles and tablets. How might we bring apps to the browser and the Open Web?

• Why people use apps on Mobile and tablets, please identify user value or pain-points through use cases.
• What's great about apps to the browser and what's great about the Web to apps? What would be new features and interactions that can convey the value you identified?
• If we see both mobile/tablets and desktop/laptop together as a whole for people to build their daily online activities, how does that ecosystem would look like?
• What would be the value points we can add to end users, in what formats?
• Transfer these ideas to prototypes or concepts

Topic 4: HomeDash - Organize My Browsing Activity

<In collaboration with: Prospector - Mozilla Labs>

• How do people get back to their history, tabs, bookmarks, any pain points currently? How people use tabs as currently?
• What other use cases on organizing browsing activity?

• What values that extensions would add to users when organizing their web activities (as alternative of a browser function)?
• Try out Mozilla Labs' HomeDash, is it useful or meaningful to people in use cases you identified?
• Translate your ideas, findings to a design ideas, prototypes

Topic 5: Do It For Me

<In collaboration with: Browser-mediated services - Mozilla Labs>

With the browser being the central broker of our online interactions we have the unique opportunity to simplify the users' life by automating interactions. Under the umbrella of "Do it for Me" we explore interactions which delight the user and find the balance between automation and direct user control.

• What web activity people do that they would like to make it more easier for them? What use cases we can identify that address their needs or pain points?
• Some areas that might be worthy to look into, they across all website, as inspirations, but not limited to: Web Single Sign-On, Link Sharing, Contact List Management, Profile Access and Management, Application Notification, Payment Processing, Photo Collection Management, Media Preference Management, etc.

• Translate these identified needs or pain points into ideas, concepts and prototypes.