Metro Real-Time Visualization Midterm Report
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Metro real-time Visualization Midterm report Thomas Bekkeheien ([email protected]) Ann Christin Kern ([email protected]) Magnus Lange ([email protected]) 1/39 Contents: 1. Introduction 1.1 Presentation of the project 1.2 Why we wanted to do this project 2. Interaction design model 3. Problem space 4 Users 4.1 Understanding the users 4.2 Different user groups 5 Assumptions 6 Conceptual model 7 Data gathering 7.1 Methods 7.1.1 Interview 7.1.2 Questionnaire/survey 7.1.3 Combining techniques 7.2 The methods we used in our project 8 Prototypes 8.1 The low fidelity prototypes 8.1.1 Overview mode 8.1.2 Information mode 8.1.3 Placements of components at Blindern station 8.1.4 Panel 9 Analysis of data gathering 9.1 Analysis of quantitative interviews 9.1.1 Prototype of the panel 9.1.2 Prototype of overview mode 9.1.3 Prototype of placement 9.2 Analysis of qualititative interviews 9.2.1 How the interviewees imagined a real‐time system 2/39 9.2.1.1 Overview mode 9.2.1.2 Placement 9.2.1.3 Panel 9.2.1.4 Conclusion of how interviewees imagined the system 9.2.2 What the interviewees thought of our ideas 9.2.2.1 Prototype of overview mode 9.2.2.2 Prototype of information mode 9.2.2.3 Prototype of placement 9.2.2.4 Prototype of panel 9.2.2.5 General conclusion 9.2.3 Analysis of observation 9.2.4 How we will improve our prototypes according to all gathered data 9.2.4.1 Prototype of overview mode 9.2.4.2 Prototype of information mode 9.2.4.3 Prototype of placement 9.2.4.4 Prototype of panel 10. Evaluation 10.1 Heuristic evaluation 10.2 Our evaluation 11. Future work 12. References Appendix A – interviews Appendix B ‐ Observations Appendix C ‐ Similar systems Appendix D ‐ Prototypes 3/39 1. Introduction 1.1 Presentation of the project Our main idea concerns a project for the Blindern metro station. The purpose is to provide a real‐ time visualization of where trains are located on every metro tracks in real‐time. A kind of similar real‐time installation is already presented in some of Oslo's train‐stations, but the only information available at the moment is a simple text based estimated arrival. Additionally, the existing system has proven to be quite misleading; trains often arrive after they were supposed to, and the real‐time information displayed tends to lack updates. We will improve this system by using the very same data stream that is already in use in this installation(Jørgenrud, M. 2008), but hopefully with more accuracy. At the same time, we wish to take one step further, and display all metro traffic in an interesting 2D graphical interface on screens at the Blindern station. The design will be informative and most likely also exciting and entertaining for users waiting for their train to arrive. 1.2 Why we wanted to do this project We wanted to design a visualization of the realtime metro system thats around on some of the main metro stations in Oslo. For many reasons for our choice of idea we wished to provide a product that some of the people waiting around blindern station for the metro would find entertaining and useful. Why we like to think this particular idea is a bit special is that this system will show the users not only when the metro arrives, but also a visualization of the metro moving towards blindern station showing speed, time to arrival and the distance approaching the station. The already existing realtime system is only shown in numbers of how many minutes there until the metro arrives at the metro station. Often the number of minutes to arrival can variate and change from 2 minutes to 3 or 4 minutes of arrival. If theres only 2 minutes until arrival at one particularly station it could suddenly be 3 minutes to arrival. We have often found it very frustrating as users ourselves waiting on the metro to come and the metro suddenly somethimes are slowing down or using more time approaching the metrostation. For the users to actually be able to see exactly where the train is and know the speed and distance to the station would be satisfying. Before we got started designing our idea we did some research talking to friends and family to hear their thoughts of this system. The feedback was amazingly good. Friends and family had only positive things to say about such a system we had in mind designing. Some of them even said "Dette er et produkt som allerede burde vært installert på de fleste t‐banestasjoner" ‐ translated: "This is a product that should already have been installed on most of the metrostation". The meaning of this project is that the system on blindern metro station should be informative and give the users the opportunity to be entertained while waiting on a train and actually see exactly when the metro arrives blindern station. As users of the metro and students of the University of Oslo ourselves we personally think this will help all people on blindern station as well as every metrostation. 4/39 2. Interaction Design Model We have chosen to stick with a quite simple version of a lifecycle model for our interaction design. The process we cycle through can be described like this: 1 ‐ Identifying needs and establishing requirements 2 ‐ Describing possible solutions 3 ‐ Designing prototypes 4 ‐ Evaluate, with proper data gathering techniques, to investigate different user’s response to our solutions and prototypes. 5 ‐ Analyzing gathered data, and evaluating the result (Sharp et.al. 2007, p. 448) The reason why we have chosen such a lifecycle model is to ensure that we maintain a consistent focus of what the users actually want and need. It is very important to realize what benefits the users most when designing a system like this. 3. Problem space The main focus for the project is to present a map over the railway system of Oslo, with a simple and informative design. The idea is to let people know exactly when their train is arriving at the Blindern station, and to give them the opportunity to find out whether other trains are delayed. We hope people at the station will be excited from getting access to a panel with buttons, where they can easily select any train on the railway system to get more detailed information about that particular train. Our product is useful for people in many ways; for example if a person are planning to switch trains within the next few stations, he could see the whereabouts of both his trains in real‐time on the screen, and thereby find out whether he could manage to get a quick switch, or if he has time enough to get a cup of coffee before the switch. It will also be easier for people to calculate an estimated arrival at their destination, which might be important for busy people. The new system will hopefully attract the traveler’s attention, and turn boring waiting into a pleasant little stay. The existing product can generally not be trusted, and is quite boring to stare at. It is designed as a rather small display with digits, and the only thing it is telling its audience is how many minutes there might be left before the next train approaches. But even with this little information available, this display is often the main attraction while waiting. 4. Users 4.1 Understanding the users This part of the project is about how we understand the users. To have a system not drawing attention to the users we believe is pointless. Why would anybody go and look on a boring or perhaps messy display nobody understood? So one of the most important things we had to come up with was a attractive design that draw attention and let the users get curious about it. It was not only important to draw attention from users but to draw the right type of attention. Not all types of 5/39 attention is good attentions. We didn't want for example the users to get confused or scared and not want to use the system for its purpouse. Loud noises draws attention but not that kind of attention that attract people to the place the loud noise come from. A messy and confusing system do not help the users and does not draw the right type of attention when the same users want to use the system next time. The 6 buttons have one color each, totally 5 different colors (two of the tracklines, line 4 and 6 have the same color) to match the trackline colors. On each button there is one number, one up to six, also to match the tracklinenumbers. The buttons will draw attention from the users as well because of the different colors. The users will have positive relations with a system thats easy to use and understand and at the same time invites them to use it again and again. The already existing realtime system for the metroes in Oslo consists of only numbers and not pictures. There exists proof that humans remember images better than text only. So if users can interact and use a visualization of a realtime system theres a big chance that they will remember better wich metro going where in Oslo as well. As we came to an understanding of some of the users we asked in our project they use the metro often, but didn't remember all the 6 tracks and the different places and direction the metroes are going.