Seminar Notes 2 - Artem

Chapter 11: As many of the chapters we have read, chapter 11 stresses the importance of rapid feedback and iterative design. To our help, there are two main branches: conceptual design (which deals with the actual idea of how something is going to be used) and physical design (which focuses on details as screen layout and menu structure.) When the actual prototype is being designed, it can be grouped into low fidelity and high fidelity. For instance, the first one might be a paper-based prototype while the latter is software-based. The main advantage of low fidelity prototype is that it is quick and easy to produce (and modify, which is good at an early stage). During the construction, it is important to keep in mind metaphors and try to put unfamiliar things close to familiar ones (this is quite similar to when people listen to radio. Usually, you will hear that familiar and new songs are intertwined). The cognitive load at different stages should be considered. The values in different cultures should be kept in mind.

Chapter 12: This chapter introduces the DECIDE framework that has the aim to facilitate the planning of an evaluation. An interesting point brought up in the chapter is whether it is possible to study people without actually changing them (see the example with the tribe on p.490).

Chapter 14: Here we are introduced to different settings that where experiments can be performed. To sum up, a lab is contrasted with the “wild” (natural setting). It mentions the way participants should be selected, and how the data is to be analysed.

Question:

1. The ethical considerations are of great importance. During the museum visit, we observed the way people interacted with the different exhibits, which we later used as a part of our analysis. To what extend are we able to observe participants without telling them that we do so?
2. Once we have a prototype, we can set up an experiment to test it. Would it be better to test our prototype directly in the museum without notifying the users or invite them into a controlled lab setting. Moreover, would it be ethically correct to observe the users in the natural setting without telling them that they are a part of the experiment.