Last post

So yesterday we had our very last presentation at the big finals. Here we explained the process, from the first museum visit to the finished product, and demonstrated our invention: Intuor. Unfortunately, we did not win the competition, but we certainly had the best prototype with the highest mindblowing factor.

However, there are some things we did not have time to elaborate, and that has not been mentioned in the blog as of yet. What did we actually learn from the course, and how did we apply this to our creation?

The first thing is standards. To avoid unnecessary confusion, we used a button placement that felt most natural. That is, the next button to the right of the back button and the pointer button at the front close to the index finger.

While designing we also though of the Magical Number Seven: There is no need to memorize where the buttons are, and what each button does, it should come pretty naturally to most people. And for others, it will only take a matter of seconds before he/she learns how to manoeuvre the controller since there is only five buttons and a jog to interact with.

Then there is Fitt’s law. We decided on big physical buttons instead of a touch interface, since the user is then able to feel the buttons, and can use the controller without having to look at it. The buttons all have unique shapes for this very reason as well.

As for the matter of potential errors: it is hard to foolproof everything, but we sure gave it our all. It is not possible to skip “slides” into the next or previous area since the slides are limited to each zone. If one presses the next/back button outside a zone, it would not trigger any reactions within the exhibit and startle visitors. We also added the back button and a reset button so that the user can easily correct any mistakes if they were to happen.

The screen on the controller can also show additional information when the user is performing “illegal” actions (such as trying to use the next/back button when no preset “slides” are available in the current zone).

Last but not least, the ethics. Our first ideas involved using technology to create new ways of taking tours at museums. However, this would mean that our invention would completely replace any actual guides, who are already a species in danger. That is when we developed our design principle:
Don’t replace the guides, enhance them.

That was it for us. Thank you (teachers, random Blogspot Americans and Germans, all of you) for having followed us on our journey in this course.
Sayonara!