The midterm is your (if working independently) or your team’s formal project plan for the major project. In it you will describe:

1. Your client, their goals, and their current situation.
2. The goals of your project and what you intended to accomplish.
3. The activities that you will use to achieve your project goals. You are required to employ at least three research methods in this project. Of these, at least two must be methods that involve generating and analyzing empirical data about user behavior. That is, expert review techniques (such as a heuristic evaluation or competitive analysis) can make up only one of your methods.
   NOTE: If you’ve focused previous assignments on your major project, you’re encouraged to incorporate those results and insights into your report and presentation, but they will not count toward the 3-method requirement. You may repeat a method if you feel it’s useful to do so — e.g., use Assignment #4 as a “pilot” usability test, then conduct a second, more formal round of testing that will count toward your 3-method requirement.
4. A sampling proposal and recruitment plan. What is the target audience of your project? What kinds of people are you going to recruit for each method? How many people are you going to recruit for each method? How do you propose to find them? And so on. You don’t have to stick to this plan if the situation changes, but you’re expected to produce concrete numbers and examples of the strategies you plan to use.
5. A project schedule, including recruitment phase(s) as well as activities, data analysis, and report-writing. You do not have to stick to this schedule. However, writing a project plan is an important professional skill. As well, it is a good way for you (and your instructors) to reality-check your plans for the rest of the semester.
6. Who is doing what aspects of the work. Your major project for this class can be done as a team or individually. If you are working as a team, include a list of all members, their individual contributions to this assignment, and specific area(s) of responsibility for the project going forward. Future roles and areas of responsibility may change over time, but it’s helpful to have a plan.
   NOTE: As with Assignment #3, you may invite up to 1 student from outside the class (subject to instructor approval) to join your team if you have a practical reason to do so, e.g., that person is a partner for your established project.

You will submit your (or your team’s) project plan as a long-form written document. Use diagrams and maps to simplify the written explanation. Given the diversity of projects, plans, and report formats, there are no specific page length requirements. More is not necessarily better. Strive for for brevity, clarity, and focus. You are welcome to ask your instructors for advice, but it is your job to decide how much explanation (and in what form) you need to provide.