Introduction to HCI: 06-21253 Group 15 Coursework ...rjh/courses/IntroductionToHCI/... · 1...

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IntroductiontoHCI:06-21253

Group15Coursework

ImprovementsonExistingSmartHomeApplications

Members

MeiliangLiu1558655

YanZhang1550922

AdamPhillips1579547

GeorgeBromley1334481

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Content：

Introduction.................................................................................................................................3

ReviewofExistingSystems...........................................................................................................4SmartHome(SamsungElectronics).....................................................................................................4Wink-SmartHome..............................................................................................................................5MydlinkHome....................................................................................................................................6InsteonforHub...................................................................................................................................8IndigoTouch.......................................................................................................................................9MiSmartHome(Chineselocalsoftware)..........................................................................................11

RelevantPrinciples......................................................................................................................12

Analysisofuserrequirements.....................................................................................................15

FirstGenerationPrototypes........................................................................................................22Prototype1:......................................................................................................................................23Prototype2:......................................................................................................................................26Prototype3.......................................................................................................................................29InitialPrototypesEvaluationandcomments.....................................................................................31

Prototype1:......................................................................................................................................31Prototype2:......................................................................................................................................34Prototype3:......................................................................................................................................37

SecondGenerationPrototype.....................................................................................................40EvaluationofTools...........................................................................................................................40Prototype.........................................................................................................................................41Evaluation.........................................................................................................................................46

1.personasevaluation......................................................................................................................462.Questionnaires...............................................................................................................................48

SummaryandRecommendations................................................................................................50

References..................................................................................................................................52

Appendix.....................................................................................................................................53

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Introduction

Recentresearch,bytheglobalforecastingfirmStrategyAnalytics,hasshownthatoneinninehomesintheUK,in2015,haveatleastonesmartsystemmakingthemasmarthome.Imagine,ifyouwould,cominghomefromalongday’swork.Youopenthedoor,andthelightisimmediatelyturnedontoashadepastdim–justthewayyoulikeit.It’s7.58pmandbythetimeyouhangupyourcoat,takeoffyourshoesandsitdowninthelivingroom,it’stimeforthebasketballgame.Thetelevisionturnson.Youdismissthenotificationthatthetelevisionhadbeenrecordingthepre-gameshow,andstarttowatch,butabeepfromthekitchenstopsyouandimpelsyoutoenter.It’syourrefrigerator,remindingyouthattherearethreeperfectlychilledbeersinside.You’llgrabonebeerandsomethingtoeat,butadisplayontheoutsideinformsyouthattheleftoversareprobablybadbynow.Youtapabuttononthedisplayandyourrefrigeratordialsthelocaltakeoutrestaurantonourcellphone,whichyouquicklyremovefromyourpocket.Afteryouplaceyourorderandmakeyourwaybacktothetelevision,youseeasecondnotificationthatinformsyouthatyou’veforgottentoactivateyoursecuritysystem,butthatithasbeendoneforyou.Yousilentlymarvelathowsimplelifehasbecomeasyousitbacktoenjoythegame.Thesesmartsystemsareanythingthatisusedtocontroleverydayobjectsremotely.Theseobjectscanbeanythingfromsecuritysystemstoenergyappliancestoentertainmentsystems.Thesmarthomemarketiscurrentlydominatedbyenergycompaniesandsowewillbelookingathowtheyhavecreatedremoteaccess,specificallythroughtheuseofaSmartphoneapp,forenergyappliances.Wewillbecritiquingtheappinterface.

Inthispaper,weconcentratemainlyontheelderpeopleandbasicfunctionswhicharethemostimportantandmostcurrentappsignore.Thecoreproblemwewillbeaddressingistheoveralllackofusabilityincurrentsmarthomeapplications.Theseproblemsareexploredinthenextsection.

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ReviewofExistingSystems

Belowwehavelookedattheprosandconsofexistingsystems.Thisresearchwillbefundamentaltothedesignofourapp.

SmartHome(SamsungElectronics)SamsungElectronicshavemadeasmarthomeappavailableontheapplestore.Overallitlooksappealingandhasgreatfunctionalitybuttherearesomeflawswhichhaveleftmanyunsatisfiedcustomers.BelowinFigure1showsafewscreensintheapp.

Figure1

Thisapphasasmoothsimpleinterfacebutlacksmanycommonfeaturesexpectedinanyapp.Thishasleaduserstobecomefrustratedandisworthtakingnoteof.Featuresliketheoptiontoremembertheaccountusernameandaneasywaytofindhelpwiththeapp(contactnumber)aremissing.Asourtargetaudiencevariesweshouldthinkaboutincludingthesefeaturesastheycouldmassivelyaffectconvenienceforanelderlycustomer.Thereweresomecomplaintsabouthavingtologinwithausernameandpasswordeachtimeyouusetheappbutthismaybeunavoidable.Furtherthoughtwillbeneededwhenweconsidersecurity.

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Wink-SmartHomeWinkisasmarthomeplatformmadebyapartnershipbetweenQuirkyandGE.Winkcreatedasimplewaytoconnectasmarthome.Itallowscustomerstoconnectproductsfromoneoftheirfavoritebrandsandcontrolthemallfromoneapp.Thesystemoflight,security,comfortareallconnectedthroughasingleapp,socustomersdon’tneedadifferentoneforeveryproduct.Simplecontrolsallowcustomerstomonitorandmanageeverythingintheirhome.

Pros:Thisproductprovidesaneasywayforcustomerstocontrolaselectionofproductsofdifferentbrands.ThesystemsaredividedbydifferentcategoriessuchasLight,Security,Comfort.Cons:Somecustomerscomplainabouttheiriconssizesayingitistoolargeandtheycan’tchangethemeasily.Iftherearemanylightsinahouse,theappdoesnotgiveafunctionthatcouldrearrangetheiconsordividedthemintoseveralgroups.Thebestinterfacewillgiveagoodimpressionandexperienceforanycustomerwhousethesystemeveryday.Easytocontrol,simpleicons,friendlyandeffectiveinterfacesareessentialduringtheUIdesign.What’smoreimportantintheuserinterfacedesign,HCIrulesshouldbeincludedevenpaymoreattentioninthispart,

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MydlinkHome

ByD-LinkCorporation

ThecustomerscouldusetheirsmartphoneortablettocontrolandmonitortheirconnectedhomedevicesofD-Link.Userscouldturnlightsordevicespoweronandoffremotely,withasimpletapofabutton.Theycouldalsosetupschedulestoautomaticallyturnonoroffatcertaintimes.Thisappprovidesthefunctiontocheckmonthlypowerconsumptionandsetapowerbudgettoreceivealertswhentheirmonthlylimitisapproaching.Theycouldalsosetthepowertoautomaticallyshutoffwhenthermalsensorsdetectexcessiveheatwithinasmartplug.Formydlinkmotionorwindowsensors,youcanreceivealertswhenactivityisdetected,aswellascheckdetectionnotificationhistory.Withtheintuitiveuserinterface,userscouldinstantlyseethestatusofalltheirmydlinkconnectedhomeproducts.Theycouldsetuppoliciesforinteractionbetweenmultipledevices,suchasPIRmotionsensorsandsmartplugs,orwindowsensorsandsirens.

ProsAlotofsensorsareneededtomonitorthestatusofproducts.Thecustomercouldcontrolthelightsorheatsremotely.Userscouldalsosetuptheschedulestolettheproductsturnon/offautomatically.ConsToomanylevels／generationinoneicon,hardtofindtheexactswitchrequired..

Ifwewanttoturnontheradioormusic,Ihavetodoseveralstepsintheappwhichmaybetoocomplicatedforachildoranelderperson..

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Theiconsaretoosmall,thecustomerhavetoguesswhatthelogomeansorreadthesmallwordsnearthisicon.

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InsteonforHub

BySmartlabs

ThenewInsteonHuballowsthecustomerstocontrolalltheproductsfromanysmartphoneortablet.ThecustomerscouldcontrolInsteonlightbulbs,wallswitches,outletsandthermostats.Whenuserisnotathome,theycanreceiveinstantemailorpushnotificationalertsfrommotionandwaterleaksensors,getalertsontheirmobilephoneorcomputers.

Pros:Theappscouldcontrolallthefunctionsinthesystem.Theycouldalsogetthealertsmessagesormailsfromthesystemwhentheyarenotathome.Niceinterface,smartlogoontheicons.

Cons:Thisapphasagoodinterfaceforcustomers,theyalsoprovidefavourites,devices,roomsicontoletcustomerscontroldifferentpartsoftheirsmarthome.However,thewordsforeachfunctioninthekeypadorthermostataretoosmalltoread.

Whenyouchangethetemperatureforhome,theiconsfeellikethecar’sairconditionsystem,easytocontrolanduse.Thisiswhatwecouldlearnfromtheirapp.

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IndigoTouchByPerceptiveAutomation,LLC.IndigoTouchisanoptimizedAppforremotelycontrollinglighting,appliances,HVAC,ceilingfans,sprinklers,etc.fromanywhere.Whenhaveaninternet/dataconnection,customerscouldadjusttheirhome'sthermostat,runthesprinkler,openthegaragedoor,unlockthefrontdoor,andturnoffthelightsfromanywhere.ItwillautomaticallyconnecttotherequiredIndigoSmartHomeHubsoftware(v6orbetter),installedinahomeonaMac,tocommunicatewithZ-Wave,INSTEONand/orX10compatiblehardware.Customerscouldadjusttheirhome'sthermostat,runthesprinkler,openthegaragedoor,unlockthefrontdoor,andturnoffthelightsfromanywhere.

Pros

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Manyoptionsareprovidedtousers.Theuserscouldsetallthefunctionsindetails.Therearelotsoficonsandfullyimplementedfunctionsinthisapp.Thecustomerscouldsetandcontrolmanyfunctionsinthesamepage.ConsToomuchdata,specificnumbersandwords.

Thisappislookslikedesignfortechnicalbackgroundfamily.Itisreallyhardforthegeneralfamilytouse.

Eventhoughtheygivealotofopinionstocontrolalloftheelectronicthingsinthehouse,alltheiconsandwordsinonepagewhichmakethecustomerreallyhardtofindthefunctionkeyandchangethem.

Thisappgivealotoffunctionsforcustomerwhichisbetter.Howevertheirarrangementforthisusefulkeysarenotreasonableandtoocompact.

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MiSmartHome(Chineselocalsoftware)

ThisappisdesignedbyMIwhichisafamousChinesetechnicalcompany.InMI’splan,theywanttodevelopeakindofenvironmentconsistedofalargenumberofMIproductionsandthemaincontrollerisMIphonewhichisapopularcellphoneinmanycountries.Itcouldcontrolalargenumberofdifferentelectricals.Inthisapp,allbuttonsarelocatedinascreenwithoutanyextralevelsorcomplicatedconstruction.

Pros:

WiththeMIphonetakingupmoremarket,thisappisusedmorewidelyandcouldalsoencouragemorepeopletousetheMIphoneiftheywanttoenjoytheconvenientsoftware.Nodoubtitisdesignedtobebeautifulandfriendlyandissopopularinyoungsters.

Cons:

Nowonderit’sveryeasytouseforyoungers,butit’snotsouserfriendlyforolderpeoplewhoarenotfamiliarwithsmartphone.Moreover,themostimportantproblemisthisappdonotmatchmanybrandssuchlikeHaier,Sonyetc.Thisproblemstopsitapplyingtoawidemarket.

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RelevantPrinciples

UserBehaviourFitt’slaw3modelsthespeedatwhichausercanmanipulateaninterface(ofthepointandclickvariety)baseduponthelocationofthemousepointerandthedesiredclicklocation.Simplyputitmathematicallydefinesthesomewhatcommonsensenotionthatlargerbuttonsatshortdistancesarereachedquickerthansmallbuttonsatlongdistances.Appliedtotouchscreenbaseddevice,Fitt’slawwouldrepresenttheabilityfortheusertoreachthedesignatedbuttonintheshortestamountoftime.Thisbecomesmorecomplicatedthantheoriginalmousepointerscenarioasthestartlocationoftheuserfinger/stylusisnotknown.Toaccountforthisyoucouldapproximatethelocationbaseduponhowthedeviceistobeused.Ifitwereonsmartphonethenthethumbwouldrepresentthemousepointerandergonomicswouldneedtobetakenintoaccount.Alternativelyifitwereonawallmountedunitthestartlocationbecomesevenhardertodefineandthemodel,initsmathematicalstatecannotbeused.Insteadthegeneralconclusionsdrawnfromthelawcouldbeusedi.e.Importantbuttonsshouldberelativelylargeinsizeandalsolocatedonscreenintheeasiesttoaccesslocation.Fitt’slawcanalsobeusedtohelpderiveinterfacesbaseduponthelocationofthebuttonusedtolaunchthem,anexampleofwhichisshowninthefigurebelow.

Figure1

AsimplediagramillustratingFitt’slawwhenappliedtoasubmenu.TheMostimportitemsare

locatedclosesttotheclicklocationforthemenuslaunch.

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FollowingnicelyonfromFitt’slaw,Guiard’sModel4(ofBimanualskill)describesthedifferencesbetweenhowweuseourhandsfordifferenttasks.Thenondominanthandperformscoarsemovement,leadingthedominanthand.Thisinturnfollowsthenon-dominanthand,workingwithintheframeofreferencesetbyitandperformsfinermoredetailedmovements.FromthisdescriptivemodelalongwithFitt’slawwecanderiveasimplestatementthatourappmustadhereto:TheAppmustbeadjustableinsuchawayastoallowtheuser(rightorlefthanded)toperformcertaintasksinaminimalamountoftime.ThenatureofthesetaskscouldbeprioritisedfromthewholerangeoftasksavailableinaSmartHomesystem.

Multi-TouchandGesturesAsourinterfaceisbasedupontouchscreendevice(bethatphoneorsomepanelinthehouse),itissafetoassumethatuserswillexpecttheretobeavarietyofmultitouchgesturesavailableforuse.Amostcommonexampleofthiswouldbepinchingtozoominorout.Thesegestureshavebecomesuchaninherentpartoftouchscreendevicesthatmostpeoplewillassumetheycomeasstandard.Henceitwouldbegoodtoincludesuchstandardgestures.

ElderlyHomeownersWiththeaverageageofhomeownersslowlyincreasingtheelderlymarketwouldbeamajortargetfortheapp.Withthisinmindthedesignoftheappwillhavetoaccommodategeneralconditionsassociatedwithbecomeolder,(deteriorationofeyesightetc).AseriesofdesignguidelinesspecificallyforeldersareoutlinedbyBrunoLoureiroandRuiRodriguesin‘DesignGuidelinesandDesignRecommendationsofMulti-TouchInterfacesforElders’5.Theyoutline10distinctcategorieswhichshouldbetakenintoaccountSomeofthemorerelevantpointsfollow:-Ensureinterfaceelementscanbemadelarger,-Itshouldbeclearwhatcanandcannotbeselected,-Showclearlythecurrentlocation,-Concentrateinformationonthecentreofthescreen,-Avoidtheuseofscroll,-Bepreparedforolderadultsthatrefusetolearn,-Tapgestures(Whenappliedtowellrecognizedobjects)aretheeasiestonestounderstandandremember,Thefewpointscherrypickedaboverepresentasmallselectionofthetotal113distinctguidelinesoutlined,allofwhichraisevalidpointsthatshouldbeconsideredduringthedesignprocess.Someotherfunctions

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Therearesomeotherfunctionswhicharenotdifficulttoapplybutveryuseful:● Fixedtimefunction.Oursystemcouldhaveafixedtimefunctiontoactivetheair

conditioner,heaterandothers.● Somesecurityfunctions.Oursystemcouldhavesomesecurityfunctionsliketemperature

alertandsoon.

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AnalysisofuserrequirementsTobetterhelpevaluateourprototypeswemustfirstunderstandtheuserforwhichwearedevelopingtheproduct.Asasmarthomecanbeessentiallyusedbyanyoneourpersonasshouldcoverabroadrangeofsociety.Ourteamhasdevelopedthreepersonas,afamilydad,anelderlywomanandayoungprofessional.Realisticallythetargetaudienceforthiskindofapplicationwouldbemoreoftheyoungprofessionalthananelderlywomanhowevertheproductsmaystillbepurchasedbyelderlyandindeedtheywouldbeuseful.

FamilyDad

Brian-HusbandandFatherof2.

Age:45

Role:Fatheroftwo,fulltimeworker.

Experiencewithtechnology/apps:Good.

Goals:

● Wantstobeabletocheckthesecurityaspectsofhishomewithoutactuallybeingthere.

● Wantsmoreaccessaboutwhatelectronicsarebeingusedinhishouse.

● Want’stoknowhowmuchenergyhishouseisusingbothinheatingandelectricity,andhow

muchitiscostingthem.

● Want’sthebeabletoturntheheatingoffincertainroomswhennobodyisinthem.

Frustrations:

● AsbothBrianandhiswifearebusyfoodoftenrunslowinthefridgeandthefamilyresorts

tohavingatakeaway.Brianwouldrathercookasit’smorehealthyforhimandhisfamily.

● Thekidshaveaplayroomatthefrontofthehouseandtheyoftenleavethetvandlightson

wastingelectricity.

● TheirhouseislargeandBriandoesnotlikeshoutingupatthechildrentocomedownstairs

forfood.

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● BeforeeveryonegoestobedBriangoesroundeachroominthehousemakingsurethatall

thelightsareturnedoffandallthecurtainsaredrawn.

● ThefamilyoftengoonholidayattheweekendandBrianspendsmostofhistimeonthe

fridaynightrushingroundgettingeverythingready.Thisisusuallyquitestressful.

Narrative:

BrainaHusbandandFatheroftwolivinginatraditionalFamilysettingSplitshistimebetween

lookingafterhischildren(Emily10,Stewart12)andworkingafulltimejob.Hiswifealsoworksa

fulltimejobbothoftheirworkis9-5officebasedsotheyspendtimeasafamilyattheweekends

andintheevenings.DuringtheDaythechildrengotoschool.

Brainhassomedisposableincomeandenjoysspendingthisonkeepinguptodatewiththelatest

technologytrends,forbothhimselfandhisfamily.Allmemberofthefamilyhavesmartphones

whichistheirprimarymodeofcontactwhentheyarenottogether.Theyliveina4bedsemionthe

outskirtsofaLondonsuburb.

Brianaverageweekdayconsistsofgettingupearlyandhelpinghiswifegetthechildrenreadyforschool,includingmakingbreakfastforthefamilyandlunchesforthechildren.Himandhiswifethenalternateindroppingthekidsatbeforeschoolclubwhiletheotherdoessomehousework(generalcleaning).OncethechildrenhavebeendroppedoffIt’sstraightontowork.Afterworkthechildrenarecollectedfromafterschoolclubandtakenhome.Twiceaweekthechildrenaretakentoalocalclub,FootballforStewartandswimmingforEmily.Brianwillwaitattheactivityanddosomeworkonhislaptoporspendsomegeneraltimerelaxingandbrowsingtheinternet.OncehomethechildrenthenhavesometimetothemselveswhilstBrianandhiswifepreparefood.AfterfoodtheBrianspendssometimetogetherwithhisfamilyeitherhelpingwithhomework,playinggameswiththechildrenorjustrelaxingwatchingtelevision.Thebedtimeroutinestartsat8gettingthekidsreadyforbedmakingsuretheyhaveashowerandbrushtheirteeth,tobeinbedby9o’clock.AfternineBrianandhiswifehavesometimetogethereitherwatchingtelevisionordoingsomegeneralhousework,washingcleaninge.c.t.RightbeforehegoestobedBrainchecksallthewindowsinthehousealongwithmakingsureallthelightsareturnedoffandeverythingisfine,finallybeforehimselfgoingtobedataround11o’clock.

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AtweekendsBrianhasamorerelaxedtimegettinguplaterandgenerallytakingmoretimeovereverything.Thekidsometimesgetupbeforetheadultsandbothareoldenoughtouseallthetechnologyinthehouse.BriansometimefindsthisannoyingespeciallywhenthechildrenmesswiththeheatingorturntheTVonloudearlyinthemorning.BrainoftentakesthefamilyonholidayontheweekendinwhichcaseheusuallyrushesaroundonaFridaynightgettingeverythingreadyfortheweekendaway.

Briantendstousetechnologyallthetimeinhiseverydaylife,textinghiswifeandchildrenbrowsingtheinternet.Heenjoystechnologyandtrytoadoptnewthingswhentheycomeout.(Thefamilyalreadyhaveanesttocontroltheheatingthroughamobileapp.(Notsureifthisisrelevent/needed))

Scenarios

EveningMeal

AsBrianandhiswiferegularlycookfoodfortheirchildrentheyoftenfindthemselvesgoingupstairsorshoutingupstairstogetthekidsattentionandmakethemcomedownforamealatthetable.Brianwouldlikeasimplewayofcontactingthechildrentoletthemknoweverythingisreadywithouthavingthehassleoftrouncingupstairstogetthechildren.Hewouldalsoliketoknowthatthechildrenhavereceivedthemessage,theysometimetextthembutthereisnowayofknowingwhetherornottheyhavereadthemessage.

WeekendCamping

TheweekendhasarrivedandBrianandhisfamilyaregoingcamping,BrianspendsmostofFridaynightgettingreadyforanearlydepartureonthesaturdaymorning.AstheyareleavingearlyBrianwouldlikeaquickwayofknowingthateverythinginthehouseisasitshouldbebeforetheygoaway;allthelightsareoff,allthewindowsanddoorsareshut.

BedtimeRoutine

It’smidweekandBrianisjustabouttogotobed.Beforethishegoesaroundthehouseandcheckseverythingisfine,allthewindowsareshutallthetvs(especiallytheoneinthechildren'splayroom)areturnedoffandallthelighthavealsobeenturnedoff.InsteadofwalkingaroundthehouseBrianwouldlikeaquickerwaytocheckalloftheabove.

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ElderlyHomeowner

Hazel-ElderlyHomeownerlivingalone.

Age-85.

Role:Longretired,widowed,Hasproblemswithmobility.

Experiencewithtechnology/apps:Verylimited.

Goals:

● Knowssheisbecomingmorefrail,butstillwant’stokeepherindependence.(Stayinher

ownhome).

● Wantstomorecontroloverherhomewithouthavingtomoveasmuch.

● Doesn’twantherfamilytoworryabouthersodoesn’tmindthemkeepingtabsonherifit

stopsthemfretting.

Frustrations:

● Hazellikesthehousetobewarmandrecentlygotanewheatingsystem.Shedoesn’t

understandhowitworkssodoesnotusethetimeinsteadgettinguptomanuallychange

thesettings.

● AsHazelsufferswithmobilityproblemsandsometimesshestrugglestogettothedoorin

timetoletsomebodyin.(Majorsecurityissues?)

● Hazelhastotakealotofmedicationandsometimesforgets,itwouldhelpifshecouldgeta

littlereminder.

Narrative:

MostmorningsHazelgetsupearlyandmakesherselfbreakfast.Mostofherdaysarespent

watchingTV.Butacoupleoftimesaweekafriendcomesoverandtheyplaybridgetogether.She

hasanewheatingsystembutfindthecontrolconfusingsoinsteadofusingthetimerssheis

constantlygettingupanddowntoturnitonandoff.Thisisaparticularpainasshesuffersfrom

arthritisandsomedaysitisquitepainfultomovesoshe’drathernothavethishassell.Hazelcooks

forherselfatmiddayandintheevenings,asshestrugglestogetoutandaboutlikesheusedtoshe

reliesonfriendsandfamilytodomostofhershopping,thismeansshehastoconstantlyremind

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themofwhatfoodshehasusedandwhattheyneedtobuy.Withbothmealsshehastotakesome

pillstohelpwithherarthritis,cholesterol,e.c.t.Sometimesifafriendisoversheforgetstotake

themwhichsheknowswillnothelpthepillbeeffective,butthesethingssliphermind.Ofan

eveningshewatchesmoretelevisionandsometimeherfamilyvisits,droppingofffoodorjust

checkinguponher.

Previouslyintheyearhazelbrokeherhipwhichcontributestoherstrugglewithmobility.This

causesherfamilysomeangstassheoftenstrugglestogettothedoorsuitablequicktostopthem

worryingandthinkingtheworsthashappened.(Rephrasethis…)

Scenarios:

AnsweringtheDoor:

Hazelisathomeandoneofherfamilyhaspoppedovertoshehowshe’sdoing.Howevertoday

Hazel’sarthritisisparticularlypainfulandittakeherseveralminutestogetoutofherchairandget

tothedoor,inwhichtimeherfamilymemberisatthedoorthinkingtheworst.

ChangingtheTemperature:

WinteriscomingandHazelwouldliketohavetousetheheatingless.Shedoesn’tunderstandthe

complextimingsystemthatherheaterhassoifshefeelswarmorcoldshewillgetupandgotothe

boxonthewallwheresheflipstheswitchtoturnitonoroffaccordingly.

Forgettingherpills:

Hazelhasafriendoverandtheyarebothabouttohavesomefood.Duetothedistractionherfriendisprovidinghazelhasforgottentotakehermedicine.Shefeelsbadaboutthisassheknowssheisonlydoingherselfharmbutshecannothelpforgettingonoccasion.Shehasstartedtogetherfamilytoringhertoremindhertotakehermedicationbutsometimesherfamilyaretoobusyatworktohavetimeforphonecall.

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UrbanCityWorkerKeith-SingleYoungProfessional.

Age:33

Role:Burylifestylefulltimeworker.

Experiencewithtechnology/apps:VeryGood.

Goals:

● Wantsaquickandeasywaytocontrolhisheating.● Wouldliketobeablecontrolhismusicfromhisphonetohisstereo.● Want’stobeabletocheckhishomestatusonhiswaytoandfromworkonhisphone.

Frustrations:● Currentheatingsystemistoostrictitonlyworksonatimer,whichisnotgoodifyoudon’t

runbyastrictroutine.● Keithtendstorushoutoftheflatinthemorningashehasalongcommutebecauseofthis

hesometimesleaveslightsonalldayasheget’supinthedark.● Keithhasmostofhismusiconhisphone,toplayitthroughhisstereohecurrentlyhasto

plugitinwithacable.Hewouldmuchpreferifhecouldcontrolhisstereothroughhisphone.

Narrative:KeithasingleurbanitelivingontheoutskirtsofLondon,spendsmostofhistimeinthecityworkingorwithhisfriends.Hisflatsituatedinthesuburbshasallthemodconsofasmarthome.Duetotheamountoftimehespendsathishousehewant’stobeabletocontroleverythingthroughhismobilesohedoesn’thavetosuffertheusualhassle.Ashehasgrownupwithmostofthemodernadvancesintechnologyhehasnoproblemsadaptingtothelatesttrendsintech.Hisjobinthecityprovideshimwithlotsofdisposableincomeenablinghimtobeabletoaffordthelatestmodcons.AnaveragedayforKeithconsistsofanearlymorning,quickshowerandsomebreakfast,leavingthehousenotlongaftergettinguptomakehiswayintoLondonforwork.Hehasalongcommutetoworksospendsmostofhistimeonhisphonelisteningtomusicorplayingmobilegames.Afterworkhewilleitherheadhome,ormorelikelygoandmeetsomefriendsinLondon.Headingstraighthomehewillgetbackataround8pm,wherehewillputtheheatingonandrelaxfortheeveningmakingfoodandwatchingtelevision.Afterbeingoutwithhisfriendshewouldreturnlateraround11,whereagainhewillturntheheatingonandthengetreadyforbed.AttheweekendsKeithmayentertainfriendsathisflathemaycookforthemorinvitethemalloverforsome

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takeawayfoodintheevening.Usuallyhewillhavemusiconwithageneralpartyatmosphere.Heisalsoakeenfootballfanandoftenhas‘thelads’overtowatchthegame.ScenariosEverydayHeatingDuetoKeith’sbusylifestyleheisneversurewhenhewillgetin.Thisstopshimfromsettinghisheatingonatimer.Hewouldlikeawaytosettheheatingremotelysoasnottowastemoneywithitbeingonwhenheisnothome.ControlaPartyKeithhassomefriendsoverandissettinguphisstereotoplaysomemusic.Ashehasmostofhismusiconhisphonehewouldliketobeabletoplaythisthroughthestereowhilstcontrollingotheraspectsofthestereo.Aquickwaytoaccessthestereowouldbeideal.FlatSecurityHehashadsomefriendsoveronaSundaynightandhasgonetobedverylate.Hehastogetupearlyandwhenheleavestheflatheisnotfullyawake.Hisfriendsleavinglatehasthrownhisroutineoffandheisnotsureweatherallthewindowsanddoorsarelockedinhisflat.

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FirstGenerationPrototypes

Ourfirstgenerationprototypesweredesignedasagrouptobeconsiderabledifferentfromoneanother.Ourfirstdecisionwastosettleonasingletargetdevice,eitheramobilephone,wallmountedunitorwebpage.TheteamfeltthatconcentratingallthedesignsononedevicewouldlendmoretoanalysingtheuserandtheirinteractionwiththeGUIthanthedifferenttraitsofeachdevice.Wechosetopickamobilephonebaseapplicationasthisismostlikelytobeusedbyatleasttwoofourpersonas.

Thefirstprototypefollowsacommonappstyleusingtilestomakeapplianceselection,thesecondusesamoreunusualbubblestylewhereeveryselectionisdonethroughclickingabubble.Finallythethirdfollowsmanycommonmusicplayerswheretheselectedapplianceisinthecentreandtheotherstrailofftotheleftandright.Allprototypesthenhaveasecondselectionscreenwheretheselectedappliancecanbecontrolled.Duetothepotentialtheapphastocontrolmanydifferentapplianceswedecidedtofocusononeappliance,thatofheating/airconditioning.Thischoicewasmadeasheatingsystemsarealreadybeingconnectedtothesmarthomeenvironment.Manyofthesmarthomeappsalreadyavailablehaveheatingasoneoftheirmaincontrolledfeatures.Wealsofocusedonallowingtheusertocontroldifferentpartsofthehomeseparatelythrougharoomselection.Allfirstappallowstheuserstoselectanapplianceoraroomsoallallappliancesintheroomcanbecontrolledatononescreen.Thesecondandthirdbothhaveanapplianceselectionfollowedbyaroomselection.

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Prototype1:HomeScreen:

Heating/AirConditioningscreen:

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Roomscreen:

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Prototype2:

HomeScreen:

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HeatingScreen:

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CommunicationScreen:

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Prototype3Homescreen(portrait):

HomeScreen(landscape):Viewingtheappinlandscapechangesthescreenviewsoyouseelessbuttheiconsarebigger.

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Heatingappliancescreen:

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InitialPrototypesEvaluationandcomments

Evaluationoftheprototypeswasdoneindividuallybyeachteammemberinordertotryandcatchasmanydefectsaspossible.EachmembermadealistofgoodandbadpointsabouteachdesignroughlyfollowingNielsen’s10heuristicguidelines.Thesewerethencollatedintothetablesbelow.Thefinaltablecolumnrepresenthowmanymembersoftheteam(asapercentage)foundthedefect.Thisshouldprovideagoodideaofhowevidenttheproblemis,andhencehowcriticalitwillbetoavoid/implimentinthesecondgenerationprototype.Thesecommentsaresummarisedaftereachheuristictable.NoteonHelpandErrorrecovery:ThefinaltwoofNielsen’sheuristicsarenotmentioned,(HelperrorrecoveryandHelp&documentation).Thisisduetonohelpfunctionsbeingdefinedinanyoftheprototypes.Errorrecoveryishardtodiscusswhenrelatedtoasmarthomeapp.Alloftheprototypesassumetheuseriscorrectintheirinput,therearenoconfirmationscreensasthiswouldprovideanotherlayerofinteractionthattheuserdoesnotneedtohave.Astheappsinteractwithindividualsystemsitismorelikelythatthesesystemswillhaveanerror.Althoughnotmentioneditisassumedthattheappwillbeabletobenotifiedbythesystemtoinformtheusersomethinghasgoneawry.Prototype1:

Heuristic/Comment Pro/Con Notedby%ofteam.

Visibilityofthesystemstatus

Fortheheatingappliancealargetemperaturenumberinthecenterclearlyshowswhatisselected.

Pro 50

Noobviouswayofseeingthecurrentsystemstatusontheheatingpage.

Con 25

Matchbetweensystemandtherealworld

Systemadaptstheorderofroomsandappliancestomatchtheindividualuser'srealworldseletions.

Pro 100

Nowayoftellingwhatthetemperatureactuallyisonlywhattemperatureyouwouldlikeittobe.

Con 50

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Thetemperaturescalefortheheatingpageisfartooprecise,itgivesunrealisticinformationabouttheselectedroom(s).

Con 75

UserControlandfreedom

Theuserhasawiderangeoftemperaturesettingstochosefrom. Pro 100

Theusercanselecteitherappliancebyroom,orroombyapplianceallowingsettingoftheappliance(heatinginthiscase)inthewholehouse.

Pro 100

Temperaturescalebyroomisveryprecise. Pro 75

Thetimerbuttonontheheating/airconditionpagegivestheuseramoreconventionalwaytocontrolthesystem.

Pro 75

Consistencyandstandards

Largeandsmalliconsononepagemayclashwithoneanother. Con 75

Movementoficonscouldcausesomeconfusion.Itwouldbeconfusingforausertointeractwiththesystemthroughanotheruser'smobileforinstance.

Con 50

Bothselectionbyroomandselectionbyappliancehavethesamepagelayout.Thisshouldhelpitfeelfamiliartotheuser.

Pro 75

Errorprevention

Wordsandiconspresentsouserknowsexactlywhattheyareclickingon.

Pro 50

Recognitionratherthanrecall

Thesquaretilestyleoftheapplicationwillberecognisabletotheuserasitiscommonplaceamongstsmartphone.

Pro 100

Thesameiconsareusedallovertheapplicationencouragingreducingcomplexityandincreasingrecognition.

Pro 75

Flexibilityandefficiencyofuse

Iconsizeandorderwillbechangedautomaticallybasedonusage. Pro 100

Useofobviousiconswillhelpuserstoquicklygettotheappliance Pro 50

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theyareafter.

Minimalistdesign

Withbothwordsandicononthemainpageitmaylookcrowded.Thewordsmayalsobehardtoread.

Con 50

Prototypes1sdesignshouldfeelfamiliartomanyusersalreadyconfidentwithmobileapps.Thiswillincreaseitsusabilityalongwithefficiencyofuse.Resizingiconswillhelptheuserfindtheselectiontheyarelookingformorequickly,howeverthismaycauseconfusionwheninitiallyusingtheappasapplianceswillmovearoundthescreenwithouttheuserdirectlytellingthemtodoso.Havingbothapplianceselectionandroomselectiongivestheusersmorechoiceoverhowtochangewhattheyarelookingforbutthedifferenttemperatureinterfacesforboththeroomandtheapplianceviewcouldcausesomeconfusion.

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Prototype2:



Inordertoviewthestatusoftheheatingyoufirsthavetoselecttheappliance.

Con 50

TheColouroftheroomiconsontheheatingpagerepresentthetemperaturesetinthatroomprovidingfeedbackforeachroomwithouthavingtoselectit.

Pro 25

Nowayofknowingweathertheheatingisonoroffbylookingattheheatingscreen.

Con 50

Onlyatemperatureselectionismade,thereisnofeedbacktoactuallysaywhatthetemperatureoftheroomactuallyis.

Con 75


Bubbleiconschangecolourtobetterreflectrealworldtemperatures. Pro 100

Usermaynothavecontroloverindividualroomswithinthehouse(mostheatingsystemsdon’t)thisisnotreflectedintheapp.

Con 50


Theheatingscreenhasverylittleusercontrolovertheactualtemperatureduetothewaythetemperatureselectionhasbeendesigned.

Con 75

Buttontoreturntohomepageisvisibleoneachappliancepagemakingnavigationeasier.

Pro 100

Iftheuserwantsthetemperaturetobethesameinalloftheroomstheyhavetosetthemindividually.

Con 75

Nosettingsorhelpiconsonanyofthepages. Con 75


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Havingthebubblesresize/reorderwhentheyarebeingusedmaybeconfusingatfirstasitcouldpotentiallylookdifferenteachtimeitisused.

Con 75

Allthepageskeepwithaconsistentbubblestyle. Pro 100

Thehomepagebuttonisalwaysinthesameplaceonanappliancepage. Pro 75

Errorprevention

Thebubblestyleofinterfaceisuncommonsomayincreaseerrorlevelsasuserswillnotbesofamiliarwithit’sdesign.Thiswouldespeciallybeevidentiftheuserisinarushorunderstress.

Con 25

Havingwordinsteadofimagesmakesitperfectlyclearwhatyouareselecting.

Pro 50


Havingmultiplecoloursletseachonebecomeassociatedwithacertainappliancetilleventuallyyoudonotneedtoreadthetextyouwillknowwheretoselectonthescreenbaseduponjustthecolour.

Pro 100

Havingwordsinsteadofimageswillfractionallyslowusersdownastheywillalwayshavetoreadthewordratherthanjustrecognisinganicon.

Con 100


Iconschangesizebaseduponhowoftentheyareusedmakingiteasierfortheusertoselect.

Pro 75

TheverysimpleGUIcouldbemoreefficientforelderusers.Theminimalistdesignwouldreducetheriskofconfusion.

Pro 25

Theuserhasnowayoforderingtheappliancesthemselves,theyhavetowaitfortheapptodoitbaseduponusage.

Con 25

Minimalistdesign

Homepageisverysimplecontainingonlythebareminimum(justtheappliances).

Pro 50

Havingallofthebubblesononescreencouldlookovercrowdedonasmallscreen.

Con 50

Toomanycoloursonthescreen(oneforeachappliance)wouldendup Con 75

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clashingwithoneanother.

Prototype2sdesignwillfellthemostalientomobileusersandwillclashwiththesquaretilestyleofthephonesOS.Thiscouldbeseenbothasanadvantageandadisadvantage,theappwillstandoutbecauseitisdifferentbutpossiblenotfortherightreasons.Themainstrengthbehindthisdesignisitssimplicity.Eachselectionismadeviaalargebubblewhichwouldbeidealforanyonewhoisvisionimpaired.Asthebubblesdonotcontainanyiconstheuserwillbecertainofwhattheyareselectionhoweverovertimethiswillslowusersdownastheywillhavetoreadthetextratherthanjustrecognizingtheicon.Theheatingappliancepageistoosimplisticforeventhemostbasicofusers.Thetemperaturescaleisdesignedtoonlyshowtheselectedtemperaturesotheuserwillhavetoguesswherealongthebarthedesiredtemperatureisbeforeselectingit.Userfeedbackastotheroom’scurrenttemperatureisdoneviathecolourofthebubble.Thisisveryrelativeandwouldbehardtounderstandwithouthavinganumericvalue.

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Prototype3:



Largegraphicalrepresentationofthesystemstatusalongwithtemperaturerangeandon/offswitchallprovideinsighttothesystemstatus.

Pro 100

Needtolookatseveraldifferentplacestogetthefullpictureofthesystemstatus.

Con 50

Statusisonlyvisibleforoneroomatatime,andonlyonthesecondpagewhenyouviewtheappliance(noroomstatus).

Con 50


Eachapplianceiseasilyrecognisablebytheindividualuniqueicons. Pro 100

Theiconviewonthehomepagehidesfunctionalitybehindthelargericoninthemiddle.

Con 50

Theheatingsettingbeingarangeratherthanastricttemperaturebetterreflectshowtheheatingworksintherealworld.(You’renotgoingtobeabletogetanexacttemperatureuniformlyoveraroom.)

Pro 25


Theroomandapplianceselectionareclearwitharrowsindicatingtheusercanscrolltoselect/viewtheappliances.

Pro 75

Theuserhasarangecontrollovertheheating,notjustonetemperature. Pro 50

On/Offswitchforheating. Pro 100

Usercanonlycontroloneapplianceinoneroomatatime. Con 75

Largeiconsonmainscreenmakeroomandapplianceselectioneasy. Pro 100


Allviewshaveaconsistentstyle. Pro 100

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Textonlandscapeviewisnotpresentonportraitview. Con 25

Thebaratthebottomisalwaystherebutitisbeingusedfordifferentthings,thiscouldbeconfusing.Couldbebetterisitwasalwaysthesame.

Con 25

Themainscreencanalwaysbeseenbehindtheappliancespecificscreen. Pro 50

Errorprevention

Astheiconsaresmallthefirstpagemaybepronetoerrorsespeciallyforthosewhohavevisibilitydifficulties.

Con 25


Theiconareeasilyrelatabletotheirfunctionality. Pro 75

Havingtheroomsrepresentedasnumberscouldproveconfusing. Con 100

Theappstyleisverysimilarseveralwidelyusedmusicappsavailableonmobiledevices,thisshouldmeanuserswillknowhowtonavigaterooms/applianceswithoutbeingtoldtoscroll.

Pro 25


Roomselectionandapplianceselectionarebothononepagemeaningtheappwillonlyessentiallyhavetwolayers.

Pro 75

Fixedroomandapplianceordermaybefrustrating. Con 75

Possibleminimumofthreeactionstochangeanappliancesetting. Pro 25

Minimalistdesign

Notextontheportraitmainpagemakestheappclearer.Butmaybeconfusing/toosimplistic.

Pro/Con 50

Theheatingappliancepagehassmallconcisetemperaturescale. Pro 75

Prototype3sdesignisverysimilartosomemusicplayerswheretheydisplayalbum/singlecovers.Anyonewhopreviouslyusedoneofthesewillhavenoproblemsnavigatingandselectingtheappropriateapplianceandroom.Havingthemainscreenalwaysvisibleatthetopofthescreenletsusersknowthatbyscrollingdownorselectingittheywillinstantlyreturn.Althougheasytousetheselectionstylemaybeinefficientforsomeastheappliancesandtheroomsarealwaysinaspecificorder.Iftheapplianceyouwanttoselectisattheendofthelistyouwillalwayshavetoscrolltotheendtofindit,thereisnosettingsmenusonowaytoordereithertheappliancesorrooms.

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Althoughnodirectfeedbackastothetemperatureoftheroomtheuserwillknowthatiftheheatingisturnedonthenthetemperaturewillbesomewherebetweentheboundssetonthescale.Theon/offbuttonfortheheatinggivesusersthatextrabitofcontroltooverridethetemperaturesettings.

Allthreeprototypessharesomeissuesbothgoodandbad,themostimportantofthesearelistedbelowandwillbeusedasguidelinesforthedesignonthesecondgenerationprototype.

Thingstoavoid/badpoints:

● Fixedicon/roomselectionlists,● Inaccuratetemperatureselection,● Havingtheroomsrepresentedasnumbers(thismaybehardtoavoidinaprototype),● forcingtheusertoonlycontroloneapplianceinoneroomatatime.

Thingstoimplement/goodpoints:

● Userecognisableicons,● Usealayoutthatfollowsgeneraltrends(tilesnotbubbles),● Alwayshaveawaytoreturnbacktothemainpage,● implementasettingsmenu,● Usecolourstogiveuserfeedbackastostateoftheselectedappliance.

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SecondGenerationPrototype

EvaluationofTools

Process

Inbuildingthesecondprototype,wefirstreturnedtoourrecommendationsbaseduponthefirstgenerationprototypes.Afterameetingwediscussedtheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofthe3prototypes,wedecidedtousefirstone‘sbuttonstyletobuildthehomepageoffinalprototypebecauseit’seasyanddistinctforeachusertotouch,alsothesizeofbuttonistheeasiesttocontrol;everyoneincludingelderscouldseethebuttonclearly.Accordingtosecondbubbleprototype,wedecidedtouselessthan5colorstodesignourapp,soitcouldlookmoredecentandfriendly.Finally,theslidewindowsinnovationfromthethirdprototype,homescreenlandscapeisappliedinpage3and4asthesecondlevelmenu.

BalsamiqMockupsEvaluation

WechoseBalsamiqMockupstocreateourinitialprototypeprimarilybecausewefeltitprovidedtheidealcombinationofeaseofuse,speedandquality.Aprogramthatwasquickandeasytousewasessentialtoavoidwastingtimeinthisearlystageofthedevelopmentprocess.ThequalityofprototypethatoneisabletocreatewithMockupsisalsonotfarfromthatofother,morecomplicatedprograms.AnotherbigpointinfavourofMockupswasitsrelativelyfull-featuredfreeversion,thatdoesnotrequiretheusertosignup[10].

MicrosoftPowerPoint

Wealsolookedatpowerpointbecauseitisveryeasytoaddimagesorwords.It’squiteagoodtooltochangeimprovedetailsinourprototype.Also,powerpointprovidesaneasywaytoaddanimationeffectintoprototype.Byusingit,wecouldnotonlytestourfontandoutlookingofprogrammebutalsoimprovevisualeffect.Powerpointcouldalsolinkeverypagesinaveryrealisticandobviousway.

WechoseBalsamiqoverpowerpointduetoit’smanyprebuiltfeatureslikebasicphonedesignsandbuttons.Thisshouldmeanwecanproduceaprototypefasterasifweusedpowerpointwewouldhavetobuildallthesebasicimagesourselves.

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Prototype：

Thefiguresbelowshowourinterface.Screen1andScreen3showthehomescreenwithdifferentoptionshighlighted.Screen1appliancesishighlightedandsoalistofappliancesisshown.Screen3showsthescreenwhenroomsisselected.Screens2and4showwhathappenswhenyouclickonheatingandroom1respectively.

SCREEN1 SCREEN3

SCREEN2SCREEN4

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Screen1

Whenusersopenthesmart-homeapp,thisisthehomescreen.Heatingandlightingfunctionsarethemostfrequentuseinourprototype,sotheyarethebiggesttwobuttons.Inthesecondandthirdlines,arethedoormanagment,setting,mobilemanagingandotherfunctionbuttonswhicharenotusedtoofrequently.Inthefourthline,therearetwobuttons;appliancesandroomswhichcouldchangefromonescreentoanother.

Thisscreencontainsalloftheappliancespages.Inthispage,wemainlymakethesizeofbuttonchangedependingonthefrequencyofusebythecustomer.Atthesametime,weconsidermoreabouttheappearanceandconvenienceofthispage,somefunctionsthatarenotusedveryoftenarealsohaveanacceptablesize,twobuttoninsecondandthirdlines.

Finally,fromthebubbleprototype,wejustmakesomeclassicalcolorstorepresentfunctions.Forexample,redcolormeansheatingandredcolormeanslightbecausetoomanycolorsinonescreenwouldnotbeappealingmakingitlooktovivid.

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Screen3

Whenuserclicktheroomsbutton,thescreenwouldbechangedtosecondpage.Inthisone,wedesignframedependingondifferentrooms.Wejusthypothesisthatno.1andno.2arethemostregularly-usedrooms,sowesetthemasthebiggeroneinlineone.Inasimilarway,thesecondandthirdlinesarethosefunctionwhicharenotusedsooften.

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Screen2

Ifwetouchtheheatbuttoninfirstpage,thescreenwouldchangetothirdpage.Anewframewouldrisefromthebottomandoverridemostoffirstpage,justhalfoftwobigbuttonsappear.Nodoubtit’squitegoodlookingandconvenient.Someoftheusersareolderpeople,whopossiblesufferfrommemoryissues,soit’snecessarytodesignthelogostoremindthemwhichfunctiontheyhavechosen.

Also,underneaththeseisthebigheatinglogoalongwithseveralwindowsrepresentingindividualroomsallarrangedinoneline.Thismakesitveryconvenienttoreturnbacktothemainpage.Onthebottomofthescreen,thereisabuttontocontroltemperature,inotherfunctions,thisbuttonwouldrepresenttheuser'sabilitytoadjusttheselectedappliance.

Atlast,thereisaslideframeshowingthequantityofrooms.Thisinformstheusershowmanyroomstheappliancecontrols.It’salsoeasytosearchforaroomwhichisnotinfrequentuse.

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Screen4

Similartopage3,whentheusertouchesabuttoninpage1,thescreenwouldchangetothispage.Theconstructisthesameaspage3,itwouldmakethesmart-homeappnotonlymoreorganizedbutalsoeasiertouse.It’sveryeasytochangefrompage3topage4justtouch1button.Thiswouldimmediatelychangethepagetotheabove.

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Evaluation

Inordertogetmorereliableandusefulfeedback,firstofallwehaveinterviewswithourpersonaprofilesthesewillgiveusasetofadvantagesanddisadvantagesofourapp,moreover,wewillmakeaquestionnairetogetmorefeedbacksfrommorepeople.

1.personasevaluation

Evaluationofthehigh-fiprototypehasbeenmadewithourpersonasinmind.Listedbelowareeachpersonasprosandcons.

FamilyDad

OveralltheappaccomplishesallofBrian’smaingoals.Theappsmainlycompletealltheiressentialgoalsforsmarthome.Thehomescreenisappropriatelylaidoutallowingforeverythingtobeaccessedfromonepagebutspecialisedfeatureslikecheckingenergyusagehavenotbeenincluded.Thiscouldmaybehavebeenaddedbutshouldbeinitsownsscreenunderthesettingsasanon-clutteredlookisimportantforallpersonas.Basicly,iconsthatpeopleoftenusedwillberepresentedinthehomepagebecausespaceonthecellphone’sscreenislimited.Somefamiliesprefertouseiconsareshowninhomepagewhichareeasilyfound.Theywillnotneedtorememberwheretheiconsare,theiconsthatareoftenusedwillatthetop.ThisapphelpsBrainsolvealotofproblemandfulfilsthesescenarios.

ElderlyHomeowner

Withourapproachofprioritisingsimplicitytheelderlyhomeownerwouldbeabletocompleteallhertasks.Twohugeiconsatthetopareclearlyenoughtobeseenandfoundwhattheyare.Theelderlyuserswillachieveherdailyrequirementwiththehelpofvariablefontsizeinthesettings.Thepatternoneachlogoissimpleanddistinctly,theelderlypeoplewillnotwastealotoftimetoconsiderwhatthislogomeans.Hugefiremeansheatingsystem,hugebrightlybulbmeanslightsystemandsoon.IntheTheheatingselectorisassimpleaspossiblewithvaryingbackgroundcolourstohelpshowwhenthetemperaturehasbeenchangedincaseofamissswipe.Thevisionofelderlypeopleissometimesweak,sothecolorfulscalewillhelpherdeterminewhichdirectioniswarmandcold.Shethinksthisappiseasytouseandcontrolherhomeinaunderstandableway.

YoungProfessional

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Theyoungprofessionalshouldnothaveanybigfrustrations.Hehasinterestonthemodernapps.However,sometimes,hedoesn’tliketoreadandfollowtheinstructionalsteps.Forhisfirsttimeeverythingisintuitive.Helikestotouchandclickeveryiconinthehomescreentofindoutwhattheyareandrememberthem.Thehigh-fiprototypeissimpleandclearinthehomepage,whichwillnottakehimalongtimetostudy.Theselectiononscreens2and4mimicpopularselectiontechniquesandeverythingiswithin2pages.Hewilllikethiscoolscaleandenjoytheappdesign.Moretechnicaloptionsappearsmalleronthescreenbutarestilldistinctandunique.Iftheyoungprofessionalmightoftenliketoanalysisthesetechnicaloptions,thesettingsiconatthetopwhichisdifferentwiththeotherpeople’shomepage.

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2.Questionnaires

Inordertogetreliableandusefulfeedback,ourteamdesignedaquestionnaire.Atthedesignprocess,weresearchsomeothersampleswhosegoalcustomersareverysimilarwithoursandfinallywechooseakindofquestionnaireaboutATMasareference.Thecopywouldbegivenatlastpage.Meanwhile,Inourquestionnairesystem,therearereliableparameterstodescribewhetherthisquestionnaireisreliableornot.Iftherespondentsareinterestedinsmart-homeapp,weassigna1tothisparameterwhileanassignmentof0.5meanstheyarenotthatinterested.Forexample,ifarespondentthinksthefontsizeareverygood(5marks)whileheisnotveryinterestedinsmart-homeapp,hismarkwouldbetakenas2.5..

5marksequalsfullsatisfaction.

PeoplewhoareinterestedinourSmart-homeAPP:

Person1 Person2 Person3 Person4 Person5 average

Generalaesthetic.

0.8 1 0.8 1 1 0.92

Fontsize 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 1 0.84

Fontcolor 1 0.4 0.8 1 1 0.84

Buttonsize 0.6 0.8 0.8 0.6 1 0.76

Buttonplacement

0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8

Claritiesofconstructs

1 1 0.8 1 0.8 0.92

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PeoplewhoarenotinterestedinourSmart-homeAPP:

Person1 Person2 Person3 average

Generalaesthetic 1 1 0.8 0.93

Fontsize 1 0.8 0.6 0.8

Fontcolor 1 1 0.4 0.8

Buttonsize 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8

Buttonplacement 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8

Claritiesofconstruct 1 1 0.8 0.93

Comparedabouttheweight，wegetthefinalpersonnairedata:

Generalaesthetic

fontsize fontcolor buttonsize buttonplacement

claritiesofconstruct

0.923 0.827 0.827 0.773 0.8 0.923

Toconclude:

It’sveryobviousthatourhomepageisattractiveenoughthatalmosteveryonewhohasagoodimpressionofit,also,theconstructisquitegoodthatboththegroupwhoareinterestedinsmart-homeappornotgiveitahighmark.Atthesametime,fontsizeandfontcolorareacceptable,theygetover80%marked.However,buttonplaceandespeciallybuttonsizearewhatweneedtoimprovecertainly.Thefirstthingthatweshoulddoisfindingawaytrade-offthedistancebetweenbuttonsandthewholeconstructofpages.Also,thecolorofbuttonsisnotverycool,weshouldpaymoreattentiontothedetailsofourapp.

Aboveall,mostpeoplecomplainthattherearesomedisadvantagesoftheicons.Oldpeoplewantitbiggerbutotherswantthepagetobemoreclear.Sosomeoftheadvicefrompeopleisconflicted,whatweshoulddoistotrade-offthemandfindthebalancepointtoimprovedesigning.

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SummaryandRecommendations

Inconclusionwefoundfromlookingatexistingsystemsthattherearemanyapproachestocreatingasmarthomeapp.Currentapproachesallseemedtolacksomeissuesindesignwhichwetriedtonoteandexcludeinourdesign.Byconsideringouruserrequirementswefoundtherewasadelicatebalancebetweenfunctionalityandconvenience;withsomeusersrequiringmaximumsimplicity(elderlyusers)andothersrequiringmorefunctionalityultimatelyreducingsimplicity.Wemadeprototypesconsideringthesefactsandfoundareasonablebalancebetweenthetwowhichwebelievewehavecombinedintothesecondgenerationprototype.

Themostimportthingtotakeawayfromthisdesignprocessistherelianceoftheprototypesuponthepersonascreated.Personascanpotentiallybeaverypowerfultooltohelpguidethedesignprocess.Weonlyevaluatedagainstthepersonasonthesecondgenerationprototype,despitebuildingthefirstgenerationprototypeswiththeminmind.Evaluationofthefirstprototypesagainstthepersonascouldpotentiallyofyieldedmoreinformationastousabilityoftheproducts.Howeverthepersonasthemselvesareafterdifferentthings,andoftentheseinterestsclash.OurelderlypersonwouldwantalesscomplicatedGUIbutthecityworkermaywantmorefunctionalitytobeavailable.Whenbuildingaproductthatisaimedatalargeaudiencelikeoursis,strikingtherightbalancebetweentheconflictingwantsofthepotentialusersispossiblythehardesttask.Wehaveattemptedthisinourfinalprototype,butwearenotcertainwehaveachievedit.

Theheuristicguidelinesweusedtoevaluateourfirstgenerationprototypeswereveryuseful,inpromotingcriticalthoughtabouttheprototypes.Useofamorespecificsetofheuristics,perhapssomewhichhavebeentailoredtothemobileappenvironmentwouldprovideevenbetterfeedback.

Somethingswehavenottouchedoninourdesignsbutwouldbeinterestingtolookatishowthesystemhandleserrors,botwithuserselectionandsystemerrors.AstheuserhasasimpleGUItointeractwithusererrorsshouldbekepttoaminimumprimarilybecausetheuserhasverylittlepotentialtocauseerror.Systemerrorscouldcausemajorissues,andhowtheuserisinformedoftheseisapotentialforfurtherwork.

Fortheapplicationtobedevelopedforarealworldscenariomuchmorethanwehavediscussedabovewillneedtobetakenintoaccount,butwehavetouchedonseveralinterestingpoints.ThebalancebetweenultimatecontrolwithacomplicatedGUIandlesscontrolwithasimplerGUIwouldneedtobelookedatcarefully.FromourconclusionswewouldleantowardsalesscomplicatedGUIwhichwouldyieldlesscontrolfortheuser.Thesimplerelationshipsweraisedbetweenthesize/locationoftheappiconsandhowoftentheyareusedwouldbeaveryefficientwayfortheusertointeract.Butagainthebalanceofthisfeaturewouldneedtobetested,theiconsshouldnotchangepositionbaseduponasingleusage,theappshouldimplementthischangeslowlyovertime

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asthiswouldbelessnoticeablebytheuser.OneofthehardestthingsforarealworldimplementationwouldinfactnotbetheHCIcomponentofthedesign,butthephysicaltaskofgettingmanydifferentproductstocommunicatethroughavarietyofAPIs.

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References1. OneinnineUKhouseholdstobe‘smart’bytheendoftheyear

http://yourcloudworks.co.uk/2014/07/17/one-nine-uk-households-smart-end-year/ [Accessedon21/11/15]

2. SmartHomeopeningpicture http://yourcloudworks.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/A-Smart-Home.jpg [Accessedon10/11/15]

3. Fitt’sLaw:https://www.cs.umd.edu/class/fall2002/cmsc838s/tichi/fitts.html4. Guiard’sModel:DesignGuidelinesandDesignRecommendationsofMulti-TouchInterfacesfor

Elders:ACHI,2014,TheSeventhInternationalConferenceonAdvancesinComputer-HumanInteractions.

5. BrunoLoureiroandRuiRodriguesin‘DesignGuidelinesandDesignRecommendationsofMulti-TouchInterfacesforElders’https://www.thinkmind.org/download.php?articleid=achi_2014_2_30_20162

6. UBIQUITOUSSMARTHOMESYSTEMUSINGANDROIDAPPLICATIONShiuKumarDepartmentofInformationElectronicsEngineering,MokpoNationalUniversity,534-729,Mokpo,SouthKorea

7. We'reLosingtheWarfortheSmartHomehttp://smarthome.reviewed.com/features/were-losing-the-war-for-the-smart-home

8. NISHA:NovelInterfaceforSmartHomeApplicationsforArabicRegion*MuneerBaniYassein,YaserKhamayseh,MaryanYatimComputerScienceDepartment,JordanUniversityofScienceandTechnology.Irbid–Jordan*CorrespondingAuthor

9. FiveThingsYouCanDoWithSmartHomeTechnologyInYourHouseThatYouCan'tDoWithARegularInstallation"http://www.smarthomedesign-uk.com/

10. Smart-HomeTechnologiestoAssistOlderPeopletoLiveWellatHomehttp://www.esciencecentral.org/journals/smart-home-technologies-to-assist-older-people-to-live-well-at-home-jasc.1000101.pdf

11. Smarthomesandcities–whenwillithappen?http://www.information-age.com/technology/mobile-and-networking/123457795/smart-homes-and-cities-when-will-it-happen

12. TheSeventhInternationalConferenceonAdvancesinComputer-HumanInteractions.13. Balsamiqhttp://www.balsamiq.com/products/mockups/manifesto

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Appendix

Acopyofthequestionnairepresentedtotheusertestingparticipants

Aboutyou

Firstname:____________Gender:____________

Age:____________Nationality:____________

Areyouinterestedinthesmart-homeapp?

yes no

ifnot,pleasetelluswhy:___________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

Didyouhearaboutsmart-homeapp?

yes no

Overallimpressions:5=verygood

Generalaesthetic 1 2 3 4 5

fontsize

fontcolor

buttonsize

buttonplacement

claritiesofconstruct

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