Product Evaluation: Smart(Home)base

8/7/2019 Product Evaluation: Smart(Home)base

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2011

Smart Base

Afarin Pirzadeh, Preethi Srinivas, Steven Entezari

S . A . P


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Table of Figures

Figure 1: SmartBase Map ............................................................................................................... 5

Figure 2: Process of leaving a message in the system .................................................................... 8

Figure 3: Personalized Inbox Layout .............................................................................................. 9

Figure 4: Personalized Inbox creation process ............................................................................... 9

Figure 5: Process of creating a Reminder ..................................................................................... 12

Figure 6: Connecting SmartBase devices to one another ............................................................. 13

Figure 7: Early Prototype .............................................................................................................. 15

Figure 8: Physical Design ............................................................................................................. 15

Figure 9: Box ................................................................................................................................ 16


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1 IntroductionWe were contacted to review and redesign a home message center by a major national consumer

electronics company. Our team conducted a thorough review of the previous system and re

evaluated the functional and physical requirements of the system for the context of an in-homeenhanced message center. While maintaining much of the functionality from the original design,

enhancements were made to improve on the concept of a family message center. During our

redesign process, we evaluated physical aspects such as height of members, button placement,

navigation methods, as well as functional aspects including advanced functionality, connectivity,

and the definition of family for our contexts. Below you will find additional notes on our

design concepts.

2 Functional Design ConceptsBased on the assigned product problem space, our team envisioned a product (SmartBase) that

can be placed at a central location in the house. SmartBase will function as a home

communication center, using which audio and video messages can be exchanged between the

members within a family. The main functions of the product include:

1. Ability of a family member to leavemessages to other members in the family.2. Ability to allow a family member to check messages left in the system inbox.3. Ability of a family member to leave reminders in the system.4. Ability of a family member to access the calendar of the system.5. Ability to store media (eg, audio, video, photos etc.).6. Ability to allow an external storage device to connect to it. This should further allow

transferring of files to and from the external storage device.

In addition to these basic functions, SmartBase also provides applications like

1. MyShoppingListthat allow a family member to call out items in a shopping list and sendit as an SMS to their mobile phone or to the mobile phone of another family member

2. Skype that allows family members to place skype calls from their device to anotherconnected device placed in a different location


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SmartBase can be in one of the two modes of operations:

Idle mode, where the current outside temperature is displayed on top right corner of thedisplay screen of SmartBase. In addition to this, one of the following can also be

displayed based on user modification of system settings

o Daily headlines can be displayed every morning when the system is idle. The timeup to which the headlines can be displayed can however be modified by the

family member.

o A slideshow ofpictures chosen by family members and stored in the Favoritesfolder in under the media section of SmartBase along with current time set as a

clock and placed on the display screen at a position chosen by the family member.

Active mode, where the above mentioned functions and applications are provided to thefamily members.

Figure 1: SmartBase Map

The rest of this section will explain each of the functions supported by SmartBase in detail.

2.1 Leaving messagesThe main purpose of SmartBase is to act as a communication hot spot of any home. Considering

this requirement, SmartBase is designed to support the following types of messages:

CALENDAR

MEDIA

Skype

MyShoppingList

Day In

Calendar

Media Play plays audio,

video and picture+audio

messages

Monthly view

Past: view messages,

events, reminders

Future: view

reminders

Browse Existing

External

Another

SmartBase

View Ads based on

past shopping lists

Retrieve stored list

Create New

Store list

Delete List

Send as SMS


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audio messages video messages photographs photographs with an audio message attached to it

An audio or video message can be recorded by means of starting the recorder, and stopping the

same once the recording is done. A counter counting down from three to one is provided before

each recording sequence for the family member to get ready with the recording process. Message

recording feature also allows the family member to listen to the message recorded and re-record

in case he/she is not satisfied. Once the family member is satisfied with his/her recording, the

message can be sent to others. SmartBase allows the family member to tag all the members in

the family to whom the message is intended, although the message can be seen by all users. Theconcept of tagging will be explained in the next subsection (Accessing Inbox).

Photographs can also be sent as messages in SmartBase by using one of the two ways:

Photographs shot live at the moment by a family member, or Photographs browsed from and selected from

o Existing storage on the system oro An external storage attached to the system.

A photograph can also be accompanied with an audio message recording recorded by the family

member before being sent. The process of leaving a message to other family members may

involve steps as shown in Figure 2.

2.2 Accessing InboxAll the messages left in SmartBase can be viewed by everyone in the family as long as they have

an associated profile. Family members can create profiles by taking a picture of themselves and

storing them in SmartBase system. Creating a profile is a one-time setup that can be done when

SmartBase is initially setup in the house or as and when required. SmartBase also allows to add

in new family member profiles or to make changes to the existing profiles. Although this feature

helps identify the different members in the family, it does not differentiate or create a sense of

privacy between the family members. SmartBase has the concept of tagging messages with the


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profile pictures of family members. Family members to whom a particular message is intended

can be chosen every time a message has to be sent. This feature is used only to differentiate the

way the inbox is laid out based on the family member. It does not allow the family members to

create private messages.

SmartBase is designed to allow family members to look at a personalized inbox in a way that all

the messages that are intended for them and are unread are arranged at the top of the inbox

(sorted by time of creation of messages) with messages to everyone else in the family arranged at

the bottom (sorted by time of creation of messages). This is achieved by means of Face

Detection, which is a process that can be used to detect and identify the family members. Every

time a family member comes in front of SmartBase and activates the system from idle mode, the

system automatically detects the user profile by means ofFace Detection and updates, rearranges

the number of unread messages in the inbox. Hence, it becomes easy for a family member to

quickly check messages intended for him/her. The family member can then choose to either read

other messages in the system for the day or visit the Calendar to view past messages or

reminders.

The inbox has the profile pictures of all the family members lined up at the top. This can be used

to sort messages according to the family members to whom messages are intended. An example

personalized inbox is shown in Figure 3.


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Figure 2: Process of leaving a message in the system

Activate from idle mode to

active mode

Select menu option Leave message

Select family members to

whom message is addressed

Select type of

message

If

audio/video

message

Start recording

Done

recording?

Live

photograph?

Take a pictureBrowse

media

Done

taking

picture?

External

source?

Check for plugged-

in external media

and browse for

photograph

Browse for

photograph

from existing

storage

Attach

audio?

Set as

reminder?

Reminder

setting process

Send

message?

Choose Send

option

Select Home button to

choose a different

operation or to start over

again

Yes

No

Yes No

Yes No

NoYes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

No

No

Yes No


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Figure 3: Personalized Inbox Layout

The process by which a personalized inbox is created is as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4: Personalized Inbox creation process

X X X X

Messages

intended to the

family member

currently using

SmartBase

Profile pictures of

all family

members used

for sorting

messages

Messages to

everyone else

From Type of message Others tagged Time of creation

To who else this

message is

intended as

chosen by the

sender of the

message

From Type of message Others tagged Time of creation

Activate from idle mode toactive mode

System does backend

processing of Face

Detection

Number of messages that are intended for

user and are unread is shown as a visual

display in main home menu under Inbox

menu item

Select menu option Inbox message

Personalized inbox

created


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Any family member has the ability to delete the message intended for them. However, if a

message has multiple people tagged, the message is deleted from the system only when all the

members tagged in the message have accepted to delete it.

Based on the messages that are left unread in the system, SmartBase will also provide a visual

indicator in terms of a LED light fixed at the top right corner. This visual indicator helps family

members determine if there are any unread messages in the system even without coming near

SmartBase or activating it. They will however not know to whom the unread messages are

intended unless they come near SmartBase and activate it to view their Inbox. Hence, even if a

particular message is intended for 3 other members in the family, the visual indicator will

continue to glow until all the three members have viewed the message.

2.3 RemindersSmartBase provides the functionality for the family members to set messages as reminders in the

system. A reminderis not a typical message that is seen in the inbox; it is a message that will pop

up at the time set by the family member while creating it. Reminders can be repeated daily or

weekly. They can also be deleted from the system based on availability of storage space or when

the family members dont want the reminder. A reminder is deleted from the system when the

family who created it decides to delete it. Reminders are not addressed to a particular family

member; they are addressed to everyone in general. Before a reminder is stored in the system, itcan be labeled by the family member. This process involves the family member calling out the

name. SmartBase has a built-in voice detection system that can automatically detect spoken

words and convert it to text. The process using which a reminderis created is as shown in Figure

5.

2.4 CalendarSmartBase has a built-in calendar. This calendar can be used by family members to set

reminders, events or occasions. The calendar is set to be in monthly view. The total number of

messages in the system and the number of unread messages for each day in the month are also

displayed in the monthly view. Family members can select any day in the calendar to get to a

daily view, where they can view the messages of the day, events for the day and reminders set

for the day.


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2.5 Media StorageSmartBase allows family members to store audio, video or picture files in its storage system. It

provides access to these stored items using a conventional folder structure as seen in desktop

PCs. In addition to accessing media items in the system, the family members can also plug in

external media (USB, SD card) and transfer files to/from the system to the external media in a

manner similar to the way they can be accessed on computers. Family members can also browse

to and find media items to be sent as photograph messages or set as reminders in the system.

Two of the most important folders under this menu item are:

Favorites-this folder will contain images to be played as a slideshow when the system isin idle mode.

Shared- this folder is not enabled as long as the one SmartBase device is not connected toanother SmartBase device. Once it is enabled, it can be used as a shared folder of

images between the devices that are connected. More information about this folder will

be given in the following sections.


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Figure 5: Process of creating a Reminder

2.6 Connected DeviceSmartBase is a connected device in that it is connected to the Internet through a built-in wireless

adapter. The built-in wireless adapter has the capabilities to automatically detect and connect to

the available wireless network. If the wireless network is password protected, the family member

can call out the password and have it stored in the system for later use in a manner similar to the

way computers store wireless network passwords. Setting up connection to a wireless network is

a one-time process that can be done when SmartBase is setup at home. SmartBase also has the

facility to connect Ethernet cable in order to connect to the Internet. The connection settings can

be modified in the Settings menu under the main menu of items. Connecting to the Internet is an

Activate from idle mode to

active mode

Select menu option Reminder Select menu option Leave message

Select Set as ReminderoptionCreate message

(audio/video/photo)

Set time, frequency of occurrence

Select

storage

preferences

Label the reminder

Done

Delete onceactivated/delete when

there is no space in

system/delete when

user chooses to


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optional feature in SmartBase and a family can choose to avoid it, in which case, SmartBase

provides only the basic functionalities mentioned above.

2.7 Connecting family members in different locationsEvery SmartBase device has a unique identifier associated with it called the service tag. This can

be used by families to stay connected. Hence, SmartBase is not only a communication hot spot

for members within a single home, it also connects family members staying in different locations

as long as they all have the device installed in their homes. Connecting two SmartBase devices is

a one-time setup that can be done online in the company website by giving their service tag

information.

The folder named Shared under the media menu item is enabled a s soon as two SmartBase

devices are connected. Any images or other media items placed in this folder can then be shared

across devices.

Figure 6: Connecting SmartBase devices to one another

SmartBase1 SmartBase2

Shared Media

SmartBase1 SmartBase2

Shared Shared

Before Connection

After Connection


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2.8 My Shopping ListIn addition to providing basic functionality, SmartBase also allows family members to create

shopping lists on the fly by calling out items and sending them as text messages to their phones.

This feature can highly save time especially when a family member wants to instruct his/her

partner to buy some items on the way back home. The shopping lists can also be stored and

retrieved at a later point of time. SmartBase is designed to be smart and pulls, displays relevant

advertisements on the right panel. Relevant advertisements are pulled by a Web Service based on

items in previously stored shopping lists.

Once the user is done with creating a shopping list, he/she can call out the phone number to

which the list has to be sent. Alternatively, a stored phone number can be pulled out by calling

out the name of the person to whom the phone belongs.

2.9 SkypeSmartBase has the Skype application installed by default. A Skype call can be placed in a manner

similar to the way it can be placed on computers or smart phones. The Skype account cannot be

managed using this device. Any family member can login to their Skype account by calling out

their name and password. Username/password combination can be associated with user profiles

on SmartBase and hence can be remembered on the system for future use. The Skype application

on this device is designed to allow only voice calls or video calls. Chat messages can however

not be exchanged using this device.

3 Early PrototypeOur team started with very different ideas, some of which are not a part of our final prototype.

Some of the images from our early prototyping stages include:


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Figure 7: Early Prototype

4 Physical DesignThe physical appearance of the device (Figure 8) was designed in order to make it easy to be

used by both adult and children. So the device has two main parts: box and stand. The box is the

system with the handle and the string. The stand behind the box is the track-structure that the

system is fixed to allowing it to be moved up and down. The string is to allow the shorter users

to be able to pull the system down even if they can't reach the handle.

Figure 8: Physical Design

Box

Stand

String


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According to the Figure 9, the box includes the screen and number of physical buttons.

Minimum numbers of buttons are designed on the box. One arrow keys that is a scrollbar as well

and home button to have direct access to home page. There is also the physical message button

on the screen as a shortcut to Leave message. There is a back button in order to go back to the

previous page from any page. An indicator for unread messages and a webcam are located on top

of the screen as well.

Figure 9: Physical Device Front View

5 Internal WalkthroughOur internal walkthrough was conducted by two members of our development team as well as

two potential consumers of a new and enhanced home base system. The following problems

were documented:

Indicator Webcam

Home PageArrow Keys

and scroll bar

Leave Message Back

Screen


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Semanticso Using the word Send instead of Leave to complete a messageo Text should be implemented with the icons

Buttons and Physical Deviceo Make Menu Show/Hideo Size of menu should be biggero Determine size in metrics for evaluationo Make sure back button is implemented

Processo Evaluate what image should show up after the message is sento Placement of people on screen should be more logicalo Functionality of the prototype may not match aspects of the scenarios. Evaluate.o Evaluate when we should use the menu overlay over the home buttono Some interactions are hard to naturally followo Scroll needs to be designed for better efficiency

Emphasize Moreo Emphasize the use of the physical navigational structureo Emphasize difference between idle/active modes moreo Identify users better on their individual inboxeso Home button should have continuous meaning and not change at any point during

any scenario

o Audio/Video pages need to have differentiating features

6 High Fidelity PrototypeThe interactive prototype can be found at

http://149.166.112.105/~presrini/I564/finalprototype/prototype/Bin/Debug/Default.html

7 Prototype TestingThere was an opportunity to test the prototype in the class and get direct feedback from users.

Usability test reveals how users work with device in reality and whether they understand our
http://149.166.112.105/~presrini/I564/finalprototype/prototype/Bin/Debug/Default.htmlhttp://149.166.112.105/~presrini/I564/finalprototype/prototype/Bin/Debug/Default.htmlhttp://149.166.112.105/~presrini/I564/finalprototype/prototype/Bin/Debug/Default.html


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design or not. And also what are their suggestions for design improvement. Many problems may

not be apparent until actual use exposes an omission or inconvenience. Users may also find some

features or terminology confusing. Thus it is logical that prototyping tends to help ensure that the

design will meet users needs.

Following points are considerable based on the user testing:

The menu icons are not clear. For example the users cannot find media icon in the menu. Why there are family members photos on top of the inbox page? Users dont know why

the pictures are on top of the page and whose inbox they are in now.

The navigation between pages is not clear for users. They cannot find on which page theyare currently working.

8 Suggested Changes from Cognitive Walkthroughs and UserTesting

Semantics

Our goal will be to focus on the understanding of the words we use. Many of our users had

problems with Leave being the option to complete the message. Just as it is in other messaging

systems, they expected the word Send to be the completion process of actually sending the

message. Many of our participants also had some problems with the icons and their meanings. It

wasnt immediately made evident what each icon stood for at the beginning. While the argument

was made that users will eventually learn, our team will implement words with icons because we

understand that if the users dont initially learn, they wont continue to use the product.

Buttons and Physical Device

The participants we solicited for our scenarios evaluated our design on a computer screen.Unfortunately, this took much of the context out of the evaluation phase. For further testing, we

will focus on presenting the prototype to the participants more effectively by making the

prototype similar in size to the actual device. A main focus of ours will be to emphasize the use

and best practices of our menu feature. This overlay will allow easy access to essential portions

of the functionality in the device.


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Process

An essential part of our redesign process will be to make our processes easier to follow for the

user. Participants acknowledged that they understood what we were asking of them and generally

knew how to proceed with the tasks, however, indicated that there was some confusion while

completing the tasks. What does the overlay do and when should I use it is an example of a

question from one of our participants. Natural and intuitive processes are essential to user

experience.

Emphasize

We will focus on emphasizing the different aspects of the design. We discussed with a panel,

shortly prior to the publication of this report, the uses of navigational indices of location

awareness for the user such as bread crumbs and tabs. We will need to look at what general

design processes make sense and flow well with the design and layout of our product in context

to not only its placement in the home but also its size and physical design.

9 Future WorksAn obvious direction for future work is to conduct a thorough literature review and also

requirement analysis for redesigning this product. Having a good understanding of different

kinds of home family members communications can be helpful to design more usable device.

Adding different application that can be useful for family members would be a good direction on

future work.

10Lessons LearnedIn this project, reviewing the current industrial design and interface of home message center

product with the purpose of redesign has been done. it encompassed some learning points for ourteam, as follows:

It was interesting how media space ideas could be incorporated into households andfamily life.


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The first phase of the project helped us to practice on sketching and put down any of ourideas on the paper without considering the limitations. We came up with different ideas

with three perspectives on the device. We learned there is no need to take much time to

create sketching. It is the only way to put down our ideas, so we can easily throw it away

and work on another one.

Over the course of the project, we conducted several meeting and talked about thenecessity of this device and the reasons that might have caused its failure in the market.

Our discussion gave us a broad view on the design of this device and in some points

encouraged us to read several papers in this field.

Our discussion also leaded us to picture a broad view on the problem and created theconceptual map to specify main functions and requirements.

After discussion on the requirement, we ended up with first version of prototype. Severalwalkthrough of the prototype in first phases, we found that many problems and

limitations of the device dont show up unless we put them in prototype.

Moving from sketching to paper prototype and then to the high fidelity prototype, welearned the process is helpful to shape the ideas and gave us a good and thorough

understanding of the device.

High fidelity prototype was a good practice to learn SketchFlow as a good tool forprototyping.

For final review, Walkthrough was conducted by members of the team and revealed finalcomments on the prototype before usability test in the class. We found that we need final

walkthrough to find some minor problems of prototype.

The user testing in the class was the other lesson learned. Different perspectives ofstudents and conducting several tasks by a volunteer gave us a good view of our design

and revealed some of the aspects of design that were unclear for users.

Product Evaluation: Smart(Home)base

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