Contextual Inquiry and Think-aloud protocol

Contextual Inquiry and Think-aloud protocol


"Contextual inquiry (CI) is a user-centered design ethnographic research method. A contextual inquiry interview is usually carried out in the natural environment that the user uses the system and the researcher watches the user do their normal activities and discusses what they see with the user."
So the team visited Dehiwala zoo and selected a random visitor to carry out the research.

"Think-aloud protocol (or think-aloud protocols; also talk-aloud protocol) is a method used to gather data in usability testing in product design and development, in psychology and a range of social sciences (e.g., reading, writing, translation research, decision making, and process tracing)."
So the selected visitor was instructed to talk aloud while he used the app.

The team was able to film the user's facial expressions while he used the application and the screen was recorded as well.

screen recording


video of the interview

(Please note that the audio quality of the second video is considerably poor and a media player like VLC media player is recommended.)




Transcript  (time stamps are according to the screen recording video's time stamps)

00:00:00 -> 00:00:02
Darsha: Tell us your name.

00:00:03 -> 00:00:04
Interviewer:I'm Lakpriya from Moratuwa

00:00:05 -> 00:00:08
Darsha: Okay, go to our application. It says MGS.

00:00:09 -> 00:00:10
Lakpriya: Okay got it

00:00:11 -> 00:00:19
Darsha: Now you can see the home page of our application.
First tell us what do you feel about the interface of the homepage.

00:00:20 -> 00:00:21
Lakpriya: Yeah that looks fine for me.

00:00:22 -> 00:00:33
Darsha: And now we are giving you ten tasks to do,
and you have to say whatever the things you think when you use this application okay?

00:00:34 -> 00:00:35
Lakpriya: Okay sure.

00:00:36 -> 00:00:40
Darsha: Okay first task, you have to view the GPS map of the zoo.

00:00:41 -> 00:01:11
Lakpriya: Okay first thing, I cannot get an exact idea where you have to move
from here.
And a little description is there. Since there's an arrow I believe I have
to click on it. Okay here I go now I can see the interface ,
so what exactly  do you want me to do?

00:01:12 -> 00:01:13
Darsha: you have to view the GPS map of the zoo.

00:01:14 -> 00:01:17
Lakpriya: Okay I clicked on the map, the map is here.

00:01:18 -> 00:01:24
Darsha: Okay now you have to view your current location using this map.

00:01:25 -> 00:01:32
Lakpriya: Okay I believe i'm in here. There's a little arrow pointed in blue.
So I believe I'm there.

00:01:34 -> 00:01:42
Darsha: Is there a description or something? Does it say you are in front
of elephants?

00:01:43 -> 00:02:15
Lakpriya: I must say this is damn slow and frustrating to check this and no
I can't see any elephant path and I'm in a corner and I don't know which is
the exact place and whether this is giving the actual picture of where
i'm staying. So I'm not sure.

00:02:16 -> 00:02:27
Darsha: Okay moving on to our next task, you have to open the phone camera
from the application and you have to capture a picture and upload it

00:02:30 -> 00:02:54
Lakpriya: okay sure that looks easy, you want me to capture one right?
okay I can save the image so i'm gonna save it. and it gives an error, returns
an error saying internal error. I believe it's not working.

00:02:58 -> 00:03:04
Darsha: okay now you have to search for a picture from the gallery and you
have to upload it

00:03:15 -> 00:03:18
Lakpriya: okay and it gives the same error as an internal error.

00:03:20 -> 00:03:25
Darsha: okay now you have to search animals and view their information.

00:03:27 -> 00:03:39
Lakpriya: Ok I clicked on animal info tab and I really can't find a way
to browse the animal from here, it does say animal name,scientific name
that and this.

00:03:39 -> 00:03:41
Darsha: Tell us what do you think about the interface

00:03:43 -> 00:03:47
Lakpriya: It's more like just a text document for me.


00:03:50 -> 00:03:54
Darsha: Okay now you have to view special daily zoo news.


00:03:56 -> 00:04:12
Lakpriya: okay i'll revert back to home, I believe it's there and I can't
see anywhere like to view news and all so i'll navigate to more and yeah
there you go special events news, no news there, but still..


00:04:13 -> 00:05:09
Darsha: okay Now you have to book a zoo event from the event catalog

00:04:18 -> 00:04:17
Lakpriya: Since you want me to book it I believe it's in ticketing okay there
you go it says product catalog and I must say that it's really confusing
because I was at events and it's better if I can navigate to events directly
to book my catalog.
so according to this app I have to come back to my home page and I have to
go to ticketing and I have to select product catalog. even though i'm
gonna select one, it says there are three catalogs available.
elephant performance,joy rides,sea lion performance...hmmm i like joy
rides so i'm gonna select it.

00:05:11 -> 00:05:13
Darsha: okay now you have booked an event

00:05:14 -> 00:05:23
Lakpriya: give me a second, I didn't book it yet i went to joy rides,
it says currently in cart 1, quantity I have selected i'm gonna set it to 21,

00:05:23 -> 00:05:32
Darsha: okay that means you have viewed the shopping cart, that is our next
task, so you have viewed the shopping cart now you have to edit the booked
event.

00:05:36 -> 00:05:58
Lakpriya: okay the first thing I don't know whether i have booked one,because
it doesn't give me any feedback like that i have booked one,or it doesn't give
any option, it doesn't give any feedback from the app..so i'm not quite
sure whether I have booked one or not so how am I gonna edit it because
I don't know whether I have booked it.

00:05:59 -> 00:06:06
Darsha: okay we'll move to the next question, you have to make the payment
for the booked event and you have to check out.

00:06:07 -> 00:06:40
Lakpriya: Ok i'll go to the shopping cart because that's the way for me to do
the payment. Ok when I clicked on the shopping cart it says joy rides,
quantity 1 and it seems like something is saved in the app,,its a bit slow,,
okay  pay with paypal.. unfortunately MGS has stopped. I believe the app
has crashed

00:06:42 -> 00:06:53
Darsha: okay this will be our last task. you have to make a call to the
zoo from contact us through the application

00:06:54 -> 00:07:10
Lakpriya: okay I clicked on contact us, call zoo office,  call director,
let's make an inquiry..Ok i'm calling the zoo office. okay there you go, it
rings. yeah it's working, that was the easiest to do

00:07:11 -> 00:07:13
Darsha: so that's it, thank you very much for helping
00:07:14 -> 00:07:15
Lakpriya: you're most welcome.

  

Tasks and the Questionnaire

The mobile application developed for the National Zoological Gardens in Dehiwala (under entertainment software category) has been chosen by the team for the HCI paired project. The main feature of this application is giving a technological solution to navigate in the zoo without any confusion since the land area of the zoo spreads for more than 4acres. For this purpose a GPS enabled map is implemented so it helps the user to find his/her way around the zoo. Other than that this application is useful for educational purposes as well, since it provides information about thousands of species of animals. When you consider the other functions mainly it enables the user to maintain a gallery of zoo pictures and handles e-ticketing. The current application is not that user friendly and the team is hoping to give a better solution with a plenty of new features with rich GUI’S to enhance the user experience.

Tasks

1) View the GPS map of the zoo

2) View your current location from the map

3) Open the phone camera from the app, capture a picture and upload

4) Search for a picture from gallery and upload

5) Search animals and view their information

6) View special daily zoo news

7) Book a zoo event from the event catalog

8) View shopping cart and edit the booked events.

9) Do the payment for the booked events and checkout.

10)Try to make a call to the zoo from ‘contact us’ through the app

Questionnaire

1) View the GPS map of the zoo.

• Why do you need to view the zoo map?
• When would you want to view it?
• How do you understand your location viewing the map?

2) View your current location from the map.

• How do you view it?
• Can you view your current location from the map?
• Why would you need to view your location when you are in the zoo?

3) Open the phone camera from the app, capture a picture and upload.

• Why do you want to capture a picture in the zoo?
• When do you want to do it?
• How do you upload it?

4) Search for a picture from gallery and upload.

• Why would you want to search an image from the gallery?
• How do you perform the above task?
• When would you want to search from the gallery instead of just capturing it?

5) Search animals and view their information.

• Why would you want to search animal information?
• How do you search the animals?
• When do you want to search animal information?Is there any particular event?

6) View special daily zoo news.

• How do you view daily news?
• What do you want to see in zoo news section?
• When do you like to view the news section?

7) Book a zoo event from the event catalog.

• Why do you want to book an event?
• When do you like to book a zoo event?
• How do you book an event?

8) View shopping cart and edit the booked events.

• How do you edit the booked events?
• Why do you want to edit them?
• When do you want to book zoo events?

9) Do the payment for the booked events and checkout.

• When would you like to make the payment? Before of after the event?
• How do you make the payment?
• Why do you use the said method to make the payment?

10)Try to make a call to the zoo from ‘contact us’ through the app.

• When will you want to make a call to the zoo?
• How do you make the call?
• Why do you use a phone call to make the inquiry? 

HCI Paired Project Proposal

HCI Paired Project Proposal

1.      Group Members

ID	Full Name	Email	Phone	Batch 4th/3rd year
IT13019082	Dasanayaka T.K.P	IT13019082@my.sliit.lk	0719769298	3rd year
IT13096830	Fonseka V.D.N	IT13096830@my.sliit.lk	0719733870	3rd year

2.      Topic.

Mobile Guide for the Dehiwala Zoo

3.      Description.

The team has chosen to work on a mobile application under the category ‘entertainment software’. Under this topic the mobile application developed for Dehiwala Zoo will be reviewed by the team. Basically the application has been developed to enhance the user experience of the visitors to the zoo enabling plenty of features like GPS enabled interactive zoo map, newsfeed, animal information etc. These features will be discussed further in the latter part of the proposal.

·         Platform-Android Studio

·         Version-1.0

·         Users- Visitors to the zoo, tourists, school children, kids, animal lovers, the staff of the zoo, zoologists and wildlife biologists, environmentalists.

4.      Available features

·         The application provides information, images and videos about animals

·         GPS enabled interactive zoo map shows where the user is and it shows the nearest locations to the user.

·         The zoo events will be displayed for the users.

·         Information requires to plan the visit will be provided.

·         Allows user to capture images inside the zoo and maintain a gallery.

·         Provides ticketing information.

5.      Features to be improved.

·         Improving the GPS map to show the route to the zoo from anywhere in the world.

·         Allowing the users to select the zoo events they are interested in watching and sending out notifications before the event starts informing about the location and time for those who subscribed for the event.

·         A newsfeed which tells the general public what’s happening within the zoo. Eg; an article about the newly born baby elephant.

·         Allowing the users to capture pictures of the zoo animals and save in the zoo gallery.

·         Enabling the users to buy the tickets online.

·         An educational quiz on various animal species.

·         A simple animal game for kids.

·         Adding the ‘friend finder’ feature to find people who get lost inside the zoo since it has become one of the major problems faced by the visitors. (User will be asked to upload an image of the missing person)

·         Enabling the user to search animals by names and displaying the location and their information.

·         Enabling users to connect with social networks such as facebook and twitter through the mobile application.

·         A more efficient method to plan the visit according to the user preferences.

(Visit only the main attraction, Customize according to user preference).

·         A new feature to handle donations to the zoo.

·         A feature that enables the users to request the membership to join various clubs and societies in the zoo.

URL for the blog: http://hci8230.blogspot.com/