3. Middlesex
University
2
“The details are not the details. They
make the design” Charles Eames
What is the MA2C?
A home messaging system or device to
improve the ways people communicate and
organise their activities at home
5. User Research
Middlesex
University
4
1.1 Why?
To obtain sufficient information to design a feasible device based on
user requirement
Objectives:
• Approach the user-centered design process
• Capturing the user requirements
• Involving users for the design of the prototype
• Assemblage of individual requirements into persona & scenarios
7. User Research
Middlesex
University
6
1.3 Collection of data: Observation
End users: Indian workers
Task performed by observer: To observe and take down notes about
their way they communicate and delegate works
Observation instance: 1. Indian workers divided in five, 2. Each groups
supervised by one supervisor, 3. supervisor delegates tasks
9. User Research
Middlesex
University
8
1.3 Collection of data: Questionnaire
• Why?
To obtain quantitative data for comparison
To compare user opinions
• End users: General Public
• Structure:
Factual Questions
Opinion Questions
12. User Research
Middlesex
University
1.3 Collection of data: Interview
• Why?
To obtain qualitative data about the system
To obtain greater depth of detail from the interviewee
Social Cues
• End Users: Students and Family Members
• Structure:
General factual questions
Current methods of communication and its effectiveness
Opinion-type questions about design of a new digital
messaging system 11
14. User Research
Middlesex
University
13
1.4 Data analysis
0
2
4
6
8
10
Verbally Sticky
Notes
Phone Calls Others
Methods Used
Communication
Yes
67%
No
0%
Neutral
33%
Need for alternative digital
solution
15. User Research
Middlesex
University
14
1.4 Data analysis
Text
28%
Audio
39%
Audio/Video
33%
Other
0%
Preferred Method of Message
Communication
Touchscreen
67%
Physical
Keyboard
0%
Voice
Recognition
33%
Message Input Method
17. User Research
Middlesex
University
16
1.5 Personas & Scenario
Scenario A
One morning Marie Helena wakes up one hour late and realizes that despite the alarm was functioning well, she was too tired to wake up. This
delay causes her husband to go to work without having his breakfast and her children were not ready for schools. She decided to give her children
some more money to buy some foods. She left the money on the table and went to shower to go for work. As soon as she finished with her
shower, she finds that the money was still on the table. She pick up her smart phone and dialed her son number. Surprised in turn her son told her
that he has not heard anything about the money and thought that the money was for his mother.
Scenario B
One afternoon, Marie had an important meeting with other members of the Rotary Club from other town. Before leaving her home, she left a
reminder and to do list for both of her children. The reminder was left for her daughter for preparing the dinner whilst the to-do list was left for
her son to perform some tasks e.g. gardening at home. In the middle of the meeting, she phones at home to check whether the children were at
home after school but no one took the phone as on that day, after school the children were supposed to go to the GYM and her husband would be
late due to the pickup of the children after works. Once home, Marie realizes that the children were at the GYM and her husband would pick them.
It was too late and she discovered that her paper base reminder and to-do list was still lying on the table. Poor Marie had to prepare dinner for the
whole family after a tiring day.
19. User Research
Middlesex
University
18
1.5 Personas & Scenario
Scenario A:
John Talagan left home earlier and went directly to the campus to meet people for a
group coursework. He has been told that there's a party for a friends birthday tonight
at the club. John came back home and as the other house sharers were absent he
left a message on the home messaging system inviting every house mate to come to
the club for the party. John left the house to buy a gift and went directly to the club.
Talagan and he's room mates managed to join at the party that night.
22. Table of content
Middlesex
University
21
2. Prototype I
2.1 Objectives
2.2 The user requirement
2.3 The design stage
2.4 The prototyping stage
2.5 Demo
2.6 Innovative features
24. Prototype I
Middlesex
University
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2.2 The User-requirement:
• Persona 1: Direct message, To-Do list, reminder list
• Persona 2: Log, message system / Text, video, audio, calendar
25. Prototype I
Middlesex
University
24
2.3 The Design stage:
• Horizontal prototyping: Provide a wide range of features but with
little details
• Vertical prototyping: Provide many details for a few function
• Design Pattern
34. Heuristic Result
Visibility of system status -lack of icons
-lack of visual notifications
Match between system and the real world The system should speak the users'
language, with words, phrases and
concepts familiar to the user, rather than
system-oriented terms. Follow real-world
conventions, making information appear
in a natural and logical order.
User control and freedom -no undo and redo supported
-lack of home button
Consistency and standards -lack of consistency between the "Events"
feature and the other features such as
messages and calendar
Error prevention -no error prevention planned
Evaluation
Middlesex
University
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3.3 Heuristic Evaluation
35. Evaluation
Middlesex
University
34
3.4 Cognitive Walkthrough
Error in the structure and the flow of some features, i.e. "Message"
=> All type of messages ordered by date instead of type
=> Show the "Inbox" when accessing "Message" instead the menu
=> Selecting the receiver:
-Group feature should be removed
-Instead of "Single account" different users' names could be checked
38. Further Plans
Middlesex
University
37
Prototype II:
• Second version of prototype I based on expert evaluation
• Changes:
o Replace text menus by icons
o Include speech-to-text feature
o Additional user options
o Simplification of steps needed in performing tasks
o Removal of virtual keyboard
o Include phonebook and emergency numbers
o Improved navigation menus
39. Further Plans
Middlesex
University
38
User Evaluation
• Chosen methods:
1. Co-operative evaluation
2. Usability questionnaire + SUS questionnaire
• User Selection for Evaluation: One from each user group
Prototype III:
• Refined version of prototype II based on user evaluation
Good after noon sir, My name is Ramlochun Goonveer, on my left is Moedeen Waseemah and Cedric Jean Michel De Poilley and on the right is Abayomi AntonioOur presentation today is about explanation of the various steps to construct the Digital Home Messenger System which we named the MA2C. MA2C stands for Moedeen, Akii, Antonio and cedric. Now we shall see the different contents of the slides.
These are the 4 major content to be presented through out the slide. We have the user research, prototyping, evaluation and further plans. I shall now leave the floor for Waseemah to continue with the user research.
Good design is the most important way to differentiate ourselves from our competitors. This means that if our product is good, easy to use, the marketability of our product will be high. I shall now leave the floor for Waseemah to continue with the user research
The definition of triangulation is simple: more than one data collection technique is used to tackle a goal.Techniques that we have used are as follows:Interview: Interview was used to target specific user group such as family and students sharing a homeObservation: Observation was used to understand the context of the task performance. Observation was done for Indian workers who share the hostel Questionnaire: Questionnaire was used for wider population
The observation was done with Indian workers. One of the member of the group was sent at the hostel after being granted permission by the owner of a factory. His task was to observe and take down notes about the way that the Indian workers communicate and delegate works among themselves. The observation outcome are as follows: Indian workers of Star Knitwear Group Ltd reside in hostels. They are divided in groups of five and each group are supervised by one supervisor. The supervisor delegates tasks to each members of his groups. Example of tasks delegated are cleaning the room, cooking, ironing clothes and shopping. Tasks are written on a whiteboard found near the main door of the room. It is only the supervisor that has the right to cancel or modify the tasks.
Here is a snapshot of the whiteboard used by the Supervisors at the hostel.
Now we shall move to the second part. The Prototyping
Good design is the most important way to differentiate ourselves from our competitors. This means that if our product is good, easy to use, the marketability of our product will be high.
Prototyping is the key node in the iterative development.A prototype typically simulates only a few aspects of, and may be completely different from, the final product.Now we shall look at the different steps to build up our prototype.
The objectives of prototyping are as follows:The identification of the user requirements base on the user research so as we as designer we know what kind of functions, features the users want to have in the device.The development of a design solution that is designing a low fidelity prototypingThe creation of a working model of the system, this is performed in order that the conceptual model can be tested at an early stage and to gather feedback from experts and users about the usability of the system.
The user requirements were derived from the personas & scenarios created in the user research stage.The user requirements are as follows: persona 1 wants a device to overcome these problems: the direct message, a to-do list and reminder list and these features could have saved Marie Helena from preparing dinner that day.From persona 2 the user requirements are simple as a log and message system
We shall now see the design stage. Our approach for the design stage were the horizontal prototyping approach and the vertical prototyping approach.The horizontal prototype displays a wide range of features but without fully implementing all of those features; vertical prototypes do not attempt to show all that will be in the system but instead focus on implementing a small set of features in a nearly-complete fashion.In our prototype, an example of the horizontal prototype is the setting option in the home screen where it is just displaying the setting feature without implementing it.An example of the vertical prototype approach is the Message feature which was implemented in a nearly complete fashion.Design pattern in architecture or HCI is a formal way of documenting a solution to a design problem in a particular field of expertise.Design patterns such as the one-windows drilldown, breadcrumb were selected and used in the prototype of the MA2C
Now we will move to the prototype stage.Microsoft power point was used to construct the prototype from our paper base draft.This is an example of the one-window drilldown.On the right of the screen is a screen shot of the prototype for the fast track screen constructed in Microsoft Power point and on the left is the paper base draft on the same screen.Initially all the screen were drafted on paper first then it was transferred to Microsoft power point.
We shall now see the demonstration of the prototype.
These are some of the innovative features that we have added together with the user requirement to construct the device.
As the prototype part is now over, I now leave the floor for my colleague cedric to cover the evaluation part.
This infers that if nobody compromises of the user and experts in the evaluation stage, this does not mean that our prototype is perfect.