Week #2

Assignment #2.3

May 12, 2013

Visual Expression II - 2D Sketches


Assignment #2.2

May 12, 2013

Refined Gap

In what way might I notice that my phone is ringing even if I cannot hear it?

User Needs

  • The Alerter signals that the phone is ringing
    • The Alerter stops signaling when I answer the phone
    • The Alerter notifies me of lost calls
    • ! The Alerter can be used with the phone silenced (e.g. families with newborn babies)
    • The Alerter can be seen signaling in the dark
    • The Alerter can be seen signaling in full light
    • The Alerter can be seen signaling even if not looking directly at it
  • The Alerter is rather inexpensive
    • The Alerter uses just a little power
    • The Alerter does not need to be connected to a power supply
    • The Alerter needs no batteries
  • The Alerter is safe to use
    • The Alerter does not cause eletromagnetic interference
    • The Alerter does not cause electric shock
    • The Alerter is not dangerous for children
  • The Alerter is easy to use
    • The Alerter does not need instructions
    • The Alerter can be easily installed by elders
    • The Alerter can be moved from one room to another
  • The Alerter can be installed in different ways
    • The Alerter can stand on a flat surface
    • The Alerter can be mounted on a flat vertical surface
    • The Alerter can be put on the top of a computer monitor
    • The Alerter can be put on the top of the screen of a laptop
    • The Alerter can be put on the top of a TV
    • The Alerter works with all kind of phones
  • The Alerter is unobtrusive
    • The Alerter does not waste space
    • The Alerter does not disturb people around me
    • The Alerter is light
    • The Alerter is easy to transport
    • The Alerter is small yet easily visible
    • The Alerter can be used with other Alerters in the same environment without causing confusion
  • The Alerter is cool
    • The Alerter can be customized by the buyer
    • The Alerter is aesthetically pleasant
    • The Alerter can be connected to other things (e.g. timers)
    • The Alerter can be triggered from the Internet
    • The Alerter can send signals through the Internet
When I work with the headphones on and listen to music I cannot hear the phone. As I share this problem with some of my colleagues, I looked no further and interviewed them. As the gap is not related to actually doing something but to reacting to an external event, there was not much to observe. Some of them kept the music particularly low or keep an ear out of the headphone: both solutions do not cut the noise from the environment, so they allow them to hear the phone but are not effective for the biggest part of the day, in which the phone is not ringing. My colleagues are used to my elicitations of requirements, as I've also bothered them for the Human-Computer Interaction course. Besides, a great part of my job consists in asking people what they need, so it was nothing new.

Assignment #2.1

May 12, 2013

Design Problem Definition

In what way might I notice that my phone is ringing even if I cannot hear it?

In what way might I...
  • improve the productvity of the company I work for
  • provide value to my colleagues
  • be reachable when my colleagues are looking for me
  • avoid losing telephone calls
  • * notice that my phone is ringing even if I cannot hear it
  • get a visual cue when my phone is ringing
  • connect some LEDs to the wires of my phone

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