The Simpsons Portal

Overview

• Problem we are addressing

• Our user tasks

• UI design

• User community

– Fans of the TV series “The Simpsons” that watch the show regularly and use the internet to collect episodes, gather supplemental information, and interact with other fans

Problem

Problem• Current user practices:

– Watching reruns of The Simpsons on TV and on their computers

– Using IRC and local servers to trade episodes with peers

– Participating in trivia games and chat rooms through the internet

– Visiting fan sites to find information about specific episodes and The Simpsons in general

Picture of User’s Screen

Solution

• A single website that:– Allows users to search for, browse through, and

watch any episode of The Simpsons– Provides additional information about each

episode, including:• Plot summaries, movie references, episode dialogue,

and much more!!

– Creates a community where users can• Watch episodes together

• Interact through chats and trivia competitions

User Testing Tasks

1. Browse through seasons of The Simpsons and read a specific episode’s plot summary (easy)

2. Search for a specific episode and watch it (medium)

3. While watching the episode, join a chat and look up a piece of trivia (hard)

UI Overview

UI Overview (cont’d)• Bottom menu bar

– Continuous access to all of the features of the site

– Allows user to select the frame in which they want information displayed

– Provides multiple screen formats to allow for multi-tasking

UI Overview (cont’d)

Full screen mode

UI Overview (cont’d)

Standard View

UI Overview (cont’d)

Plus/minus menu metaphor

UI Overview (cont’d)

Extended View

Summary

More and more, people are using the internet to supplement their TV-watching. We are offering a central location where they can watch TV and get related information and interaction.