Lessons Learnt From NM4210

NM4210 gave me a new perspective on User Design. I have learned about user design from an engineering point of view, but this course offered a more general approach to user design. The concepts taught were general and could be applied to all forms user design. I learned a lot about specific techniques which helped the brainstorming process and testing of ideas. Some of these techniques I found very effective and would use them in future design projects. At the end of the day though, most of these techniques simply presented new ways to organize the thought process and gather information. I always knew that interviews, user testing and evaluation were important, however these steps were done using different and sometimes less formal techniques. That is not to say that those ways were wrong and in the realm of user design, the best technique is simply the one that creates the best end experience.

One of the most valuable things in the final project was in the weekly presentations and feedback received. This advice really helped bring certain issues to light that were overlooked by the group. Again, while this feedback was not a formal technique taught, it proved to be very useful. Overall though, I think this course taught me to understand the concept of user design better. I am now more aware of the importance of design in everyday life and find myself picking out good and bad examples all of the time. When I look back at assignment 0, it would be a lot easier to do that assignment today!

Anything that one creates which involves human interaction has a user experience. It can be from software development to opening a restaurant. Understanding your user and providing a good experience is an important part of any successful product or service.

Final Project Post

The User Experience Design final project brought student’s through the design phase in order to develop an interactive product. The project allowed students to apply design methodologies learned in class and even experiment with their own techniques. User Experience Design is not an exact science and there are many ways to go about it. Sometimes, it simply takes common sense to come up with a good design.

The goal of our project was to teach financial responsibility to people, a need that was identified in the beginning of our project. This is a very realistic need and something we felt that we could address. Our original need revolved heavily around building credit for youth, however after receiving feedback from the class, it was discovered that this wasn’t a big concern amongst Singaporeans, who were our target user.

In order to address the solution effectively, it was important to research our target users which we identified as youth. While even adults are affected by lack of financial knowledge, the problem stems from teaching poor habits at a young age. By creating a solution that targeted children, the problem would be solved in the long run. An issue for our group was the apparent lack of knowledge of Singapore culture. Being from Canada, we did not fully understand how Singaporeans felt about this issue, to add to that, we did not have many local friends to ask. In order to get a better understanding of our users, we interviewed as many locals as possible to get their feelings on the need and how it could be addressed. This process helped us brainstorm solutions and identify the most effective ones. Most of our respondents felt that some form of internet solution would have been the most useful.

At this point we had decided to build an educational website which taught students through interactive lessons. However, after further feedback of our Information Architecture and concept, it was decided that we needed to do a little more to give young people incentives for use. From this feedback, we decided to present the teachings in an interactive online game format which focused on providing a fun experience while subtly teaching young people.

Our first low-fidelity prototype presented a role playing game which took users through a storyline with interactive questions which would affect the outcome of the game. This concept was developed as a paper prototype and presented to some of our users. From this feedback, it was decided that the game needed to take an even more passive approach to teaching and provide more incentive for users to continue to play.

The high fidelity prototype further improved upon our concept by offering a Jeopardy type game which was based on the concept of a multi-player game show. Users would be quizzed on financial based questions with the goal of beating their opponents. This competitive aspect added a lot more depth to the experience as users really got into the game.

Our final design brought users from the main page through to the in-game experience of just one of the games that would be offered in the final design. This allowed us to test the experience we had created to some extent. This allowed us to evaluate our design and determine where the design could be further improved. The overall feedback of our website was positive. However, I do think that improvements could be made to the overall presentation of the website in the completed design. Also, given the skills of our group, we were not able to create the best experience. If the website had been created using flash we would have been able to create a more entertaining experience. Given the feedback we received, it did seem like our product had potential to address the need.

User Research Smoke & Mirrors - Reflection

This series of articles focuses on the concept of research-based design. The author of the article seems to be strongly against research-based design believing that good design is simply a product of good designers.

I think that research can go a long way in terms of designing a good experience, however I feel that a lot of the techniques being used did not add a lot of value. As the author mentions, they were nice to have, but not necessary. When it comes down to research, the best methods I think are straight forward. Simply having a user test your product and offer feedback is a good way to understand the effectiveness of your product. For example, the Persona Rooms allowed designers to submerge themselves into their user’s “feet”. However, I think that a creative designer could have been able to do this without having to build an expensive environment. Also, I think that going to the actual environments of their users would have been effective and much cheaper.

In my opinion, I do feel that a lot of good user design is about having skillful designers who inherently have a good understanding of users. Even with all of the research results, conclusions must be drawn and if a designer does not interpret the results correctly, the design will not be good. The big reason why so many things offer poor user experiences is because the people that design them have tastes that don’t agree with the general user. So even if they do research, their underlying understanding of the user will still be skewed and they will not get much out of the results.

User design is an iterative process and it takes a lot of feedback to land on a good final result. A lot of the learning is done through the testing of the designs and understanding what works and what doesn’t. You can do all of the scientific research you want, but at the end of the day you need to listen to what the user says as that is the most accurate research you can do!

link to article:
http://www.graphpaper.com/2006/07-10_user-research-smoke-mirrors-part-1-design-vs-science

Assignment 3 – Learning Experiences in Lecture Theatres

In order to examine the learning experiences in Lecture Theatres, we used two forms of analysis to draw conclusions from. Our group took the approaches of ethnography and Laddering. By observing the environments of our lectures, we were able to study the behavior and responses of students to their natural learning environments. A laddering approach was also performed simultaneously to understand the underlying thoughts of students on their current learning environments. From here, our analysis was able to determine some distinct characteristics of an ideal learning experience.

Some of these included:

• Monitoring the room temperatures
• Installing more power fixtures for laptops
• More comfortable seating
• Changing the seating layout to a semi-circular form
• Minimizing the number of seating, leaving out poorly placed seats altogether

At the same time, there were aspects of the current learning experience that were not addressed as it was found that they were positive experiences. By observing the current experience of learning environments we were able to determine key characteristics of an ideal learning environment.

Assignment 2 - Four Pleasure Analysis

Imaginary Subject: 53 year-old Henry Davis, Partner at a law-firm in Toronto, Canada.

Every morning Henry wakes up, showers, shaves, puts on his suit and reads the newspaper while he eats breakfast. He then takes the train into the city where his office is and where his day begins. He prefers to take the train in as it allows him to relax, catch up on other things and at the same time, is more environmentally friendly. Henry has been doing this for the past 25 years.

Upon graduating from law school, Henry took on a junior role at a law-firm where he had done his summer internships. Through persistence, hard work and a little bit of good fortune along the way, Henry moved on to become a partner at the firm after only 8 years. With over 25 years of experience, Henry can now relax. Whenever possible, he will leave the office at regular hours instead of the usual late hours he has gotten used to throughout his career.

Even with all of the work, Henry still recognizes the importance of living a balanced life, and is known around the office as a “health-freak”; rarely indulging in junk food and always trying to squeeze in time for the gym where possible.

Henry has been happily married for 22 years and has two boys, both of which have moved out of the house and are studying at university. He currently lives in the house which his children grew up in, with his wife and their golden retriever; Lad. Now that it’s just the two of them, they try to spend as much time together; taking up new hobbies such as salsa lessons and hiking.

Henry still keeps in touch with his friends from university and law school, most of which have moved on to successful careers. On the weekends, he spends his time golfing and watching football with these friends where they reflect on old times. They’re a friendly bunch, but have always been competitive; in school and now in their lives. They are always trying to compete amongst each other whether it’s in golf, or who has the nicest home-theatre system. Henry, being the gadget-lover that he is, is no exception to this.

In a few years, Henry is going to retire. With his kids finishing up school and able to support themselves, Henry hopes to quit his job and do some traveling. His busy career has left little time to really see the world, and this trip has been on his mind for a very long time. Henry is excited, but is also hesitant to leave work, which he has grown accustomed to and enjoys.

Physio-pleasure

Henry works sometimes works long hours at the office and spends a lot of his time sitting at his desk. To add some physical activity to his day he tries to workout during lunch and eat healthy meals. – Need Pleasure

On the weekends, Henry is often found on the golf courses teeing up with his friends – Appreciation Pleasure

Socio-pleasure

Henry is a very well respected at work and this is something that brings him great pride as he has worked hard to get to where he is. Henry likes the feeling of being someone important. – Appreciation Pleasure

Henry’s family has always been the most important thing to him. Although his career has sometimes kept him from his family commitments, now that he has more time he is trying to make up for time lost with his family throughout the years. – Need Pleasure

Amongst his friends, Henry is always competing to be the best. While he likes to come off as a modest person, Henry loves being the envy of his friends. However, he is only competitive amongst his friends and does not care to impress people he doesn’t know. Appreciation Pleasure

Psycho-pleasure

After working 25 years, Henry is finally realizing that he doesn’t need to work so hard. He now tries to relax more and takes the time to appreciate what he has. – Appreciation Pleasure

Work provides a stimulating experience for Henry and while he doesn’t want to work long hours anymore, he also can’t imagine life without working. – Need Pleasure

Taking up new hobbies with his wife has brought fourth new excitement in his life and he now has the time to do things he has always wanted to do. – Appreciation Pleasure

Ideo-pleasure

While Henry can certainly afford it, he does not live a very lavish lifestyle. However, he does have high-standards and always wants the best, as long as the best is within reason. Appreciation Pleasure

Henry is a very accomplished person and no longer feels the need to prove himself to society. He now feels that it is his turn to sit back and enjoy the pleasures of life and spend time with the people he cares about the most. – Need Pleasure

Henry is very conscious of the environment, so he’s always looking to play his role in cutting back on pollution. While he isn’t willing to go green at any major costs, he is still aware of the situation and would always prefer to be environmentally friendly where feasible. – Appreciation Pleasure

Physio	Socio	Psycho	Ideo
Physical health	Career	Mental stimulation	High standards
Diet	Strong marriage	Relaxation	Nothing to prove
Physical challenges	Status amongst friends	Excitement from new opportunities	Environmentally conscious

Product Benefit Specifications for Hand phone

Based on the lifestyle of Henry Davis, an ideal hand phone should have the following features:

General

• Slider phone with full size QWERTY
• Bright large LCD display for viewing media and documents
• Black brushed aluminum body
• Large enough to feel comfortable to type on the QWERTY
• Long battery life
• Compatible with North American phone standards
  

Features

• Bluetooth Connectivity – for wireless sync and Bluetooth headset
• Built-in Wifi capabilities for connecting to the internet
• Video conferencing camera (located on the front) and 3G capabilities for video calling
• Voice recorder for recording memos
• Built-in speakers - for hands-free talk or conference calls

• Mp3 player & Podcast support
• Video playback for various media files (mpg, avi, rm, etc.)
• Digital camera with built-in flash
• Video recorder
  

• Belt-Clip Holder
• Docking station – for easy syncing

Applications

• PDF and document reader
• Scheduling assistant
• Email client which syncs with compu
• Word processor
• Spreadsheet software
• Web browser

Assignment 1: Products and Emotion - Watch Design

The wrist-watch represents much more than a tool to tell the time and for many, has become a symbol of status or an object of style. While the basic functionality of watches has not changed, watch-makers continue to evolve the style of watches and there is a limitless range of designs to suit the needs of consumers. As such, different designs bring forth a different set of emotions from both the person wearing the watch and to those who see it. As you can see from the three examples given below, the design of the watch exudes a certain emotional response.

1. Nixon Atom (~$80 - $100 USD)
Backlight, Water Resistant, Day/Date Display


The Nixon Atom watch is an example of a visceral design. The watch does a good job of making an impact upon first sight. This is achieved from the unique design of the watch which is sleek and futuristic. Upon first seeing the watch, the observer is intrigued by the informal design; which includes a large plastic rectangular face, small digital display with a “retro” font and the use of black as the primary color. The clean and unique design of the watch causes the viewer to take a closer look at the watch and examine it further. The watch gives off a youthful and exciting feel and is likely targeted for the younger audience. At the same time, the watch lacks the features and practicality of a behavioral design. Its youthful appearance and the use of plastic certainly do not give off the feel of luxury and this type of design would probably not provide much in terms of a reflective or deeper design.

2. Seiko Chronograph - SND383 (~$200 USD)
Stainless Steel, Luminous Hands, Chronograph, Tachymeter, Date

The Seiko Chronograph watch looks like your standard watch, and it is meant to be just that. The design and functionalities of this watch make this a behavioral design. The use of a traditional stainless steel body and features such as luminous hands and the chronograph show that this design is not meant to invoke excitement. Instead, the chronograph and tachymeter make this a very functional watch offering features for a person that actually uses the watch rather than wears one for visual purposes. The experience of wearing this watch would probably not be very exciting, however the watch appears dependable and very functional. Going with a more traditional design shows that the design of the watch is not heavily focused on just its appearance but likely on the overall features of the watch including durability, functionality and comfort. Seiko is a very dependable watch-maker and this watch is sure to attract someone looking for a dependable watch for everyday use. Since this watch is pretty standard in terms of design and price, I would not classify this as a visceral or behavioral design.

3. Chanel J12 - H0969 (~$8,500 USD)
Ceramic, Diamond Bezel, Water Resistant, Date, Automatic Movement

The Chanel J12 represents luxury in many aspects and is a clear representation of a reflective design. The watch is made from polished white ceramic and gives off the look of class. The watch bezel is covered in diamonds and is a very telling sign that this watch is expensive. The watch runs on automatic movements which are standard in most high end watches. However, automatic watches do not necessarily run better, but are more difficult to make. The additional price associated with buying an automatic watch does not result in higher performance. Instead, automatic watches are respected for the amount of work put into them and reflect the art of watch making. It is apparent that such a watch goes well beyond the needs of anybody buying a watch. The unique design and use of diamonds and better materials makes the experience of wearing this watch special. Since only few people can afford to wear such a watch it makes the owner unique and feel privileged. To others seeing the watch, it signifies that the person has money and is successful.

Poor Mobile Phone Interface

The design that is in question is a mobile phone interface. Like many people, this reviewer uses their cell phone as a clock to tell the time. When you need to figure out the time, you simply look at the screen of your phone. In the case of this phone however, you must unlock the phone before the time is displayed. This inconvenience, while minor, takes away from the experience of performing a simple task such as checking the time. A simple fix to this problem would be to modify the GUI design of the phone so that the time is displayed even in locked mode.

I, like the reviewer, also use my cellphone to tell the time and it has replaced wearing a wrist watch. While it really isn't hard to unlock the phone, I agree that it does make a simple task much harder and I think that this would also bother me. This is not a very hard design aspect to incorporate and the GUI designer should have thought of this. The user suggests making the message box smaller to prevent the time from being blocked. Another suggestion would be to incorporate the time into the lock screen itself which is how it works on my current phone.

References

1.http://www.baddesigns.com/cellphone-lock.html