Status Update 05/12/2012

Tasks Accomplished:

• Team reviewed evaluation results (1.5 hours)
• Doug and Boom reviewed and updated documentation (1 hour)
• Geoff set up and started presentation (1.5 hour)
• Boom reviewed and analyzed evaluation results for presentation (2.5 hours)
• Bill and Doug worked on prototype, fixing issues found during testing (7 hours)

Next Week:

• Look back on project
• Relax

Issues:

• None

Status Update 05/06/2012

Tasks Accomplished:

• Doug and Bill finished prepping the prototype for usability evaluations (6 hours)
• Geoff and Boom set up documentation and surveys for evaluations (3.5 hours)
• Whole group performed user evaluations with third parties (4 hours)

Next Week:

• Perform analysis of test results
• Begin creation of project presentation
• Make minor changes to prototype
• Update any existing documentation

Issues to Note:

• It was hard to find users to test the prototype, so information to analyze is scarce
• Many members are bogged down with other classes and end-of-quarter projects

Status Update 04/22/2012

Tasks Accomplished:

• Team began creation of Test Plan for system (4 hours)
• Bill and Doug began implementing the prototype interface (3 hours)
• Doug continued to update the SRS document (30 minutes)

Next Week:

• Complete the Test Plan to solicit user feedback
• Completely implement the prototype to use for testing

Issues to Note:

• Implementation still at a very early stage
• End of the quarter is nearing and members are becoming overloaded with other classwork 

Status Update: 04/14/2012

Tasks Accomplished:

• Team performed third party usability testing and received user feedback (1 Hour)
• Team redesigned and modified application prototype (2 hours)
• Boom created and refined new prototype (2 hours)
• Team began designing implementation of application (2 hours)
• Bill created high level architecture diagram for application based on team's design (1 hour)
• Team members collaborated on preliminary design document (1 Hour)
• Doug began updating SRS document (30 minutes)
• Team continued Android API research and familiarization (45 minutes)

Next Week:

• Elaborate on low-level details of design
• Begin application implementation

Issues to Note:

• Geoff will be out of town over the weekend, limiting his ability to contribute
• Application implementation needs to be started soon
• Design of application is fairly solid, but there are a few minor details to work out.

Prototype 2

Sneak Peak on Prototype 2

 This is the camera function with a face detected. Flash, Camera, and Gallery button are added in the prototype update.

UPDATE - The prototype 2 with the new buttons in camera mode and changes made to the gallery mode.

Prototype User Feedback

The list of feedback on the Prototype from the user. The list includes an observation from the member of the team and feedback from four users from the class.

User 1 – Has Android experience

• Focuses setting are not intuitive as though
• Taking photo without telling is not intuitive
• Going to Gallery mode by using through the camera on the photo review is not intuitive
• Going to the gallery is not intuitive
• Blind prototype can’t accurately test how a person would hover to find the button
• Not intuitive where the how to stop recording the message

      User feedback

•  Create a record directly from the camera
• Creates a focus button and choose focus directly on screen (look back at the idea of double tap focus)
• Choose focus area at any point in the screen
• Directional feedback on where the people are is good

 User 2 – No experience with the Android

• Visual users are not used to using the phone applications blind
• It is intuitive for the user to tap to record and tap to end
• Gets out of Android keyboard

      User feedback

• Makes left and right button bigger
• Makes the play and record button take the whole bar
• Choosing the focus is simple
• Hold to get popup menu

User 3 – No experience with the Android

• Taking the button in the camera space doesn't take the picture
• Returning back to the camera from setting menu
• Gallery mode feels like it should be showing a list of pictures
• Hitting the record to end the record

      User feedback

• Harder for those who are not familiar with android’s options
• The functions where pretty intuitive with the vocal feedback
• Actions on the camera to focus using gesture
• Accidently takes picture because of the full screen
• Could add more buttons on screen since could be possible
• Expecting more options

User 4 – Heavy android, no accessibility

• Assumes on screen button
• No response to picture popping up
• Scroll list – found camera mode and clicked to changed
• Wants visual feedback to indicate message taking
• First idea to click title

      User Feedback

• Likes being able to use whole screen
• Gestures
• Swipe left or right to change picture
• Bottom left and right for record and play
• Click button on right possibly hit trash 

Prototype 1

Status Report: 04/07/2012

Tasks Accomplished:

• Team members discussed and finalized layout of application (3 Hours)
• Bill and Doug created prototype / wireframe outlines of application (1.5 Hours)
• Team members decided on task flows for interfaces (1.5 Hours)
• Team members prioritized features for implementation (35 Minutes)
• Each member began final design and production of various feature layouts (45 Minutes)

For Next Week:

• Elicit feedback on application layout from third party
• Fill out and complete design document
• Continue familiarization of Android development
• Discuss application design and structure
• Update SRS document

Issues to Note:

• We're a little behind on the actual design of the application's implementation

Status Report: 03/31/2012

Tasks Accomplished:

• Team members compiled and reviewed SRS document (1 hour)
• Bill researched existing competition (2.5 hours)
• Doug compile the system summary based on what we've done so far ( 35 min.)
• Team members collaborated and created various user classifications (4.5 hours)
• Geoff compiled and elaborated on system features (1 hours)
• Each team member contributed at least one HTA for the app's basic functions (4 hours total)
• Boom compiled and expanded non-functional requirements (1.5 hours)
• Boom researched blind culture and photography for project reference (1.5 hours)
• Bill and Doug created and refined application prototypes (2 hours)

For next week:

• Members should continue familiarizing themselves with the Android development environment
• Team will begin structuring the application architecture and prepare it for implementation
• Members will begin to outline design document

Issues to Note:

• None at this time

Non-functional Requirements

Non-functional Requirements

• Photos can be taken by individuals with NLP (no light perception)
• Individuals with NLP must be able to compose the picture with the subject at one of the 5 possible points
• Use of voice and gesture controls
• Text-to-Speech settings
• Settings for Text-to-Speech speed (if possible from Android API)
• Vibration feedback

Status Report: 03/24/2012

Tasks Accomplished:

• Each group member created an HTA to be used in the SRS for different tasks that were agreed upon by the team
• Team members came up with two user classifications for the SRS
• Team members created a list of main system features to be implemented, as well as other features to consider
• All members began researching the user domain for our application, familiarizing themselves with various approaches to usability and accessibility for those with visual impairments.
• All members have been researching Android API's that may help in the implementation of our application.
• Doug, Boom, and Bill began prototyping the application's interface

For Next Week:

• Doug will focus on completing the System Summary section of the SRS document
• Geoff will focus on compiling the System Features section of the SRS document
• Bill will research some existing competition for leads and ideas
• Boom will compile a list of non-functional requirements
• Team will collectively create and decide on additional user classes
• Finalize SRS document and have it ready for submission
• Team members should look into the Android development process and familiarize themselves with how applications work

Issues to Note:

• Bill will be unavailable over the weekend and unable to contribute

Perspective

Being a person who has had clear vision his whole life, the idea of taking photos without looking at my subject is hard for me to comprehend.  This is not to say that it is not important, or that it does not happen, just that it is difficult for me to grasp.

With that in mind, and after reading through the paper that was posted yesterday, we here at Mistaken Umbrella are going to do our best to create an app for Android 4.0 that is designed to assist people take pictures, without being able to look at the screen.

Why Android 4.0?  Camera Face Recognition.  With Android 4.0's API we are able to identify faces from the camera, so we are able to provide feedback to users on how to better center their pictures, without having to take a picture first.

So far we've thought about using either the speakers, or the vibration system in order to provide feedback, but we're looking for suggestions.  If anyone can give us any ideas on other features that would be helpful we'd love to hear them.  If you could please leave them in the comments below we'd be happy to add them to our list of things we'd like to do.

Photography for the Blind

It's an interesting concept. Those who can't see being able to capture a scene with a camera. Is it possible? Certain researchers believe so and their results are promising. Take a look.

A Passing Thought of Usability

You've heard the word around, maybe from a conference, maybe a co-worker said it in passing, but it's left you wondering what is usability, and what does it mean to me?

To us usability is what people will like your app for.  If it's easy to use, nice to look at, using the latest interface options, or able to provide functionality where other apps can't, it's got usability at the core of it's design.

We hear at Mistaken Umbrella look to create Android applications designed around usability, in order to be able to provide best user experience possible to as many people as we can.