Part One: Interviews
For the first part of this design assignment, I headed out in Berkeley to interview some locals and find out more about their difficulties with mobile devices
Interviewee #1:
The first person I interviewed was a 25-year old woman working at Philz Coffee. Her phone usage mainly consists of texting, emailing, or using GPS. She normally keeps her phone in her purse, or if she doesn't have her purse on her, her back pocket. She usually carries around a big purse, which can make it difficult for her to find her phone quickly or in time to catch a call.
I asked her to take out her phone and show me what she usually does when she uses it. However, she told me she wasn't allowed to have her phone our, or even on her, when she was at work. This can be difficult for her, she said, especially when she's expecting an important phone call. During times like that, she has to tell her manager that she's expecting a call and quickly run out to take it when her phone rings.
I then asked her if she had ever thought of using a smart watch. She admitted to knowing about the concept of smart watches but had never thought about what it would actually be like to have one. One benefit of the smart watch that she really liked was the inconspicuousness of wearing it. She thought that it would be convenient to have because she wouldn't have to worry about holding her phone in her hand, especially when she was also carrying around a wallet, keys, coffee, etc.
When asked what she would like to use a smart watch for, she said that the most useful thing for her would be a GPS, specifically when she was driving or when walking around a busy area and she doesn't want to take out her phone . Another idea she was fond of was a Fitbit type app. She liked the idea of having an easily accessible device to keep track of her progress: calorie intake, calories burned, steps taken, etc.
I then asked her what would be the most practical usage would be while she was at work. She replied that it would be text or call notifications. Since she's not able to keep her phone on her person during work, whether she's brewing coffee or manning the register, she'd like to be able to see if anyone is trying to get in touch with her. In addition, she said that a notification would be enough, as she felt that a whole text would be too difficult to read on such a small screen.
For her interview, I learned that users like the subtlety of a smart watch. A smaller device on your wrist makes it less awkward to use publicly than actually holding your phone in your hand. I also learned that lots of retail workers, workers in the food industry, or workers have a lot of constant contact with customers aren't able to have their phone on their person while at work. This can be difficult when their expecting important calls. A smart watch would make it easier to get notifications of these calls and then they can step in the back quickly to take the call or make a note to get to it on their break.
Interviewee #2:
My second interview was with a 50-year-old man who enjoyed spending his free time doing carpentry or landscaping in his backyard. As an engineer, he spends most of his time in front of his computer or in meetings. He either keeps his phone in his pocket or on his desk next to him.
As I was interviewing him, his phone started ringing. However, he did not move to pick up his phone or even show any recognition that his phone was ringing. I quickly mentioned that his phone was ringing and that it might be important. It was -- his wife was calling him. After he took the call, he told me that missing phone calls happened a lot. He is partially deaf and finds it difficult to hear his phone ring or buzz, even if it was next to him. I immediately brought up the idea of a smart watch to him and he was very enthusiastic about it. He said that a smart watch that could notify him when he was receiving a call or text by vibrating would be extremely useful. That way, he could feel the notification, instead of having to listen carefully for one.
I then asked him to demonstrate how he uses his phone on a daily basis. As he took out his phone and proceeded to unlock it, I noticed that he typed in his passcode very slowly with one finger. It was a stark contrast to how younger users quickly swiped and typed to access their phone. He then decided to send out a text message. It did take him a while to remember where the texting icon was; his finger hovered over his screen for a few seconds before his finally found it and tapped the icon. When he opening his texting, he began to type out a message. I saw that he often mistyped letters. He said that it was a common issue for him. His fingers were larger and often caused him to mistype emails or texts. He recalled that he had received an iPod Touch several years ago, but had to give it to his daughter because his fatter fingers made it difficult for him to use. Taking a second look, I realized that he had a rather large android phone that provided him with a larger screen, which would make it easier for him to use.
When asked about a time he wanted to access his phone but couldn't, he responded that it happens every time he's in his backyard doing work. He spends his time after work on weekdays and his free time on weekends in his backyard doing yard work, landscaping, or carpentry. Due to the nature of these tasks, he's unable to keep his phone on him while he's working. He recalled that just last week, he was expecting a lumber delivery that was due to arrive on the weekend. However, he knew he would be in the backyard and wouldn't be able to hear the doorbell ring or when the delivery man called him. Therefore, he had to ask his wife to stay home all day in order to receive the delivery while he was out back. He concluded that if he had some way to get a notification that someone was at his door, he wouldn't have to have his wife stay home all day.
From my second interview, I learned that a smart watch may not be the most practical or easy to use device for some people. For example, my second interviewee would have a difficult time navigating a smart watch of typing on it, especially if he finds a full sized smart phone difficult. I noticed that both the first and second interviewee wanted a smart watch to give them notifications when they could not access their phone easily. It made me realize that most people just have difficulty having constant access to their phone and were worried about missing important calls, texts, or emails.
Interviewee #3:
My third interviewee was a 24-year-old dental student at UCSF and an avid runner. While she uses her phone mostly for texting and emailing patients, she also uses her phone during appointments to look up her patient's past medical history or patient information. Due to the nature of her work, she usually keeps her phone in her pocket so that she can quickly access it during appointments or when she was away from the clinic.
I asked her to demonstrate how she would normally use her phone at the clinic when she was with a patient. She proceeded to pretend to hold her dental tools. She had previously explained she needed her phone mostly to look up medicine and that whenever she need to do so, she had to put down her tools and pick up her phone. After picking up her phone, she had to unlock her phone, open up her browser, type in the medicine, and wait for the page to load. She said that having to do was was highly inconvenient and could look unprofessional, especially when with a patient. When asked to imagine performing the same task on a smart watch, she said that it would be easier than having to pull out her phone, but she wasn't quite sure how she was type in the medicine name. She suggesting being able to speak into the smart watch and having the watch recognize what she was saying and immediately look up the medicine for her.
She then proceeded to suggest more uses for a smart watch while in a clinic. She thought it was be amazing if a smart watch was able to create a transcript of her conversations with her patients. It can be difficult for her to write down everything she discusses with her patient quickly. Thus, a smart watch with the ability to transcribe her sessions would prove incredibly useful, especially is she doesn't have to hold it in order for it to work.
Further in our discussion, I asked her to look outside of her work at the clinic and think about when she wanted to access her phone but couldn't. She explained that she was an avid runner and was training for the Nike Women's Half Marathon that would take place in San Francisco in a few months. Whenever she runs, she doesn't want to have to carry her heavy phone with her, but she wants to be able to listen to music, keep track of notifications, and track her running distance, time, and pace.
From my third interview, I learned users doesn't want the hassle of having to carry around their smart phone phone in their hand when doing certain tasks. A smart watch would eliminate the hassle of holding a heaving phone, especially when exercising.
Part Two: Designing and Prototyping
Brainstorming Ideas:
1. CPR Counter: watch beeps at the rate you should be performing CPR and measures the depth at which you are pressing on the patient's chest.
2. Phone alerts linked to your house: notifications appear when the doorbell rings, an intruder breaks in, smoke or CO alarms rings, etc.
3.Transcribes notes: user can speak near the watch and it will transcribe everything being said.
4. Displays orders: workers at a establishment that takes order (fast food, coffee shops, etc) can use their smart watch to view upcoming orders and swipe to the right once an order is completed.
5. Running buddy: watch measures distance traveled, running pace, and duration of run.
6. Recipe book and instructions: users can look up recipes on their smart phone and the instructions are then displayed on the smart watch. Step-by-step instructions appear on the screen and the user can swipe to get to the next step.
7. 511 extension. Watch gives updates on the arrival time of the next bus.
8. GPS: users can look up directions on their smart phone and have them displayed on their smart watch. Every direction/turn is displayed step by step with arrows, distance, and the street name.
9. Translation: users can choose the language to be translated from and to. They can then speak into the watch and the watch will recognize what is being said and translate the speech.
10. Medical History library: allows doctors to look up patient history and medicines on their watch.
11. Swim Lap Counter: this waterproof watch allows swimmers to count their laps. Everytime swimmers touch the wall, the watch will add to the count.
12. Grocery List: create a list of groceries to buy on user's smart watch. When at the grocery store, the items will be grouped by categories for easy flow. Items will be displayed on watch and users can swipe to the right once the item has been picked up.
13. ID display: ID/card barcodes can be scanned into the watch so that when users have their hands full, they can easily scan their watch to get into buildings.
Rapid Prototyping the Initial Design:
I decided to create the grocery list app because a lot of different people would benefit from this. Users can sync their phone to the smart watch and access the app on both devices. The initial grocery list is created on the users phone before they reach the store. Users can then access the grocery lists they created once they reach their destination. The grocery store app for smart watch allows users to be hands-free and not have to balance holding their phone, pushing their cart, and picking up items.
The app is designed to be very simple with little components. When users access the app, they are directed to a grocery store list, through which they can access a specific list. This makes it easy for users to customize their grocery lists depending on where they're going and if they need to get specific things from different stores. After users choose a store, they are shown instructions for using the grocery list: swipe left to check off an item, swipe down to return to store list, hold item to skip. After than, each item on their list shows up individually. Users swipe left to indicate that the item is picked up or they can hold down on the item to skip it and move it to the end of the list. Any items skipped will appear again once they've gone through the list. At the end, there is a recap list that allows users to make sure they've gotten all of their items.
User Feedback:
User One:
1. This user really liked the simple layout of the app. She enjoyed that there weren't too many choices and there was an easy flow and movement.
2. She thought the highlights were confusing and didn't know what they meant. I had to explain that they were to simulate clicking on an item. As this was merely an initial prototype made of paper and cardboard, this was the best way to simulate that action
3. The instructors made sense to her and were easy to follow. There was a concern that the usage instructions would show up every time. If the app were actually made, I know that make sure that the instructions only show up when the user uses the app for the first time. Any subsequent uses would not show the instructions again.
4. She liked that at the end of the list, the app shows a reminder list that displays all of the items on the list. She often forgets to pick up items while she's shopping and doesn't realize it until she's back home. The user would have liked to be able to see all the items on one list earlier though.
5. The order of the list is concerning to this user. She gave the example of the garlic and milk. The two items are after one another in the list, but may not actually be near each other in the store. She disliked the flow of the list.
User Two:
1. This user liked being able to enter items into the list on her phone and view them later in the store on her watch.
2. She thought that the idea of being able to choose stores was pretty nifty, but rather unnecessary. She also liked the ability to skip items and bring that back at the end of the list.
3. The idea of swiping to the left to check off an item was interesting to her, but she preferred to see one whole list. She likes being able to see a universal view her list, rather than item by item.
4. This user uses the Safeway app when shopping to create a list of specific items available at Safeway and to accumulate coupons. This might not be the kind of app this user uses while grocery shopping.
5. She also commented on the usage instructions. She did not like having to view the instructions every time she used the app.
6. The instructions were a little small for her to read. She had to lean in closer and squint to read some of them.
Insights:
1. Make sure that the instructions only appear when the app is used for the first time, just like how there are introductions screens for the first time on phone apps.
2. Next prototype should include the option of viewing the grocery list as one whole list and have users scroll through or item-by-item and users swipe through. This allows for more options and users can decide which one they are more comfortable with and would find more useful.
3. Future prototypes should also allow users to incorporate coupons into their list, much like the Safeway app allows users to accumulate coupons that can be used in-store.
4. There should be a build in list organizer that categorizes items and rearranges the list by category. For example,the garlic and carrots would be next to each other on the list and milk and yogurt would appear after one another.
5. The instructions should be made shorter or the font bigger for ease of reading. Some users, especially older users or users who wear glasses, may find it difficult to read off such a small screen.
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