fhouyang
commented
7 years ago -
What the feature does (functionally) for a user. The feature allows users to visually understand the characteristics of the network. It allows the user to understand the benefits and tradeoffs of their decisions.
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Expected user inputs (what does the user do?) and program outputs (what can the user expect in response?). The user's initial priorities would deliver a single visual outcome but if they decide to alter the variables in the blocks, this will affect the chart and outputs. To ensure that the chart is up to date, the user will have to hit the refresh button. Or, if possible, there will be an original chart and another chart that can display the possible results from the changes.
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Possible errors that may result (if any) and corrective suggestions for users. If the user alters the blocks in a way that is not viable, a chart will not be available for viewing. Hopefully, there will be an error message in a previous step and the user will not be able to move to the final visualization with their faulty configuration.
I do not know GNURadio well enough to determine the true effects of decisions so this is just a hypothetical example. This first radar chart may be the result of the initial decisions - to prioritize users over data integrity.
This second chart depicts the results of alternative priorities - data integrity over the number of users. I think it would be really fantastic if an overlay were possible because it would allow users to see and understand the effects of their decisions.
What does this feature afford users? This feature allows users to understand the effects of their choices. For example, if one were to desire a higher number of users, their privacy may be lower and vice-versa. It would show the number of users, data rate, data range, privacy and two other characteristics. This feature would reside in a flyout window or be a persistent feature on the right-hand side of the wizard.
What are its constraints and how do they help or hinder users? Users would only be able to have a rough idea of the effects of their decisions, rather than a real-life number since environmental factors can also have an effect on the user's connectivity. Additionally, the feature would not be able to be persistently updated. This is not necessary a bad thing because a refresh button can be used.
How does the feature signify its affordance or how to use it to users? The feature would primarily be a visual explanation of the user's tradeoffs and desires. It's rather conceptual. Theoretical numbers can be used to show how one decision can make a difference or there is the option to keep the feature numberless and allow the points to decrease/increase towards certain quantitative variables. Alternatively, there can be an overlay of colors that depict how different priorities result in different variables being affected.
What conventions does this feature either respond to, incorporate, or reject, either in the context of interface design generally or GNURadio specifically? This feature would be incorporating quantitative variables that are a feature of GNURadio but not typically seen when working with the program. As explained, some users do not typically understand what is happening when they make certain decisions, so this visual feature would allow them to better understand what's being gained and what's being sacrificed.
How will you go about arguing for the inclusion of this feature? I think it is important for users to understand what they are doing when working with GNURadio. It is very easy for users to simply follow someone else's tutorial and not fully understand why they are doing something or the effects of that choice. By having this feature, users will know exactly what the consequences are of their decisions - either prioritizing the data rate or their privacy or the number of users.