Personal Experience
Just before
the paper prototype testing was very insecure what people are we going to meet
and how are they going to comprehend our proposal. I had some doubt, but after
the first test subject walked in I started to feel more confident. I believe
that the people we tested were going to feel a bit careful with what they say
in order not to offend our work. I got overall, sufficient results with the
“Catch up” application. There were things that the users did not understand and
they wondered what they were doing because they could not interact with the
prototype. This is reasonable, since it was a paper prototype.
In my
experience we needed a bit more time to be fully prepared. Our 3rd
prototype was done in a flash due to unexpected reasons. This is a variable
that we cannot predict but we know that it is out there in the future. The time
was not enough to interact with the users deeply enough to get what they feel
and think. There was a language barrier in some situations which was avoided by
simplifying words and sentences. Most of the applicants(mainly young people)
had an idea how to use the application but some had no clue what was going
on(mostly older people).
Questions
(Catch Up)
1)
Did he/she
try to type?
Yes – 0
No – 8
2) What do you think about type or click in this context?
Click - 7
Type - 1
Typing is more annoying and they try to avoid it if possible.
Participants stated that clicking is more convenient for them because it is
easier.
3)
What color gets your attention the
most? Why?
4xThe blue
color on the clock appeals to me the most. It feels more relaxing.
3x I like
the red on the Google maps. It is clear that it is important and the red color
is showing that.
1x I don’t
know. I don’t know why(smile).
4)
What would be easier click a date, to type a date or to use voice
command? Why?
2x Voice
command
- I like to speak
- I try to use voice command more
often
6x Clicking
- It is faster
- It is less involving
- I create the illusion that I am
going through the process faster.
- I don’t have to type or speak
5)
Did you like the pin the location
component? Why?
- I like the idea but I am not sure if
I know the map well enough.
- It is very cool.I like the
simplicity.
- I like that you can use your fingers
and not type.
-
I sometimes
don’t know where things are on the map. My orientation is very bad.
6)
Did you find the group selection
option at the end?
-
It was not clear to me how this worked.Well,I cannot
click on it and see what it is.
-
I think it has something to do with friends but I am
not sure how this works.
-
I guess this button does this….(Not sure what she is
doing.)
-
What is that?
7)
What detail in the prototype did you
like? Why?
-
I liked how you did not have to type, only click. I am
tired of typing.
-
I liked how you can pin the location very fast. It is
kind of new to me in an app.
-
I liked the clock idea. It is hard to use from first
glance but once you figure it out it is genius.(This one I got most)
8)
Will you use it for catch up
meetings? Why?
6 X No
-
I am used to What sup
-
I am not used to this app.I prefer Facebook
-
I don’t know if I would ever need to set an
appointment of the sort
-
I don’t set my appointment through an app I call.
2 X Yes
- It is in some way new.
- I really liked the idea that you
only click.
Receiver
1) Did he/she try to type?
8X No
0X Yes
2)
Do you think that a distinguishable
notification sound can help the user to understand the context before even he
looks at his phone? Why?
- I think that this is a great idea.
It will let me know before I even see what is going on in my phone.
- It will make the communication
easier.
- It will make me more aware of what
is going on.
3)
Is the message from Jessica clear and
easy to respond? Why?
All the
respondents answered YES!
- The massage is very clear. Straight
to the point.
- If I want to change the time what
can I do?
- It is pretty clear.
4)
Are you missing something in Jessica’s request (Design/Function wise)?
What?
- I don’t know, it seem fine to me.
- The part with the selecting friends
is not very clear.
- When you pin a location have the
opportunity to write as well.
- Put title at every new action.
5)
Did you like the end message and is
it clear that you have sent an answer?
All
participants answered yes.
This idea is Convenient
Inconvenient 1 2 3 4 5 Convenient
User mainly answered 4.
This idea is Easy
Not
at all No Bit
Yes Very Much
Difficult 1 2 3 4 5 Easy
All the
users except 1 stated 4 because the friends selecting needs to improve.
Pros about the prototype
Only click
action
Simple
response
Easy to
understand the program
Clock is
clever
Cons about the prototype
No swiping
Selecting
friends needs to be fixed
Add type a
location if possible
Show how
the clock works
Conclusion
In my
opinion the prototype testing went a bit more rushed than it had to be due to
minor time intervals. The results that we have gathered will help us to refine
our product and retest it with all the insights gathered from our previous
test. We would need more time and a better preparation, so that the users can
give us more accurate results. We would need to formulate a better test plan in
order to leave enough time for us to record in detail our findings. The ideas
we had appealed to the users and they found our concepts useful. In our next
testing it is maybe wise to use the RITE method described in the book Universal
Methods of Design. It will help us to adapt to the answers and refine the end
product before it is built.
