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Skype Now: Report Service Design Be in the moment. Together. Ezgi Sabir Martijn van den Broeck Thuy Nguyen Umeå Institute of Design 2015
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Page 1: Report Service Design Skype Now: Be in the moment. Together. · In synced moments people can share, re-live and be in the moment together, even though these moments happen at different

Skype Now:Report Service Design

Be in the moment. Together.

Ezgi SabirMartijn van den BroeckThuy Nguyen

Umeå Institute of Design 2015

Page 2: Report Service Design Skype Now: Be in the moment. Together. · In synced moments people can share, re-live and be in the moment together, even though these moments happen at different

Project report of course 5ID079 Service Design30 ECTS credits

MFA Programme in Interaction Design 1Umeå Institute of Design, Umeå University

In collaboration with Skype, London

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Abstract 1Research 2Ideation 5Experience Prototyping 7Designing the Experience 10Final Design 13Conclusion 19Appendix 20

Table of Content

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The goal of the project was to introduce and invent new forms of asynchronous communication for the telecommunications application software Skype. The design process started with ethnographic research with participants with diverse backgrounds. The research findings were synthesised into a framework in which the gap within and between conversations had a central position. The frame-work acted as a foundation for exploration in the form of ideation and prototyping. This exploration process was very hands-on and included many moments of quick user involvement. Based on the potential impact the project was then framed towards getting qualities of a synchronous communica-tion into an asynchronous communication. The concept of Synced Moments which was presented halfway the project represented this idea. It was further shaped using wireframes and prototypes in the remainder of the project.

The final concept is called Skype Now. Skype Now is a video messaging app for those moments you want to be with someone but you simply can‘t, because time and/or distance has put you apart.It enables people to create, re-live and be in the moment together by recording a video with and for their persons, sending it away and let the other complete that moment by taking part in it. The result is not just a video, it is a shared experience.

Abstract1

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Our main research question was formed as a response to the brief about asynchronous communica-tion. Through two weeks of ethnographic research, we investigated the question of How do people handle non-communication? Our research plan was consisting of doing 8 user interviews with follow-up sessions, creating the framework and physicalizing our findings through prototypes in order to present and get feedback from other project teams. Our user profiles had unique aspects in their communication due to family, work and relationship purposes and were located both in and outsi-de Sweden. The techniques we used were contextual inquiry, user interviews and journey mapping interview through visualising with the users. With the help of these, we created a framework where we mapped our research. It consisted of expectations of both sender and receiver, interpretations each other‘s actions and the time gap existing in non-communication situations. This framework helped us to decide which areas we would like to look further in our project.

Research2 Methods fig. 1: journey mapping

research board, artefacts

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Framework fig. 4: framework

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4 Research Findings

Based on the framework, we created physical research prototypes. These models carried the values of async communication that we pointed out in our framework. By presenting these prototypes during our research presentation, our classmates and tutors were able to try the prototypes and gave us feedback afterwards. We used this opportunity to further understand the valuable aspects of async communication. Stations we created are described below in detail:

In this station, we explored how people perceive the time after they send or receive a message.This station was about expectations formed during the time gap between messages or conversations.This station was about how the messages are interpreted by the people. We explored how people understood and made assumptions over a simple signal like a LED.In the fourth station, we looked into how people create meaning with synchronizing with the others.

From our ethnographic research, the main insight we discovered from all our interviews was “the gap”. The gap is what makes communication async, the temporal blank period between messages or between conversations. These gaps occur when people leave someone a message because distance unables people to talk face-to-face. Also, being on different time zones unable people to be available at the same time or simply pinging each other. People we interviewed surprised us by showing all the creative ways they came up with to overcome this gap. One had to keep a strict schedule on Skype to continue being in contact with his closed ones, the other one was using a medium(letter) where he can express himself and communicate fully with his girlfriend. We found out that in this moment of (non)communication there is so much richness that is happening.

TimerMarble RunLight Signal

The Box

fig. 5-7: experience prototypes - understanding communication

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In 2 1/2 weeks of ethnographic research we interviewed different people with different background, lifestyles and constellations, we extracted essences from these stories and transferred them into abstract experience prototypes. The next step was to find out what we could learn from these stories and how we can - based on the findings of the research phase - find opportunities to enrich asynchronous communi-cation and its gap.

This was a rather broad brainstorming on the gap of async communication itself. What do we want to do with it? Do we fill it? Do we use it as part of the message? Do we eliminate it? Or can the message be influ-enced and transformed by the gap?

From session one we picked the topic of message form and message transformation. How could we enrich the message? How could we celebrate the conversation, celebrate its process and play with its pace?

Based on session two we brainstormed all together in an open discussion on enriched messages. Messa-ges could be added different info such as the distance the message had to overcome, the effort in form of showing the time it was composed or the importance of it by blocking other apps.

Ideation5 Methods

Silent Ideation

Mixed Ideation

Collective Ideation

fig. 8: ideation sessions

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After rather conservative, structured brainstorming sessions we decided to try out another, for us quite un-familiar method: A random generator gave us different words such as handbag, snack or guillotine. These words have nothing to do with our topic?! Right! And wrong! In this brainstorming method you try to apply every given word or context to the actual topic. Hence find design solutions by shifting perspectives.

A process of evaluation, clustering, categorising and cutting down led to three concept directions in which we generated different ideas and executions:

The aim is to create a common understanding of a conversation for both sender and receiver. Especially of expectations they have of each other. This could be done rather forcing by en- or unabling people to send or receive. Or, by using the gap between messages in a playful way and turning the chat into a game. A rather subtle approach is to represent gaps in the conversation thread where messages drift away from each other or even outside of the screen.

The sender by definition takes the action and is asking for a favor/reply. How could this be changed? One approach is to move the entire thread from sender to receiver and vice versa. The receiver owns the thread - the sender has to let it go. Or, the sender could automatically be informed about the receiver‘s „queue“ before and after a message.

This direction tries to make people feel like having a synchronous experience in an asynchronous chat. Hence to amplify the human-to-human-interaction that usually gets lost in instant messaging: By showing the process of composing or the reactions of a message, the feeling of being together could be enhanced.

6 Concept Directions

Force Fitting

Control The Pace

Empower The Receiver

Synchronous ButAsynchronous

fig. 9: process of choosing, categorising, clustering

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After brainstorming on paper we challenged our ideas by creating physical prototypes. These helped us to further explore our ideas and to validate them with people. he prototypes mainly focused on how we could apply elements of a synchronous communication experience in an asynchronous one since we - based on the research findings and ideation - saw the most potential in it.

What would happen if we revealed the writing process of the sender? We tried to understand how it would affect the actors feeling connected with each other. To gain this knowledge we set up an installation which included both camera and projector. The sender’s message was recorded and shown to the receiver before he (the receiver) started to reply. The installation was tested with people who knew each other well. It showed that the initial receiver started writing even whilst the sender’s recording. The participant later

explained that she could follow the sender’s line of thinking and predicted the next sentences. Exactly in that moment, when both sender and receiver were thinking similarly, the receiver felt strongly connected.

Another prototype which explored the same recording principle was called the “Postbox”.Letters appearing in the “Postbox” contained both the content and the sender’s facial expression during the composing process. The users were curious to find out in which part of the letter the other person was giving these reactions.

Experience Prototyping7

Capturing The Writing Process

The Postbox

fig. 10, 11: installation - the writing process

fig. 12: the postbox

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What if you were able to see even more of what was happening on the other side? Of how the person looked like when composing the message, what they were doing or where they were. This could be either

streamed in the background or as an attachment to the text bubble. Tap and hold reveals these recordings.

People sometimes feel the need to experience a moment together. They want to share their thoughts and emotions or simply feel their presence. It is a challenge to make people feel connected during asynchro-nous communication. Using our prototypes we found a potential by informing the receiver more about the sender. This information can come in many forms, such as the facial expression of the sender, his location when sending or his writing process.

This idea fits our vision well. Rather than giving the sender more control, who is inevitable asking for the receiver’s time, we want to empower the receiver. Furthermore, we are able to create a stronger and more natural connection between both sender and receiver.

These learning made us frame our final direction. We call it Synced Moments. It is for those moments you want to be with somebody but you simply can’t because of time and and distance.In synced moments people can share, re-live and be in the moment together, even though these moments happen at different times at different parts of the world. For example, many people watch television shows through Skype. With synced moments one person watches the show and records his response. He shares this with his dear friend who can “enter” the moment. His response is recorded as well and shared with the original creator. The result is a moment both people shared. During synced moments people create com-mon memories/ experiences which create a feeling of togetherness.

8

Rich Text Bubbles

Findings

Final Concept

fig. 13: the Postbox

fig. 14, 15: enriched text bubblesrevealing live stream or last Skype chat

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fig. 16: synced moments -a shared moment (watching aTrailer) between ezgi and huseyin

9

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With our direction of Synced Moments in mind, we continued our process with giving our concept a form. We looked into what kind of attributes our concept would carry if we turned it into an app. The attri-butes we came up with were to call, invite and record. These attributes are described in details below:

How would it be if our concept could look and feel like a normal phone call or a Skype video call? When calling a person, for example, the sender first selects a person, connects and hangs up when he is done. What if the sender would be able to invite the other person into his/her moment? Selecting a person is very quick and during the moment, seeing their photo makes it comfortable for the sender to share his/her moment. How can we capture the moment as it happens and share with the other person the best? We can record videos within the Skype app or choose a video from the gallery that we took previously. In this approach, sharing is in focus and crafted with care.

All three tracks were thought in detail with wireframes. We created interactive prototypes from these wi-reframes and were able to do usability testing. During the tests, we focused on how the user flow is being perceived by the people and how the experience is being effected through these different attributes. Overall, we noticed which flow allows people to grasp our concept Synced Moments best.

Designing the Experience

10

Call

Invitation

Record

fig. 17: early wireframing -how should the experience feel and look like?

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As our main aim is to create a medium where both sender and receiver feels like being in the same mo-ment, Invitation approach was perceived the best by our users.

We generated two clickable prototypes based on the interaction flows we could identify in the call-context and the invitation context. The prototypes also represented two different approaches when it comes to design and usability - one was rather conservative, familiar and hence easy to understand, the other one was innovative and required a first-time usage learning process. Once this threshold was onvercome the interaction was rather intuitive and simple. During these tests we realised that our moments are funda-mentally different from recordings, mails or calls. They are invitations to experiences, therefore they should be treated accordingly. And, what‘s more, the moments are not created for another person only but with him/her. This important principle guided us through our the further development of the concept. It was expressed in many ways such as the interaction patterns, visual cues and the use of language.On the other hand the user testings (with around 6 people) showed us how thin the line is between an iconic, unique and very simple and intuitive interaction flow and a familiar but conservative - and for us rather not acc

11 Usability Tests fig. 18: a 2-phone-constructionto both test and capture theuser‘s reactions

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“To capture authentic moments as they happen without staging is the core of our concept.

12 fig. 19: overview of Skype Now experience

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We looked into several scenarios where we saw Synced Moments coming alive. One example was visuali-sed with a storyboarding exercise: We imagined a sister and brother that regularly go to the park. After the brother moved to a different country, we imagined how our concept can find a place in both parties’ lives. We created the storylines for both sister and brother, including the stages of preparing the moment, sen-ding and receiving. This made us be more aware of how our concept appears in both lives throughout the day in forms of touchpoints. Still, we knew about the main stages of the concept: record, send and receive. and saw what kind of interconnections we can make out of them: What triggers the creation? How does the making (record and send) look like? and How does the conversation continue?.

We further specified the app by looking into each stage. It was summarised as follows: Initiate and record a momentSend a momentReceive a momentOpen and complete the momentSend the completed momentReceive and open the completed momentRe-live a moment

13 Scenario and Specifications fig. 20: storyboarding

fig. 21: brainstorming on the different stages of the experience

fig. 22: specifying each stage of the flowFinal Design

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“It should be quick and easy to let someone into your life

14 fig. 23: app specifications

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As we decided to use the invitation metaphor as the main experience in our concept we further worked on how to create this invitation style through the wireframes. We started with designing the key screens: At this stage, scenario and interface specifications we created hugely guided us on creating the building blocks of the app. The key screens consisted of steps such as selecting a person and during a moment (e.g. creating the video with person) for both sender and receiver and receiving a moment. An import-ant decision was taken on how to categorise these moments. We decided to group the moments and as-sign them under each person, rather than having all moments together. This made sense according to our concept and research, we accepted that people are triggered by a certain person and want to only involve them in their life for a certain period of time. We translated this into the function of starting a recording that was only able after choosing a person. Hence, only when carefully considered which moment to de-dicate to whom, the recording is enabled. Another metaphor we used while designing the wireframes and interaction flow was to dive into a moment: The bubbles with people (sender and receiver) are moving into/entering the moment window when watching a new moment or reviewing older moments. The same flow is used when sending a moment away.From basic building blocks, first on paper, followed by Adobe Illustrator, we created more detailed wire-frames in Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop. Printing out the screens and evaluating them with the team helped us improve the screenflow and the level of details in our wireframes.

15 Wireframing fig. 24: building blocks of the wireframe

fig. 25: high fidelity wireframes

fig. 26: evaluating wireframes in the flow

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16 Prototyping and Animations

Early in the process, the wireframes were translated into interactive prototypes. We used an online ap-plication called proto.io to create rather high fidelity working prototypes. Since none of the available prototyping tools could handle operating the phone’s camera though we were forced to test the app with pre-recorded video material instead.

Prototyping with this app helped us both do user tests, hence evaluate our concept and design, and fin-ding animations and transitions that would suit our concept. A lot of care was put into creating meaningful animations and transitions. Proto.io enabled us to make design decisions up to 0.1 seconds. Inspiration was taken from the Skype motion guidelines as well as our vision to treat the moments as real experiences. One example of this was our aim to design the movement of diving and leaving moments as natural and communicative as possible.

fig. 27: from paper to prototype

Visual Design

We carefully considered how we visually positioned our concept in relation to Skype and it’s competitors: Skype’s Qik was regarded too trendy, whereas IDEO’s Spark was considered too sleek. We decided to make a product that could feel like it was designed by Skype. However, we found Skype’s own visual style too flat for a concept that should breathe moments. Therefore we decided to use Skype’s visual assets and to add a the human element on top of that.

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17 fig. 28: screenflow of Skype Now

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18

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The project started with a rather narrow but at the same time open brief: It focused on the asynchro-nous communication or IM within the Skype experience. But once we had a look into asynchronous communication as such we realised how wide and diverse this realm was, from text messaging to letters, messages in a bottle to post-it notes. And this is how we entered this project - open-minded, impartial, eager to explore and try out things. The ethnographic research helped us understand how, when, why, with whom people communicate and which dynamics (fig. 4: Framework) comes with it. A turning point in this project was surely the conclusions we were able to draw from the various proto-types we made. Throughout the process prototyping - out of paper, installations or high fidelity - was a very valid method for us helping us in decision making. One conclusion hereby was to realise that our outcome of the project should rather embrace and encourage the beauty of a natural, authentic conversation rather than try to intervene and change, control or manipulate it.The outcome is a video messenger app that puts a strong emphasis on creating a moment for both parties regardless of location and time. It‘s an approach to bring out the sweet spot of Skype, its video call function, and therefore creates a asyncronous Skype video call experience. It‘s an approach to make asynchronous communication and video messaging as beneficial and engaging as possib-le. Throughout the whole process we strongly believed in this concept and hence focused on it with every step we made.

Conclusion19

fig. 29 (p18): hero visual

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20 Screens of Skype Now

Appendix

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21 fig. 30: landing screen -active front and back camera

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22 fig. 31: select a person(in order to create moment)

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23 fig. 32: initialising recording -other person‘s avatar andanimated blue bubble

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24 fig. 33: expanding and shrinking bubble indicates voice activity

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25 fig. 34: initial bubble size

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26 fig. 35: send a moment -last frame freezed and sent away (up)

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27 fig. 36: receive a moment -pop up cards from top;active ME in miniture

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28 fig. 37: complete a moment -receiver watches front andback recording whilst beingrecorded

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29 fig. 38: pause a moment -tap and hold enables receiverto pause the moment to addsth to it;indicated by blue overlay

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30 fig. 39: history -access through left swipe

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31 fig. 40: gallery of person -moments as side-by-side cards;starting with new canvas

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32 fig. 41: gallery of person -slide through moments

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33 fig. 42: enter old moment -card scales up;active ME dives in

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34 fig. 43: watch old moment

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35 fig. 44: leave old moment

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36 fig. 45: leave old moment (2)


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