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Instant Messaging and VoIP with SIP Communicator

Project 8

SIP Communicator is an integrated Instant Messaging and VoIP application, supporting many different protocols. The software is targeted at a very wide range of users. It is written in Java and runs on all major operating systems. SIP Communicator is still in the early development phase and offers a playground for user interface design.

The Project: Determine usability problems and possible improvements.

As SIP Communicator supports a variety of different Instant Messaging and VoIP services, the user interface has to unify similar features of different protocols, like e.g. setting a global "Away" status for all protocols at once. At the same time, SIP communicator should provide access to unique features of the different protocols, like e.g. voice communication. This balancing act between application-wide and protocol-specific UIs requires a general usability strategy.

Thus the overall goal of this project is to determine a way to combine generic and specific functionality in a consistent user interface.

In Detail the project has the following goals:

  • Review 'competing' IM/VoIP clients, and describe where SIP Communicator lacks features or usability compared to other clients. Look especially at how other IM/VoIP clients handle multiple protocols.
  • Conduct a heuristic evaluation of SIP Communicator's user interface. Compile a list of specific UI problems and suggest improvements.
  • Determine general UI guidelines for SIP communicator, taking into account the differences between protocols.

The Mentors:

Your usability mentor will be Raphael Wimmer. He is a research assistant in the Media Informatics Group at the University of Munich, Germany. Your technical mentor will be Emil Ivov, the main developer of SIP Communicator.

Your Qualification:

This project requires experience in interface and interaction design as well as some experience in usability analysis methods. This is meant to be a learning experience, so don't worry as long as you understand the basics in design and usability. You should have used at least two different Instant Messaging clients before.

Student Intern:

From May till August 2008, Mike Oren, PhD student of Philosophy, will support SIP Communicator usability-wise.