Week 13 Design Narratives primary persona

To be able to develop a successful scenario video (with good editing and meaning in sequence of content) I first had to explore 'A day in the life of Christina' and a 'Weekends with Christina'. This is based on her needs and characteristics that I mapped out earlier. I have used snapshots from the video-shoot to communicate my written design narrative in a more visual way.

Week 12 Final Design Platforms

The Networked information needs to be exchanged through a server, information is collected and sent between the specified group of radio's in the network. By using existing platforms as a host we can use these networks to connect the different users. Furthermore, the target audience is already familiar with these forums, thus making them a great starting point for promotion and brand recognition.

The next image is the IPhone Application Icon I design to accompany the product. The app will allow users to quickly access data about which friends are a part of the network and which radio-stations have been added as favorites (the ones that can be shuffled between).

Week 12 Users Needs Finalized - interconnectivity diagrams

MILESTONE:
Due to the broad range of users targeted by our design, I realized that the demographics and characteristics of the users are of a wide range and every user has a separate set of needs. Since the product entails connecting several users together a range of needs must be covered and considered simultaneously. Thus We took a universal design approach. The diagrams show how many of these overlap and how the product solves most of the needs.

 

I have been analyzing the user's information needs, input and output throughout the development of the project and here I have finally been able to present it in a logical and clear way. I have focused mostly on 'Christina' the main persona, but I have also included other target audiences such as shift-workers (elderly man, Paul) and teens (Lucy) in some of the diagrams.

Week 12 Final Persona - for Scenario video

This post maps out our primary users needs and characteristics again through the use of persona design.

Christina

Personality:

Keeps her mobile phone on her night stands and uses it as an alarm.  Never turns it off.

Invests in gadgets and things to make her life more convenient, but has a closet full of egg boilers and electric slicers that she doesn’t use. She tends to get kitchenware or appliances for Christmas, as her relatives know she enjoys making meals from scratch and hosting dinner-parties.

 She thinks it’s too time-consuming to dig the appliances out of her top cupboards. They are also annoying to clean, take up space and have to be plugged in the kitchen, which has a limited amount of plugs.

Characteristics:

Takes pride in her career.

She has a partner, but is not married.

Has a relative amount of disposable income. Enjoys spoiling her self with a few luxury products and weekends away, but is generally very careful with spending money.

Christina has a household budget, but sometimes she strays, as she is passionate about redecorating. She often buys interior design magazines.

Is used to having to sacrifice sleep and personal time to get projects done outside office hours.

Feel guilty for thing that ‘should’ have been done. Should of, could of, would of..

Finds it stressful trying to remember birthdays, meetings, and in-laws, work out, perfect house, husband, and life.

Feel a personal connection with acquaintances, colleagues, neighbours, and aunties. Stay in touch, occasional polite text/e-mail etc. Not being alerted or reminded when receiving e-mails, replying back late, feeling guilty.

Procrastinating due to a full plate, prioritising work and family life.

Keeps saying ‘We should catch up soon’, ‘We’re overdue for a coffee date’, but never have time to execute the plans.

Used to things happening around her all the time, constant buzz from TV, traffic, people etc.

Feels the house is quiet if she’s home alone enjoys listening to music in the background.

She’s got a short temper, and hates waiting for things, such as computers to start up or elevators.

She’s a part of a generation experiencing an information overload, and naturally filters most of the impressions and things that are happening around her.

Selective hearing and vision.

Action-reaction orientated.

Likes to keep up with new and trendy technology, but if something brakes down she either sends it in to costumer care or just buys a new one. She tends to loose receipts or forget to register her warranties.

She is generally organised and hates clutter, but has rarely time to clean and keep her house up to the standard she would like it to be.

She enjoys spending Sundays in bed, enjoying a calm day with little distractions. She is neglecting housework and obligations but enjoys having a mental break from all the stress.

She wishes she had the time and motivation to exercise more, and likes the idea of walking to work instead of catching the bus. However she chooses to catch the bus as it gives her the opportunity to catch up on e-mails and update her iPhone calendar to the tasks of the day.

Christina is a scorpio and very determined to succeed at what she puts her mind to.

She’s got a few good friends from work and Uni, but only hangs out with them as a group on special occasions, such as birthdays or long weekends. Apart from that she’s got two colleagues that she enjoys going to lunch with once a week.

She has been in a relationship with Lucas for 4 years and they are planning on getting engaged very soon. He works long hours as a supplies manager for a large electronics company.

Needs:

Feel connected.

Feel confident.

Used to interfaces and electronics, but does not want to learn yet another system.

Be efficient.

Be able to tune out and relax when at home.

Not feel like she’s having to do any more chores or have more responsibilities. She does not like to have to update her computer and do general maintenance, she would rather pay for the convenience.

Week 11 Input/Output Mapping

I have been trying to map out the input and output's associated with this product. After collaborating with the other girls I have developed the two following representations explaining how the user relates to the object. 

Week 11 Mockups and features

Before this week's group meeting Bec, Jo and I all developed our own mock-up models, so that we all could communicate our ideas and intentions. It was very useful to create mock-ups especially with regards to ergonomics and the gestural interactions associated with the bird. The model in the two first photographs has a  head that tilts back and forward. This is what we initially intended for volume control. However combined with the other gestures this was impractical. Furthermore it was very hard to adjust such a fine (yet important) element as decibels, especially due to the small radius of the neck's rotating wheel. I created the two following logo's for the product. We chose to use both, proving the diverse yet highly distinct, and recognizable form of the logo. This logo will be used for branding and promotional reasons.

This yellow and blue bird was created by Jo. As we can see on the bottom there is room for a usb port. The head rotates clock- and counter clockwise. The overall dimension is the closest to what we we aiming for out of all the models we created. This model was also good for testing haptic feedback as the body could be squeezed, yet still remain it's shape.

The picture on the left is an idea I had for a sparrow with a detachable head. When you want to turn the radio off you decapitate the bird. I thought this idea was a bit too far out there so we decided to move away from it. The image in the middle shows a 'model' I made to test out texture for the wings of the bird (should be able to be squeezed in for a tactile feedback). It is a balloon filled with flour, so when it is squeezed it takes the shape of the hand through the pressure applied. Similar to a memory imprint mattress. After testing this out we figured out that it is not suitable for its application as the pressure sensors inside the bird will have to register pressure, and this is quite challenging with a material like the one I was trying to mimic. The images underneath show two of Bec's models and my large owl model on the right. This scale was too large to be suitable as a portable radio and uncomfortable to interact with as the gestures would be too grand.

Week 11 Secondary User Persona - Paul (61)

MILESTONE: 

We have chosen to focus on several user-groups for our target audience. Instead of basing the market on a certain set of demographics, we are focusing on people with a certain set of needs. Primarily users who wish to connect to other individuals, due to limiting circumstances such as a busy lifestyle, being with stuck impersonal communication options(facebook, e-mail, texts etc) and being physcially restricted from staying in touch with others. Therefore the teens mapped out in the previous blog, and this shift worker are both included in the audience. Our primary user persona will be covered in a later blog (Christina).  

Week 10 Moodboards for other user groups

I investigated what role the radio traditionally plays in a home, aesthetically and emotionally. Furthermore I looked at two sets of distinct demographics we would like to cover in our target audience and what role a radio and music might play in their lives. Thus I developed mood boards.

Week 10 Users needs and Secondary User Persona- Lucy 19

MILESTONE:

By analyzing needs in a potential user group I have developed a pyramid showing the hierarchy of needs based on importance, the most highly valued features are on the top end of the scale. Underneath the diagram is an expanded version of the list. This and the next few blogs are going to cover three sets of demographically diverse user groups, starting with 'teens' covered below. 

Primary users needs, expanded list:

Lack of time to actively socialize

Know the state of close ones while busy working and unreachable

Connect with other friends while multitasking/chores

Share listening experience

Form network and be part of a group

Change music according to needs

Energy/mood

Listen to music with others

that are physically not present

Know the presence of important others

Communicate taste and mood

Change stations and volume

know that the other is there and listening to the same

Create new sharing experiences/ trigger good memories

never knows when the receiver reads them.

“I heard this song the other day’

Be able to zone out when wanted

Often she wishes she had more time to stay in touch with friends and acquaintances.

Immediate gratification

Great need for socializing when suits her

Adapting and customizing

Live feed/ Real time interaction

Learning patterns of behavior to create new experiences, personal inside info

Creating a memory through an event/environment

Know that he’s not alone at night when working

Inform others of songs/programs currently playing

Simple ‘interface’, get feedback of working object without delay

Know that the others have received your messages

Feedback when interacting

Being online and available and know that others are

let friends know she’s thinking of them, Guilt relief in the fact that others know she’s thinking of them

Dampening the feeling of stress

Not being annoyed with pending requests and ‘announcements’

Avoid having more obligations

Connecting in an unobtrusive way

Inviting interactions

Use a simple instrument to tune in to friends moods

Not having to plug the device in at a central location

Not having to keep updating or programming

Being able to move around the house while doing chores

Not having to keep an eye on a stationary screen

Having a device that supplements activities

Cordless and portable solution

Visible day and night, not affected by time

Fit in most environments

With Wifi, indoors/outdoors

Object that doesn’t disturb others

Not having to interact when working, but able to when wanted

Not disturbing family/friends, careful approach to contact

Not being restricted ( to a comp), not a static position, move with object

Having hands free for other interactions

Not need phone-credit or get a large bill as result of usage

Avoid misunderstandings  - Limited amounts of interpretations

Can choose not to engage, thus not inappropriate time of day

Set up once, then only a physical, simple interface

Avoid information overload, simply a listening experience

Form selective network, no external pollution

Not disturbing others as alerts are non- intrusive

Must have a logical, straightforward interaction, minimize confusion, not having to attempt to understand a new system.

No required language

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