Title: Start Here
Course: Prototyping I (TEMPLATE) > Section: Competency Modules

Competency Three:
Make use of appropriate and effective product behaviors and design patterns for an existing digital product.

OVERVIEW:

In Competency Three, we are going to begin looking at how to begin designing digital products with good product behavior, which includes design values, design principles and design patterns. We will also look at the importance of establishing the right platform and posture for your digital product and how to develop an appropriate and efficient user interaction flow for your digital product.

The next level of prototyping will be introduced in this module. We're now moving onto the computer and will begin to build wireframes for the digital product. At the wireframing stage we begin focusing on the detailed structure of the interface and the patterns and user interface elements that comprise the various screens for your digital product. You will identify the various screens that need to be developed through the exploration of user scenarios.

"To create a sense of flow, our interaction with software must become transparent. When a novelist writes well, the writer’s craft becomes invisible, and the reader sees the story and characters with clarity undisturbed by the writer’s technique. Likewise, when a product interacts well with a person, interaction mechanics disappear, leaving the person face to face with his objectives, unaware of the intervening software."

Cooper, Alan; Reimann, Robert; Cronin, David; Noessel, Christopher (2014-08-13). About Face: The Essentials of Interaction Design (Kindle Locations 5556-5560). Wiley. Kindle Edition.

"...design, when properly deployed, both identifies user requirements and defines a detailed plan for the behavior and appearance of products. In other words, design provides true product definition, based on user goals, business needs, and technology constraints."

Cooper, Alan; Reimann, Robert; Cronin, David; Noessel, Christopher (2014-08-13). About Face: The Essentials of Interaction Design (Kindle Locations 943-946). Wiley. Kindle Edition.

THE GOAL:

The goal of this module is for you to be able to make use of appropriate and effective product behaviors and design patterns for an existing digital product. Upon completion of this competency module you will be able to achieve the following learning objectives:

- Evaluate effective product behaviors and design patterns for a wireframe prototype.
- Compile a library of appropriate product behaviors and design patterns to be utilized in the building of a wireframe prototype.
- Build a wireframe prototype for various user scenarios for an existing digital product.

NEXT STEPS:

After reviewing the competency and learning objectives for this module, continue through this module by:

1. Reading the assigned reading material in the "Read it" section.
2. Complete your "Competency Three Project".
3. Participate in the "Peer Review & Discussions" board during your project.
4. Complete your "Capstone Journal: Entry #3".