Design Assignment 1.2

A list of 12 design improvement ideas, and documentation of prototyping/interviewing a user with the prototype.

I collaborated with Rahul Joshi on the idea generation.

Idea 1. Wave hand/snap fingers over phone to wake it up from sleep mode.

Idea 2 [I chose this]. Allow bluetooth call handling (phone in your pocket rings, pick up on your laptop). Talk to your friend through laptop speakers which transmit automatically to your phone. Enable whenever phone/laptop are in bluetooth range and you're actively using the laptop.

Idea 3. Have voice recognition for call pickup (phone rings, you say "pick up" to pick up and "end call" to stop the call. Phone listens for these hotwords)

Idea 4. Add simple voice commands (like "take a selfie" or app names like "facebook"); phone passively listens for any hotwords, as defined by user/defaults, and responds to them.

Idea 5. Phone uses geolocator to drop and store various locations (for example, car's location in parking lot). Store and name these pins; configure notifications or directions to/from these pins.

Idea 6. Screen mirroring (tablet to PC for instance, if a graphic designer). Allows you to start working on a design on your PC, then maybe bring it to someone else to show them seamlessly on your tablet.

Idea 7. Voice transcription of phone orders for restaurants, automatic bluetooth display of order once confirmed. Allows the restaurant to place and show the order to cooks just by the user saying it on the phone.

Idea 8. Instant contact sharing via NFC/bluetooth with other phones; touch phones with someone you've met, confirm permissions, and they instantly friend you on facebook, linkedin, get your phone number, email address, etc.

Idea 9. Integrated identity verification (front door, car door etc. all unlocked by your phone). Carry just your phone instead of car keys, door keys, garage opener, etc.

Idea 10. Automated magnification of lenses via voice control (for watchmakers or others who use microscopes or do fine detail work, like in electronic chips).

Idea 11. Parse text messages, etc. for contact info and addresses automatically (pop up a button that would open directions in Maps for example). If a friend sends you an address have an option to instantly navigate to it within the messaging app.

Idea 12. Have a smart doormat that, when it detects someone is standing in front of the door and the user is away from home, automatically informs the user and sends them a stream from a smart camera embedded into the door. Tells users who is entering their house and when.

Idea 13. Embed sensors into high-end running shoes that, via vibration, heat sensitivity, etc. detect when a shoe is nearing the end of its operational life and informs the user. Can also measure amount run, calories burned, etc. as is already done.

Idea 14. Allow chairs to adjust posture, angle, height, etc. based on user weight/height, time of day, user posture, body heat, detected sleeping, etc.

I asked the user to read briefly over the storyboard, and explain what they thought was happening. He was able to correctly identify the bluetooth being used, and that the user would be picking up their phone from their computer. However, he thought this would be an app (instead of an automated phone connection between laptop/phone built into the way the phone handles calls). 
He said that the idea was interesting and would be useful if implemented properly. He had two main concerns, however. The first was whether this would be a good idea for users who were not wearing headphones - there would be no privacy in the call and it might be annoying to have the popup on one's screen when one intends to answer on the phone anyway.
The second was about the security of the call itself - if bluetooth was being used, whether others could listen in on the call by intercepting packets. This could be easily fixed by encrypting the packets via some RSA fingerprint previously configured between laptop and phone by the user. 
Finally, he expressed concerns about whether this could properly be implemented between various different phone OS's and computer OS's and whether compatibility would be an issue. Otherwise, he said, he'd definitely use an application or interface like this and he said it would be useful when working.

Design 1.1 Text: 

Design Assignment 1.1

Rohit Mukherjee

CS 160

1st Interview: Interviewed my Asian American studies professor. It’s her first year teaching again; she previously worked with organizations to help further Asian Immigrant women’s rights. She had previously complained about adapting to the new bcourses system, and other troubles with the new technology she needed to get used to to teach so I decided that she’d be a prime candidate to interview.

Upon being asked what her general problems were with these systems, she says, “For[young people], you grow up around these technologies and so it’s easy to use. But the learning curve is very hard for me. I’m not used to all these technologies. And there are [a bunch of] different pages, like bcourses, bspace; I don’t know which is which”.

She also said that she’s had to adapt very quickly because she just started teaching. “This is my first year teaching so I have to learn all these new things, and it’s hard to know which one is which. There’s a lot of jargon, like discussion on bcourses is the forum on bspace, and luckily I found something which told me what each of these things meant.”

In general, she expressed frustration at the variety and complexity of systems that are essentially required to be mastered for her job, and how confusing these systems can be for first-time users. She said there’s very little introduction/tutorial material for these systems, but what is there is very useful.

2nd Interview: Interviewed a manager of a local restaurant. He’s actually stepping in for his daughter, but is familiar with the business. He, like the professor, has had to deal with increasing use and necessity of technology. “It’s not even about cost efficiency. It’s just that if you want to keep up with other businesses, and you know, for information, you need to use these new devices. And the growth, it’s [exponential] - things are changing so fast, and every few years they break another [technological] barrier.” He also talked about how even though he himself works heavily with technology in his main job as a tech consultant, he also has trouble keeping up. “With the old methods, things are too hard. Like keeping track of records with a pen and paper for the IRS - it’s much easier to use this technology. But you have to learn it, to bring it in, and then you have to understand it. It’s difficult, and many people don’t want to learn it.”

In essence, he said many people, including himself, simply have no choice but to try and keep up with the technological learning curve, and the development of these devices which he calls “exponential”. The trouble he has with most tech is not the tech itself, but the rate at which it expands.

Conclusion: In conclusion, both of these people have, for better or worse, been forced to accommodate and learn at a significant pace because of their jobs. They seem to share a willingness to learn but a frustration and difficulty with how fast things change, and how many different things they need to learn. Both also pointed out that the younger generation easily grasp technology, as we’ve grown up surrounded with it. When I asked for the second interview, the manager (above) pointed out his son and said, “You ask him. He’s the expert.”