zondag 26 januari 2014

Summary of Project




Goal: To get insights about the daily life of a student. Where does the student lose time?

Insights: The product should be an application because working students like to use modern technology. Most of the students tend to devide their life in three categories: School, work and social life. To structure the whole daily life of a working student is too much.




Goal: Testing a presumption how the main screen could look like, based on a triangle devided into three elements.

Insights: The users didn't like it because the pictograms were not visable as a button. The screen also looked busy according to the students.



Goal: Getting insights in the structure of the application.

Insights: The content of the application is too complex. The realisation that the focus should be on a specific moment of the student.





Goal: To get insights in the interface, content and triggers.

Insights: Deviding the interface of the main screen into three elements was a good idea but the interface of the main screen should include visual buttons.





Goal: Perceive feedback about the interface of the application. How to add a task?

Insights: Positivity. The Save button should be an Update. Saving something meant for students that the action is finished. Updating something allows the user to change the information. The application should be simplistic, easy to recognize, include colour coding, rewarding system, triggers and the progres measurement.




Goal: To test the main screen and the content.

Insights: People liked buttons more. Add a task should be in the main screen in order to add tasks smoothly. Settings button should also be in the main screen in order to change sounds and reminders.




Goal: To test the trigger and motivation part. What kind of sounds and rewards do the users like to motivate them.

Insights: Rewardings could either be a youtube video, funny pictures or downloadable content such as video's, music and games.












donderdag 23 januari 2014

Test 3 update

Prototype and test 3:

One of the problems we discovered with our target group was procrastination to do/start an assignment. In our second test we included interview session with the participants to gain insights on what can trigger/motivate them to start assignments/homework.  To prepare for test three, we did desktop research on “procrastination” and “motivation” to have a background knowledge .


Test Aim:

With this test we wanted to know how we can help our target group avoid procrastination. We also wanted to learn how sounds and images could be used as motivation. Additionally, we wanted to use this test to check insights from our desktop research on “procrastination and “motivation”.


Prototype:

For the test,  we had different sounds and images. We used bodystorming method by simulating a task reminder with sounds and images. The second part of the test we used “directed storytelling” method to gather information about participants lived experiences with procrastination and how they motivate themselves regarding doing/starting assignments and home works.


Insights/iteration:

-          Breaking assignments into stages
-          Use of progression bar
-          Award systems- replacing what distract as reward

Sounds:
-         -To loud can be annoying
-         - Option to import your own music files
-         - Personalize sounds and images
-         - Motivational speech 

Images:
-          - When you’re done, you will get an gimmick or another funny picture
-          - “confetti” when you finish
-          - Sound bells when you’re done
  
Reward system:                      
-          - Reward system that award points for completed task. At the attainment of specified number of points, user   could download music, app or other material of choice. Extra bonus for not procrastinating.
-         - Deadlines help a lot:  The app should say start *name … to finish on *date


Iteration:

With the result from the test, we intend to optimize our product by adding the following

-         - Staging of assignment
-         - Personalizing option of sounds and images
-         - Creating a reward system that will turn what distract into reward. Awarding points for task completion that
 could be used for downloading of music and other materials of choice.
-         - Feature that allow users to personalize sounds and images

-         - Feature that will allow users to set starting and finishing time.

























zondag 19 januari 2014

Summary of the article

1) Which article is most related to the insights that you use in your project?   Describe how the main points of the article are in agreement with or contradict the ideas behind your project.

Understanding Our Compulsions By Dan Ariely

This article is about understanding the science behind the irrational urges that drive us to fritter away our most valuable asset, time. It looks into why we make bad choices, often unintentionally.

-It is in our habits. Time has an opportunity cost and we like to see the results of our work quickly. Which is why the example of the workers coming in to the office and checking their emails first resonates. Reading and deleting 10 emails seems like an accomplishment as opposed to coming into work and jumping into a 50-hour assignment without an easy vision of the accomplishments during the process.

The Spruce Docket agrees with this and seeks to make gradual changes to said habits. When connected to the Spruce Docket, the application tracks your days, and time begins to suggest actions for the empty pockets it notices to improve the productivity of the users.

-It is in the planning. We plan for the activities and tasks that require from 30 minutes to a couple or hours to complete, but not for the reports or long-term projects. And it shows in our delivered work.

The Spruce Dockets’ creators also agree with this, which is why, we have created a way to sneak it in. When the user is imputing a new task, we ask the users to chose an outline for the activity or break down the activity. This allows the application to track the progress the user is making and estimate a completion time, which is then budgeted into the schedule.

-Looking at great temptations. Dan Ariely says that choices are architectural. By that he means that our environments play roles in what decisions we make. Using a buffet fro an example, “…-whether the fresh fruit and salad is easily accessible or tucked in the back behind more tempting options- will determine what you end up eating.”

Looking at the basic combinations yields the following:
            1. The world tries to tempt us.
            2. We listen to the world around us.
            3. We do not deal very well with temptation, aka, we have little to no self-control.

The Spruce Docket at all times provides a clear overview of the work you have to do and creates intervals with the use of triggers, rewards, and motivating items to make each day ad activity an adventure.

The Spruce Docket helps its users manage their time better and shows their progress so that the markers motivates you because your accomplishments are easily visible.

2) Which of the articles is most related to the theme of Smart Life Rhythms? If we would have a Smart Life Rhythms symposium, which of the authors should we invite? Give arguments for your choice.

Tuning into You by Scott Belsky

People rarely ever stop to pause and reflect anymore. Every moment from train rides to the time spent in-between classes are spent plugged into the world and not into ones self. We operate on opportunity costs, so when we fill our minds of one, we block out another, when we “turn off one type if stimuli, we unleash another.” To embrace these we must to the following.

-Renew our interest in ourselves. Try blocking out he world fro on hour a day. In that hour no music, no books, no company, no electronics, just be. Look out at the world around you. Track what you see, what you recognize and what you do not. In doing this you widen your potential and find the real you.

-Reserve unstructured time. Take this time to do the things you would not normally do. Experience things. Even if you do not like them, at the very least you now know more about what you do not like.

-Open yourself to serendipity. Be nice and open, no business or person survives alone. So be friendly and helpful and you get to know who is around you and build contacts. In doing this you see the opportunities around that you could have missed and you come to realize how much is out ‘there’. Unplugging gives you a better understanding of the world around you.

-Prioritize being present. Capitalize in the here’s and now’s. Constant connection has a cost. In connectivity you are focused outwardly and miss the opportunities open to you. We need to recognize and understand that when you are plugging into the world you are increasing your focus on what is and reducing your focus on what will be. Creating these moments of non-stimulation in your day. Finding the time is important because it is a time just for you where you can focus on what is important to you long term. By taking the time to listen to yourself, you can focus more on what you want and need.

What you focus on says a lot about you. Which is why this article this important to the Smart Life Rhythms course. By being present in every moment you get the most out of them. Being present asks you to get to know and understand yourself, so that you find what works best for you. Knowing what works best for you allows you to optimize and maximize your potential.


3) Which of the articles is most related to what you expect of your future professional life? If we could invite a motivational speaker for your future diploma session, which of the authors should we invite? Give arguments for your choice.

Learning to Create Amidst Chaos by Erin Rooney Doland

We are designers, innovates. There is rarely an ideal moment to work or make everything perfect and claiming that there is procrastination. We all have to supplement and diverge to be at our best. All the influences that get us to our best also make it difficult for us to be at our best. The following helps manage the chaos.

-Positive Distractions. There are many things that are negative distractions, television, Facebook, self-doubt. These hamper the creativity so that for this we must combat them with positive distractions like setting rewards and making completions out of tasks. These positive distractions motivate you to get to your peak performance-wise.

-Self Control.  To combat low self-control people can strengthen their will power by training oneself to a point where only the most important tasks take energy. Little things like getting a good night sleep can build concentration.

-Mindfulness vs. Mindlessness. For example during exams most dorm rooms are as clean as ever because the students are whiling away time mindlessly. Creating a pattern that shifts from mindlessness to mindfulness gives your brain time to process and relax before the next round of mindfulness.

These are just some of the steps Erin Rooney Doland proposes to train our attention and marshal “creative energy” in the most chaotic circumstances. Erin Rooney Doland would be a good motivational speaker for our graduation because of how closely the subjects relates to our futures.

We have grown up thinking that creativity comes in Eureka moments and most of us are still adjusting to the fact that it really comes from preparation through research and work. The use of examples and references to real creative minds makes this speaker very relatable and the topic very approachable.

donderdag 16 januari 2014

Summary of the article

The clock-time paradox by Ida H. J. Sabelis

Clock time has enabled organizations in our modern society in the First place, but there is a paradox. Clock time also creates problems that become visible only when we manage to switch focus from the smooth ideals of control, planning, and organization to the everyday experience of people trying to cope with reality of this in practice. If you have a lot of time for an assignment, it is tempting to postpone the task because there is enough time left. So the paradox is that we underestimate the power of time.



Clock time:
The spruce docket is all about avoiding problems to manage the time of the individual user. During the researches a lot of students were talking about time struggles. The gap between searching for information and starting is too big. If the user could fill in tasks and let the application send the user a reminder, the user has the capability to forget about the assignment and focus on something different. In this way the user can manage their time. Time could also be seen as an object because the amount of time left is the deadline.


Cultural times:
Cultural times doesn’t play a big part in our project. Only if you would call students a culture itself. The only difference that might come up are the different kind of assignments and tasks. The only bullet point of cultural times that might be involved is Time-scales. When the user has set the assignments into the three categories, the user has a time-scale of when the assignments should be finished. In this way the user can plan the tasks in order to manage their time.


Holistic views:
Students work on different times. Student A might do all the work on the day and get up early, while student B works through the night and wakes up late. The condition of life plays a part here. The reason why students work on different times is what they prefer themselves. When these rhythms change, there is an error in the flow. The application helps students to keep their own flow in order to get the deadlines.


Page 256-257 “Questioning people directly about their time use often produces rather shallow answers concerning time-schedule problems… ICT’s have presented both more opportunities for cooperation and an increase of bureaucratic intrusion into the daily work of academics.

During the researches and interviews we asked a lot about time managing. How do student manage their time? The answers we got in the first place were very shallow. It was like there was no problem, but when we asked more questions the participants talked more about their problems with time managing. The most important thing we have learned during the researches is that students have problems with managing their time because they also have a lot of other things to do. Most of them do not own an agenda. They just write everything down on a piece of paper or set the alarm on the mobile phone. Students want to forget what they have to do and focus on one specific thing. If students could fill in an assignment somewhere, they have less stress.

Secondly, the students from now use modern technology to start working on their assignments. There is email communication between students and the computerization plays a big part in the life of a student. So we have learned that students didn’t want a product, or something not digital. They want something with technology. The spruce docket could help students with managing their time and send reminders on specific moments in order to let the student forget about all the assignments.

woensdag 15 januari 2014

Assignment week 7

Report:

Introduction:

This report describe in detail the journey that we took so far to design “Spruce Docket”. This is an application designed and developed for working students to help them plan, manage and execute their tasks effectively. In this report are the scope, design challenge, the idea and concept, and the different iteration processes that lead to the optimization of the “Spruce Docket” to this point.


Scope:

Our group embarked on formulating scope for our project. This part we exploit for whom our group will design an optimized experience for, whose smart rhythm are we supporting? To help us formulate the scope, three important elements were considered , these were activities, time and space.
Initially, our group came up with two different target groups, ‘the working students’ and ‘people who commute to work’.  To help us define these two target groups, we used target group templates to gather information regarding the activities, time and space. Additionally, stakeholders’ maps were used to exploit the different stakeholders of each target group. The information that were filled in the target group template and the shareholders’ maps were hypothetical and desktop research insights. Below are the two different target groups scopes and the stakeholders maps.


Our target group:

Our group eventually decided on working students as our target group because of the opportunities of its diverse activities, time and space that our group could exploit. This target group( working students) studies, work and have active social lives. To help us understand our target group and to test our hypotheses, we conducted qualitative research( in-depth interviews and observation). Before embarking on fieldwork we created an experience flow based on the scope of our target group which covered the various activities they perform, the different spaces the use and the different time of the day.  In the initial experience flow we tried to cover all possible touch points and the different experiences at these touch points.  To clearly understand the different experiences , we first identified the before, during and after activities of our target group based generally on the three main activities, study, work and socializing. This enable us to create experience flow for these activities. In preparation for our field work we indicated what were already known about our target group and highlighted what we need to know more about them.  We formulated research question and topics to give us a direction on what we need to know more about our target group and to test our hypotheses for correctness.

From the result to our qualitative research we created a persona for our target group and  we built “as is” experience flow. 



Design Challenge:
To create a design challenge for the data and insights to our research result was confusing and difficult for our group at first because we were considering all the problems that our target group was facing . This resulted to a rather general design challenge. The turning point and learning experience was when our group decided to rate the different problem according to degree of importance. This eventually revealed the most important problem or rather “moment of truth’. This was the point that our target group experience the most frustrations that we could translate to unmet need for them.
The key insights

The design challenge was to design a product/service that will help our target group plan, manage and execute task effectively. Below is the design challenge from  result to a research question “ How do our target group combine both school and work life?”








Ideas and concept:

The challenges above resulted from interviews with the students.  Our initial idea of “The Spruce Docket” we tried to answers both these challenges and even go overboard.  With easy planning and scheduling skill that include visualized plans to a smart agenda in-sync with public transportation and all their relevant schedules, the Spruce Docket encourage self-discipline while creating comfort for the students who use it.
The Spruce Docket makes every day an adventure. It uses tools our target group already uses, like to do lists on paper and builds on that with the use of positive reinforcements and efficient directions to match the students’ optimal rhythms. With these tools, the Spruce Docket together with the students creates the perfect day, every day!



Ideation”The Spruce Docket

In the conceptualization phase, our focus was to identified where our target group experience the most frustration, this we translate to unmet needs for them. We created the concept “The Spruce Docket” by selecting the most important and relevant ideas that provide the best solution to our problem statement “To design a product/service to help working student plan, manage and execute their tasks effectively”, The focus of this concept is on one specific moment in the life of a working student.  After more research on the target group, we found that it is not the time that is blocking the students to do their tasks, but the tasks itself. The concept is based on a triangle with the three edges representing the three main  activities of our target group. One of the program of requirements is a product in tasks planning ,management and execution of the student.




The Spruce Docket concept


Prototype and test 1:

We built a quick prototype to conduct a pilot test with participants. The test aim, the research question (s) and the test plan were used to help build the type of prototype that will be used for the test. The prototype is made out of paper displaying screen of a mobile phone. The other components/contents will make up the prototype interface  will also be made out of paper. These components/contents are the different activities like school, work and social life, written in text and  cut out images. Also blanks cut out paper too to enable participants provide us with possible contents that will be included in the application that we did not include. These different contents on paper/post-it and the blank for possible contents will allow the participants to arrange the different content on the mobile phone screen. This test will provide insights on the contents and interface development.




This prototype was built to provide answers to our research question and sub-questions. To gain insights into how users want the interface and what should be the relevant contents in the application. First we wanted to know how they interact with our concept and to know how they will navigate through this application.
The aim was to learn about the interface and the contents that will make up the application. The result provide insights on the interface design, show strong desire for to-do-list feature, provided information on the steps and navigation processes of using the application. Result also provided insights on what kind of button to use and where to use them. More insights on colour preference and where and what to use colour for. While the pilot test was successful, we as a group learnt that we should have made our cut-out images and text for the prototype bigger.


First Iteration:

The very obvious iteration was the design of the interface, apparently, our idea of triangle interface was not good enough but they prefer the three tasks to be placed linearly instead of triangularly. With the insights from the pilot test, we redesigned the to-do-list page and content, we placed buttons and cues to help user perform actions that will help them perform task with the application easily.




Prototype and test 2:
After the feedback from the first test, it was time to advance the product in different ways. First of all the interface of the main screen. There was a lot of feedback about the main screen. According to the users, the main screen was way too detailed. The most important things in the main screen are the categories. Based on the feedback, the main screen has been changed in a familiar way. The three categories are categorized with three pictograms. These pictograms are also clickable to go to the particular category. When clicked on a specific category, there is the ability to add a task.

-          With this link you have access to the paper prototype which has been used during the second test:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B__es-Q_vSQVQkg5T2hDR0dFRzg/edit?usp=sharing
Some pictures of the research:



Test 2:

The results of the second test were quite interesting. First of all, the participants really liked the way of researching. The participants were mostly students of the minor so there was an informal atmosphere.
The prototype was built based on the insights we got from the pilot test. These include the new interface for the application, the contents that will be in the different activities and the navigation through the application. We also added features like an overview button, different sounds and how to personalise a particular sound. We also make sure that the to-do-list has everything , like the process to add a task to the to-do-list. We indicated a period like hours, week, month and days. The prototype was made out of paper with digitally print content. This was to make the prototype much real and clear for the participant.


Aim: The aim was to use this prototype to learn how participants interact with the whole application. We also wanted to learn what works well and what did not work well for the participants. We also wanted to learn from the participants about the trigger/motivation to do their task. To learn this we conducted interviews with the participants.

Insights of the 2nd test:

- Symbols not clear
Some student were confused with the work symbol because it looked like a settings button.

- Social life button looks good

- Submit button should be update button
The update button tells the student that it can always be updated if there is a change.

- Personalizing the sound
Some students liked the idea of categorizing the three categories into three colours and sounds.

- Time (3days=3d)
3 days and 2 hours is way too much information according to the students. So they want the idea of uTorrent, where it shows 3d, 2h left.

- Rewarding system with break
According to the students from the 2nd test, they like to have a break after they have finished a few assignments. This break could also be an inspirational exercise to clear your mind.


Changes:
- Symbols
The symbol of the work button will be changed because students thought it was the settings button.

- Submit button will be update button
If you want to add a task you fill in the task and click on submit. Some students tought they couldn't change the task. So the submit button will be changed to "update" button. Like this, the update button tells the students that the tasks can always be changed.

- Time (3days will be 3d, 2hours will be 2h)
The amount of time left for the task will be pronounced as 3d, 2h instead of 3 days and 2 hours.

- Rewarding system with break
The rewarding system will be a break or an inspirational exercise.

- Percent done and left
To challange the students, the application shows the percentage of finished tasks. Like this, the user of the application can easily see what has been achieved already and what should be done.


One by one the changes will be explained:

-          Rectangle below the three elements for an overview

There are three things to say about the main screen. First of all a few participants want a rectangle below the three categories so they have an overview of ALL the tasks (all 3 categories combined). They liked this idea because then you have everything on one screen instead of switching between the screens when you are trying to plan something.




-          Add a task from the main screen AND particular category.

Secondly some participants didn’t want to click on school, social life or work to add a task. They want to add a task right away when they are in the main screen. So there will come an “add a task” button on the bottom left of the screen.


-          Settings button on the bottom right & instructions

Some participants didn’t know what the app could actually do and what his functions are. So they were talking about a settings button on the bottom right. This button doesn’t only allow the user to change the settings, but also has some information about the application itself.

-     

 
Triggers: URL link to the actual assignment from blackboard.

The trigger is an interesting chapter in the application. What triggers students to do their assignments? During the past 7 weeks we found out that a lot of students have troubles with just: starting. A few students talked about a link to blackboard where you can see the assignment posted by the teacher. Like this, the gap between searching information and starting the actual assignment will be closed. There will also be a link school library for information. This information will be digital magazines or e-books.

-          Opportunity to add categories.

In the future it will also be possible to add categories. Like this, you can arrange your own home screen. Separating tasks in different kind of categories gives more structure.  A category users could add for instance: work at home.





donderdag 9 januari 2014

Assignment week 6

Changes are happening every day, and moment in our lives. We grow because that is genetically determined, we have several types of chronotypes; young children are relatively part of the early chronotypes (they are awake early, and go to sleep early). During puberty and adolescence humans tend to change in night owls so basically you change in to the late chronotype. We reach the turning point around twenty years but this depends on the gender (for woman this is around nineteen and a half, men tend to change at twenty-one years), this is one of the differences between our human developments.

There are a lot of people that don’t want to change their daily rhythm, but what if we could change our daily routine... wouldn’t that help us improve our ways to work more efficient?
There are several arguments that were given in a debate about changing our ways; these were the arguments for not changing;


- Working between 8 am - 1 pm is an excellent compromise for all chronotypes
- Students are not awake because they sleep late
- Parents don’t want to change the system because they need to go to work themselves.
- Due to bussing problems teachers in Dresden found out that 90% of their students wanted to be home by 1 pm



An astonishing set of arguments but these arguments are not based on any facts,
the counter arguments;


- The distribution between the chronotypes give us and difficulty because 60% is able to work efficient, because they aren’t awake... they are present but don’t contribute a lot.
- Why couldn’t high school students go to school after their parents go to work?
- Education as the article states is a nation’s investment in the future; we should be able to change the rhythm of the bussing on the long view for a better and efficient lifestyle.
- And finally there aren’t any signs on how many students wanted to be home at 1pm, what were the questions, who asked these questions?


As adults most teachers have shifted to an earlier chronotype and therefor aren’t able to wake up later and stay up later, they tend to do their work between 8am - 1pm, rather than students that have a different working/studying rhythm.


There are projects started by several countries from Switzerland to the United States that eliminated timetables entirely and left the decision about when or if students arrive at school.
There weren’t a lot of points we wanted to change about the schedule, we made a few small adjustments.


Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
10:30 - 12:00 Guest Lecture
9:30 – 13:00 Skill workshop 20:00 Hand in Assignment 9:00 – 12:00 Creative project workshop
12:15 – 13:45 “URS” Lecture


12:15 Hand out assignment
13:45 Hand in Article


12:15 Hand out article


woensdag 8 januari 2014

Test

The test from wednesday will be held on friday.


*Note* The lettertype could be bugged sometimes.