“Switching on my ears” a case study: Designing a hand held device for bionic implant recipients
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A case study: Designing a hand held device for bionic implant recipients Matt Morphett [email protected] twitter: @mattmorphett Switching on My Ears Shane Morris [email protected] .au twitter: @shanemo Rami Banna [email protected]
description
Designing a physical hand-held device presents a number of unique challenges. Designing that device predominantly for use by folks with impaired physical abilities introduces another layer of complexity. Ensuring that the experience is appropriate for an audience ranging from five year-old kids to ninety five year-old retirees while they control one of their primary senses is just downright difficult.Matt & Shane recently worked with Australian innovator and international success story Cochlear in design of a new device to help bionic ear implant recipients monitor and control their hearing. The design represented an evolution to a simpler more usable second-generation device.Matt & Shane are joined by Cochlear Technical Product Lead (and some time “User Fairy”) Rami Banna as they walk through key aspects of this project.Particular attention is given to:Design artefacts including wireframes and screen mock-ups illustrating the evolution from early design concepts through to refined user interface.The full UX lifecycle including; ethnographic research, iterative interaction design cycles and usability testing with real Cochlear implant recipients.The approach taken to coordinate a design exercise across multiple teams including; industrial design, ergonomics, electronics, software design, graphic design and small screen user interface design.The delicate balance required when attempting to improve a user experience without completely confounding the expectations of a large and vocal existing user-base.The objective of this case study is to provide conference delegates with genuine insight into the design process by exposing the methods but also by showing the actual designs at various points of their development.Along the way, we will detail the pitfalls encountered and outline the practical solutions that were applied. Processes and lessons learned are applicable across UX projects of all types, not just mobile and hand-held product design projects.
Transcript of “Switching on my ears” a case study: Designing a hand held device for bionic implant recipients
A case study: Designing a hand held device for bionic implant recipients
Matt [email protected]: @mattmorphett
Switching on My Ears
Shane [email protected]: @shanemo
Rami [email protected]
Rami 1 – Cochlear
14 in 1,000 adults (>16 years) are severely to profoundly deaf.
80 in 1,000 elderly adults (>70 years) are severely to profoundly deaf.
“We” have treated < 5% of prevalence
The
extent of
hearing
loss
• Original creators and developers of multichannel cochlear implant technology
• Commitment to hearing innovation– Over 230,000 Cochlear and Baha
recipients worldwide– Partner with researchers in 19 countries
and more than 1000 clinics around the world
– R&D investment – $AUD 100 million in 2009.
• #1 choice of cochlear implant recipients1
• Baha® successfully used for >30 years
1. Hearing Aid Market Report 2010 Koncept Analytics
Cochlear™
- Bernard Coen – FOX News Presenter, 40 Years
How does it work?
Cochlear™ Nucleus® 5 System
Nucleus CP810sound processor
NEW Nucleus CR110remote assistant
Custom Sound™ Suite 3.0
Nucleus CI512cochlear implant
Limits to Growth?
Large install base
+Projected growth
Limits to Growth?
Surgeon CI Audiologist
Before Implantation
CI Audiologist
After Implantation
Limits to Growth?
Surgeon CI Audiologist
Before Implantation
CI Audiologist
After Implantation Home
The Business Requirement
Existing Requirements• Suit Wide Range of Users / Hearing Configurations• Cater For Many More Features Than There Are
Buttons• Be Smaller Than a Mobile• More Useful Than a Credit Card Sized Remote
New Requirements• Demonstrably (testably) Better Than Existing UI• Minimise Change Management• Maintain Backwards & Sideways Compatibility• Establish Extensible Platform – Start With
Scalability Suite ?
Deliberately Unstructured Research
• Recipient Appointments With Audiologists• Sat in on Clinical Trials With CI Recipients
• Cochlear Implant Forums & Blogs• Followed Twitter Accounts for the Deaf Community• Downloaded iPhone Rehabilitation Apps
• Wore the Cochlear Test Rig Around for a Day • Spoke to the Support-Line Manager• Looked Outside the Industry• Undertook Usability Testing• Taught Preschoolers About Cochlear Implants.
Who Are Our Users?
Secondary Personas• Parents• Carers
Primary Personas• Elderly
• Adult
• Young Person
Tertiary Personas• Clinicians
Timid Adventurous
What Do Users Need To Do?
Adjust their hearing• Select a Program• Change Volume• Telecoil
Check that everything is OK• Battery levels• Sound coming in• Identify / Troubleshoot Issues
Establish their own hearing configuration
…. + Dozens of other things
Taking Cues
The Web UX Stack
Hardware Mouse & Keyboard
OS GUI Guidelines
Browser Back, Next, Scrolling, etc.
Web Standards W3C etc.
Best Practice Wroblewski, Nielsen, Tidwell
Websites Amazon, Xero, etc.
Bespoke Mobile Device
HTML / CSS Fields, RBs, Dropdowns, etc.
Dynamic Web Javascript, Flash, etc.Functions
Reqs.
Battery
Electronics
Screen
Connex Connex
Comms
Butt.
Butt.Butt.
Butt.
Butt.
Butt. Butt.Butt.
Butt.
Butt.
Butt.
Early Device Mock-ups
Carousel Navigation
Pros
Easily extended with new features
Consistent usable navigation
Cons
Reaching deep settings inefficient
Each button does multiple things
Dedicated Buttons
Pros
Fastest, simplest access to features
Cons
Not easily extended with new features
Some buttons not required by some users
Novel Vertical Carousel
Pros
Faster, flatter navigation
Easily extended with new features
Cons
Reliability / cost concerns
ExistingDevice
The Main Navigation Paradigm
Benefits• Recognisable• Learnable / Logical• Efficient• Staged access to features• Extensible• All main features available
from main screen.
The Carousel
Good Design…
…Reflects Behavior
Daily Tasks OccasionalTasks
Rare TasksHome
Volume Sensitivity Detailed Hearing
Adjustments
SettingsHome /Environmnts
Check Status Setting Setting Setting Setting Setting Setting Setting Setting
Adjustments Adjustments Adjustments Adjustments Adj. Adj. Adj.
Adj.
Adj.
Adj. Adj.
Adj. Adj.Adj.
Adj.
Volume Sensitivity Detailed Hearing
Adjustments
SettingsHome /Environmnts
Check Status Setting Setting Setting Setting Setting Setting Setting Setting
Adjustments Adjustments Adjustments Adjustments Adj. Adj. Adj.
Adj.
Adj.
Adj. Adj.
Adj. Adj.Adj.
Adj.
Good Design…
…Informs Behavior
Sensitivity
Lessons…
Intuitivity Vs Efficiency
Innovation vs Change Management
InnovateIncrement
Pattern Matching…
Causing Problems
Suggesting Solutions
Setting Setting Setting Setting Setting Setting Setting Setting
Volume Sensitivity Detailed Hearing
Adjustments
SettingsHome /Environmnts
Check Status Setting Setting Setting Setting Setting Setting Setting
Adjustment Adjustment Adjustment Adjustment Adj. Adj. Adj.
Adj.
Adj.
Adj. Adj.
Moving From UI to UX
Keys to success
Audiologist SupportMaterials
+
The Right UI
Users
Training Audiologists as Testers
How1. Wrote 1st Protocol & Materials2. Conducted 1st Round Testing3. Bought Steve Krug’s Book4. Observed 2nd Round Testing5. Mentored6. Left them to rounds 3, 4 and 57. Were very responsive to results
Benefits• SMEs Become UX Evangelists• Impartial Validation• …yet still tight, respectful relationship
The Healthcare UX Formula
Patient Outcome =
Efficacy x Compliance
The Healthcare UX Formula
Compliance=
Efficacy x _________A whole bunch of complex human
factors
User Experience
Presenting Mock-ups at Target Size
Don’t do this…
…do this
Prototype, Prototype, Prototype!
• Paper
• Balsamiq
• Flowella (on Nokia & HTC)
• Keynote -> PDF on iPhone
• Sketchflow and Balsamiq on Windows tablet
• New code on existing Cochlear device
Conclusion
• It’s different• …but the same• Seek, understand, exploit patterns• Present at device size…on device…ideally prototype• Manage innovation and change• Balance intuitivity and efficiency• Test ideas (not just complete solutions) casually.
Matt [email protected]: @mattmorphett
Shane [email protected]: @shanemo
Rami [email protected]
Thanks
