GR1 - User and Task Analysis

User Analysis

User sample #1:

• Female, 19 years old, Chinese American, originated from Southern California
• Second year of college at MIT
• Dislikes looking at a small screen for a particularly long time
• Highly experienced with technology, somewhat familiar with mobile devices
• Has a large collection of clothing, and needs a product to organize it
• Often accidentally buys multiples of something due to liking something specific and forgetting it already exists in one's collection
• Currently utilizes an excel spreadsheet to organize
  • PROS: easy and simple to use
  • CONS: can't see everything at once, relies on recall rather than recognition, not easy to see on a mobile interface

User sample #2:

• Female, 22 years old, Chinese American, originated from Northern California
• First year of graduate school at MIT
• She can't fly, incredibly short (<5 feet)
• Highly computer literate, owns and is familiar with a Samsung Galaxy S
• Is highly addicted to the show Sherlock and collects many paraphernalia surrounding it
• Currently organizes collection with pictures in a computer file folder
  • PROS: visually interesting
  • CONS: not easily indexable and searchable, cannot be transported easily

User sample #3:

• Male, 18 years old, Chinese Canadian, originated from Vancouver
• Second year of college at MIT
• Highly computer literate, owns an IPhone, multiple laptops, etc. Does dev/web work.
• Has worked in theatre productions in props, dealing in a varied assortment of items
• Cataloged props by taking pictures of them and renaming the file names to be more descriptive
  • PROS: better than having no organization at all. cameras of any sort are easily obtainable
  • CONS: not easily indexable and searchable beyond filename/photo organization, requires separate camera and transfer of image files

Tasks Analysis

Task #1: Catalogue and recall subsets of items for use (for example: cooking)

• Why?
  • To make it easier to keep track of your items, and remember them when you want to use them.
• Requirements? 
  • Items to catalogue!
  • A use/motivation for remembering the items at a later time
• Where/Environments? 
  • Around your house
  • On the move, in between locations
• How Often? 
  • Daily usually.
  • Otherwise whenever you want to perform a recall of items in the collection
• Time/resource constraints? 
  • To catalogue: depends on how many items you have.
  • To recall: < 1 min.
• How to Learn?
  • Very simple - take a photo, tag it (or verify automatic tag?) - intuitive.
• What can go wrong?
  • Accidentally mistag an item
  • Delete an item on accident
  • Take a bad photo
• Social?
  • Can show others your collection - see below.

Task #2: Scrapbook your collections and show them to your friends

• Why?
• Requirements?
  • A collection that you build from Task #1.
• Where/Environments?
  • Wherever you want!
• How Often?
• Time/resource constraints?
• How to Learn?
• What can go wrong?
• Social?

Task #3: Not only keep track of items, but also locations - (stores/restaurants to visit, location of car, places that you have to be, visual reminders of what you need to do). (Keep track of your trip? Can track your path by photos you take?)

• Why?
• Requirements?
  • Somewhere they want to save!
• Where/Environments?
  • On the road! Walking or otherwise.
• How Often?
  • Daily
• Time/resource constraints?
  • < 1 minute - maybe save a note.
• How to Learn?
  • Should be intuitive
• What can go wrong?
  • Similar to task #1.
• Social?
  • Can share locations with your friends! (places you want to go out to eat)
  • Also useful for geocaching, etc.