Title
Breaking the fidelity barrier: an examination of our current characterization of prototypes and an example of a mixed-fidelity success
Abstract
This paper presents a summary of the space of commonly-used HCI prototyping methods (low-fidelity to high-fidelity) and asserts that with a better understanding of this space, HCI practitioners will be better equipped to direct scarce prototyping resources toward an effort likely to yield specific results. It presents a set of five dimensions along which prototypes can be planned and characterized. The paper then describes an analysis of this space performed by members of the NASA Ames Human-Computer Interaction Group when considering prototyping approaches for a new set of tools for Mars mission planning and scheduling tools. A description is presented of a prototype that demonstrates design solutions that would have been particularly difficult to test given conventional low- or mid- fidelity prototyping methods. The prototype created was "mixed-fidelity," that is, high-fidelity on some dimensions and low-fidelity on others. The prototype is compared to a preexisting tool being redesigned and to a tool that has been developed using the prototype. Experimental data are presented that show the prototype to be a good predictor of eventual user performance with the final application. Given the relative cost of developing prototypes, it is critical to better characterize the space of fidelity in order to more precisely allocate design and development resources.
Year
DOI
Venue
2006
10.1145/1124772.1124959
CHI
Keywords
Field
DocType
fidelity prototyping method,current characterization,prototyping approach,better understanding,scarce prototyping resource,commonly-used hci prototyping method,mixed-fidelity success,fidelity barrier,scheduling tool,new set,preexisting tool,design solution,hci practitioner,planning,prototyping,human computer interaction
Mars Exploration Program,Fidelity,Experimental data,Scheduling (computing),Computer science,Human–computer interaction
Conference
ISBN
Citations 
PageRank 
1-59593-372-7
55
2.97
References 
Authors
14
5
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Michael McCurdy1916.38
Christopher Connors2552.97
Guy Pyrzak3633.94
Bob Kanefsky468573.79
Alonso H. Vera528854.58