Evaluation & Designof a digital camera

Table of ContentsPhase One Heuristics 8 Flows 10 Scenario & Market 16 People 18 Paper Prototyping 20 Participatory Design 22 Opportunities 24

Phase Two Observational Research 26 Design Decisions 28 3D Modeling 30

Phase Three Usability Testing 34 Ideation 36 Task Solution 38

Sarah Adams | IACT 315 | Fall 09 | Prof. Malouf

Phase OneEvaluating the camera and discovering opportunities for improvement.

Heuristic Evaluation

When I first evaluated the camera, I walked it through some simple steps looking for errors or confusion. While exploring its interface, I looked for task flows that I would later use in testing.

Imediately I saw the confusion of having the same button work for both the smile feature and deletion. The smile shutter was prominently advertised on the camera packaging as well, so I knew this was going to be one of the flows I tested.

Trimming was also a confusing task, as the icons were vague. When trying to crop an item, the Menu button served two purposes. It served as the “next” button, and “return”. When used to try and leave the next step, it would just toggle between the two screens without any clear way of escaping.

The Menu button was also inappropriately used when trying to delete multiple photos. To delete the photos, it was required to use Menu, when the trash-can button would have been a more obvious one.

Examining the interface of the camera, and comparing it to a set of standards.

Flows to Examine

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Flow 1: Taking a Photo

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Flow 2: Deleting Multiple Images

This first flow is the simplest, and was chosen as an easy intro to the camera.

The second flow was a bit more complicated, involving more flows. The two actions performed here are reviewing and deleting.

These are very common actions, especially if the user keeps most of their photos on the camera. If the camera is used to catalogue inspiration, it may also be used to store the photos.

Choosing tasks that will explore the camera’s interface and provide valuable feed-back during the usability testing.

Flows to Examine

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Detecting Smile

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Flow 3: Using Smile Shutter

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The third flow was meant to examine one of the features advertised by the camera. “Smile shutter” technology allows the camera to detect person’s smiles and then automatically take the photo. It is a very simple process, but is not imediately recognized for what it does. Besides this, there is a meter that seems to arbiturally judge smiles. Its purpose is not made clear.

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Image Size

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Flow 4: Trimming a Photo

The final flow was the most complicated. It involved trimming a photo on the camera. To be able to do this, the user must explore the Menu system.

To trim a photo, the user had to select the photo, go to the Menu options, and the begin cropping. The term “trimming” seems to be less commonly used than the word “cropping”, also the use of the Menu button is confusing. For one window, Menu means “next”, but when you get to this next window, it means “return”. If you are trying to exit this second window, you end up toggling back-and-forth between the two.

Cropping is traditionally done on the computer, allowing it to be done on the camera may save the user’s time. They are instantly able to edit a photo after taking it.

Scenario & Marketthe target audience and market use of the camera

It is important to understand the camera’s use. This isn’t a proffessional’s camera, and it shouldn’t be treated as such. It is a small camera easily carried on the go.

Creative persons, who actively record their daily observations, are the ideal audience for this camera. This small camera could aide them in recording and storing the things of interest in their life.

Camera TestersPeople were asked to run-through a quick evaluation of the four tasks on a paper prototype of the camera.

For consistencies sake, all four were read the same script and led through the tasks in the same order. They were video recorded, so that analysis could be made later.

Because of its portability, this camera is perfect for capturing inspiration or observations on the various tiny things that occur through out a day. From this, we can understand that the interface must also be just as quick & simple as the camera’s exterior.

In total there were four participants,all of them kept a sketchbook to record inspiration. The first was an Industrial design major, and the scond was a double major in industrial and jewlery design. The last two were roommates, one was a fibers major and the other a sequential major.

Paper PrototypingA paper, modular model of the camera interface and flows.

Users were asked to use their pen as much as possible to explain their ideas or confu-sion. Some drew icons that they though would be more recognieable, or showed where a bterr placement of a button should be.

Participatory Design*This process allows for testers to give feedback and participate in the design process.

A view of the top and back was printed out and fastened to foam core, giving it durability. Push pins worked as buttons, being more physical than just paper. The screens were printed out individually and slid underneath the back view. The lens was also capable of pulling out, showing that the camera was “on”.

By being made out of paper, the model had the affor-dance to draw and alter it by both the tester and researcher.

* See video for significant clips & findings of the testing

Conclusions drawn after evaluating the camera through heuristics and participatory design.

Opportunities

For the most part, this digital camera is easy to use, with few menus to confuse. The problems encountered were terminology, icons, and the grouping of information on the menu. Instead of completely changing the interface, a better and more cost-effective change would be to improve on the existing one.

Phase TwoIdeation of form, and the time for final decisions

Observational ResearchGoing to Best Buy & interviewing casual users, gave more insight to the re-design

By viewing many cameras out in the market, I was able to see how they organized their features and where they placed their buttons.

When I talked to a casual user, one who had just gotten his camera, he shared some interesting insights. He mostly used his camera on vacations, where he liked to photograph the scenery or other things of interest. He preferred a camera that allowed him to change modes quickly, without having to go through an interface. He also preferred something with some small affordance of a grip.

Design Descisons

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The main physical design changes I made were to the front cover of the camera, the shooting button, the deletion button and camera mode icons.

The modes button I added eliminates the need for changing modes within the digital menu completely. This was a decision made directly from talking to camera users.

The icons were changed to better reflect what they were. The film strip was ambiguous, so it was changed to a filming camera. The triangle in a box was seen as meaning “start”, and so I changed it to an icon that appeared more like a gallery view.

Within the interface, there was reorganizing of menu options, icon changes, terminology, and excessive windows.

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3D Model

The 3D model was made from chip board, because of its light-weight. It was cut and engraved by a laser-cutting machine. The sides taper out in imitation of the original camera. The inset of the screen allowed for small paper screens to be set in place.

Phase Threediscovering final solutions

Usability TestingUsing the research gathered previously, the re-designed flows and physical models were tested.

The user was given the 3D model to hold, and interact with, while the camera screens were on the computer. The only confusion on the physical model was the repetition of the flower icon. Within the interface, there was only confusion on the newly added task. This task was to change a transition setting and view a slideshow on the camera. From this, I eliminated an unnessary pop-up screen and the extra flower icon.

Final Flows*

This first task was a very simple one, meant to show the whole point of a camera - taking a photo.

Differing from my first flow, this one has the mode change as well.

The biggest difference from the original, is that to switch to these modes (from landscape to night) a dial is turned. No longer does the user have to go through the Menu interface.

The final task flows designed

Flow OneSwitching a mode & taking a photo

The second task is the same as the original one. The flow goes through the deletion of the last two photos at once.

Placement of information such as date, & photo number have been grouped together. Instead of using a black bar, the same gray bar used elsewhere is used here. The option for volume has been eliminated, and the placement of “next/back” differs in that they are seperated to either end.

Flow TwoDeleting multiple photos at once

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One trashcan was eliminated from the menu as it was redundent. Instead of using the Menu button to continue deleting a selected picture, the trash-can icon is used. The Menu button is only used for returning. To confirm that deletion has happened, a brief screen tells you afterwards.

*See video for a walkthrough of final solution.

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This third flow is about editing the size of a photo. The first change are the icons, they are more universal now and show better what the action is. Instead of calling the action “trimming”, which is less commonly used. The new name is “cropping”, which all the users were more familiar with. The rotation tool was seperated into its own category. In this new design it has been grouped with the other editing options. Another change to the screen, is when the option comes to zoom in & crop the picture. Here, I have put arrows indicating to move as well as “+” and “-” to indicate zooming in. The trashcan symbol is used to exit the screen instead of the Menu button. Finally, a confirmation screen is shown while the cropping is being placed.

Flow ThreeDeleting multiple photos at once

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08:4 5The fourth flow is different. It explores the menu of the slide-show option. Simple icons have changed for clarity. The bars highlighting the options have also changed so that they look more seperate from the bottom bar & its options. The Menu button is now used to start the slideshow & the trasch-can icon to exit out of the window. To indicate that the options on the bars can change, arrows have been added. Instead of a seperate window apearing to display options, it is now kept just to the bar. Once the slideshow has started, the most significant feature is the ability to now pause what is being seen. Again, instead of using the Menu button, the trash-can icon has been chosen to exit the screen.

Flow FourChanging options & watching a slideshow

IdeationIdeationThrough sketching, I was able to vixualize my ideas of the exterior of the camera.

Flow FourUsing the smile shutter

The final flow uses the smile shutter technology. The most significant change here is the removal of the smile-meter. No one understood its purposes in the testing, and it seemed to have no use. Besides its elimination, another, brief screen has been added to notify users that the smile shutter process is beginning.

Final Model

A final digital camera was realized only through repeated, various research and ideation. Al-though the changes made to the camera and the camera’s interface were not drastic, they improved the design. The brand language of the camera was not lost through out the process, and good design was expanded on.

This camera has the potential for quite a few things. I think its use as an inspiration catalogue is one of its more interesting functions. It is small enough to carry around, has a user interface that allows for quick photo viewing and editing, and finally it has a stylish appearance.

Conclusion

I added the minor detail of two different materials to the front to give the affordance in grip. The line breaks between two different materials, with a slight raise in material. The aesthetic of a flat, square camera is still maintained even with the material partition.