Mobile HCI IS 698/800

Spring 2013Shaun Kane

Week 9: Audio / nonvisual interfaces

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Today• App/paper talks• Back to paper prototyping

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Admin• Grades for A1, G1-G2 back (by email)

Friday 5pm– Or everyone gets an A– Read them already, in general good– A2: back in 2 weeks or everyone gets an

A (and feedback)

• Moved back A3/G3 deadlines for paper prototyping time today

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Events tomorrow• Talk: Elliot Cole, Institute for

Cognitive Prosthetics, http://brain-rehab.com

• ITE 404, 1:30-2:30pm

• IS/HCC Research Competition• ITE 4th floor, 2:30-3:30pm

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For next week• Video editing lab, 5:30-7 in ENGR 005b

• Project group: does someone in your group have an iDevice?

• Bring it (and cables) to class• Record 3 minutes of video (talking about

your project)– I’ll provide demo video but no tech support

after

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Presentations• Mohammed on KitCam• Papers: Rose, Mel, Curtis

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Break

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Paper prototyping• A brief introduction

• (Some slides from Amy Hurst, IS 403)

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Why prototype?• Show an example of what the

interface might be like• Generate/explore different options• Proof of concept “in real life”• Find problems before • Get feedback from stakeholders,

peers, etc• Don’t have time to build the real

thing

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What makes a good prototype?

• As close to reality as possible• Quick and cheap to make• Easy to change• Tied to requirements/goals/use cases• Clearly illustrates the main idea• Simple, overly complex, focused• Designed with user in mind

What makes a bad prototype?• Not legible, can’t tell what’s going on• Takes too much time• Difficult to change/unwilling to change

Horizontal vs. Vertical

Horizontal“thin” prototype

Vertical“thick” prototype

Horizontal vs. Vertical• Horizontal Designs

– First level of user interface is fully present– No, or limited, functionality (but looks complete)– Fast implementation– Full extent of interface can be tested, but not in a real-

use context– Often does not capture the interaction “feel”

• Vertical Designs– Restricted to a subset of the system– This subset offers the interface and functionality– Can undertake realistic testing

Fidelity• Designers create prototypes at

multiple levels of detail, or Fidelity

• Example: Web sites are iteratively refined at all levels of detailSite Maps Storyboards Schematics Mock-ups

Low HighFidelity

Fidelity Example

Fidelity in Prototyping• Low Fidelity

– Quickly made representations of interface, interaction is imagined

• Medium Fidelity– Prototypes that are more finalized than low fidelity,

simulate interaction• High Fidelity

– Prototypes that look like the final product, build interaction elements

• In this class, we focus on low prototyping – get the ideas across

What is this device?

A prototyping tale…Anyone know what

this device is?

The Apple Newton• First significant PDA (1993)• Handwriting recognition

built into it!

• Huge failure on the market. – Too big and heavy to carry– Too slow to run most

applications– Handwriting detection was

not very accurate

Redesigning the Newton• After failure of the Newton, two of its

inventors left Apple to design a new device and used techniques from all areas of HCI.– Identified that the Newton failed because it was

too big and too slow. – Focused on exploring the form of the device

through “block of wood prototypes” which Jeff Hawkins carried around to decide what the correct form should be.

– Redesigned the hardware specifications so it would fit with the smaller form.

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Low Fidelity Prototyping

Why Use Low Fidelity Prototypes• Traditional methods take too long

– Sketches -> prototype -> evaluate -> iterate• Can simulate the prototype

– Sketches -> evaluate -> iterate– Sketches act as prototypes

• Designer “plays computer”• Other design team members observe and record

• “Kindergarten” implementation skills.– Allows non-programmers to participate

Low Fidelity Prototyping• Uses a medium which is unlike the final medium, e.g. paper, cardboard represent software

– Quick, cheap and easily changed– Support the exploration of alternative designs and ideas– Best in early stage of development and not intended to be final product

• For exploration ONLY: concepts, look and feel, iron out usability issues early on• Examples

– Sketches of screens, task sequences, etc– “Post - it” notes– Storyboards

Low Fidelity Prototypes• Paper Prototypes

– Paper mock-up of the interface look, feel, functionality

– Quick and cheap to prepare and modify• Purpose

– Brainstorm competing representations– Elicit user reactions– Elicit user modifications / suggestions

Low Fidelity Prototypes• Sketching is important to low fidelity

prototyping• Don’t be inhibited about drawing

ability, practice simple symbols• Develop your own symbols and icons

People Computer Interactions

Paper Prototyping Rules• Set deadline (don’t want to use too much

time)• Draw window on large paper• Draw different screen regions on index

cards and them put on the window paper• Ready responses for any user action

(“magic mouse” can make anything a link)• Photocopy to make test version• Test and iterate

Index Cards• Index cards (3”x5”)… a great size!• Each card represents one screen or

one element of a task• Great for software prototypes with

multiple screens– Website design– Mobile devices– Windows of software

Index Cards (Example)• Include enough detail for users to

interact with the prototype

Make a Low Fidelity Prototype• This example gives an

overview of the layout without any detail - a good starting point

• Numerous alternatives can be quickly created without worrying about details

• Should be produced in pencil (so you can easily change it)

• Should be hand-drawn (rulers take too much effort)

Is this a good low fidelity prototype?An example of a “tidy” prototype

– More difficult to change this prototype than hand drawn sketches (even if you use a fancy drawing package)– It is highly unlikely that the first (or 2nd, or 3rd, or 4th) designs will be completely correct– Designs that are hard to amend, won’t be amended.– No benefit over the hand-drawn sketches, just took longer to make, and less likely to get good feedback– Do you really want to make one of these for all 10 of the designs you want to evaluate?

Prototype at the right fidelity!!!

WRONG!!

Make a Low Fidelity PrototypeOnce you like your

layout, you can focus on details of the design– example data values,

menu content, buttons, labels, etc

– More specific layout of interface objects

– You can even annotate your paper prototype!

Fancier Low Fidelity PrototypesOnce the details are ironed out, you can create your interface “toolkit”

– Cut out each of the components (windows,dialogs,menus,etc) into it’s own window

• These can be used to dynamically simulate the entire interface following a storyboard, or flow.

Useful Low Fidelity Tools• Large, heavy, white paper• Index cards• Tape, stick glue, correction

tape• Pens & markers (many

colors and sizes)• Large sheet of foam core,

poster board, butcher paper• Scissors, X-acto knives• Band-aids

Explore your local art store for supplies!

Low Fidelity Advantages• Can “build” entire site quickly• No expensive equipment required• Can simulate almost anything• Anyone can implement prototypes

– Anyone can participate in your design process!• Fast iterations: # iterations has positive

impact on quality of final design.– Always want to explore multiple ideas, so you

don’t fall into “Local Maximum”

Low Fidelity Disadvantages• Not detailed enough to implement from• Need to be facilitated when presented to users• Does not address issues that arise from implementation• Some interactions are hard to simulate with paper

• dragging, pull down menus, selections • system speed/latency

• Form is not always clear• device size• ergonomics• appearance

• Can be a barrier to spend the effort to create prototypes

Summary: Low Fidelity Prototypes• Traditional methods take too long,

can do in a few hours• No expensive equipment required• Can simulate almost anything• Anyone can implement• Fast iterations: # iterations has

impact on quality of final design.

Wizard of Oz• A method of testing a system that

does not exist yet• Example: a system that transcribes

text.

What the user sees The Wizard

Wizard of Oz• Human “Wizard” simulates system

response– Interprets user input according to an algorithm– Controls computer to simulate appropriate

output– Uses real or mock interface– Wizard sometimes visible, sometimes hidden

• “pay no attention to the man behind the curtain”

What is this good for?Test ideas that would be hard to build prototypes of e.g. complex human-like reasoning

– Artificial intelligence systems

– Medical diagnosis could be simulated with a doctor “wizard”

Adding simulated and complex vertical functionality

Testing futuristic ideas

Wizard of Oz Examples• Intelligent Agents

– Person trained to listen to mobile user and wait for them to ask a question, when question is asked, they do a Google search, and give them result

– Shows us how people would use the system, and helps understand what the intelligent agent should do.

• Mobile devices

Prototyping Examples• Roll Call: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

jQnfcJ8jZaU• Pieces of paper as overlays:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykJ60H4Qkvg&feature=related• Cell phone testing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bq1rkVTZLtU&feature=related• Prototype usability testing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7oPR2aTGlM&feature=related• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_g4GGtJ8NCY• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wQkLthhHKA

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Testing paper prototypes• Takes 3 people (ideally):

– The user– Someone to take notes / describe tasks– Someone to be the “brain” of the prototype– This is sometimes known as “Wizard of Oz”

prototyping

• Give users structured tasks and activities

• Be ready to put together new screens on demand

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What makes a good paper prototype• Has enough features to test

• Clear / easy to read

• But not too polished

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Activity today• Get started on paper / low fi

prototypes for your project

• 20 minutes: sketch out paper prototype– Brainstorm tasks to test

• 10 minutes: introduce to other group, walk through it