Project 1: Assessing User Interaction

Transcription

1 v Project 1: Assessing User Interaction INFO-I300; FALL 2015 Zhipeng Ghu ; Sean Peters ; Amelia Weller

2 v Overview: The Purpose of the Project For this project, our team will be analyzing affordances and constraints and how they apply in the User Experience framework. We will be interacting with the features of this specific product to determine what features allow and help to guide the user in doing a specific task and how successful the product is. This framework and analysis will help us understand human-computer interaction design and how it can be applied to this particular product, or any particular product. Background & Approach: To fully understand affordances and constraints and how they can apply to certain products we actively researched several academic resources and combined definitions from these sources. We then created specific examples of both affordances and constraints according to these definitions. After doing all of this we then went into our in-depth analysis and case study of the RCA Alarm Clock. The RCA Alarm clock is a small table-desk alarm clock that is designed to be placed on a bedside table. This alarm clock is great for waking people up in the morning as well doubling as a radio and music player. This alarm clock also includes variety of buttons to specify an alarm that you need and makes it easy to set them, and change the sound used. Some of the key features of this product include a large 1.4 display that s easy to read, dual alarms, and an audio input to let you listen to your own music via an MP3 player. Page 2

3 v Definitions Affordance Affordance, see its definition, a property in which the physical characteristics of an object or environment influence its function. (Universal Principles of Design p.22) It means affordance is objects characteristics which perform the functions of objects. When the affordance can run object s functions efficiently, the object itself can be regard as a good design; oppositely, when the affordance conflicts with its main functions, the object is more difficult for users to apply. For example, the picture1 shows it is a successful affordance, the only irregularity on the plain front of the notebook invites the user to place a finger, so it clearly tells users information to use it. Look at the picture2, it is an example of unsuccessful affordance, the word Push on the door requires people to push, but the handle in the door tells people to pull meanwhile, so this design conflicts with its intended functions, so it can be regarded as an unsuccessful affordance. Picture1 This image represents an effective design affordance in that the only logical place for the user to place his hand to open the laptop is on the indentation, placed there for this specific purpose. Picture 2: This picture represents an ineffective design affordance in that the logical function of door handles (to pull) contradicts their actual purpose in this case (to push. Constraint According to Lidwell, Holden, and Butler in their book Universal Principles of Design, constraints work in design to simplify usability and minimize errors by limiting the user s range of possible actions (60). Unlike affordances, constraints can either be physical or psychological. Physical constraints work to limit a user by way of redirecting [their] physical motion in certain ways via tools designed for that specific purpose (60). For example, the knob on an oven acts as a physical constraint on the user in that it prevents him from turning the oven s temperature past 400 degrees. This example demonstrates that constraints, in addition to ensuring that the user interacts with the design correctly, also work to protect him (in this case, from potential bodily harm resulting from interacting with an excessively hot oven). Psychological constraints Page 3

4 work in a similar manner, except instead of limiting the user by redirecting his physical motion, they work by altering the user s perception of what actions are possible and what are not in the context of a specific interface or product design. Some possible examples of psychological constraints, according to Lidwell, Holden, and Butler, are text, images, color and spatial relationship between objects (60). This image of an oven temperature dial represents an example of an effective constraint because it prevents the user from turning the temperature on this oven past an unsafe point in a way that is intuitive. With this straightforward and simple design, it is easy to see how to work this dial, and turning the temperature past an unsafe point is simply not possible. This image of a Prius s gearshift represents an example of an in ineffective constraint in that it is counterintuitive to use: the user must push forward to go backwards, and push backwards to go forwards. Though this constraint is effective in that it guides the user in such a way that they are able to successfully drive their vehicle, this counterintuitive aspect of the gearshift s design represents a threat to the user in which an error could result in a crash, or other damage to the vehicle and/or the user himself. v Case Study: An In-depth Analysis of the RCA Alarm Clock In this case study of the RCA Alarm Clock our team analyzed different affordances and constraints of the product by applying a particular and typical use case that utilizes every single part of the product. During this process, we documented each step and documented each affordance and constraint for that particular step. Afterwards we then noted how successful each affordance and each constraint was in the original design. By testing this product ourselves from a user-minded perspective, we were successfully able to gain the best understanding of how affordances and constraints impact good design and how they have a crucial impact on the ways the user interacts with the product. Below, we present each iterative step of our interaction with the product as well as the findings of each specific affordance and constraint. We have documented these findings in a table format to summarize observations of our in-depth analysis. Page 4

5 Step Action Affordances Constraints 1 Plug the alarm clock into the desired spot next to your bed. 1) Cord color 1) Plug 2 Set the current time by switching to Time mode and use the forward and backward arrows to increase or decrease time. 2) Toggle switches 2) Interface 3 Set your alarm by switching to Wake 1 mode and use the forward and backward arrows to increase or decrease alarm set. 3) Display font 3) Lock switch 4 Check your Wake Time before bed by moving switch from Lock mode to Wake 1 mode. 5 When the alarm sounds, turn it off for 10 minutes by hitting the Snooze button 6 Hit the Off switch to deactivate the alarm 4) Button mapping affordance 5) Size of snooze button 6) Placement of the Off button 4) Automatic display brightness 5) Duration of snooze function 6) Off button function Affordance 1: Cord Color and Unsuccessful Simply enough, one of the affordances of this product happened to be the plug itself. Because of its black color, one might assume that it was designed to be easily concealed against darker furniture. This aspect of the alarm clock s design can be considered a success and not a success, depending on how you view it. Because this alarm clock was originally made in 2010, a time when many of the tech products released were black, its black cord would have blended in with those of other appliances plugged in around it (which could be a good thing if you wanted it to blend in, or a bad thing when it came to locating the cord amongst others of the same color). However now in late 2015 more products on the market come in lighter colors, which would afford that this alarm clock s cord be more easily found, especially if its user had it sitting on a white nightstand or against a lighter-colored wall. Page 5

6 Constraint 1: Plug Unsuccessful One relatively simple constraint of this product is its dual-pronged plug. This is an unsuccessful constraint because it just has the potential to cause frustration with the user, when the few extra dollars could have been spent designing the cable that can be plugged in, regardless of orientation. When plugging in an alarm clock, usually by a bed, the plug will most likely be behind the bed and under low light. So if a user went to go plug this in they would have a harder time determining which way it fits into the wall. Affordance 2: Toggle switches On this particular product, if you want to change either the time or the alarm you use the same switch to toggle between Lock, Wake 1, Wake 2, and Time (see image below). This affords the user to gain easy access to changing the time, without having to hold down a button for a long period of time to go into edit mode. Simply toggle the switch to the time you wish to set. By changing the toggle all the way to the right you can change the time. The designer of this product chose to place the TIME edit on the far right so that it is easily switched to when needing to set the time. Page 6

7 Constraint 2: Interface After setting your appropriate toggle setting, in this case TIME, the user can then use the << REV and FWD >> buttons to cycle through the appropriate time. These buttons are intuitively placed such that the Reverse button is on the left (going backward in time) and the Forward button is on the right (going forward in time). These buttons are also the second largest buttons and are placed on the top row of the alarm clock, affording easy access to the user. With these buttons the user is not able to use the FWD and REV buttons to go past 12 (or 24 if using military time). Similarly, the user is not able to set the minutes past 59 as once you hit 60 it will carry over to the next hour. This function, then, is an example of an effective constraint because it prevents the user from setting an invalid time on their alarm clock. Affordance 3: Display Font After setting the toggle switch to Wake 1, the user can begin to set their desired alarm time by using the Reverse button and the Forward button to increase or decrease the alarm time set, just as they did when setting the clock time in step two. To save their alarm time and ensure that the alarm sounds at the appropriate time, the user must also, when finished setting their desired alarm time, set the toggle switch to the Lock mode. In this step, the font size and color of the clock face display is a successful affordance in that this interface is easy to read from close up as well as from far away, thereby affording the user to read his clock s time from any place in the room that he may be. Page 7

8 Constraint 3: Lock Switch After setting the alarm by using the Reverse button and the Forward button to cycle through possible times, the user must then set their alarm by pushing the switch over from the Wake 1 position to the Lock position on the clock. This Lock switch represents a successful constraint to the user because, not only are the images and the switch concordant with their function, they are also set in a track which the user must move along; the Wake 1 and Wake 2 buttons are also located along this track, and the logical flow of the button layout permits the user to progress from Lock to the Wake buttons and back again, simplifying the alarm and time-set process by limiting the user s actions in this way. Affordance 4: Button-Mapping After toggling to Wake 1 mode to set the alarm, and saving the alarm time by setting switch to Lock mode, the user may check the time of his alarm before bed to ensure that it is indeed set to the appropriate time. One feature of the design of the RCA alarm clock that affords ease of usability is the layout and location of the buttons the user must interact with in order to set the time or his alarm, to lock said time or alarm, and to view his alarm. Specifically, the location of the Wake 1, Wake 2, and Lock buttons afford the most convenience in this step, as the user checks his alarm set by switching the clock s mode to Wake 1, because they are located directly behind the Snooze button. This was a smart way to design the layout of this clock because the snooze button is the largest button on the clock, and is centered on the top of the design, making it easiest to find. Thus, by locating the Wake 1, Wake 2, and Lock buttons directly behind the snooze button, this affords that they will also be easy to find. All the user must do to locate them, even in the dark, is simply feel behind the snooze button. Constraint 4: Automatic Display Brightness In order to check the alarm time, as mentioned above in constraint 4, the user must toggle his alarm switch back to the Wake 1 function once more. The automatic display brightness feature of the alarm clock allows the user to do this at any point during the day or night without risking a shock to the eyes in darkness, or an inability to read the time during daylight hours due to too-low or too-high lighting of the alarm clock s display. In this step, the automatic display brightness of the alarm clock is a successful constraint in that it allows the user to read the time on his clock in any amount of light, without necessitating that the user set the brightness for himself. This makes it easier, faster, and more convenient for the user to read the time of his clock, or the time of his alarm, whenever he would like. In addition, it also prevents him from hurting his eyes as this automatic brightness feature dims the light of the alarm clock display in darkness, allowing the user to read the time of his clock or alarm in complete comfort without having to worry about being accosted by an overly-bright light disturbing him while he is Page 8

9 trying to fall asleep. Affordance 5: Size of Snooze Button When the user s alarm goes off, the user can temporarily turn it off for 10 minutes by hitting the Snooze button. Due to the Snooze button s location, in the center on top of the clock, as well as its large size, it is convenient for users to reach when they have not yet fully woken up. This design is an example of a successful affordance because users don t can snooze their alarm almost without thinking, due to its easy accessibility. Constraint 5: Duration of Snooze Function Once 10 minutes has passed since the user first snoozed his alarm clock, the alarm will sound again. This feature allows for a gradual waking up of the user while still ensuring that the design serves its primary purpose: to wake the user up. This is an example of an effective constraint in that it forces the user to wake up continually, weather they like it or not. In addition, the snooze button is much larger than the off button, which means that it is easier to snooze than it is to turn it completely off (especially in the dark), which also ensures that the user will be continually woken up until he is fully awakened and ready to get up. Affordance 6: Placement of Off Button After the user s alarm goes off, due to the 10 minute alarm cycles of this clock, the only way to disable the alarm from continuing to sound is by hitting the small and relatively far away Off button, located on the far right edge of the clock. As mentioned above, due to the smaller size and relatively further placement of this button from the others, it is easier to snooze than it is to actually disable the alarm, which is a good thing for users who have a tendency to deactivate their alarms while they are still partially asleep. Due to the design of this button, the user would most likely have to be already fully awake and cognizant to press this off button rather than snooze. In addition, the placement of the off button is a successful affordance in that it is located on the top of the clock Page 9

10 and to the far right (a common location for off buttons). Due to these two factors, the design of this button is another example of a successful affordance. Constraint 6: Off Button Function As mentioned above, the only way a user can deactivate his alarm is by pressing the off button. However, part of the ingeniousness of this design is that pressing the off button does not permanently disable the alarm. This allows a user to set his alarm and effectively forget it, as the alarm will continue to sound at the same time each day until the user changes the time. This represents an example of a constraint because the alarm clock is essentially doing work for the user by assuming that an alarm set needs to be set off each day. However, due to the nature of this product, that is what users want and therefore this is a successful constraint. v Conclusion: What We Learned After analyzing the RCA Alarm Clock, we found several affordances and constraints all ranging from successful to not so successful. Overall, the design of the RCA Alarm Clock appears to be fairly straightforward and intuitive, with only a few examples of problems with either constraints or affordances. If we were tasked to give a grade to this particular alarm clock, judging from our positive assessment of the majority of the affordances and constraints we chose to analyze for this project, we would say that the RCA Alarm Clock has earned a grade of A. This project, while at times confusing, was a very rewarding and educational experience for the three of us. From it, we were able to gain hands-on experience identifying and analyzing the affordances and constraints of this particular product s design, which will make identifying other products affordances and constraints easier. In this way, we have learned to be smarter designers, as well as smarter shoppers, as this ability will aid us in choosing wisely when it comes to making the choice as to which products we would like to use in our daily lives. Because technology (in all its many shapes and sizes) is such an integral part of life in the 21 st century, being able to identify a successful design from an unsuccessful one is a skill that will ultimately result in a far fewer headaches, and much more time saved in our everyday lives. Page 10

11 v References [RCA Product Page]. Retrieved September 11, 2015, from: [RCA Owner/User Manual]. Retrieved September 11, 2015, from: Allanwood, G., & Beare, P. (2014). Constraints. In User experience design creating designs users really love (p ). London: Fairchild Books. Lidwell, W., Holden, K., & Butler, J. (2003). Affordance, Constraint. In Universal Principles of Design (p. 22, 23, 60, 61). Gloucester, Mass.: Rockport. [Apple Macbook Pro Closed]. Retrieved September 11, 2015, from: [Untitled photograph of a push door handle]. Retrieved September 11, 2015, from: [Untitled photograph of an oven temperature knob] Retrieved September 11, 2015, from: [Untitled photography of a Prius gearshift handle] Retrieved September 11, 2015, from: Page 11