safe mobile devices designs kristen kuron jma464; dr. gibbs prototype a prototype b

Safe Mobile Devices DesignsKristen KuronJMA464; Dr. Gibbs

Prototype APrototype B

Device Idea Summaries Prototype A

Redesign of the cell phone

In order to make it safer for the user, add sensors around the cell phone to detect obstacles and warn the user

Prototype B Jogging or running

device Used in complete

audio; speaks any text body

Sync to cell phone; speak text messages

Still able to play music and video (does not show images of video)

Prototype A Sketch

Prototype B Sketch

Prototype A Scenario User is on

Facebook responding to someone’s status. At the same time an obstacle, bike rider, is fast approaching the user.

Prototype B Scenario User is jogging

and receives text message while listening to class notes. User responds to text message while continuing to jog, hands free.

Usability, Part 1: Preliminary Survey

Before deciding which prototype I design, I made a survey to see what the users’ needs were in relation to prototype A and B. I only asked three simple questions to keep get a quick view and a variety of answers. These questions were also aimed to generate answers that would give me the information I needed to choose between my prototypes. I had 5 people take the survey, persons A-E.

Usability, Part 1: Question 1

What would you not do while running, jogging or walking that you wish you could do? A. Class assignments / homework B. Eat or watch TV C. Text without spelling errors and

Homework D. Homework E. Use both hands


2. What are the downsides to an IPod? A. Get sick of your songs if you listen to

them too much B. The headphones hurt my ears C. Batteries die so fast & paying for new

music D. Same thing as IPhone, but with no texting

so why not just get an IPhone? E. You drop it and break it easily. (wear it on

your wrist!)


3. What are the downsides to a cell phone? A. Running into obstacles while texting B. Paying a data plan and detaches you

from society C. No Buttons! D. Less face to face communication and

paying attention to one’s surroundings E. Radiation, cellular data, bad

connections, broken Wi-Fi, unexplainable drops

Usability, Part 1: Added Suggestions

User D: Suicidal wrist sensor; senses injury on user’s body.

User E: Holograms

Usability, Part 1: Conclusion

My first question specifically let me know what people wish they could do while they were mobile. The majority of my answers pointed me toward Prototype B which can allow a user to do one type of homework – a reading for classes.

The second and third questions asked the downsides of mobile devices we already use. From this I have decided which features to include in Prototype B: texting (phone & Facebook / Twitter), satellite radio, wrist or arm band or clip, and paper composer.

Prototype B Named: “Jogging Device”

Features: Composer

Create a document Player

Audio from Music, Audio Books and Video

Reader Reads PDFs, Newspapers, Text

Documents, Magazines, etc. Satellite Radio Texter

Sync phone, Facebook, Twitter or any chat site to verbally text

Components: Mobile Device Headphones with

recorder 2 thumb sensors Cloths Clip Arm / Wrist band

“Jogging Device” Wireframes

Home Reader


Player Texter


Satellite Radio Composer

Usability, Part 2: Wireframe Testing

I printed out my wire frames and gave a series of tasks and asked a series of questions to both my parents. My dad is very technology savvy when told how to use the device. My mom has minimum exposure and use of mobile devices.

Usability, Part 2: Changes When asked, “Where

would you go to send a Facebook message,” user was unsure and hesitant to choose “Texter” because the user considered that word to refer solely to cell phones.

Usability, Part 2: Changes The device will operate on voice

commands instead of thumb sensors. When asked to use the thumb sensors, the user testing the device asked why wouldn’t they just verbally speak yes or no, since they were already verbally composing text messages.

Receiving Texts Messages

Mock Up