Monday, October 22, 2007
Conclusion:
In regards to our study we found that the methods
informal interviews
personas
and scenarios
seemed to work well together. By no means are our personas and scenarios complete as there is room to refine then through an iterative process. Through the use of these methods our focus had been shifted on the user as appose to the underlying technologies and assumed usage of such technologies.
Interviews were ideal for the one-on-one basis. It provided enough flexibility within its structure which was needed for the potential variety in responses. However the downside to only having the data from our interviewees available, and by not relying on any other sources, is that the rest of the inquiry from personas through to scenarios might have been a little limited.
The use of personas presented itself with both risks and benefits. They have provided us with an engaging way of thinking about specific users needs. We would refer to each persona by name when discussed, and each persona was provided with a detailed prescription to which we could refer.
We conclude by stating that in the interaction inquiry we found that the current Wifi network seems to be sufficient for the average student. The current Wifi network covers roughly 80% - 86% of Ipswich campus. Most of the ‘high demand’ areas (such as library, main buildings and court area) are adequately covered by this. We would however suggest that the buildings behind the refectory ( 13-19, 22, 28 ) which are in constant use by students (and staff) and not within range of the Wifi network could be included. These rooms include multimedia related lecture rooms, and was indicated by users as areas of interest.
Most of the Wifi access is done socially, i.e not when working straight on an assignment, or a relatively short time spent accessing the UQ site and course related material. And as such, has increased the demand in access.
informal interviews
personas
and scenarios
seemed to work well together. By no means are our personas and scenarios complete as there is room to refine then through an iterative process. Through the use of these methods our focus had been shifted on the user as appose to the underlying technologies and assumed usage of such technologies.
Interviews were ideal for the one-on-one basis. It provided enough flexibility within its structure which was needed for the potential variety in responses. However the downside to only having the data from our interviewees available, and by not relying on any other sources, is that the rest of the inquiry from personas through to scenarios might have been a little limited.
The use of personas presented itself with both risks and benefits. They have provided us with an engaging way of thinking about specific users needs. We would refer to each persona by name when discussed, and each persona was provided with a detailed prescription to which we could refer.
We conclude by stating that in the interaction inquiry we found that the current Wifi network seems to be sufficient for the average student. The current Wifi network covers roughly 80% - 86% of Ipswich campus. Most of the ‘high demand’ areas (such as library, main buildings and court area) are adequately covered by this. We would however suggest that the buildings behind the refectory ( 13-19, 22, 28 ) which are in constant use by students (and staff) and not within range of the Wifi network could be included. These rooms include multimedia related lecture rooms, and was indicated by users as areas of interest.
Most of the Wifi access is done socially, i.e not when working straight on an assignment, or a relatively short time spent accessing the UQ site and course related material. And as such, has increased the demand in access.
Exec Summary
The University of Queensland’s Information Technology Services (UQ ITS) is interested in expanding wifi coverage around the the Ipswich Campus. We need to find out how the current network is being used and where the greatest demand for it currently is.
We will be developing our conclusion using the following methods: Informal and contextual interviews, personas and scenarios.
We will be developing our conclusion using the following methods: Informal and contextual interviews, personas and scenarios.
intro bit off poster
For this assignment we have chosen to conduct an interaction inquiry on how the current wifi facilities are being used among the students at Ipswich campus UQ,
As UQ ITS is interested in expanding wifi coverage around the Ipswich campus, we needed to find out how the current network was being used and where the greatest demand for it currently is. In order to do this we needed to establish who exactly our so called “users” are and what their social routines and work habits are.
The Ipswich campus has a wide range of Wi-fi hotspots, located in both internal and external areas on the campus. Wireless connections can be currently connected from the library, refectory and Buildings 1, 2 and 12 as indicated on the campus map. (map) Students, of the Ipswich campus are our main focus for this inquiry, however it is noted that other staff are obvious users of such technologies and as such will be taken into account.
As a team we have chosen to conduct our inquiry using the following methods:
Informal and contextual interviews. Personas and scenarios.
Interviews give designers the opportunity to question users on a one-on-one basis. The technique allows users to not only receive responses to their pre-ordained inquiries, but gives them the opportunity to ask follow-up questions. We have done semi-structured interviews (as opposed to structured interviews) so that the flexibility these allow will give us the opportunity for new ideas and topics that we may not ordinarily have envisioned when considering the user requirements.
We approached students who we noticed were using Wi-Fi around the Ipswich campus, as well as the general student body, who were in the same areas but not specifically using that technology.
In using methods such as interviewing, probes or participatory design, it is important to make the person(s) feel at easy and reassured that they are free to leave when they wish. It was initially difficult to find users who were able to take the 15 minutes to participate in the study, though the offer of a free drink helped considerably.
Personas naturally fit in with the other chosen methods: interviews and scenarios, and can be seen as the middle step in our interaction inquiry. The construction of our personas will be based on the information gathered during the interviewing phase. When enough data is collected we will aim at developing 3-5 different personas or casts, which will then be used as a basis for our scenario construction.
A persona is a fictional character that can be used by interaction designers as a design tool. Personas are given a name, age, sex and often include some family background and occupational information. The aim is to try to replicate a precise image of what a typical user/s will be and by doing so, help designers to focus their attention on specific needs and goals. This benefits will us as a team as a whole as it provides a shares basis for communication. .
In order to effectively establish our personas are we need to find out more about who the users are that use the wifi connections around Ipswich campus by conducting a series of contextual interviews and general observations. These personas reflect the data found during the observation/interview phase and observational anecdotes used where possible, as this will help the fleshing of the characters out.
Scenarios are the descriptions of how users interact with a system. Scenarios are important when designing for users as they can be used to predict how different personas will interact with the system from the user’s perspective. For the Wi-fi Hotspots inquiry, using the scenario method is suitable as it helps explore all the possible aspects of interaction.
As UQ ITS is interested in expanding wifi coverage around the Ipswich campus, we needed to find out how the current network was being used and where the greatest demand for it currently is. In order to do this we needed to establish who exactly our so called “users” are and what their social routines and work habits are.
The Ipswich campus has a wide range of Wi-fi hotspots, located in both internal and external areas on the campus. Wireless connections can be currently connected from the library, refectory and Buildings 1, 2 and 12 as indicated on the campus map. (map) Students, of the Ipswich campus are our main focus for this inquiry, however it is noted that other staff are obvious users of such technologies and as such will be taken into account.
As a team we have chosen to conduct our inquiry using the following methods:
Informal and contextual interviews. Personas and scenarios.
Interviews give designers the opportunity to question users on a one-on-one basis. The technique allows users to not only receive responses to their pre-ordained inquiries, but gives them the opportunity to ask follow-up questions. We have done semi-structured interviews (as opposed to structured interviews) so that the flexibility these allow will give us the opportunity for new ideas and topics that we may not ordinarily have envisioned when considering the user requirements.
We approached students who we noticed were using Wi-Fi around the Ipswich campus, as well as the general student body, who were in the same areas but not specifically using that technology.
In using methods such as interviewing, probes or participatory design, it is important to make the person(s) feel at easy and reassured that they are free to leave when they wish. It was initially difficult to find users who were able to take the 15 minutes to participate in the study, though the offer of a free drink helped considerably.
Personas naturally fit in with the other chosen methods: interviews and scenarios, and can be seen as the middle step in our interaction inquiry. The construction of our personas will be based on the information gathered during the interviewing phase. When enough data is collected we will aim at developing 3-5 different personas or casts, which will then be used as a basis for our scenario construction.
A persona is a fictional character that can be used by interaction designers as a design tool. Personas are given a name, age, sex and often include some family background and occupational information. The aim is to try to replicate a precise image of what a typical user/s will be and by doing so, help designers to focus their attention on specific needs and goals. This benefits will us as a team as a whole as it provides a shares basis for communication. .
In order to effectively establish our personas are we need to find out more about who the users are that use the wifi connections around Ipswich campus by conducting a series of contextual interviews and general observations. These personas reflect the data found during the observation/interview phase and observational anecdotes used where possible, as this will help the fleshing of the characters out.
Scenarios are the descriptions of how users interact with a system. Scenarios are important when designing for users as they can be used to predict how different personas will interact with the system from the user’s perspective. For the Wi-fi Hotspots inquiry, using the scenario method is suitable as it helps explore all the possible aspects of interaction.
Scenario Three
Dave
Dave is the type of student who brings his laptop with him everywhere; he uses it in lectures to take notes and uses it in tutorials to do the tutorial work. Being a multimedia design student he spends the majority of his time on the computer. He uses his laptop for everything Uni related and never uses the computers on campus, therefore he is used to connecting to the Wi-fi connection network.
Like he does at the beginning of each lecture, he turns on his computer, waits for everything to load and immediately connects to the wi-fi network through UQ Connect. He opens up his word processor and gets read for the lecture to begin and take notes. The lecturer is a little late, so Dave decides to go onto the course website, and look up the lecture slides to get a better idea of what the days lecture is focused on.
Dave is the type of student who brings his laptop with him everywhere; he uses it in lectures to take notes and uses it in tutorials to do the tutorial work. Being a multimedia design student he spends the majority of his time on the computer. He uses his laptop for everything Uni related and never uses the computers on campus, therefore he is used to connecting to the Wi-fi connection network.
Like he does at the beginning of each lecture, he turns on his computer, waits for everything to load and immediately connects to the wi-fi network through UQ Connect. He opens up his word processor and gets read for the lecture to begin and take notes. The lecturer is a little late, so Dave decides to go onto the course website, and look up the lecture slides to get a better idea of what the days lecture is focused on.
Scenario Two
Karen
Karen is hanging out with her friends in one of the study areas in the library, away from the computer workstations. They’re meant to be working on an upcoming group assignment, but they can’t help but get distracted. They have one laptop between the three of them, belonging to one of Karen’s friends, who recently bought a new laptop. It’s the first semester at Uni, and none of them have ever had the need to connect to the wireless at Uni as up to this point they have been using the computers in the library workstation. As nursing students they don’t tend to use computers, so they are not at all familiar with how to connect to the wi-fi. The library has strong wi-fi connections, so there are no problems with connectivity.
They don’t plan to use the wi-fi connection for academic purposes, but use it to access the social networking site, Facebook. As they’ve never connected to the wi-fi there are a little unsure about what to do to connect. They see that the wireless is connected on the taskbar, so assume that, that is all it takes to connect, but when they try to access the website, they come up with ‘can not load’ problems. It is until a few refreshes that they realise they need to log into the wireless network through the UQ Connect website.
Karen is hanging out with her friends in one of the study areas in the library, away from the computer workstations. They’re meant to be working on an upcoming group assignment, but they can’t help but get distracted. They have one laptop between the three of them, belonging to one of Karen’s friends, who recently bought a new laptop. It’s the first semester at Uni, and none of them have ever had the need to connect to the wireless at Uni as up to this point they have been using the computers in the library workstation. As nursing students they don’t tend to use computers, so they are not at all familiar with how to connect to the wi-fi. The library has strong wi-fi connections, so there are no problems with connectivity.
They don’t plan to use the wi-fi connection for academic purposes, but use it to access the social networking site, Facebook. As they’ve never connected to the wi-fi there are a little unsure about what to do to connect. They see that the wireless is connected on the taskbar, so assume that, that is all it takes to connect, but when they try to access the website, they come up with ‘can not load’ problems. It is until a few refreshes that they realise they need to log into the wireless network through the UQ Connect website.
Scenario One
Alex is trying to pass her time between her lecture and her tutorial class, she’s not from Ipswich and only spends one day a week at Ipswich as she’s mainly based at the St Lucia campus. She doesn’t really socialise with her classmates in her Ipswich class, as she’s never there long enough. In her spare time between classes she tends to hang out by herself using her laptop or Nintendo DS (portable gaming device).
She decides she wants to get something to eat while trying to get a head start on an upcoming assignment before her tutorial. Alex heads to the refectory where wi-fi is available, and sits at one of the tables and connects to the Internet. Alex finds it easier to concentrate in the refectory at Ipswich, compared to the ones at St Lucia, so she never has a problem deciding where to sit away from loud noises. But as she has a preference for working in fresh air, she tends to sit outside.
It doesn’t take long to connect; she’s connected to the wi-fi at uni, several times before through her wireless laptop, so she knows how to connect without any problems. Using the wi-fi at Uni has become second nature to her. She needs to kill time, but doesn’t want to waste it not being productive.
She decides she wants to get something to eat while trying to get a head start on an upcoming assignment before her tutorial. Alex heads to the refectory where wi-fi is available, and sits at one of the tables and connects to the Internet. Alex finds it easier to concentrate in the refectory at Ipswich, compared to the ones at St Lucia, so she never has a problem deciding where to sit away from loud noises. But as she has a preference for working in fresh air, she tends to sit outside.
It doesn’t take long to connect; she’s connected to the wi-fi at uni, several times before through her wireless laptop, so she knows how to connect without any problems. Using the wi-fi at Uni has become second nature to her. She needs to kill time, but doesn’t want to waste it not being productive.
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