INTERACTIVE PHOTO BOOK - ALBUM FOR CHILDREN

Identifying needs and establishing requirements

Gediminas Stankevicius Med2, 2012 ID deliverable no. 2, Part 1

1.0. Introduction
Identifying needs and establishing requirements process is the first stage of the iterative interaction design model. It is a core key to successful interactive products design. Furthermore, it is much cheaper to identify needs and establish requirements before designing the product, than fixing errors after the product was finished and given for the users. Our main goal is to identify needs and establish requirements for interactive childrens photo book for a tablet, which supports iOS and Android operating systems. It should also facilitate a shared experience between a child and a parent. These are our only requirements before the process. The rest of needs and requirements are going to be identified and established through a circumstantial process by the help of the users.

2.0. Identifying needs

In the beginning of needs identification process we have a lot to find out and clarify. Firstly, we have to know, who our users are and understand them. Afterwards, we are going to accomplish data gathering process, analyze, interpret and present the results.

2.1.

User characteristics
Identification of needs and establishment of requirements is a vital process for every interactive product. However, it cant go successfully, until we know who our users are and what needs they have. Obviously, our user is a child. It is more difficult to decide what the age of our user is. Keeping in mind that the book we are working on is going to be released for a tablet device, our user should be capable of using this sort of device and understand its options. We should keep in mind the fact that our users are the children, who likely are more or less familiar with the device, we are working for. Furthermore, we have to count the fact that our users belong to the generation of Digital Natives, who have spent their entire life surrounded by digital devices and are very clever when it comes to the use of digital devices. These children interact with some sort of interactive devices most of their time and learn quickly by doing multiple tasks at the same time. So with this in mind, we can say that our users have pretty high skills in this field. Nevertheless, it does not mean that we can work

with difficult design, because it can quickly cause our young users frustration and decrease the interest of the book.

2.2.

Cognition

Children at these days are very smart and they are capable of doing multiple tasks at the same time. Term, which could describe multitasking, is cognition. Cognition is what goes on in our heads when we carry out our everyday activities.1 It also states that we are learning every second by hearing, talking, understanding, seeing, observing, reading, writing, decision-making, etc. It is essential for us to consider cognitive processes, while creating a book, especially for children, for whom everything seems so new and not experienced. That is why we should think about different ways to interact with children (color, sound, shape, size, etc.) and let them accomplish multi tasks.

2.3.

Typical user

User characteristics allow us to find out typical users features, which can be corrected later on, after the data analysis: Typical user: 6-12 years old child Receptive for digital devices Curious for innovations Loves cool stuff Likes to share photos with his/her friends and family.
Figure 2.1. Typical user

Yvonne Rogers, Jenny Preese Helen Sharp, Interaction Design: Beyond Human-Computer Interaction, Second Edition (2007).

3.0. Data gathering

3.1. Introduction

The following actions and results that are presented below are fictional and have never been performed:

In order to make our data gathering a successful process we have to be aware of four main issues when gathering data. We are going to describe them below.

3.2.

Setting goals

Our main goals of data gathering are the following: To find out: How children use the tablets in general? What features can be attractive for children when it comes to sorting, storing and sharing the photos in the book. What pallet of colors are the most attractive and appealing? How the parents can be associated with book and how they could share common experience with their children? Which character we should choose to be a virtual agent for help? How to protect childrens privacy and assure that the book is secure?

3.3.

The relationship with participants

Especial regard should be taken into considerations when it comes to interviewing one of disadvantaged groups children. We had to make sure that the interviews were not going to be detrimental to children or parents. Besides this, the environment we perform interview was also the important thing to consider. The environment should be cosy and as natural as possible in order to get uncorrupted results. That is why we have decided to perform a test at local kindergarten and prepared a form of rules, which had been signed by the parents.

3.4.

Triangulation

We came to a decision to perform a triangulation method of data gathering, which included three different types of interviews. Triangulation is a strategy that entails using more than one data gathering technique to tackle a goal, or using more than one data analysis approach on the same set of data.2 All three types of interviews including focus group, observation and a questionnaire we considered as a requirement in order to get the most valuable answers.

3.5.

Pilot studies

Before performing real data gathering, we had to make sure that tasks and questions that we prepared were reliable and did make sense. With the help of our colleges, we performed a pilot test, which allowed us to correct some small mistakes and probably saved our test from failure.

3.6.

Data gathering

a) Focus group interview

(To build a consensus view)3

The first method we performed was focus group interview. Two groups from 5-6 children in each group were formed and interviewed: 6-8 years old children 9-12 years old children. i) The first task for both groups was to paste some different kind of photos (nature, cars, toys, animals, family, friends, etc.) in the photo album in the way they like. All the materials were given by us. The second task for the children was to color the area around photos in at least one page of the album.

ii)

Yvonne Rogers, Jenny Preese Helen Sharp, Interaction Design: Beyond Human-Computer Interaction, Second Edition (2007). 3 Yvonne Rogers, Jenny Preese Helen Sharp, Interaction Design: Beyond Human-Computer Interaction, Second Edition (2007).

b) Observation
(To understand the context of task performance)4

After a short brake, we accomplished the observation test. We delivered tablets for all kids and asked them to perform different kind of tests including typing, searching specific item and playing games with some amount of free time where they were able to browse the tablet independently while being observed by our colleagues. Later on, children were introduced with several different characters and had to choose the most appealing one in their tablet. The purpose of that was to find out which character of our suggestions children find the most appealing for the interactive help in the book. c) Questionnaire
(To reach a wider population)5

Finally, we delivered a questionnaire for every child and asked their parents to answer some questions about online privacy and ways of spending time with their children.

3.7.

Analysis

These are the result we got:

a) Focus group interview The placement of photos in younger group was not notably different in older group. Children from both groups rather like disorder in photo placement than the order (figure 3.1). Colors that children chose were notably different in each group. b) Observation Older group was more skilled and was able to perform more difficult tasks. Boys and girls from both groups liked different kind of characters.
Figure 3.1. One of the examples of how children place photos in the album
4

Yvonne Rogers, Jenny Preese Helen Sharp, Interaction Design: Beyond Human-Computer Interaction, Second Edition (2007). 5 Yvonne Rogers, Jenny Preese Helen Sharp, Interaction Design: Beyond Human-Computer Interaction, Second Edition (2007).

c)

Questionnaire of parents claim, that the priority Nr. 1 for them is privacy and online security. Over 60% parents admit they lack of information about online security. Around 80% parents do not spend any time with their children using some sort of interactive device (except TV). However, 64% of them would like to share photos online with their children together.

3.8.

Interpretation and presentation6

Data analysis revealed that different options are needed for boys - girls (e.g. different characters) and for younger - older users (e.g. different design colors). Disorder design is much more likable than order design. Ability to share photos between children and parents is needed. Great attention should be paid for online privacy.

3.9.

Scenarios
Mads opens his interactive book, chooses an option to take a photo and takes one. Then he stores a photo in desirable private album. Mads decides to adorn his photo with photo editor and add some frames. He likes his photo so much that he decides to share this photo with his mother and friends, who also have the same book. Mads friends now see his new photo in their albums too; they discuss and rate a new photo. Mother receives an email about recently shared photo. In the evening, both parents and Mads adore his unique photo album together after printing it out and sticking on the fridge.

3.10. Personas
Thom (figure 3.2) is 8 years old boy who attends primary school and loves photography. He is communicative and friendly boy who has many friends in his class. Thom likes to take photos with his new tablet and show them to his friends and parents. He would also like to edit the photos but he is not capable of
Figure 3.2 Thom
6

Since our results are fictional and hard to interpret it has been decided to put interpretation and presentation together.

using Photoshop yet. Now Thom shares his photos in Facebook, but he doesnt really like Facebook for photo sharing. Lilly (figure 3.3) is 11 years old and she attends local secondary school. For her last birthday, she got a new tablet computer and already learnt everything about it. Lilly found taking the photos with friends her new favorite activity. When it comes to photo sharing with her friends, Lilly sends her photos through Skype. However, she wishes to be a photo artist, have her own photo gallery and release several photo albums.

Figure 3.3. Lilly

4.0. Establishing requirements

The term establishing requirements presents the fact that requirements arise from data gathering, analysis, and interpretation activities and have been established from a sound understanding of the user's needs.7

4.1.

Functional requirements
1. Book runs on tablet pc devices for booth iOS and Android operating system. 2. Book has different design options and virtual agents to choose from. 3. Book supports photo making, editing, storing in different albums and online sharing options. 4. Book sends an email to parents regarding a new photo their child just shared with them. 5. Parents are also able to share their own photos with children. 6. Book allows creating and managing different photo albums at the same time. 7. Book has an option to print selected album out.

Yvonne Rogers, Jenny Preese Helen Sharp, Interaction Design: Beyond Human-Computer Interaction (2002).

4.2.

Non-functional requirements
1. Book allows for parents to share experience with their children. 2. Book is easy way to take, edit, share photos and create new style for every album in one place. 3. Book is entertaining and fun to use.

5.0. Conclusion
After the long and careful process of identifying needs and establishing requirements, we are able to establish a stable set of requirements, which successfully leads to another step of iterative interaction design model Design.