Super BookMark Project

Transcription

1 Super BookMark Project A device to assist users with library task Created by Aaron Hall IAKM61095 Kent State University March 22, 2011

2 Project Description Project problem The project is to design a super bookmark device that will assist users of public libraries with tasks they are trying to complete, while at the library. Some boundaries for the project included: The super bookmark must be able to communicate with other personal devices like: laptops, smart phones, and tablets. It will be owned, kept, and maintained by the library. The library will loan out the device while inside the library and the user will need to return it upon exiting the facility. In addition the device will need to be a stand-alone item and cannot just be an application. Assumptions Since there are numerous ways to approach solving this problem, I made the following assumptions as well as considered certain aspects of the problem out of scope for the assignment. I assumed: The library will have all items (books, magazines, CDs, DVDs, locations, etc) tagged with a tracking tag, device, or chip. This will allow the device to locate items, spaces, and other devices. Most library items today have something inside them as a security measure, so this might not be too difficult to add. The library card and user s account will be the central component in how the device will sync and store information. The library will provide and maintain this storage system and infrastructure. This service will be free to library users. However, to help offset some of the cost of the system and employees maintaining the system, the users might have to allow the library to sell some of the user s preference. The funding, development, and implementation of the project are all outside the scope of the project. The project is focused on the device itself, some core functionality, and use of the device. The Device For the design of the device, I wanted to make it something that is lightweight, durable, as well as intuitive to use and maintain. It will provide one primary function and several secondary functions. The device screen will be made of a transparent material, like glass, plastic, or flexible e-paper. The transparency is key for all of the functions to work and for user safety. The screen has a soft, durable material similar to foam or rubber around it. The frame material allows for user comfort, yet doubles as a shock absorber for device, since it is likely to get dropped or bumped with so many people handling the device. The device will use raised buttons for the controls that will be mounted into the frame, similar to controls on a Nintendo DS or telephone push buttons. The buttons are not flat/flush or onscreen buttons. I selected these buttons for the easy of use, mechanical feedback during pressing and releasing, and familiarity. The device is designed to be held by the edges with the person s thumbs resting on the front, lower corners. This makes for a relaxed holding position as well as making the buttons easy to reach. Primary function The device s primary function is a locator. The locator will provide directions to resources, areas, and other super bookmarks (if sync, but more on this later). The user would first enter the library and checkout one or multiple super bookmark devices from the counter. The person at the counter would ask for the person s library card, which would allow the employee to sync the super bookmark to the user s account. The employee would then hand the user back their card and a super bookmark. The employee would also ask if the user needed assistance with the device before they left the counter. The user would then proceed to a computer in the library or from their own personal device (laptop, smart phone, or tablet); where they would find resources and information in the current library s catalog system and save/ mark the items they would like to locate. The selected items would get

3 transferred to the users super bookmark through the users library account. The user would be required to login to the library system in order to search the catalog system. The user would then be able to use the up & down arrows on the super bookmark to navigate their list of items and select the item they wish to locate first. Once the item is highlighted on the screen, the user would press the find button. This would make a blue dot and arrow appear on the screen indicating the direction of the resource. Blue was used for the colour to help out any colour blind users. It would also display the name of the resource and area it is located at. Both the arrow and dot would be easy to see on the transparent screen. The use of the transparent screen is to allow users of the device to see where they are going, so they don t run into objects or other people, unlike mobile devices today, where users are normally looking down and have a tenancy to wonder into objects. Once the user is at the correct location, they would just continue to hold the device up to the resources on the shelves as they walk down the row and a blue and white target will appear once the resource was within the frame of the screen. As mentioned earlier, multiple super bookmarks could be synced together for location finding purposes only. This would allow one person with a device to locate another person within the library with another device. The person would just appear at the top of the other person s list of saved/marked items once synced. The user would select the other person s name and the device would guide them to that person. This would allow couples, groups, or families to easily locate each other. In order for syncing to be activated, the super bookmarks would need to be checked out at the same time or brought back to the distribution counter for syncing. The person at the counter is the only one that can sync multiple super bookmarks. Main Secondary Function The main secondary function is bookmarking. It just would not be a bookmark if it could not track where the reader left off. Instead of the super bookmark being placed inside the book at the location where the reader stopped, the super bookmark will record the page the reader was on. This allows the user to store several reference points from multiple resources. The bookmark feature is based off of the location feature. The user selects the item from their saved/marked list, which the device has recorded, during the location/find functionality described previously. Since, the device already knows the title of the book all it needs to know is the page number. The user positions the display window over the page number and presses the button. Once the button is pressed the device records the page number and attaches the information to the book information already stored. When the user recalls the information with the super bookmark it now displays the page number along with the other information. The user can also retrieve this information by accessing their library account. Additional Secondary Functions There are three additional functions to help users. They are, Magnify, and. The feature allows the user to place a section of the text or image in the display window area and press the button. The device then records the information and stores it in the user s account. The user would have an option to record text as editable copy or as an image file. Images will only be stored in a image format, like JPEG or PNG. The Magnify option allows the user to place the super bookmark over the resource and press the Magnify button. The button cycles through twice as large, four time larger, and then back to the original size. This was added to assist users that find the text to small and difficult to read. The final feature is a. The button is a basic on/off switch. The user presses the button and the light located at the bottom of the device display window turns on. The light shines down onto a book to make it easier to read in lower light. The user would just press the button a second time to turn off the light.

4 Product Design Sketch Magnify button: This turns the window into a magnifying glass, which allows the user to zoom in twice or four times larger than the original. The button cycles 2x, 4x, and off. button: The user press this to make a copy of what is inside the window frame. This can be text or an image. Navigation arrows: The arrows allow the user to move up and down the list of items. Power Button button Hook: This is for attaching a lanyard Button: This takes the user back to their list of items. Display area: This is made of glass, plastic, or some other transparent material. It is where all of the information appears. Build-in light: The light is turned on/off by pressing the button. button: User presses this to start the find/loaction function, once they have an item in their list highlighted. button: User places the window over the page number and presses the bookmark button. The device records & stores the number along with the book information.

5 Storyboards for Location feature Information Library s server with user s account information and storage area. resources list resources list User s laptop Library s server with user s account information and storage area. super bookmark The user enters the library and goes to the information counter. The user lets the person working know they would like to checks out a super bookmark. The worker ask for the person s library card. She scans the card and syncs the account to a super bookmark. The user leaves the counter with the library card and a device. The user logs into the library system and searches the catalog for resource they would like to review or check out. This is done via a library computer or personal device like a laptop, smart phone with browser, or tablet. The items are saved to their account. The list of resources to find is sent from the library server with the person s account to the super bookmark via WIFI.

6 4 Power Smart Things: Ubiquitous Computing User Experience Design Designing with the Mind in Mind: Simple Guide to Understanding User Interface Design Rules Water for Elephants: A Novel Tapworthy: Designing Great iphone Apps Tapped The Book of Eli The Outlaw Josey Wales Abbey Road The list of saved/marked items from the user s account appears on the display. The first item is automatically highlighted. The user presses the up and down arrow keys to navigate to the item they wish to locate. Once on the item, they press the button. 5 Power Smart Things: Ubiquitous Computing User Experience Design Located in: Computer Science Department An arrow appears on the display pointing the user in the direction they need to walk. Also shown is the title and location of the resource.

7 6 Power Smart Things: Ubiquitous Computing User Experience Design Located in: Computer Science Department A blue target appears on the correct book. The user would press the button to return back to the saved/marked list screen.

8 Design Principles & Concepts A key piece of my design relies on Information Shadows, which Mike Kuniavsky talks about in Smart Things: Ubiquitous Computing User Experience Design. Information Shadows are machine readable information from products or items with unique IDs. They can be barcodes, RFID, QR-CODE, or many other information providing items. Barcodes are on many library books, but the most common place to find them is your local stores. They are printed on the packaging and get scanned and read by the cash register. The information the cash register reads is normally the name of the product and its price; however, there can be additional information as well. In libraries, it is used for checking out resources and to make sure items are not stolen. QR-CODEs are block images that provide information once a user takes a photo of the QR-CODE with a smart device. These and other technics are very useful, but my design is built more around RFID, which broadcast out the unique ID of an item. In order for the super bookmark to locate and provide directions to: a resource, section of the library, or another super bookmark ; the library or manufactures would need to make sure everything within the library has a transmitting unique ID. The super bookmark device could read, interpret, and display the information from the unique ID in a form that provides directions to the user in human form. to try to figure out multiple button sequences or hidden actions. This is also made possible by focusing the device on a few core tasks and not trying to make it do everything. The super bookmark design also takes into account mapping, which Norman talks about in The Design of Everyday Things. There are two types of mapping as I think of it: 1. Mapping controls or items to mimic or match the design of the item. Norman talks about this with stoves. Since the burners are in a square pattern with two front burners and two rear burners, the controls should be laid out the same way, instead of in a horizontal row across the front of the stove. 2. That control functions should be mapped on a 1:1 ratio. This means that a button or knob only manipulates one aspect of the system or device. The super bookmark is an example of this type of mapping. Each button only has one function. The Magnify button only zooms in, the button only turns the light on or off; the button only starts the locator, and so forth. I incorporate this style of mapping to simplify the device controls, so it would be more intuitive for the user, regardless of their technological level. No need