Adidas MID FX 38 digital watch
Introduction
This being the second part of the UCD (user centred design). The past project focused more on selecting a product and pin pointing its strengths and weaknesses. This project is a continuation, to redesign the selected products interface. Based upon the primary data retrieved via the last project. Quickly reviewing back to witch key points were chosen to be redesigned.
"The watches interface needs considerable redesign mainly on the idea of simplifying its existing state, to provide the user with a much more straight forward approach of adjusting the settings."
Methodology
A low-fidelity working prototype, designed to be used in conjunction with lab-based experiments to retrieve user feedback. The prototype itself holds the redesigned characteristics ready outlined within the last project (http://john-robinson.blogspot.com/2006/10/adidas-mid-fx-38-digital-watch.html). The redesign is based on simplification of the existing watch, resulting in a similar design but allowing the user more ease of use. Using this methodology of simplification to redesign the product, the design has obtained symmetry between the direct and indirect interaction. The prototypes indirect interface has mapping with the direct physical interactive elements resulting in quick learn ability. Which should in theory allow the user to be procedural towards performing other tasks with the prototype.
In other words, the user is presented with a product that has been designed to reflect the physical interaction with the non physical. This then, allowing the product to be easily learned as similar tasks are performed, for example to adjust other product settings. A simple interaction design model (Preece at al 2002) has been adapted to manage this project. The low fidelity prototype will be used in conjunction with lab-based formative testing on five individuals (Jacob, Nelson DUE 1994) to obtain observational data that can be used to conclude how feasible the low-fidelity prototype actually is. Using this collected data to further extend redesign, modification and usability, maximising the prototypes interactive potential and outcome. Constructed with the flash 8 environment the low-fidelity prototype consists of four navigation buttons (direct) allowing the user to navigate through the watches options and adjust settings. One setting taken from the existing three of the original design. Time, alarm and stopwatch, has been adopted and rebuilt within the flash 8 environment. The new prototype interface has been action scripted with a variation of numeric and timeline control, resulting in the user being able to test the prototype in real-time. The objectives of the prototype is to (1) produce a redesign of the previous design’s weakness (2) simplify the user interface allowing the product to be more usable.
The Findings / Results
Keeping the experiment simple by only providing the users with two questions,
(1). Have you used a digital watch before?
(2). Can you change the time on this prototype on screen watch?
Explaining to the users that the watch was a physical redesign placed on screen that should be interacted as if it was on the wrist. Then sitting back and letting the users play around with the prototype and see if they are able to successfully change the time. Every user had used a digital watch or digital clock, meaning they are all familiar with the concept of setting the time in a digital format.
Problems Found
User (1) could not locate the back button.
User (2) had problems finding the mode to select for editing.
User (3) had no problems at all
User (4) also had problems finding the mode to select for editing.
User (5) again only had problems finding the mode to select for editing.
All the users found difficulty interacting with a prototype on screen (indirect). Strangely four of the users clicked the numbers to edit there value. This is due to the prototype being redesigned for the direct environment (physical world) and presented within the indirect (virtual world). This problem was anticipated and explained before hand, but oddly four users still interacted with the prototype indirectly.
Conclusion
Firstly the prototype did the job well. Surprisingly every user was able to adjust the time with no help relating to the interaction, and more importantly moving through the redesigned navigation with little difficulty. Which does raise suspicion of this experiment being limited, as every tested user has prior experience of interactive design and maybe have greater awareness of interacting with the prototype compared to the "on the street type of user". The two highlighted problems found by the experiment.
(1).Problems finding the mode to select for editing.
(2).Could'nt quickly locate the back button.
These problems to be incorporated with in further redesign stand out quite prominent. Reviewing the prototype, it’s quite obvious these problems will confuse the user mainly due to the mapping not being clear with what exactly the user is editing. The problem with the back button was anticipated, as the redesign was not intended to use the back button as such, but will be mapped more clearly with in further redesign of the prototype. An auto lock function is also needed within further redesign to allow the set setting to be saved automatically, if the user was to forget to lock the device.
References
At al, Preece 2002
Nelson, Jacob, DUE 1994
Appendix
http://www.reaction-one.com/documents/blog/files/low%20fidelity%20prototype.swf
This being the second part of the UCD (user centred design). The past project focused more on selecting a product and pin pointing its strengths and weaknesses. This project is a continuation, to redesign the selected products interface. Based upon the primary data retrieved via the last project. Quickly reviewing back to witch key points were chosen to be redesigned.
"The watches interface needs considerable redesign mainly on the idea of simplifying its existing state, to provide the user with a much more straight forward approach of adjusting the settings."
Methodology
A low-fidelity working prototype, designed to be used in conjunction with lab-based experiments to retrieve user feedback. The prototype itself holds the redesigned characteristics ready outlined within the last project (http://john-robinson.blogspot.com/2006/10/adidas-mid-fx-38-digital-watch.html). The redesign is based on simplification of the existing watch, resulting in a similar design but allowing the user more ease of use. Using this methodology of simplification to redesign the product, the design has obtained symmetry between the direct and indirect interaction. The prototypes indirect interface has mapping with the direct physical interactive elements resulting in quick learn ability. Which should in theory allow the user to be procedural towards performing other tasks with the prototype.
In other words, the user is presented with a product that has been designed to reflect the physical interaction with the non physical. This then, allowing the product to be easily learned as similar tasks are performed, for example to adjust other product settings. A simple interaction design model (Preece at al 2002) has been adapted to manage this project. The low fidelity prototype will be used in conjunction with lab-based formative testing on five individuals (Jacob, Nelson DUE 1994) to obtain observational data that can be used to conclude how feasible the low-fidelity prototype actually is. Using this collected data to further extend redesign, modification and usability, maximising the prototypes interactive potential and outcome. Constructed with the flash 8 environment the low-fidelity prototype consists of four navigation buttons (direct) allowing the user to navigate through the watches options and adjust settings. One setting taken from the existing three of the original design. Time, alarm and stopwatch, has been adopted and rebuilt within the flash 8 environment. The new prototype interface has been action scripted with a variation of numeric and timeline control, resulting in the user being able to test the prototype in real-time. The objectives of the prototype is to (1) produce a redesign of the previous design’s weakness (2) simplify the user interface allowing the product to be more usable.
The Findings / Results
Keeping the experiment simple by only providing the users with two questions,
(1). Have you used a digital watch before?
(2). Can you change the time on this prototype on screen watch?
Explaining to the users that the watch was a physical redesign placed on screen that should be interacted as if it was on the wrist. Then sitting back and letting the users play around with the prototype and see if they are able to successfully change the time. Every user had used a digital watch or digital clock, meaning they are all familiar with the concept of setting the time in a digital format.
Problems Found
User (1) could not locate the back button.
User (2) had problems finding the mode to select for editing.
User (3) had no problems at all
User (4) also had problems finding the mode to select for editing.
User (5) again only had problems finding the mode to select for editing.
All the users found difficulty interacting with a prototype on screen (indirect). Strangely four of the users clicked the numbers to edit there value. This is due to the prototype being redesigned for the direct environment (physical world) and presented within the indirect (virtual world). This problem was anticipated and explained before hand, but oddly four users still interacted with the prototype indirectly.
Conclusion
Firstly the prototype did the job well. Surprisingly every user was able to adjust the time with no help relating to the interaction, and more importantly moving through the redesigned navigation with little difficulty. Which does raise suspicion of this experiment being limited, as every tested user has prior experience of interactive design and maybe have greater awareness of interacting with the prototype compared to the "on the street type of user". The two highlighted problems found by the experiment.
(1).Problems finding the mode to select for editing.
(2).Could'nt quickly locate the back button.
These problems to be incorporated with in further redesign stand out quite prominent. Reviewing the prototype, it’s quite obvious these problems will confuse the user mainly due to the mapping not being clear with what exactly the user is editing. The problem with the back button was anticipated, as the redesign was not intended to use the back button as such, but will be mapped more clearly with in further redesign of the prototype. An auto lock function is also needed within further redesign to allow the set setting to be saved automatically, if the user was to forget to lock the device.
References
At al, Preece 2002
Nelson, Jacob, DUE 1994
Appendix
http://www.reaction-one.com/documents/blog/files/low%20fidelity%20prototype.swf
posted by John Robinson at 3:15 pm
