Marc Healy
BA/BSc (Hons) Design for interactive media.
Brief 2 - Find a product that involves interaction between the user and the interface. And write a critique on the chosen object.

Chosen Device: ROAD Com - Satellite navigations system








The Road COM SAT NAV device is used as navigational device in which the user selects a destination and the interface displays a route to the specific spot via satellite. Its intention is to give the user the convience of being able to get to their desired location without stress or worry or without confusing maps. It also offers extras such as traffic awareness and short cut routes commonly found in sat nav devices like this model.
The Device's intended users are people who travel frequently or have to travel long distances, such as taxi drivers, or supply trucks or postal services. Other users such as normal day-to-day drivers may use the device also for an all round easy driving experience. Their isn't any real target audience for this device, but mainly people who can drive will use this device.
The Device itself can perform multiple tasks such as pin pointing your exact location for emergencies if you are lost. It can also zoom into your desired location so that terrain may be viewed in case of bad weather, and to prepare the driver for rough terrain ahead. Another task the device can carry out is the 'Divert route; in which the user can choose to go a separate way to the default way that is set when the chosen location is entered, leaving various options for the driver in case of traffic or other disruptions. And mainly finding the desired location that you wish to find and show the driver the exact route, These are the main tasks the device carries out, there are other sub tasks like adding your chosen route to your “favourites list” or 'History' so that the user can call upon them at anytime without having to scout for them again.
The device uses touch screen technology that is very responsive and sensitive the interface itself is basic and straight forward there is a plain background with coloured icons symbolising each task that is available.












Each section displayed on the screen has a set of sub sections that you can access, and are displayed in the same structured fashion. There is audio that indicates a right or wrong choice so that the user is aware of any mistake that they have made. In later models Voice directions can be given so that there is no distraction from the road so that driver has more control over the situation. As this is an older model there is only audio used for selection of tasks. The device is also equipped with 'Bluetooth' so that the user can have his/her directions displayed in text message form. The Bluetooth transmitter is situated in the top left corner on the exterior of the device.
At first glance of the Device its physical constraints are that its very tactile its easily held in the hand has a nice weight to it isn't to light or heavy. The affordance of the device is very smooth and has the distinct image of something we have all used before. Being the television, so the user knows that all the information must come through the screen situated in the middle. Before even switching the device on it isn't too difficult to grasp as to how the device will interact with the user.
There is no sign of a keypad or remote that is usually mapped with a television or computer. So immediately the user has to think of ways in which HCI will occur.
Being very inquisitive mammals we like to touch things in order to see how something works. Changing the perception of something allows us to memorise a situation and link it back to that object or interface so we learn how to complete the task in front of us. In this case the learning aspect of the Device is being able to find out how the device in fact can be operated without the use of another device like a remote or mouse.
A simple task like turning the device on is made very simple to anyone as it is situated on the top of the device as an 'on/off' switch, This again allows us to use our prior knowledge that when the user presses this button the device will eight her turn on or off and This is made very clear by having the words on and off on the switch. Unlike most phones which have a specific symbol indicating power this can be difficult to understand to users who have not used a mobile phone before so having a simple detail like labelled buttons makes usability a lot easier.
Once the device is switched on a loading screen appears in full colour and then a set of four different symbols appear with text below them indicating there function, the first being route which is symbolised by a route usually seen on a map with point A and point B illustrated. The second symbol is of two cogs with options written below it, the cogs are symbolic to a mechanism, or the workings of a clock so using our prior knowledge we know that just by looking at the symbol we have the inclination that it might have something to do with how it might work. To the left of the options symbol is 'Divert' which is indicated by a symbol similar to 'Route' but has an arrow going round one side of the symbol; this gives the user the sense that it is for a different route to your desired location or a short cut. And finally a Door shaped symbol with 'exit' below indicating leaving or to exit the task. There is also a small menu bar below the main interface with 'back' and 'close' as two buttons These are very straight forward and are easy to see on the screen so everything is close to hand and doesn't leave much to our memory which makes it easier to use. This makes the user feel comfortable using the device and doesn't confuse the user in any way. Having touch screen not only allowed for connivance, and speed of usability it also makes it very interactive and enjoyable to use. The buttons are well spaced so it isn't difficult for the user to press individual buttons which in some cases can be found difficult like the keypad of some small mobile phones.
The layout of the interface is very spacious and minimalist leaving, extras off screen to avoid confusion.
With the device being very small and tactile it can easily be held whilst walking in case the user may need to leave the vehicle any time so it can be used in or out of the vehicle it isn't restricted to being solely indoors it can be used perfectly outdoors as well as in, with the exception of rain as it isn't rain proof and will disrupt the computer electronics. So using the device out doors is not the best way of using the device. The size of the device also means that it can be used anywhere in the car and doesn't have to be proped on the dash of the vehicle it can be displayed above the mirror, or the passengers window, because of a suction tripod that is with the device.

The rely on memory for use the device is very limited although the basics of simply knowing where you are going and the spelling of that place is mandatory. So the user must find the place he/she wishes to go and must memorise or make note of the exact named location. The user having to type each individual letter of the location, plus the postcode or house number etc tests the cognitive memory. This can prove difficult, as when I tested the device I had to look at my notes to remember the exact location name. But in regards to the interface itself the user's memory isn't tested at all because everything is very straight forward there are no passwords or log ins etc its simply press for whatever task the user wants to initiate.

Using 'Normans and Nelsons' principles I found that the interface uses recognition rather than recall to minimise the memory load, by making objects, actions, and options visible. There is simple user control and freedom incise a user needs to exit a task that he/she does not wish to proceed with. To do so there is a bar at the bottom of each section stated 'back' and 'close' back indicates back one action, and close takes the user back a whole section.

Task - Setting a route for a specific destination










Firstly I turn the device on so that I am taken to the main screen.











The user then is directed to a main screen where the main tasks of the device are in order. For this task I am going to be plotting a destination into the computers interface. Firstly I find the icon that is right for what I intend to do, and press it using the touch screen interface.















The user is then taken to a sub section of 'Routing' these icons include 'Home' - which is your homes location, which can be saved so you can always find your way back after a journey. 'Favourite'- Locations you wish to use again like a URL list in a web browser.' History- indicated with a file and a route symbol on top. Meaning previous destinations that are stored similar to favourite but saves automatically.' Route' - is the process of getting from one place to another (The main use for this device) and finally 'POI Query' - is a help section where the user can type in a phrase or problem and the computer looks through a list of queries by default and tries to aid the user in the specific problem.

The icon I will be using is 'Route'










Here is the main process of inserting the destinations key elements such as street, town, area code etc. Firstly the user is prompted to 'select a city' from the top of the screen. Underneath this prompt is a text bar which the letters the user inputs appear. There is clear mapping between the keypad and the text box.

Once the user has entered their destination, this time being CARDIFF. The user is then led to another screen with the same layout of interface but this time the user has to enter the city in which a word predict appears depending on which letter you chose.

Then a street must be chosen to pinpoint the destination accurately, Again a predict is used on this also.











With the desired location set the user is then asked whether or not he/she would like to continue to view the map or add it to their favourites list for future use, or to simply go back a section or straight into the navigation process indicated by 'Next'












By clicking 'Next' the user can view where they are situated at that very moment in time and can view in as close to view the street that they are in or to view further out where petrol stations and other essentials are situated on the map, or further out again where only motorway lanes and towns and cities are labelled. The user can make the interactive map smaller or larger by clicking on the small magnifying glass in the right hand corner with a 'plus' for larger and a 'minus' for smaller.

Task complete.

To begin the task for the first time was fairly simple based on prior experience using computers, PDA's, Mobile phones, MP3's etc. so I had a good sense of knowledge of interfaces to begin with. But I still approached the device as if I would if I was someone who has never used a device similar to this basically because I hadn't this was my first time, so I took the opportunity to study how I approached the device and how I used cognitive memory and recognition to establish what to do.
The main interface menu was easy to understand metaphorically and logically everything was structured in an easy and usable manner there was just the amount of information the I needed.
Once selecting the 'Routing' button I was taken to another page with more icons for various different sections, but by logic alone I knew that I had to click on 'Route' next because it was what I wanted to do to begin with I did not see the use for favourites or history at this present time as I was only using it for this one procedure. But saying that from what I have seen on web pages, mobile phones, laptops etc these type icons where all familiar in a sense of what they mean, if not by how they looked metaphorically but by their name alone. So from this prior experience of using other products and interfaces I knew what would be in those sections.
It was then I was taken to the keypad section where the details of route where to be entered into the text box above. I knew instantaneously that when I keyed in a letter from the keypad that it would appear in the box above through mapping and where the box is situated. The interface started to get increasingly difficult after this part of the task because letters where being taken away as predictions where displayed for the town or city I was searching for and for someone who has no prior knowledge I could see this being quite confusing. But logically it becomes easier because there is less stress for user memory as it predicts the closest thing to the user input for example if a user was to type CAR… then at the top of the screen (Cardiff, Cardydd,) would automatically appear, so if this was what the user wanted then he/she would simpley jump to the nest section by pressing next. So this made it a lot easier to speed up the process.
Completing the task was simple because there was very little to actually interact with in regards to buttons and letters so the user is very limited to error, making usability very good, and efficient in its purpose.