Prototypes - lampis/sci-hi GitHub Wiki
Prototypes
We have created several prototypes in paper form. They focus on the following 2 features:
- Profile creation, on a mobile phone
- Content exploration, on an interactive panel
The screens we have drawn can be seen by clicking the following links:
In order to test them out, we have conducted 3 interviews. The participants were asked to perform specific tasks whose descriptions can be found below.
Task 1: Approach a panel, and explore its content
For the needs of this evaluation, we have recruited Ubaid, a co-worker of ours, that was willing to perform the test. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, and difficulties in finding other people, Ubaid does not exactly fall under any of our main personas, but he was more than excited to help us with the experiment.
Ubaid comes from Pakistan, and is living in Germany for the past 6 years, where he finished his master-studies and is currently working as an IT-consultant. Due to his minimal free time, and lack of German-skills, he does not usually visit museums, but he is familiar with the concept, as he has visited a few back in his home-country.
Before starting the experiment, Ubaid was given a scenario that would immerse him into the session. He was told that he is at a museum, which offers interactive options of viewing the exhibits. He was also told that there is a mobile experience, for which he supposedly did not opt, and that there are panels everywhere, next to the exhibits that as soon as detect a user, they start displaying personalised content. It was also shared with him, that the detection of the visitors happens thanks to a tag that the staff museum supposedly gave to him. Continuing with the scenario, he then uses a panel to create a profile, by giving some details about himself and the content that he likes. After that, he goes off to view the “Solar System” exhibit, by approaching the nearby panel.
After sharing the above information with him, we presented the prototypes to him, and let him start the evaluation. We did not provide specific instructions on what exactly he has to do, but we mainly explained to him that he has to explore the content and the different menus, at will, instead.
With respect to limitations of the prototypes, we asked him not to click on the “Narrator”, as this function would require the system verbally narrating to him, which is not feasible. One option for us, was to simply start saying random things in order to simulate this function at the same time while performing the test, but we decided not to go for this approach, as our recording equipment, and the whole setup, was just adequate at best, and parts of Ubaid's commentary could be misunderstood.
Lastly, we asked him to announce his actions while performing them, as this was a requirement of the current assignment.
Watch the video-session with Ubaid here
Task 2: Download the Sci Hi! app and create a profile
For the Mobile part of our project prototype, we recruited Magdalena who is an Assistant Professor at the University of Amsterdam and Jesús, a personal friend of us. Both were briefed about the overall idea of our Science Museum experience enhancement project and they seemed very enthusiastic about it.
As part of the project instructions we gave to them, first, we started with the situational case of being exposed to the marketing campaign of the local Science Museum promoting the Sci Hi! app while travelling the city. They supposed to feel attracted to the idea of becoming app holders and receive the promoted benefits of the app, and they were instructed to go to the App Store (or similar), look for the app and create a personalised profile.
Magdalena who indeed is one of our main personas felt a bit uncomfortable with the idea of creating a profile on a mobile app and on a first trial she preferred to "Skip" the personalization in the app using the "Skip this step" button, and it was only after telling her that there wouldn't be a reason for making the recording if she does not take the entire personalization "wizard".
However, after finishing with the exercise, she found the personalization un-intrusive and she felt confident of using it again and recommend it to others.