| | |
|---|---|
| Module | HCI Foundations and Tooling |
| Assignment Type | Group Project (Kickoff Submission) |
| Estimated Effort | Less than 1 hour total (team working together) |
| Submission Format | Single shared document (Google Doc, Notion page, or GitHub Discussion — your choice) submitted as a PDF or live link |
| Citation Style | None required for this submission |
Before a single line of code is written or a single frame is designed, professional product teams invest time in one critical activity: getting organized. Industry research consistently shows that the number one cause of failed software projects is not technical failure — it is miscommunication, unclear ownership, and misaligned expectations within teams.
This assignment mirrors the real-world project kickoff ritual used by cross-functional product teams at companies like Google, Spotify, and Microsoft. You are not just completing a course assignment; you are practicing the professional ritual of standing up a team and a project from zero.
You and your team are embarking on something ambitious: designing, building, and publishing a commercial-quality software product — a real application that will go through the full publication cycle into a public app store or web platform. That ambition starts here, with alignment.
This submission connects directly to the following module topics:
Follow the step-by-step instructions in the Detailed Task Description section below. Your team will produce a single, structured kickoff document that covers four areas: team composition, leadership structure, account ownership, and communication protocol.
Your submission will be evaluated using the rubric at the end of this document. Graders will look for completeness, clarity, and evidence that your team has had a real conversation — not that anyone has produced polished prose.
By the end of this assignment, you will be able to:
1. Construct a team charter that documents roles, responsibilities, and working norms for a cross-functional software project team.
2. Assign clear ownership of shared project infrastructure (GitHub repository, Figma workspace) using role definitions grounded in industry practice.
3. Design a team communication and project management protocol that supports transparent, accountable collaboration throughout the course.
4. Select and formally commit to a course project from a defined list of product ideas, producing an initial problem statement aligned with HCI principles.
Work through the following steps as a team, synchronously (in person, on a video call, or in a shared chat session). This is not a document one person fills out alone. Every team member should be present and contribute to every decision.
Each team member should briefly share:
> Define "skill": For this step, a skill is any prior experience, coursework, tool familiarity, or personal project that is relevant to design, development, or project coordination. There is no minimum or maximum — be honest about where you are starting.
Record the following in your kickoff document:
For each team member, include:
`
Name:
Strongest relevant skill(s):
Area they want to grow in:
Weekly availability:
`
Your team will operate with four defined roles. These roles mirror cross-functional product team structures used in industry. Each role must be assigned to exactly one person. On larger teams (5+ members), two roles may be shared by two people — document this clearly.
| Role | Responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Project Lead | Coordinates tasks and deadlines, runs team check-ins, ensures the team stays on schedule, communicates with the instructor on behalf of the team |
| Design Lead | Owns and maintains the team Figma workspace, leads UI/UX design decisions, manages design file organization |
| Dev Lead | Owns and maintains the team GitHub repository, establishes and enforces the branching strategy, reviews and merges pull requests |
| Documentation Lead | Maintains the project README, records meeting notes, ensures the team charter and project documents stay current |
> Note: Roles may rotate in later modules. This is your starting assignment, not a permanent title.
Record the following in your kickoff document:
`
Project Lead: [Name]
Design Lead: [Name]
Dev Lead: [Name]
Documentation Lead: [Name]
Role assignment rationale: [2–3 sentences explaining why the team assigned roles this way — reference the skills identified in Step 1]
`
Your team will share two primary platforms throughout this course: GitHub and Figma. You need to decide on one canonical team account or workspace for each and ensure every team member has appropriate access before this submission is complete.
#### GitHub
hci-[your team name]-project (e.g., hci-team-nova-project).> What is a GitHub Issue? An Issue is a tracked task, question, or to-do item inside a GitHub repository. Issues can be assigned to team members, labeled, and closed when complete. They are a primary tool for transparent team accountability.
#### Figma
[Team Name] — HCI Course Project.Record the following in your kickoff document:
`
GitHub Repository URL:
GitHub Repository Owner (Dev Lead):
Confirmed collaborators added (list names):
Figma Workspace Owner (Design Lead):
Figma Workspace/Project Name:
Confirmed members invited (list names):
Three GitHub Issues created (list issue titles and who they are assigned to):
1.
2.
3.
`
Decide as a team how you will communicate and coordinate work throughout the course. Document your decisions clearly enough that a new team member joining in week two could read this and know exactly how your team operates.
Answer each of the following questions in your kickoff document:
1. Primary communication channel: What tool will your team use for day-to-day messaging? (Examples: Slack, Discord, Microsoft Teams, GroupMe, iMessage.) Specify the tool and the name of the channel or group.
2. Meeting cadence: How often will your team meet, and for how long? When are your standing meeting times? (Example: "Every Tuesday at 7 PM on Zoom, 30 minutes.")
3. Decision-making process: How will your team make decisions when there is disagreement? (Example: "We will discuss in the group chat for 24 hours, then take a majority vote. The Project Lead breaks ties.")
4. Missed deadline protocol: What happens if a team member cannot complete their assigned task on time? What is the expected notice period, and how will the team respond?
5. AI tool usage agreement: Your team must agree on and document a shared policy for using AI tools (such as GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, Figma AI features, etc.) consistent with the course guidelines described in the AI Use Policy section of this document. At minimum, address: Which AI tools are permitted? How will AI usage be documented (e.g., in commit messages, design notes)? What is every team member's individual responsibility when submitting AI-assisted work?
As a team, select one product idea from the list at the bottom of this document. You will design, build, and publish this product as a commercial-quality application by the end of the course.
Once you have selected your product, write an initial problem statement using the following structure:
> Our users are [describe who will use this product — be specific].
> They face the problem of [describe the real-world problem or friction point the product addresses].
> A successful solution would [describe what the product does and what "done" looks like from a user's perspective].
> We will build this as a [Windows Application / Web Application / Android Application / iOS Application].
> What makes a good problem statement? A strong problem statement is specific enough to guide design decisions. "People need a better app" is too vague. "College students living off-campus struggle to coordinate grocery runs with roommates because there is no shared, real-time list tool that integrates with their existing messaging apps" is appropriately specific.
Record the following in your kickoff document:
`
Selected Product:
Platform (circle one): Windows App | Web App | Android App | iOS App
Initial Problem Statement: [Write your problem statement using the structure above]
`
Before submitting, confirm that every item on the checklist below is complete. Check off each item in your kickoff document.
| Parameter | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Length | No minimum or maximum word count. Cover every required field completely. Bullet points and tables are encouraged over long paragraphs. |
| Format | One shared document per team. Acceptable formats: Google Doc (submitted as PDF or shared link), Notion page (shared link), or a pinned GitHub Discussion in your team repository (link submitted). |
| Authorship | The document must reflect the team's collective decisions. It is expected that different sections will be drafted by different team members. The Documentation Lead is responsible for consolidating and submitting the final version. |
| Submission | One submission per team. The Project Lead or Documentation Lead submits on behalf of the team via the course LMS. |
| Citations | No citations required for this submission. |
AI tools are encouraged in this course as productivity aids — they are part of the real-world HCI and development toolkit you are learning to use. However, the following rules apply to this and all course submissions:
For this specific assignment:
AI may be used to help draft language, suggest team charter structures, or generate initial problem statement ideas. However, all decisions documented in your kickoff — roles, tools, communication norms, product selection — must reflect real conversations your team has had. You may not use AI to invent team members' skills, fabricate consensus, or skip the team discussion entirely.
For the course overall (document your team's policy in Step 4):
feat: generated button component with Copilot, reviewed and modified) and in Figma design notes where applicable.| Resource | Where to Find It |
|---|---|
| GitHub Docs — Creating a repository | [docs.github.com](https://docs.github.com) → "Create a repo" |
| GitHub Docs — Adding collaborators | [docs.github.com](https://docs.github.com) → "Inviting collaborators to a personal repository" |
| GitHub Docs — Creating Issues | [docs.github.com](https://docs.github.com) → "Creating an issue" |
| Figma Help Center — Education plan setup | [help.figma.com](https://help.figma.com) → "Figma for Education" |
| Figma Help Center — Inviting collaborators | [help.figma.com](https://help.figma.com) → "Invite collaborators to a file or project" |
| Module readings — HCI foundational concepts | Course LMS → Module 1 → Topic: Introduction to HCI |
| Module readings — Team roles and charter guidance | Course LMS → Module 1 → Topic: Team Collaboration and Project Kickoff |
| Module readings — AI use guidelines | Course LMS → Module 1 → Topic: AI Tools in HCI and Development |
| Writing Center | [Your institution's writing center link] — for help with clear, plain-language writing |
| Course Q&A Forum | Course LMS → Module 1 → Discussion: Questions and Help |
| Section | Points Possible | Full Credit Criteria | Partial Credit | No Credit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Composition (Step 1) | 20 | All team members documented with skills, growth areas, and availability | Some members missing or fields incomplete | Not submitted or only one member documented |
| Leadership Structure (Step 2) | 20 | All four roles assigned with a clear, skill-referenced rationale | Roles assigned but rationale absent or generic | Roles not assigned |
| Account Ownership and Access (Step 3) | 25 | GitHub repo created, all members added, three Issues created and assigned; Figma workspace created, all members invited | Partial setup (e.g., repo exists but members not added, or Issues missing) | No repo or workspace created |
| Communication and Project Management Protocol (Step 4) | 20 | All five protocol questions answered specifically and clearly, including the AI use agreement | Three or four questions answered; answers are vague | Fewer than three questions answered |
| Product Selection and Problem Statement (Step 5) | 15 | Product selected, platform specified, problem statement follows the required structure and is appropriately specific | Product selected but problem statement is vague or missing the platform | No product selected or no problem statement |
| Readiness Checklist (Step 6) | Included in above sections | All items checked off | — | — |
| TOTAL | 100 | | | |
Select exactly one of the following product ideas. Your team is committing to designing, building, and publishing this product by the end of the course. The professor will provide assistance and accounts as needed for the publication process.
Choose the platform (Windows Application, Web Application, Android App, or iOS App) that best fits your team's skills and the product concept.