Information &Information &Interaction DesignInteraction Design

Fall 2005

Bill Hart-Davidson

Session 2: Team & Project intros; Activity Analysis; Phase 1 presentation and Memo guidelines;

Today in Class…Today in Class…

Teams discuss project ideas (part 1) Exercise 1: Activity Analysis Guidelines for Presentation #1 Guidelines for Requirements memo

Remember Activity…Remember Activity…

Consider 3 levels of action:

1. Activities that are motivated

2. Action that are goal oriented

3. Operations that have conditions

Note that most complex activities are comprised of all three…so…

Tell us about your projectTell us about your project

What…

1. Activities go on there?

2. Actions make up those activities?

3. Operations characterize the specific conditions?

What do you aim to transform and why?

Observing Observing Activity: The Activity: The

StepsSteps

1. Identify Activity

2. Select Instances

3. Initiate Contact

4. Plan Observation

5. Observe

6. Document Mediation

7. Follow Up Interview

Begin with your Project: An Begin with your Project: An Activity and a ProblemActivity and a Problem

A general sense of what your activity is…

Filing run reports to support emergency 911 calls

A general problem users are having:

How can EMTs more easily, accurately record patient information on emergency runs

Identify An Opportunity & Identify An Opportunity & Target User GroupTarget User Group

A general sense of the technological solution:

A way to extend current PDA technology to the emergency care market.

Describe user group in some detail…who? In what kind of situations?

EMT’s on emergency runs…

Think about Actions & ActivityThink about Actions & Activity

What would participants be doing when they use this HCI?

Going on a call, taking patient history, administering care, documenting services

Why would participants be taking these actions?

How does patient info, documentation, etc. help them to provide care & transport for patients?

Target the Activity to ObserveTarget the Activity to Observe

Participants + Actions + Activity

We will observe (participants) doing (actions) for the purpose of (activity).

We will observe EMTs going on a call to provide care and transport for emergency victims

Choosing Mediations to WatchChoosing Mediations to Watch

At any given time in culture, expect to find:– high-tech instances:

activity mediated by state of the art technologies

– low-tech instances: activity mediated with legacy tech

Low-tech instances represent the opportunity the market & its

problems

High-tech instances represent current directionsthe competition &

its mistakes

Choose Low TechChoose Low Tech

Less constrained by leading edge solutions

More free to innovate Currently, some EMTs use

PDA’s; most use paper forms Observe EMTs using paper

forms

For Assignment next week:For Assignment next week:

Identify participants, actions and activity that you will target with your HCI design.

You’ll be doing 1 observation for homework next week, then 2-3 more for your requirements phase report

Locate & Group ParticipantsLocate & Group Participants

Who– might use

this HCI?– is my real

user?– Is available,

willing, interested?

Group by

– experience

– gender

– affiliation

– interest

– or any other relevant attribute

Selecting Selecting ParticipantsParticipants

multiple observations of the same kind of participant

Advanced

Beginner

Typical Critical

single observations of several kinds of participants

or

x x

X, Y, Z

Choose your own user attributes

For Assignment next week:For Assignment next week:

Teams of 2 should observe 2 instances; teams of 3-4 should do 3 instances

You’ll be doing 1 observation for homework next week, then 2-3 more for your requirements phase report

Introduce Your PurposeIntroduce Your Purpose

I am ___ Working on a project Want to understand how ___ You look like a good person

to talk to because ____ Would you be willing to

help?

Identify What You WantIdentify What You Want

Watch you ___ Collect some samples of ___ Interview you ___

Inquire about Frequency, Inquire about Frequency, Duration and SchedulingDuration and Scheduling

How long does a typical run take?

How often do you go on one?

When do they usually occur?

Your Purpose: When can I observe?

Inquire about Partners & Inquire about Partners & OthersOthers

Are there others along with you on runs? Who are they?

Your Purpose: Are there others that I must arrange with?

What to watch: a working sessionWhat to watch: a working session

2 hours or less typical for the

participant results in an

identifiable product or outcome by which success can be measured

occurs frequently

Be sure to get permission ahead of time!

Try out recording practices first too, rehearse if you can

Recording PracticesRecording Practices

tape recording video recording note taking screen capture

(download.com) timing

technology

Note taking is the primary goal here, all of the other tools should help you take accurate notes…

When you When you start…start…

Define purpose Review available

artifacts and tools Get permission to

record on site Start recording

Here’s where having a pre-designed note format and a rehearsed procedure will help!

Take Time-Stamped NotesTake Time-Stamped Notes

On actions:

12:31: opened file “My schedule”

On comments representing goals, concerns 12:32: “Just

trying to remember where I was”

On changes in mediation

12:37: Reaches for piece of paper, Memo dated 12/12/97

Time-Stamped Notes, 2Time-Stamped Notes, 2

On comments of emotion:

12:39: “wow, there are, like, a ton of buttons here!”

On artifacts produced 12:50:

created new to-do list, called do1/22/20001.doc

On task success & failure

12:52: overwrote to-do list file

Collect & Duplicate ArtifactsCollect & Duplicate Artifacts

Get copies of initial and revised files

screen dumps xeroxes of all

papers consulted

xeroxes of all paper written on

Try to match up artifacts & tools – take note of tools used and any interactions that seemed important

The follow up interview, 1The follow up interview, 1

Used to: confirm routine

activity, mediation, and outcome

Explore alternate conditions & scenarios

I saw you doing X, is that typical?

What happens when the phone rings in the middle of X?

The follow up interview, 2The follow up interview, 2

Used to: Get personal

history

Get institutional history

How long have you been doing X this way?

Is this way of doing X a standard way?

The follow up interview, 3The follow up interview, 3

Used to: Identify

dissatisfaction & problems

Explore plans for future changes

What would you like to do differently?

Are there any plans to change X?

Products of Your Products of Your ObservationObservation

1. Time-stamped notes

2. Documentation of tools and artifacts

3. Personal and Institutional History

A basis from which to do further User-Needs Analysis, and to begin your design work…

Analyzing Analyzing Observation Observation

DataData

1. Identify actions

2. Note Duration

3. Construct Activity Graph

4. Assess Typicality

5. Identify opportunities to develop task support

Identify ActionsIdentify Actions Segment notes at

changes in participants, acts, or tools

Name and define the action to answer the question “What?”

Use a single set of categories

An action is

1. a set of operations

2. by a distinct set of participants

3. using a distinct set of artifacts and tools.

16:07 Joe closes door; leaves

station

16:10 Joe writes on run report:

dispatch information

16:11 Carla prepares equipment

for possible cardiac

16:13 arrive at 2 family house

Raw Data 1

16:14 woman crying about husband inside

16:15 man found lying in bed16:16 Carla takes first vitals;

look okay16:20 man moved to stretcher16:21 Carla asks wife some

questions; doesn't write

Raw Data 2

Name:Name: RidingRidingDefinition: going to the scene prior to

arriving at the scene; minimal writing to record dispatch information

Segmentation16:07 Joe closes door; leave station….. 16:13 arrive at 2 family house

Segmented data 1

Name:Name: Routine Routine

CareCareDefinition: providing treatment to

patient and filling out some parts of run report

Segmentation

16:13 arrive at 2 family house

….

16:44 Joe calls in; gives patientinformation

Segmented data 2

Tricky things about actions…Tricky things about actions… Watch for

actions embedded in other actions

Pay attention to the way tools are associated with actions

Keeping a running log of events is important, you’ll need it to do your duration analysis later

16:07 RIDING 6

16:13 ROUTINE CARE 31

16:44 RADIO REPORT 2

16:46 ROUTINE CARE 7

16:53 F-TO-F REPORT 5

Charting Duration: Your LogCharting Duration: Your Log

CLOCK ACTION MINUTES

RIDING 6 / 83 7%

ROUTINE CARE 31 / 83 37%

RADIO REPORT 2 / 83 2%

ROUTINE CARE 7 / 83 8%

F-TO-F REPORT 5 / 83 6%

Calculate Percentage of TotalCalculate Percentage of Total

ACTION ?/83 min %

0% 10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%

110%

Riding

Routine Care

Radio Report Oral

Report

Writing the Report

Activity GraphActivity Graph

Reading an Activity GraphReading an Activity Graph

X axis = % of working time

y axis = activity length of the horizontal

=relative duration of action

height of line =type of action

The activity graph gives us a tool to see patterns, and a chance to ask about typicality

Why Use Graphs?Why Use Graphs?

We graph multiple instances to understand:

Standard set of actions Standard order of actions Standard duration Standard onset

Use graphs to discover how Use graphs to discover how activity is developing: activity is developing:

Direction & reasons for individual change

Direction & reasons for variations across institution

Dissatisfactions, conflicts, plans

Use Graphs to Guide DesignUse Graphs to Guide Design

Design for what actions? Design with what mediation? Design with what

transitions? Design for what

contingencies?

Activity Homework: BasicsActivity Homework: Basics

Post to your team page by next week

Present it to the class on 2/2 and be prepared to discuss

Components of Activity Components of Activity HomeworkHomework

For at least one set of notes on an observation:

1. Segment your notes into actions2. List and define each action and

its associated mediational means3. Draw an activity graph of the data4. Post these to your team page

Requirements Phase - Requirements Phase - componentscomponents

Activity Analysis Requirements Presentation Requirements Memo (draft for

consultation one week after phase 1 presentation; final due one week after consultation)

Phase 1 Presentation: ContentPhase 1 Presentation: Content Introduce team members Project Goal – What social practice do you intend to

transform? Background: project context Background: current scenarios of use, users, and

existing technologies Preview of transformed scenarios of use and

technologies

Presentation Quality: Presentation Quality: Preliminary ResearchPreliminary Research

Project Goal – What social practice do you intend to transform?- other projects like this one? - readings on issues involved

Background on project context– Site visit, activity analysis, interviews

Background on activities, users, and existing technologies- pictures, sketches, documents, etc. collected from current site

Presentation GuidelinesPresentation Guidelines 15 minutes, total Think 8-10 slides All group members participate

Peer ReviewPeer Review

Email within 48 hours Copy to Bill Feedback should be designed

to be used in finalizing memo

Peer Review Content 1Peer Review Content 1

Describe– design as you understand it– state of design work as you

understand it Evaluate

– major strength of design– what you do not yet

understand

Peer Review Content 2Peer Review Content 2

Suggest Changes– what should team consider as

they take design forward– recommend changes in design

and in design practices– recommend specific ways to

improve the memo & line of argument

The The Requirements Requirements

MemoMemo

The Line of Argument: PartsThe Line of Argument: Parts

I. Introduction to the Design II. Supporting Activity

AnalysisIII. Scenarios of Current and

Transformed UseIV Requirements & IssuesV. Potential Impact

I. Introduction to the DesignI. Introduction to the Design

Our proposal is to develop X HCI

The Opportunity this HCI addresses is Y (preview)

Driving specifications for this HCI are. (preview)

II. Supporting Activity II. Supporting Activity AnalysisAnalysis

The activity intended to be transformed by this HCI is Z.

Here are the participants we choose to observe as they engaged in this activity and why we chose them.

This is an analysis of what they did.

This is the developmental history of the activity.

These are their current goals, conflicts, and dissatisfactions.

Activity Analysis, cont.Activity Analysis, cont.

III. Scenarios of Current and III. Scenarios of Current and Transformed UseTransformed Use

Based on our observations, we believe the following are typical current scenarios of this activity.

Our HCI intended to create the following transformed scenarios for this activity

IV. Requirements and IssuesIV. Requirements and Issues

To produce these transformed scenarios, our HCI must meet the following driving specifications.

Issues to be addressed in developing this HCI concept are as follows.

V. Potential ImpactV. Potential Impact

The potential impact for these transformed scenarios is A.– Size of market

– Direction of market

– Revenue impact

…etc.

Next WeekNext Week

Phase 1 homework show-n-tell

Presentation logistics More on Dourish, Social

Computing, and Embodied Interaction