HFID: Human Factors of Interface Design
In this semester long class, we were tasked with developing a mock interface for individuals in our user group. We learn the process of developing a design for an application and implementing it to a testable level. During the class we met with user's, developed prototype after prototype, and implemented various tests to determine features. A key thing to note about the class is that: it is not output focused. The final design is important, but is not the main factor for determining success. The class strives to imbue its students with the vocabulary to properly discuss the design process, and to address user experience with an interface.
Extensive Walk through of Process:
Our goal for this project was to develop an interface for the chefs of small colleges. For the class, our process was split up into these phases: Need Analysis, Design Development. Design Refinement, and Final Refinement. Our website has in depth looks at each stage of the project. You can find our work HERE.
Needs Analysis
During this phase we explored the space of dinning hall chefs. We talked with chefs from the various cooking facilities of Olin and Babson. We found our users by sending emails, determining restaurant/ dining hall locations, and word of mouth. Most of the people we talked to we kind and more than interested in sharing their passion for food. It would have been better to access more users, however due to the scope of the project and the schedule, we did not access all of our potential users at this time. During this phase we also determined, limitations, personas, experiences mapping, and inspirational designs. From this first round of gathering information, we learned key insights: Our users had a pain point collecting inventory of their pantries. We also learned that any application that involved inventory managing had to integrate with the work flow already in place. It had to be time efficient, error proof, and had to sort items in the inventory. Our chefs wanted to spend less time doing paper work and more time with the customer.
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Design Development
In this stage we started by looking at the information derived from our user visits. We determined how this inventory manager was going to fit in their work flow and how the application was going to be used. After some initial brainstorming, we developed multiple iterations of paper prototypes. Then we developed scripts in order to test certain features on our prototype. From testing we were able to determine important functions of the application, shortcomings, compare to other functional alternatives, and potential distractions of our design. In few ways did this design meet our final expectations, or capture the final design.
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Design Refinement
In this stage we took our application from the real physical world, to the digital one. Through extensive research we decided to deploy our design in the mock up application, Invision. During this stage we developed several prototypes and received feedback from both technical individuals and our users. We wanted to test functionality, in the practical sense, and didn't need to bother our busy users to make sure buttons were in the right space or tapable. We eventually did go to our main users, but only after a few rounds of debugging. During this phase we conducted heuristic evaluations. We gave testers scripts and have them discuss the pluses and deltas of our application. At the end of this phase we did reflection on the shortcomings of the project and readied the project for the final sprint.
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Final Refinement
In this last stage of the class, we developed our final prototype. After taking a look at our feedback and our user input, we set out to finalize the design. We developed more Invision prototypes and tested the button feature with A/B testing, which helped the team decide final elements of the design. For example, from one prototype to another, we determined that nested menus in the right hand corner were not appropriate and were negatively effecting time efficiency. In our write up, which can be seen HERE, we argued for the design decisions we made and justified our design using the information gained from our users. We also discussed our short comings and planned future work, which included design tweaks as well as functionality tweaks. After all this was our user's product, it needed to fit their lifestyles. Our final presentation sold the Inventory manager as a product that would alleviate stress of dining hall head chefs caused by administrative overhead. This would allow them to get back to what they love- interacting with people and sharing a connection through food.
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Final Working Prototype:
One of two final prototypes were developed in invision. While the application doesn't perfectly capture the intended experience, it allows the user to follow the work flow of the application. This is a limitation due to the medium we decided to show this application- invision. . In no way is this design perfect. However, thanks to what was learned with the class, we have plans to update the design, and can see how we would be able to change it for the better. The final protoype can be found HERE
Last Thoughts:
Through every step of the process, we were looking back at our users. We asked ourselves, how would this make our users lives easier? How do we reduce the strain of administrative work for individuals who just want to cook and make people happy? How do we address pain points and respect current values?