Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Yahoo! Exercise

B.

Part I - Preparing and conducting an Interview
1. Identify Objectives of your study


The objective of this interview is to improve on the existing problems users faced when using Yahoo! site.


2. Select the type of Interview (Unstructured, Structured and Semi-structured)

Semi-Structured.


3. Write the Questions for your Interview

1. How often do you use it? ________
2. How much time u spend on yahoo? ________
3. What do you think of the search engine, is it easy to search ? Y/N
4. Are you happy with the current functions they are providing? Y/N
5. Which sections can be improved? _________
6. Do you think they should add more functions? if so, what? ________


4. Conduct your interview with a “potential” user

Jackson Tan
Student from NYP Business

1. once per 3 months(I use Google for search engine)
2. 2 minutes
3. I don't like it when they store the history of the search
4. No
5. Remove the history of search section, and have more flash games.
6. No, just need to improve the current site.


5. Note down your findings

Google seems to be a better search engine than Yahoo, but Yahoo provides more services. It depends on the user, what he or she use it for.



Part II – Preparing a Survey
1. Identify Objectives of your study


Objective of the survey is to improve further on the existing website.


2. Select a response format (close-ended or open-ended questions)

Close-ended


3. Write the Questions for your Survey

1. Do you have a yahoo account?
2. Do you use yahoo ?
3. What do you use yahoo for?
4. What other functions that yahoo provide interests you?
5. Is the interface easy to understand?
6. Which function do you use the most?

4. Select your Distribution Method and say why?

Online survey, since Yahoo is a website, so mojority of the users are internet savvy. It is also more convenient for them so we can get more responses.


5. Design your survey form (Sketch out if your are doing a Web Survey)

Please circle your choices.

1. Do you have a yahoo account? Y/N

2. Do you use yahoo ? Y/N

3. What do you use yahoo for?
Use the search engine/ Read the news/ Check mail / Others (Please Specify) ________

4. What other functions that yahoo provide interests you?
Facebook, Flickr, Friendster / Messenger / Others (Please Specify) ________

5. Is the interface easy to understand? Y/N

6. Which function do you use the most?
Mail/ Search Engine / Others (Please Specify) _______




Part III – Survey Analysis
1. For each of the following datasets, calculate the median, mean and standard
deviation of the mean:


a. 2, 2, 2, 2

Median: 2
Mean: 2
Standard Deviation: 0


b. 0.67, 1.03, -0.38, -0.75, 0.79, -0.13, 1.57, -1.78, -0.58, -1.43

Median: -0.255
Mean:-0.099
Standard Deviation: √10.77429 = 3.282421


c. 4.7, 11, 0.42, 0.18, 6.2, 0.74, 38, 0.016, 0.26, 0.037

Median: 6.155
Mean: 0.58
Standard Deviation: √124.748 = 11.169
Sbattiti / interactive installation / dirtyworks, zanganassa



This interactive installation simulates the experience of tapping onto the table surface to create a rhythm. It records the patterns and rhythms your hand made on the table and the 3 other pairs of hands of each sides repeat the same thing, creating a "masterpiece". Users will experiment with different patterns and combinations to come out with different kind of rhythm.



GreenRay Laser Interactive Installation by 3kta



This is a good example of making something interactive without employing the use of high technology. In this installation, the designer only made use of lasers to create different visual effects that changes according to the guests' feedbacks. As guests walk though the 'Light Tapestry', the patterns created by the beams of light changes. Guests are be able to enjoy themselves playing with the laser installation as much as an installation of higher technology.



Robert Morris interactive installation at Tate Modern




This is also another example of interactivity without the use of technology. This exhibition makes use of the physics of human body and the possible interactions between the body with something static. People can also have fun through physical interactions with the wooden structures built in the exhibition.


"Building Music" a project by Play the Magic



Anybody walking on the street can now be a DJ when they happen to pass by this large scale installation. The user only need to have a torchlight to play with this installation. The windows of the building acts as a keyboard. When the torch shines at the window, it will play a random note and it will glow in a random colour. This installation provides both visual and audio feedback which makes it interesting and fun to play with.



Moment Factory - La Vitrine - Permanent Interactive LED wall



This can definitely turn the heads of anybody and everybody walking along this very street. Although the interaction is simple, but it is effective enough to capture everybody's attention with the bright flashing LEDs and the fun of walking pass the installation and seeing the different pretty patterns the LEDs forms in the night. I would also like to go and experience it myself if I have the chance!



Interactive Bicycle

Interactive Bicycle from Parker Kuncl on Vimeo.



This is one kind of interaction which does not require you to use your hands directly on the screen to interact. You have to ride on the bicycle. This makes the interaction different. This is actually nothing much, it only draws tracks onto the screen according how you maneuver your bicycle.



Interactive Headphones

Interactive Headphones from Tal Benisty on Vimeo.





Interactive Chronology

Interactive Chronology from AITIA on Vimeo.



This can be actually a good way to teach History to students. A staircase is used as a metaphor of a timeline in this installation. The experience of stepping onto the stair and listening what the stair is 'narrating' makes it different and somewhat interesting.



Interactive Car Wraps

Inter-active Car Wraps from aircord on Vimeo.



This, is definitely cool. You can change the appearance of your beloved car, temporary though, for free. The skin of your car can now be animated. It will be cool if your car is in the center of attention when your car is being parked with this installation animating the shell of your car with beautiful visuals.



Graffiti Wall

Graffiti Wall from Michael Goldman on Vimeo.



Now, wall vandalism is out of date. Polices now don't have to worry about this anymore now with this installation! Pollution free, yet almost has the same fun as spray-painting the wall. However your masterpiece won't be permanently there on the wall.



Pinwall | interactive facade pinball | urban screening

Pinwall | interactive facade pinball | urban screening from urbanscreen on Vimeo.



This uses the same concept as the "Building Music". This is even more fun to play with; it is a Pinball game! This does not use torchlight, they had controllers installed so that people can control the paddles.


Portrait Machine - Interactive Photography Installation (preview)

Portrait Machine - Interactive Photography Installation (preview) from Theo Watson on Vimeo.



Everybody can be a model! This installation is intelligent in a way that it is able to track a pattern among all the portraits taken, like the colour of the clothes they are wearing, their facial expressions and the direction of the face.



Sprint Center Interactive Wall

Sprint Center Interactive Wall from Takashi Kawashima on Vimeo.



This is an another very intelligent installation built in Sprint Center, where it is famous for holding big concerts for famous celebrities like Britney Spears and Coldplay. People can dial in to the application using iPhone, or any other smart phones, to use the interactive wall. This interactive wall has 3 applications; Phone Painter, Now Widgets, and Instant DJ. Phone Painter uses the quality of your voice to paint a picture. You can then upload the painted picture into your iPhone. Now Widget is a rather interesting application which shows you everything that are happening now. For example, the Youtube video being played now, the weather, temperature and air pressure now, the world's population now, the world's energy usage now, and many other random stuffs. The Instant DJ is an application where you can compose your own music by pressing the buttons of your iPhone and after you are done with it, you can then upload into your iPhone.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Arduino...?

Some Design-Based Arduino Projects


Interactive TableTalk Project



This interactive TableTalk helps you to analyse your conversation and it responses to your voice. The more you talk, the more lights will be lighted up. The amount of blue lights will appear depending on how much you speak and if your partner starts to speak, green lights will start to appear on the table.

I think this is an interesting way to analyse the quality of a conversation between friends. We can know that a group of friends are having a nice conversation by looking at a colourful tabletop with lots of LEDs being lit up. We can also know which person should talk more by looking at the amount of lights each colour is being lit up and thus encouraging participation in the conversation.

I think it will be much more interesting if the shape and the patterns of the lights formed can vary depending on the topic being discussed. For example, if the group of friends are talking about food, maybe a shape of a hamburger will slowly form as the group is talking. The different colours of lights will form the shape and from there, we can see who in particular in very or not that interested in the topic.




Google EarthWalk



This project uses the Google Earth to project onto the floor so that it will seem like you are walking on the earth. On the projection, the user navigates on the earth's surface using five footpads. The arrows represent the cardinal points as heading directions. Activation of one of the pads simultaneously with the center pad will speed up the pace of navigation. Simultaneous activation of the pads marked with plus or minus will result in zooming in and out respectively. However, the interface is customisable. The intention of this project is to "bring the application out of the screen". This same method was also being tested out in some video games too.

I think this project provides a much more intuitive way of using Google Earth to navigate yourself in the application; being physically "there" and its like as though you are stepping on earth yourself. People can have fun at the same time by stepping on the arrows and exploring different continents of the world, just like playing the video game Dance Dance Revolution.

However, I do not think using arrows is the best way to control the navigation of the user. Although people can quickly understand what the arrows are for when they initially stepped onto the projection, but it is still not natural enough. After a while, the user will get bored using the application with this method as it only concerns stepping onto the arrows. I think, a more engaging way is to allow the user to walk on the projection to navigate, as though the user is really walking on earth. Maybe building something spherical on the floor that can helps to detect the direction the user is walking towards is an option to ensure the user stays at same spot of the screen while having unlimited navigation. Maybe the user can jump on the spot to zoom in to the area.


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What is Arduino?

Arduino is a physical computing platform based on a simple open hardware design for a single-board microcontroller, with embedded I/O support and a standard programming language.The Arduino programming language is based on Wiring and is essentially C/C++ (several simple transformations are performed before passing to avr-gcc).The goal of the Arduino project is to make tools available that are accessible, low-cost, low capital investment, flexible and easy-to-use for artists and hobbyists. Particularly those who might not otherwise have access to more sophisticated controllers that require more complicated tools.

Arduino can be used to develop stand-alone interactive objects or it can be connected to a host computer. A typical Arduino board carries the controller, some digital and analogue I/O lines, and a serial or USB interface to the host. This host is used for both programming the board, and run-time interaction with the Arduino. Arduinos themselves generally do not have networking facilities, but it is common to combine one or more Arduinos with a networked host, using the Arduino as hardware controllers and the host as a network or user interface. Host interfacing is simple, since the host software may be written in a variety of languages. A popular language is Processing, but other languages that can access the serial connection are Max/MSP, Pure Data, SuperCollider, ActionScript, and Java.
source from Wikipedia.com