Discovery: Weaving the Social Threads
Exploring a solution to encourage social interaction, empathy, and respect between different identities.
Timeline
September - December 2018 (3 months)
Team
Me + 4 IU HCI students
The Challenge
We participated in the CHI 2019 Student Design Competition, which challenged students to design a solution that could "strengthen our social fabric." Our specific focus was on exploring solutions to encourage social interaction, empathy, and respect between different identities within a public setting (like a university campus).
Methods
- Self-study
- Ethnographic Study
- SME Interviews
- User Testing (Wizard of Oz setup)
Outcomes
- Findings about social connection on a student campus
- A detailed concept for a digitally-mediated interaction system designed for student campuses and other public settings.
- A prototype to communicate tech features and intent
Video by Ya-Ching Hsieh
Inside Look: "Wizard of Oz" testing
User Testing
Using basic materials, we set up a couple of low-fidelity prototypes to conduct user tests.
Mirror Interface
We asked users to do a cognitive walk-through as they chose an identity and answered 5 personality questions. As they progressed through the various screens, we probed for their thoughts and verified their understanding of the activity to follow.
Floor Interaction
With paper, a projector, and a pre-recorded video of a floor sequence, we set up a "Wizard of Oz" testing experience and observed the users carry out the floor interaction of our concept.
Mirror Interface
We wrapped up our testing sessions with a discussion to assess the concept's appeal and success.
Screen Prototype +
Cognitive Walkthrough
Paper Prototype +
Wizard of Oz Testing