Usability Testing for "Maemo Organizer" - maemo.org

Janan | # 1 | 2008-11-29, 00:33 | Report

We are a team from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor working on a project course "Interface & Interaction Design". We choose the project "Organizer for Maemo" as we all love to work on an open-source platform as it is challenging.

We have developed a high fidelity prototype on flash and few images based on our personas and scenarios. We decided to put the test case list and the high fidelity prototype on Internet Tablet forum to do a "Usability Testing". We would love to hear comments/feedback from the Internet Tablet users.

We would like to let you know that the entire functionality will not be working; some screens are in the form of images. So please check the images as well. Our main goal while designing this prototype is

· Make it simpler & visually compelling

· Finger Touch

Note:

Please download the flash file on to your Internet Tablet from this link http://km.mayank.googlepages.com/2.swf

Please also check the images from this link http://www.manaswishukla.com/screenshots.zip

We have created a test case list document that will help you to do the usability testing. Do follow these documents:

Task1 (.pdf) / Task 1 (.doc)

Task 2(.pdf) / Task 2 (.doc)

Can you send the feedback/queries to one of these email ID(s)

Sundar.janani@gmail.com

manaswishukla@gmail.com

g5-682@googlegroups.com

PS: We appreciate your time spent on our prototype. Hope you all enjoyed playing with our organizer.

qole | # 2 | 2008-11-29, 00:46 | Report

This sounds like the (very dubious) project discussed in this thread.

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Thesandlord | # 3 | 2008-11-29, 00:58 | Report

Umm guys... What is the point of this? Release a working prototype, THEN people will look at it. As it is, its just a flash slide show...

It looks nice, but the question is this... will it work? Remember, the first and most important thing is to make something work, not the graphics. Also, why are there some raster images. They look ugly, replace with vector (I am assuming you want it to look very clean...).

I mean, yeah, its finger friendly, but anyone can make a finger friendly flash app. Please make it work, then everyone will LOVE this app. I can feel it...

Remember, there has to be export functions, GCal sync, fast, etc...

I like the flash though, any chance of source code??

Edit: Those PDF files make no sense. Also, this is not a place to boss around people. Ask nicer next time!

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timsamoff | # 4 | 2008-11-29, 02:30 | Report

Originally Posted by Thesandlord View Post

...It looks nice, but the question is this... will it work? Remember, the first and most important thing is to make something work, not the graphics.

Not necessarily... A lot of people (and companies) do Flash-based (even static graphics-based) prototypes before trying to make anything that actually works -- it's a big part of usability and UX testing. The Maemo Software team even does this. Don't knock trying to create a usable interface before doing any hardcore programming... A lot of current apps could benefit a lot from this.

Whether this be thread spam or not, developers should be aware of the important practice of prototyping.

Tim

Last edited by timsamoff; 2008-11-29 at 13:36.

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Capt'n Corrupt | # 5 | 2008-11-29, 03:01 | Report

Originally Posted by timsamoff View Post

... developers should be aware of the important practice of prototyping.

Tim

Well spoke!

YARR!
}:^)~

Cap7'n C0rupt

branitar | # 6 | 2008-11-29, 12:54 | Report

Being a professional software engineer myself i have to agree with timsamoff.
When creating applications that will be used by many users you usually start with a general list of desired features and then you start creating a user interface to see if you actually can add all those features in a way that makes sense. Only then you start actually coding stuff.

Please keep in mind that the guys are students researching interface design and usability, not software architecture, so of course their focus is on the GUI and not on the code behind it.

So instead of asking for code (or even scolding them for not providing a finished software) have a look at their stuff and see if you can be of any help finding usability problems.

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ragnar | # 7 | 2008-11-29, 13:02 | Report

Originally Posted by timsamoff View Post

Not necessarily... A lot of people (and companies) do Flash-based (even static graphics-based) prototypes before trying to make anything that actually works -- it's a big part of usability and IX testing. The Maemo Software team even does this. Don't knock trying to create a usable interface before doing any hardcore programming... A lot of current apps could benefit a lot from this.
Whether this be thread spam or not, developers should be aware of the important practice of prototyping.

Yes. We in Maemo Software UI do a lot of flash-based (among other techniques - Flash is about on the middle of lo-fi and hi-fi techniques) usability testing, and it's a great tool for certain phases of the project. Noticing the errors on the flash stage and then making changes is a lot cheaper (and quicker) than with the final implementation.

So to Manaswi and the team, all the best, hopefully you get replies and useful feedback.

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fragos | # 8 | 2008-11-29, 22:16 | Report

I've used prototyping as an aid in selling management on new product concepts. Prototyping is also an excellent way to overcome language barriers when communicating with developers in different parts of the world. In one case I used a prototype built in the US as the product specification for a development group in Japan.

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guoer23 | # 9 | 2008-11-30, 18:14 | Report

This project sounds interesting! I also agree that flash-based prototype can help with usibility test. Though some screens are just static pictures, I can figure out what you guys try to make. Anyway, great pics and ideas!

Aisu | # 10 | 2008-11-30, 18:20 | Report

I will definitely use (and love) this application if it is developed. Please continue and release soon!

This is the kind of application UI I would show off to my non-geek friends.