Hey there, thanks for dropping by! This blog is about my graduation project. You can also find my experiences of my exchange study under the tag 'Sweden'. Grab the RSS feed to stay updated!
w0000t! My final presentation went quite well, I got some very positive feedback from the supervisors. It was a tough and hectic project and I had to continuously find my way to a final prototype, that I called EmboRemo (Embodied Remote). Overall I’m quite happy how everything went, and in the end it was exactly what I wanted to do for graduation project. Translating a conceptual theory in practice was one of my main goals, and I did that with research, prototyping and user testing. Anyways, below you can find my keynote. Some videos that are missing from the keynote, you can find below…below.
Here a short recap of my user tests with the more advanced prototypes. These prototypes are variations of the cylinder form, that I described in my previous post.
Here is my complete concept video. Length is 3 1/2 minutes. This promo video shows the basic functions of EmboRemo and how it works in practice. I must thank Ruud Burger for his acting skills and Iris Veenendaal for the voiceover.
Mid-september we presented our work on an exhibition, called Eject. I made two posters to explain my project in short.
the gestures used with EmboRemo and the use of weight inside of the remote
The process of developing EmboRemo
That day we got our diploma’s in paper form, concluding our study officially. Felt really weird to be done with school, and still does. Now its Oktober already and in the meantime I moved out of Hilversum and took some (deserved) time off. At the moment I’m fixing my portfolio site, updating my curriculum vitae and learning for my drivers license (yes, I still didn’t get it, but who needs it anyways, ehum). I’m also looking for jobs, but I want to take my time.
I will try to update my blog soon with my personal happenings and future plans.
It’s been a month already since I updated my blog. Times goes by fast. Still, a lot has happened till then.
User test final video
Just after my last blog post I edited the user test observations. I categorized and structured all the footage. Below you can see then final video. Note though, the video is 20 minutes long of people fiddling with weird shapes as a remote. Also, it’s in Dutch.
This footage was a great foundation for my object design. I based a lot of decisions on this material. Also, editing takes way to much time.
The remote, form, materials and features
At the mock exam the main comment was that have I to improve my artistic standard. On a practical level that meant designing the object more in advance. I really did my best to achieve this since then. So I have been sketching, drawing, touching, building, shaping and making aesthetic choices to get a coherent object.
Sketching wit the aid of materials and forms. Notice the ping-pong paddle for handle inspiration.
I started with defining the gestures and haptic feedback in the remote itself, because this is the most important part. I went through the video again and again; how the test persons hold the objects, how they interacted with it. I made a quick sketch how the object is hold in different ways. I focused myself on the cylinder shaped object, because this was the most interesting object by far in the user tests.
different holding positions that are used through the observation video.
Next to defining the gestures, I also went looking for materials, materials I could use as a base for the remote. I’ve went to a fabrication lab (better known as a FabLab) to find out my options how to build the remote. There they had a variation of materials I could use. There I got to know that I could use a form of rubber, to make the object squeezable. I have to make a mold out of plaster, where I could poor the rubber in. According to the worker there, this is to best way to do this.
material selection and experimentation
Back to the object and gestures. I picked gestures that are the most logical (and came back in the user test video) for different functions. Below you can see which actions are used for controlling the television set.
a different gesture for each function. Ab bit hard to see, but this is a good basis for the object interactions.
You can see in the sketches that the object design is really basic, here it’s still a neutral cylinder form. I did this because I want to design the form (and choose the materials) in the next step. I want to incite the user the particular gestures, almost that the object speaks for itself, by designing the form and the right material to support this. Think for example about a handle, soft area that you want to squeeze, a proper back and front and so forth. Although I have a great interest in this subject, I’m not an expert in this area. That’s why I asked some feedback from experts in this field. I’ve went to a friend of mine, who had a history in industrial design and he has more experience in object design than me. He and I made some sketches, some extremes how the device could look like.
Extreme object sketches, some cylinder-like alternatives to look at other possibilities.
During several iterations (by designing, making, evaluating and scrapping some results) the overall conclusion during this process is that I want to keep the shape as simple as possible. I want to avoid a Homer car, with a kinds of crazy shapes and features. By using simple curves I want to hold on to an aesthetic design. During some sketches with the industrial designer I came up with a form which i was satisfied with. I used the Anthropometric database of TU Delft to base some of the sizes on. I didn’t went to far with this, because it’s not my specialty. Below you can find my technical drawing.
My friend made the top one, i made the technical sketch of the final design, a bit hard to see.
Most important was that it fits in your hand nicely, and it had proper separation of functions. After this, I made a 3D shape for the printer at the FabLab.
final 3D model for the 3D printer…
…and the result. Here it is still drying.
This model I can use for making the mold. The final object is going to be of rubber, with a solid core (where I will put the haptic mechanics in). With a mold I can make multiple objects, so I could change some small features for each one. Making the prototypes will be done next week. I will get some help of an interaction design student, who has some more experience in making objects out of a mold (he did an exchange at the Fine Arts department). He will help me on Monday with the first one.
final user test
The goal is to be finished with the remote next week. After that, I hope to do an observation test soon, to evaluate my design and different features for one final time. Then I will change some small aspects of the remote to make a solid final prototype.
promotion video
My final product (next to a remote) is going to be a promotion video. in this video I explain the functions of the remote. This week I also set up a scenario of the movie. I have to translate this in a script, and then into a simple storyboard. I hope to start with filming before the end of the month. So I have to put some effort to make a good promotional video.
Usability Lab
Next to my project I took up a small side project. There is an usability lab on our floor meant for students. Unfortunately, the lab is in a bad shape. There is no proper equipment and the furniture & decoration is kind of crap. It is a bit of a shame, because nobody uses the lab because of this. So I decided to improve the test lab, so I can use it too for my final video too. I got a small budget from the one responsible to buy some stuff. Also, a guy of the IT department is taking care of the equipment, like camera’s, computers and capturing software. The walls have already been painted, I only have to put up some posters and decoration.
To conclude this post, there is still a lot to do for my project. It’s gonna be a loooong and though summer.
Last Wednesday most of our class had our mock exam. There we had to present our progress, stance and achievements in our project, both practical and theoretical. Making a presentation takes a lot of your time, so I spend most of it working towards my mock exam. In this post I will look at my results of the mock exam, but first I’m gonna look what I have done before it (I didn’t update my blog for two weeks I think). Below my chronological progress what I have done the past weeks.
Photo collages
I gathered all my research I did from the surveys and the photo documentation from the users television environment. I ‘documented’ the results in my sketchbook and in some folders in my laptop, but didn’t apply any decent structure in it. For the presentation (but also for myself), I’ve made a collage of pictures that explain the main conclusions of my field research. The goal of it was to apply this conclusions in my next step, building a testing environment and the object design.
resting positions remotes
Persona’s
During my progress I was figuring out how important persona’s are for my project. My target group could be everyone that uses the television (except of course far extremes like disabled people). In the end I thought it was better to make persona’s, just to understand the target group better. I based these persona’s on the people I visited during my field research. I’ve made one central one and two extremes (one technical user and one technophobe).
three persona's
Testing room
A while ago I arranged a place to build my test room. During that time I gathered some second hand stuff for decoration, thought about how to do the video documentation and alternative set-ups for testing. With alternative set-ups I want to test how the setting has influence on the user experience, according to the embodied interaction theory. Thats why I want to use different seats, like a couch, fat-boy and crappy chair. I also did my first test, but I will come back to that later.
observation and testing room
Research set-up
Before I wanted to test users and objects in the test room, I decided to put my observation goals on paper. That’s why I’ve set up an observation document. In this document I’ve thought about my goals, expected results and observation structure.
Sketches and low-fidelity prototypes
My goal was to start with very simple objects, only primary shapes and simple interactions with it. With each iteration I want to define the object(s) more in detail. I’ve started with sketching simple shapes. Secondary was the feedback within the object itself. I thought about simple feedback, like a weight that moves or the characteristics of an object (like softness, form, warm or cold). I bought some stuff from a toy store and DIY shop to make these objects. In the observation document I defined what the expected results would be of each object.
In the mock examination I got some comments on this process, which I will come back on later.
Low-fidelity prototypes
observation room first test
The next step was to test these objects with users and I started with fellow students. I did this through narration (an IDEO method card; a way of testing). This comes down to giving simple commands and let the user think out loud. My main goal was to find out if my set-up worked and some first comments on the objects itself. I was really happy how the testing went, so this is a good basis for future testing.
User testing low-fidelity prototypes
Supportive Narrative
Last but not least, I also worked hard to get a nice draft for the mock examination. I started with finding useful snippets from other papers and books to get a good basis. What also took a lot of time was the outline; structuring my paper relevant to my own project. Writing the first chapter in English was harder than I thought, but I think this will be manageable for the rest of my paper.
Mock exam and feedback
The mock presentation went well, but I went over the 10 minutes, so next time I have to shorten the presentation a lot. After a stressful period of waiting I got the result: a disappointing orange (you get red-orange-green as an indicator). In short, the comments where that I was on the right trajectory, but I have to adapt my end goal a bit and focus more on the object design. Although I wasn’t really happy with the result, they teachers told me I don’t have to worry to much because it are relatively small adjustments.
At the moment my process is mainly research: I want do define my object more in detail through each iteration. It’s a research driven progress. The comments where I have to be more of a designer, so I have to go deeper in the object design. That means defining the form, feeling and interaction more in detail before each iteration. Some examples are choice of materials, form and function. What is central is the interaction with the object itself, so the ‘feeling’ and expectations is most important for the device. I have to build a clear continuum of forms, material selection and feedback. I have to focus on tangibility of designed objects and tested experiences.
With this I have to go to workshops to get some inspiration or guidance. I have to improve my artistic standard, so I have to go more crazy with ideas. I have to apply the same form of research (and use of results) I did for my field research.
My original planning was to work towards a functioning prototype. I could get some help from Aduen, who is an expert on physical computing. The comments where that instead of working to a functioning prototype, I have to make a proof of concept video. This is because of the limited time, and I could focus more on applying the research and concept ideas.
So the first thing I have to do is adjust my end goal (through my planning) and beginning with detailed sketching of the remote object. I can get some help from people in my environment, who are more specialized on this area than me.
Next week we have a meeting with our class again. Then we have to present a framework of our mock presentation and this is meant as a try-out for the official presentation. That means we are somewhere in the middle of our project. According to my planning I’m still a little bit behind schedule; I had to make some low-fidelity prototyping this week. It’s about finding a balance between building a solid foundation, making the right decisions and working as fast as possible. As always, time is not on my side.
I’ve been busy with putting every bit of information I got together. Below you can see the end of my brainstorm session. I’ve put some extra pictures and source material on the wall in our office room for inspiration too.
end of brainstorm
I got some help from Aduen with brainstorming. it was very helpful to get some extra ideas and inspiration.
In retrospect, my starting point of my project was to redesign the control over the television, and adapt it optimally to the human body, human behavior and the television environment. It practically boils down to redesigning the remote in a critical way. I had different ideas to achieve this. I thought about gestures only, redesigning the interface on the remote itself or using a complete new object (not like the candybar design that all remotes have).
My plan for next week will be low fidelty prototyping. Hereby I want take it to the basics of embodied interaction. I want to build a (fake) set up of a television environment and figure out how the average user expects how to control the television and its devices, without the use of any buttons (!). With this I want to find out what mental models people have of a ‘buttonless’ remote.
How will people think it will control the television set this way, only through gestures?
How do you select different devices?
What kind of patterns will emerge from different target groups?
What feedback is expected in the controller itself?
I want to be the remote as less intrusive as possible (my research concluded that less attention to control, the better it is);
I want to test different shapes. a candybar? a cube? a ball? a stick? a pillow?
I have some basic ideas I want to test through observation. I want to put up a camera to document the testing. In the weekend I will develop a plan how to do this observation, so I can start with it as early as possible.
Last week Irene van Peer gave the assignment to look at what I have, and figure out which medium I can focus on. I did gave a lot of feedback on my blog on the material I had, but I didn’t have an ‘eureka’ moment. I also made a list of subjects I could apply my theories in, but didn’t make a final choice yet.
This week I had a very useful meeting with Irene. She gave me some additional feedback on my process and tried to push me in the right direction. We went through the materials I gathered, and it became more clear to me indeed.
The conclusion was that I’m interested in making control over a system more physical, intuitive and natural by using haptic and gestural interaction. I decided that the system where I can apply this in would be the control over a multimedia system. I want to use the remote as a starting point, because it is a good example of a bad controller. It has been tried may times to improve this device, but old fashioned remotes are still common and the same problems subsist. I think this point of view will be ideal to experiment with. If I really can improve the remote on a practical level is still the question, but the goal is to broaden myself in gestural interaction with objects. I want to see what is possible and applicable in this area.
I will start with observing the environment, and look how I (and hopefully other people too) handle everyday things. Which actions are we used to? I also want to look at extremes. For example, situations that are not common; what people do when there is no better alternative available. I want to compare this with complex everyday systems, like computers and phones, that use Graphical User Interfaces (GUI).
I’ve read a lot about different user interfaces that define physical interfaces. Examples are Natural User Interfaces (NUI), Tangible User Interfaces (TUI) and a less common one, Sensor Network User Interface (SNUI) used in the siftables. These definitions have a lot in common, but are all interesting to look at. However, I have to make a selection in materials, so I won’t go to broad. I also have to apply this in the literature I’ve got. I also have to look back at the theory of embodied cognition (what was my starting point) and select which subjects are useful for this project.
Also, Irene had some personal feedback, which is good to keep in mind.
I have try not to have an early judgment. This is because sometimes I see the negative of something before analyzing it thoroughly.
I have to walk around with antenna’s during this period. Observe, write down, evaluate.
visit locations and observe people, instead of desktop research.
Keep the 5 main senses in mind. The user experience overall. What do people feel / associate with actions?
For a start, I will define my research questions for the coming time.
How can the functions in this system be easily represented through real life interactions?
How are multimedia systems used by common people at the moment?
How can be this interface be more natural, graspable and real?
How do we make decisions through tangible feedback?
Remote control of multimedia system; television stations, sound and movies. how can you control this easily, intuitive?
I want to look at everyday household devices;
What are we used to in the real world?
Look at recognizable needs in this area;
What could be an addition to the usual visual feedback, to relieve visual overload?
I have to refer my findings continually to the control of a multimedia device.
My next step in the process will be to write down keywords that define my area. After that gather some additional information. I have to analyze the data thoroughly.
Some additional literature would be:
Dan Saffer - Gestural Interfaces Dan Saffer - Silent Language Edward T.Hall - The Silent Language
Bill Gaver
