Round 2 Highlights

Round 2 Highlights

Round 2 Highlights

Summary

Over the period of 1 week, a think aloud usability test was performed on the Roadcasting prototype with 6 participants. This round of testing was iterative in that the prototype was updated to reflect issues found after day’s test was complete. Because of this, three different iterations of the prototype were tested.

Service Findings

·  People enjoyed using the prototype once they had figured it out. But, the process of figuring it out was lengthy and frustrating. (U14, 15, 16, 17)

·  Interesting quotes:

“I think it would be hard for me to broadcast my own radio station because I'm often not familiar with song titles and artists.” (U18)

“I think that the idea of the station playing what I like for me would be appreciated in the long term, especially over longer drives. In the immediate it was not something I was entirely happy about.” (U19)

·  The idea of listening to other people’s music was intriguing to some and weird to others.

“The idea of other people's music appeals to me.” (U19)

Negative: “Although I like the idea of listening to the stations of others, I am not as enthusiastic about them listening to mine. I am unsure why. Perhaps the idea of someone critiquing or judging it.” (U19)

·  Prototype could distract from driving

“Navigation was distracting while driving” (U14, U16)

“When I'm reading I'm not looking at the road” (U14)

“I want to do this (use the radio) but it’s too difficult. I wish the controls were on the left side of the wheel.” (U19)

“I wish there was an auditory queue when I flip up and down, but I don’t need it for right to left because then I’m just listening for the station. So I don’t have to take my eyes off the road.” (U19)

Talk Button

·  Toggle nature of the Talk button is intuitive

·  People worried that they might accidentally hit the button and be unintentionally broadcasting their voice.

"The talk button scares me." (U17)

Flavor Icon (Users 18, 19)

·  The picture was random, but people hypothesized that it should represent the station’s genre.

“I think it still in a way represents the genre.” (U18, U19)

Station Message

·  Concept of station blurb was understood

“Maybe it’s a tagline or a quick message…I would probably stay on for a little longer if he said he was the coolest DJ.” (U18)

Person Icon

Three sizes: small, medium, large (Users 14, 15, 16)

·  “Person” icon was confusing. Many thought it indicated signal strength. Those that did get its intended meaning thought that “all black” meant that only one person was listening and “yellow and white” were lots of people listening.

“Without direction on what the person icon was, it made it pointless and confusing.” (U15, 16)

U15 noticed the size change and threw out several possibilities for its meaning, including the number of listeners. Other possibilities included: favorite, signal strength.

U16’s thoughts about the little dude: "maybe how much information i'm getting?" Is that how much of the song has been played? Probably clarity. Little guy is to do with the type of music.”

Filling up with goo (Users 17, 18, 19)

·  “Person” icon was still confusing, though 2 out of 3 people in this iteration did think that it referred to the number of people currently listening to the station. However, they weren’t positive, and they also thought that “all black” meant that only one person was listening and “yellow and white” were lots of people listening.

“Maybe the icon (# ppl listening indicator) means that the person is not on when it's all black, like AOL” (U17, U18)

“Maybe it means that it’s more popular or less popular song. Popular meaning more people prefer it, listen to it. I guess the yellow would be more popular.” (U18)

Match (called circles or diamonds until Focus Group)

Circles (Users 14, 15)

·  Circles were ambiguous. No one correctly identified them.

U14 thought that the dots indicated the preference of the songs, not the station.

“Navigation maybe?” (U16)

U15 thought the circles could represent how close in the vicinity the station was.

Diamonds (Users 16, 17, 18, 19)

·  Diamonds were ambiguous. No one correctly identified them.

“I still don't know what the diamonds represents.” (U18)

“The five diamonds I assume they are the stations that you would have access to.” (U18)

“Diamond is how many songs they have in their playlist - the more songs they have the more I will want to listen to them.” (U16)

Navigation

Without category animation (Users 14, 15, 16, 17)

·  Navigation was confusing. Many participants never fully understood the intended navigation scheme.

“I did not find a 'system' to navigating between categories and between radio stations.” (U16, U17)

“With radio, I know what to expect. Here, I haven't figured out the system, appears random.” (U17)

I’m still confused as to why the left and right buttons work some times and not others. (U16)

With category animation (Users 18, 19)

·  Although still somewhat confused, U18 and U19 got the general idea of up and down changing the genre and left and right changing the station (or “song”).

“The left and right buttons are actually staying within the genre.” (U18)

·  No one COMMENTED on the animation though.

Up and Down Arrows

·  People expected the up and down button to control volume

“The up and down arrow I would assume is the volume.” (U18)

Background color

·  Only one user noticed the change in background color and correctly identified that it indicated that the stations that were red were one type of genre. (U17)

Locating Own Station

·  If they found their station, they often had a hard time getting back to it.

“I wish it was easier to find my station.” (U16, U19)

Issues of Control

·  More control was desired. Most people wanted to browse through a list of songs from each broadcaster, rather than seeing the prototype as a kind of radio.

“Broadcasting my own station to me means that I can switch between my own preset songs … I did not like much of the preset music for the other stations.” (U14)

“In broadcasting my own radio, I think I would have a ranking preference of what I want to listen to first vs. second.” (U18)

U16: Thought that she was flipping through other people’s tracks, or list of songs. (U19 as well)

Day Month 2004 GM-Network 3