Mmmmmm snow

Mmmmmmmm again, Christmas in New York. I can taste the snow already!

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5GB free webspace

http://www.tekcities.com/

I found this site today that offers users a free mmbership and 5GB of webspace. I read some reviews and people seem pretty happy with it. I'm going to give it ago and used it to host my new website, which should be up and running sometime in the near future.

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Production Process: Website Analysis

Production Process
This is the new module we started last week with Stuart, which came as a bit of a shock. I think everyone felt the same way, expecting it to be a lecture with Debbie. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to attend the lecture that morning. However, I got the brief and information from collectively true the guys in the class and from reading the updated posts on the blogs. You gotta love these things!!

As a result from the lecture, we were ask to complete the first part of the brief, which is what I’ve covered in the two documents at the end of this post:

Imaginet.doc
http://www.imaginet.co.uk

Beryl Productions.doc
www.berylproductions.co.uk

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User Centered design Brief: Three

To compile and present a powerpoint presentaion based on the UCD Brief One and UCD Brief Two
As usual, im nervous when it comes to presentations but i think this one went well.

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User Centered design Brief Two

BA/BSC(H) Design For Interactive Media (Top Up)
Module: User Centered design
Brief: 2
By: Raymond O’Brien
Student Number: 05002100
Date: 14/11/05

The Discounted Usability Engineering method(DUE).
This method was developed by Jakob Nielsen to be a cost effective usability method that companies can use during the design process to evaluate a product design or redesign during the development of the product.

The DUE is based on simplistic tasks on thinking and conversing about a product aloud and heuristic evaluations based on a low low-fidelity prototype of the actual redesign i.e. sketches, storyboards or mock-ups. The thinking aloud section is based on a standard ‘user to interface’ usability test conducted on a small scale. Between 3 and 5 users is the recommended amount of users for the test. Each user is asked to interact with the product and evaluate a scenario task by the use of a questionnaire.
Each user is asked to rate their experience in a quantifiable manner with regards to a list of questions formulated for a scenario. There has being no time limit set for the completion of the task required by the scenario, but time required to complete the task will be recorded for further studies.

The questionnaire to be filled accompanies this paper.

The scenario decided to evaluate for this paper is:
Turning on the camera to capture a photograph using the new Digital mode and LCD Preview Screen and to save the image to a computer using the FireWire connection.
The scenario chosen has been depicted by a comic book style storyboard with dialogue/narration.


Who are the users of the product:
- Professional Photographers
- novices
- hobbiest
- anyone with a requirement to visually record a scene

What is the product to do intially:
- To take photographs
- Visually record scenes and instance, both motion and static
- To capture these images to both film and digital memory


Table Of Results Collected From Questionnaires:
Subject 1 Subject 2 Subject 3
Time To complete task 60 70 140
Number of errors made none None 3
Amount of assisted requests None 1 2
Attitude After Completing task Positive Positive Nuetral

The 3 users selected for the testing of the product were taken from different backgrounds with regards having used an SLR camera before. One user had never interacted with a digital camera before. This was interesting to add to the evaluation to discover how the camera would affect an unfamiliar user. The overall outlook of the test is positive. Everyone was able to complete the task. Subject 3 required 2 minor assists and encountered two errors which were revealed as human errors, i.e. pressing the wrong button by accident. The user required some assistance in utilizing the track wheel and seemed to be nervous while capturing an image. These I believe are minor human related issues that cant be prevented.

As a result, the usability test failed to report back any major faults or issues. Each user, once comfortable with the interface completed the task with minimal assistance required by an expert. The issue of the human error regarding the track wheel I feel can be let go without redesign. It has been proved to be a very effective menu navigation tool on many platforms. This incident I believe is due to unfamiliarity with similar systems and could be disregarded as a usability issue worthy of attention.

However, subject 3 made an interesting observation about connecting the camera to a computer for image transfers. The subject suggested to have a wireless system implemented. Bluetooth would be a suitable candidate for this operation. However, the issue against Bluetooth in this context is ‘transfer speeds’. FireWire is much more suitable for professional demands regarding speed and efficiency. That doesn’t mean Bluetooth could not provide other implications for the use of this product.

Conclusion
In conclusion of the User Test, I have decide that there is no major issues that warrant a further redesign. Bluetooth would be an interesting addition to this camera but is not a necessary one.

I think personally that, sometimes it is good for a company to space out redesigns and additions of new utilities. If a company that releases a product that contains everything a user needs then, that user would have no reason to upgrade for a considerable amount of time. If the company slowly releases new updates and redesigns it keeps the consumer interested and would encourage the user to upgrade to the latest product and in turn provides consistent revenue for the company. After all, business is business!



A heuristic evaluation of the camera:
“In general, heuristic evaluation is difficult for a single individual to do because one person will never be able to find all the usability problems in an interface. Luckily, experience from many different projects has shown that different people find different usability problems. Therefore, it is possible to improve the effectiveness of the method significantly by involving multiple evaluators.” Nielsen.

A heuristic evaluation of a product is preformed, by having each individual user/evaluator inspect the interface by performing a particular task. The thoughts and comments from each user are then composed on paper, in a questionnaire for example. After which, the findings and results are then aggregated together to create an overall view on the usability of the product.


In heuristic evaluation there are ten main principles or “heuristics” to be considered when evaluating a product.
1. Visibility of system status
There are two feedback screens on the camera. One on the top left and one on the back(the LCD Preview Display). Both give an indication of what is happening with the camera, for example, the level of battery life, what mode the camera is in (digital or analogue), what settings are selected and at what level, etc. The LCD Screen provides a much more effective a vast degree of feedback to the user. It allows the user to view the scene and sample how different settings affect the result of the photograph.

2. Match between system and the real world +
3. Aesthetic and minimalist design
The User interface is designed to be metaphorical and as close to real life as possible to limit the level of confusion with regards to the interaction between the user and the camera. Buttons, symbols, texts menus, etc are designed for even the most novice of users to be capable of utilizing the camera without any great difficulty or confusion. The digital menu interface I designed around the popular “Apple iPod”, said to be the user-friendliest interface in existence. The simplicity of the interface I personally think is a key point for the great success of the iPod. Menus are titled with basic word descriptions such as: Digital mode on/off
Aperture Settings
Shutter Speed
Film Speed
Etc,
The titles are self-explanatory and for further information each, a manual will be available, however the target audience desired for this product are expected to have a simple prior knowledge in Photography and would be aware of these titles and their meanings.

4. User control and freedom
In my new user interface designed to be as user-friendly as possible I have designed an easy fix option. It allows the user to reset an individual menu, for example “Aperture Settings” to its factory settings. However, in this interface there isn’t really a lot of damage that can be caused to the usability of the product by the user. The system behind the user interface is shielded by the interface itself. The only options the user has to alter are those settings required to take a photograph and where to save it.

5. Error prevention
The only possible error that can occur when using the camera is burning the photograph to film when not desired. So to reduce the risk of this happening there is a series of confirmation screens asking the user are they sure they wish to complete this task. The user initially is given the choice of operating in digital or analogue mode as is again ask to confirm the mode the select. Confirmation menus are a strong medium for preventing user errors. If the user accidentally chooses to burn the image to burn the image to film, there is no return. It is a permanent process that cannot be undone

6. Consistency and standards
In the redesign of the interface I made careful considerations to keeping the visual aspects consistent and the same as all canon camera, i.e. the previous model previous to this redesign. This will ensure that at least, previous canon users would benefit from the consistency. “Users should not have to wonder whether different words, situations, or actions mean the same thing. Follow platform conventions.”

7. Recognition rather than recall
The camera itself remembers settings that the user chooses and alters even when the camera is powered off.

8. Flexibility and efficiency of use
Carried over from the previous design are certain preset environment scenarios such as, “sports mode”, “portrait”, “automatic”, etc. This allows the user to have saved scenarios for faster activity.

9. Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors
The error messages designed for this redesign include:
Battery Level Low
Battery Empty – Charge Battery
Flash Memory Card Full – Erase – Cancel
Insert Flash Memory – Cancel
Insert 35mm Film - Cancel
Film Door open – Close Film Door
“Error messages should be expressed in plain language (no codes), precisely indicate the problem, and constructively suggest a solution.”

10. Help and documentation
It was thought that the redesign of this product was considered user friendly and hence there is no manual included in the consumer product. However, there will be user-friendly manual composed of Technical descriptions and scenarios and human centered stories to exemplify any usability issues a user may have with the camera.

Bibliography:

1. Jakob Nielsen, “How to Conduct a Heuristic Evaluation,”
http://www.useit.com/papers/heuristic/
http://www.useit.com/papers/heuristic/heuristic_list.html
http://www.useit.com/papers/heuristic/heuristic_evaluation.html

2. Norman, D.A., 2001. The Design of Everyday Things. MIT Press.

3. Norman, May 1999. Affordance, Conventions and Design
http://www.jnd.org/dn.mss/affordance_conventi.html

4. Nielsen, J. (1993). Usability engineering. Boston: AP Professional.

5. Georg Strøm, The Reader Creates a Personal Meaning, British HCI Conference 2005

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User Centered design Brief One

BA/BSC(H) Design For Interactive Media (Top Up)
Module: User Centered design
By: Raymond O’Brien
Student Number: 05002100
Date: 07/11/05

When redesigning a product you have to first look at the product in question. The product is a Snapshot 35mm Film camera by canon. The original features of this camera were discussed during the first part of this project in the “Design for Interaction module”. However I have supplied a fully featured technical specification sheet with this document.

Having previously used and analyzed the camera I have made a list of new functions and features I would like to implement and add to the camera. Today, everybody seems to be moving digital. In photography, people want to be able to edit the image to improve detail or quality of the image (reducing red eye), etc. However, there is still an on going argument into whether digital photography is equal or not as professional as standard 35mm film. Therefore I propose making the canon EOS 55 a semi digital camera. This means it can cater for both types of users and therefore maximizing target audience.

In redesigning anything, you have to be aware of what is possible, what will be successful and what will be cost effective for bought the manufacture and consumer. Also, a major requirement for any product, it has to at least fulfill its primary function. For this, the primary function of a camera is to capture images from life. The redesign I have in mind hopefully open up more options for this goal, and to simplify the tasks required performing this action (Normans Action Cycle).

Functional Requirements of the Camera:
- Capture Standard Photograph
- Capture Digital Photograph
- Capture 15mins Digital Video
- Image Storage on Flash memory
- To Accept any 35mm Film
- To have Acceptable Battery Life
- To have a Batter Recharge Facility
- The ability to switch between Digital and analogue modes.
-

Non-Functional Requirements:
- Cost Effective
- Light Weight
- Portable
- User Friendly (e.g. Simplistic Metaphors that don’t confuse users, Error Handling, etc)
- Aesthetic.



To begin by redesigning this camera into a semi digital camera I want to list out a few elements that are included in standard digital cameras. I began by comparing this camera with my housemate’s camera and established differences and also looking at digital SLR cameras on the canon website:
- LCD Preview Display
- Flash memory card for storage
- Video Capabilities
- USB Data Connection
- Size
- Lack of Button options

LCD Preview Display
So, I would like to begin by adding an LCD Preview display. This I think would be a handsome added feature. It would give the user and easier view opposed to looking through the eyepiece viewfinder. It would also allow for a more user friendly interface for changing setting, for example, aperture, shutter speed, colour settings, etc. All of these setting would be accompanied by a preview mode on the LCD Display which, would gives the user a inclination of what the image would like under different settings. The screen has to be large enough for an average person to comfortably interact with and utilize. 3inchs by 2inchs I think is the maximum it could measure due to space requirements on the camera itself.

The LCD screen will have it own power button located to the side of it. This will be to allow users to decide or have the option to turn the feature on and off when desired. Some people may be uncomfortable with using this feature constantly because it will be a drain on the battery. The cultural convention of an LCD display screen on the back of a camera always indicates that this camera has digital capabilities. The user knows that it can see either a menu interface or the same image that can be seen through the viewfinder eyepiece. I think the display screen on a camera has become a metaphor in itself. It resembles a window and user looks through it to see what is on the other side. The LCD also would comply with Normans design principle, Feedback. The Screen provides feedback on what the settings are being used and what the result is.

Storage: Flash Memory, 1 Gigabyte
I've decided that I would like to purpose a Flash memory card in this redesign as I think it would be a handy feature. People would be capable of saving high quality images to the flash card or use the 35mm film feature. Giving the user a choice between the both would be economical. Personally I find using a digital camera reduces the cost of development immensely and also reduces the quantity of unsuccessful images captured (You can view the image on the preview screen and decide to delete it from the memory). So I predict this feature will allow the user to take test shots and see what settings work best to the situation. When the user discovers the shot he or she desires, he or she can switch to the 35mm film capture option to take the official shot. I would also like to add an extra function requirement to this feature:
- When the user captures and image to the flash memory, the user can then have the camera print that image onto the 35mm film without having to re-shoot the image.
The user can use the flash memory to bring the images quickly and easily to computer for sharing and editing.

Input/ Output
Standard Digital cameras come with USB2.0 connections ready. I purpose upgrading this feature to FireWire and FireWire 800, as it is currently the fastest form of file transfer. I want to include both connections, as standard FireWire is more widespread than FireWire 800. This connection can be used for transferring files directly from the camera to a computer or even to a printer that is design to print directly from cameras and is equipped with FireWire. I feel USB isn’t fast enough to cater for professional users needs.

A fancy extra feature that could be availed by using FireWire is the ability to charge the cameras battery, similar to how the Apple iPod charges. The camera will use the standard 2x CR2 battery so that the user can replace the battery instead of recharging it.

Philosophy
As a rule, I personally disagree with anyone who would reinvent the wheel, if it works leave, it alone. This is why I chose not to change the mental model on which the camera is currently based. I would rather that the user could pick up the camera and begin using it without any great difficulty. The camera is going to look and feel like a standard camera. Its learning required for base users will be very limited and professionals who have used other SLR cameras will feel at home especially if they are familiar with the canon interface, although it is very similar to most other brands of photographic equipment.

Bibliography
1. Norman, D.A., 2001. The Design of Everyday Things. MIT Press.
2. Norman, May 1999. Affordance, Conventions and Design http://www.jnd.org/dn.mss/affordance_conventi.html
3. Nielsen, J. (1993). Usability engineering. Boston: AP Professional.
4. Non Functional Requirements, http://www.csee.umbc.edu/courses/undergraduate/345/spring04/mitchell/nfr.html

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Home Automation & Control

ibbd are a crowd using Digital Media and wireless technology in the home to control and utilise everything from a central point. Just like the Jetsons!

ibbd

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Meet you at the coffee house!

Wow, How is cool is this one time offer? Getting to go to New York for a week this January for £450!!!

Definitly have to make a list of things to do:
Check out any rock and metal gigs on at the time,
Maybe check a real NHL match,
Basketball game?
Baseball game?
Buy a Digital SLR- could be cheap!
Oh, guess i should do some educational stuff too. Amm, right, do some research on what design house i can find, check out some photography studios and get in touch with Film production companies and animation studios.

I can't wait, even just the experience of seeing New York will be amazing. Although, im not too please with the over 21 drinking laws... Oh sure, we'l give it a go!!

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WoW time is fast.....

Friday again, time here is really moving quickly. I mean it’s almost Christmas already! Debbie gave us another lecture on research and research techniques. She kindly gave us a new brief to choose 3 research papers on any topic that proves interesting us and critique one. Its like the critique I did on Georg Strom, User creates its own meaning, Textual Descriptions.

I began looking for Research papers on google and it’s proving difficult to find any that are viewable for free. For my area of research, I'm picking the topic of using 3D visualisation in GUI Design for systems, applications and even Websites.

I think that choosing this area to study for this brief will be useful on an idea for my Personal Project.

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3D Fluid

 

RealFlow website

RealFlow is a small add on program for 3D Studio max. It makes creating animated fluids in 3D very easy.
You create the fluid and animation in real flow and import it into 3Dsmax or maya and apply a texture. Its fun and easy to use!

check it out

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SAW 2 is so good!!!!

Saw 2 is both cleaver, well directed and Scarey as shit!

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SodaPlay

Today we were visited by Matt Gould, Head of Learning Development for Soda. He gave us a insite to what soda are all about. He showed us previous projects done by the group. Soda is very much a research and development group. The product Matt showed us today was a revivied after a mass interest and complaints from their ISP's about exceeding the allowed bandwith!.

Soda play is a drawing java application aimed at the education enviroment. It allows users to create bones and muscles using lines, dots and wave forms.

Recently, sodaplay has become a massive community on the internet.

Keep an eye out for futhur developments and app's by these guys!

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