Here some observations from the tests of the project (visual editor & touchpad-voice) that I had by some friends:
Touchpad-voice
Calibration
Issues / remarks
The calibration phase was not clear to some testers.
The instructions are the following:
Appuyez au centre de la dalle
Appuyez en haut à gauche
En haut à droite
En bas à gauche
En bas à droite
Dalle calibrée
Some took the 3rd (and following) instructions as:
Appuyez en haut à gauche de votre dernier clic
Some also tried to click the wooden borders (they obviously didn't see the device before and during the test).
It wasn't clear either if they had to press the corner of the dalle or of the map (the title are outside the map but on the dalle).
Propositions
We could start the application by presenting the device, and his usage (including the calibration phase).
This could be achieved by recording ourselves the instruction to ensure a good pronunciation and speed.
Voice synthesis speed & Voice recognition
Issues / remarks
At the begining of their usage of the app, they where listening closely, but they quickly understood that the instructions were realy basics / repetitives and they stop listening and start complaining about the duration of the instructions and the systematic misinterpretations of their sayings.
Some times as they were talking togheter, the one that was testing the project didn't understand a sentence and ask for a way to hear it again.
Propositions
The voice synthesis speed seem perfect at the beggining, speeding it up may cause difficulties to the first-timers / slower users.
To allow users to pass a sentence / repeat the last one / avoid non-desired voice command interpretation, an already discussed way would be to use voice command, but there are limitations as the voice command to stop a sentence may not work.
An other idea would be to add three buttons on the map for the tree features.
Visual editor
Self explanatory capability
Issues / remarks
With no explainations, they didn't know what was possible, and how to do it.
They didn't understand the point of city and quarted plans.
About the icons:
The delete icon wasn't clear, they hesitate with a "cross-drawing tool".
The texture selection button wasn't clear to (so the usage of it), even with explanation they didn't undestand when it was white or black
Proposition
Add a "usage guide" / "?" / ... button to display a modal to explain the editor usage and the difference between city and quarter plan.
Change the delete button actual icon (cross) by a trash.
Split the texture button in many button (on by texture).
Change the black and white icons by plain black or white color button.
Drawing
Issues / remarks
The tiled lines icon does the exacte same thing as the polygon one ?
During the drawing the polygon drawing tool display the surface of the polygone (even if the shape isn't ended), and the tiled line drawing tool doesn't, but at the end (double-click) the result are the same regardless of the texture used.
The way to end the shape is not clear either (double-click).
The "green places" texture isn't available.
water texture (black dots) isn't visible on black background because of transparency.
Proposition
Does the tiled lines drawing tool have an usage ? Or may we remove it ? (If it does, we should discuss the way to implement it).
We may add a button to "end the shape".
We should add the "green places" texture to the editor.
We should replace the transparency of water texture by plain white.
Search
Issues / remarks
The results of the search concerns the whole world and non-Switzerland addresses may shows before Switzerland's ones.
Propositions
Restrict the research about Switzerland only.
Loaded plan
Issues / remarks
It was not clear if we where in a loaded plan, and they tried to move / draw in the loaded plan whitout success.
Propositions
Hide the editing, deplacement, map mode buttons and the search field if we are in a loaded plan and show a button to exit this plan.
Button popover
Issues / remarks
As the popover show on the top of the "popovered" button, the user may click on the popover of the button that is under the wanted button because of the apparition of the popover.
Propositions
Display the popover at the right of the button instead, or display the buttons horizontaly.
General proposition
Create a dynamic interface where the buttons are showed only if it make sense (texture if a drawing tool is selected for example) in a "hierarchic" way that help the user understand their availability logic.
Here some observations from the tests of the project (visual editor & touchpad-voice) that I had by some friends:
Touchpad-voice
Calibration
Issues / remarks
The calibration phase was not clear to some testers. The instructions are the following:
Some took the 3rd (and following) instructions as:
Some also tried to click the wooden borders (they obviously didn't see the device before and during the test).
It wasn't clear either if they had to press the corner of the dalle or of the map (the title are outside the map but on the dalle).
Propositions
We could start the application by presenting the device, and his usage (including the calibration phase). This could be achieved by recording ourselves the instruction to ensure a good pronunciation and speed.
Voice synthesis speed & Voice recognition
Issues / remarks
At the begining of their usage of the app, they where listening closely, but they quickly understood that the instructions were realy basics / repetitives and they stop listening and start complaining about the duration of the instructions and the systematic misinterpretations of their sayings.
Some times as they were talking togheter, the one that was testing the project didn't understand a sentence and ask for a way to hear it again.
Propositions
The voice synthesis speed seem perfect at the beggining, speeding it up may cause difficulties to the first-timers / slower users. To allow users to pass a sentence / repeat the last one / avoid non-desired voice command interpretation, an already discussed way would be to use voice command, but there are limitations as the voice command to stop a sentence may not work. An other idea would be to add three buttons on the map for the tree features.
Visual editor
Self explanatory capability
Issues / remarks
With no explainations, they didn't know what was possible, and how to do it.
They didn't understand the point of city and quarted plans.
About the icons:
Proposition
Add a "usage guide" / "?" / ... button to display a modal to explain the editor usage and the difference between city and quarter plan.
Change the delete button actual icon (cross) by a trash.
Split the texture button in many button (on by texture).
Change the black and white icons by plain black or white color button.
Drawing
Issues / remarks
The tiled lines icon does the exacte same thing as the polygon one ? During the drawing the polygon drawing tool display the surface of the polygone (even if the shape isn't ended), and the tiled line drawing tool doesn't, but at the end (double-click) the result are the same regardless of the texture used.
The way to end the shape is not clear either (double-click).
The "green places" texture isn't available.
water texture (black dots) isn't visible on black background because of transparency.
Proposition
Does the tiled lines drawing tool have an usage ? Or may we remove it ? (If it does, we should discuss the way to implement it).
We may add a button to "end the shape".
We should add the "green places" texture to the editor.
We should replace the transparency of water texture by plain white.
Search
Issues / remarks
The results of the search concerns the whole world and non-Switzerland addresses may shows before Switzerland's ones.
Propositions
Restrict the research about Switzerland only.
Loaded plan
Issues / remarks
It was not clear if we where in a loaded plan, and they tried to move / draw in the loaded plan whitout success.
Propositions
Hide the editing, deplacement, map mode buttons and the search field if we are in a loaded plan and show a button to exit this plan.
Button popover
Issues / remarks
As the popover show on the top of the "popovered" button, the user may click on the popover of the button that is under the wanted button because of the apparition of the popover.
Propositions
Display the popover at the right of the button instead, or display the buttons horizontaly.
General proposition
Create a dynamic interface where the buttons are showed only if it make sense (texture if a drawing tool is selected for example) in a "hierarchic" way that help the user understand their availability logic.