Xfinity After Party & miscellaneous

Renderings

Day 7 Journal Entry

Today marked the 6th and final day of the SPRINT project with Comcast before the final presentations at noon tomorrow. Our plan for the day was changed slightly due to us getting a large amount of snow early in the morning and going throughout the day. Luckily we had several students who lived on campus who could come in in the morning, I came in in the early afternoon after walking to campus from my apartment in the snow, and our senior and grad student who also commute came in closer to dinner time. Though we were not working in the same room the whole day as we had been earlier in the week, our team communicated just as well together still made the day just as productive. We communicated through text and made a google drive for uploading our renderings and adobe images that we were all working on in different places. We also finished our final models. After experiencing several problems with laser cutting and heat bending, we were still able to get them to a point where we thought they accurately portrayed our idea and renderings, as well as giving a good idea of actual size and ergonomics. We continued to work on our adobe images that we needed to communicate how our idea for Xfinity "After Party" would work. I spent a lot of the day myself working on the layout for the boards and what text needed to go with what image and how they should be arranged. All we have left to do is fine tune our boards and print them out tomorrow morning or later tonight, and we will be in a great place for tomorrow.

Carter and Team 1b

Day 6 Journal Entry

Today was the sixth day of the SPRINT project with Comcast. The day began with our team meeting in the morning and bringing in new ideas for the smaller solutions we still needed to fix (we were already pretty complete and confident in our overall presentation). We had a full day of hard work ahead of us, so we divided up the work and began working on things that we could handle on our own, still working in a close premises and continuing to communicate. We made mockups with foam and clay of our final form designs, and then began executing our final models made of acrylic. We also had a student working on our final renderings of our two devices. Another student began working on images in adobe for our final board templates. I kept in communication with the other team so we could create similar formats for our boards so they would work well together as a consultancy. I laid out our final design format for the boards and sketched out which images we needed where, as well as what text needed to be said in the bullets. All of which I posted to our team blog to be reviewed and revised by my teammates. Tomorrow we plan on completing the final models, using the final renderings to display the images we need on the boards, finishing the images in adobe we need that will communicate our interface ideas for “Xfinity After Party”. We will be completing our boards, plotting them and putting them together tomorrow morning.

Carter and team 1b

Hub inspiration

Layouts for final boards (rough)

The second board (dealing with physical design and features) shows thumbnails of the images I think we need to include. Mostly rendering hero shots with one zoom in on the dials on the mobile device, one with a mobile device sitting inside the box to show charging, one showing how the screen bends, and one of the mobile device photoshopped in front of a tv screen to show the monocle feature (should probably show info on the screen of the mobile device to display that feature). I will be writing up all the bullets for the board and Brian will be proof reading and getting them perfect. For the second board I talked to Austin about which images we need to show to communicate the after party feature. He also drew up a great logo for it I think we should put on as an image.

Final Board Key Points

Ambient sharing
-collects emotional response data from thousands of viewers and represents the metaphorically in your peripheral awareness
-gives you the sense of togetherness and communal viewing (you don't talk to people while you watch with them, but you're aware they're there and that changes your experience)
-creates positive feedback loop of emotion (like watching a comedy at the movies rather than alone can be more fun)
-biometric sensors in the room collect physical responses indicating emotion
-eye focus sensors make sure you're responding to show and not something else (could be through webcam on tv or hub?)

Brian, I think the ambient rating system is too similar to the after party idea, I think it may be confusing to have both. I'm also nervous this is still a confusing add on and could be simplified to fit in with the after party feature more, I'm not sure if we have it figured out enough to present this way. Maybe I'm wrong.

After party
-forum which opens right after the show/movie/news/game is done
-talk about what you just watched
-incentive to watch live, but still works anytime
-get recommendations about what to watch from other people who like what you watched
-a way to connect with new people based on the show you watched
-a way to connect with people who are fans of what you're fans of (a "Cheers" fan can access a "Cheers" forum, discuss his favorite episode with someone, then invite them to watch it together through screen sharing and video conferencing)
-never experience media the same way twice, watching with live people changes experience
-pairs you with fellow fans or rival team fans for sports events
-gives you a list of media recommended by friends, as well as a list of media recommended specifically for you by a friend ("I wasn't a big fan of this movie, but I know someone who would love it!")

After Party (built into X2 interface)

Recommended For You By Friends

What Your Friends Like

What Your Friends Are Watching Right Now (Join Session) <-- option

Home Movies

How do you iconically recommend shows?


Mobile Device & Hub (we need a name? maybe?)
-form design
-monocle technology (Iconic interaction!!!!!!)
-could be a mobile phone with a dumbed down version or just the latter (lets let them decide)
-new home screen (show in renderings)
-hub mimics mobile devices design, easy to access from the front (clear top makes it easy to see which device is yours when grabbing it)
-store devices in hub to charge

Day 5 Journal Entry

Today marked the 5th day of our SPRINT project with Comcast. Last night our team mapped out all the takeaways from our mid-crit, and decided our homework would be going back and addressing these things through research and ideation. We met in the morning in Hayward and presented our research and ideas to the team. One main problem we had to address was the form design of our products, because while Comcast had really seemed to like a lot of our interface design ideas and features, they felt our actual devices were too similar to Apple's. We spent a lot of the day fine-tuning and hammering down the features and elaborating on the certain features that really seemed to excite Comcast, such as our Xfinity "After Party" feature that connects people through media. We began sketching and making mockups to finalize our final mobile device and hub, and by the end of the night we had forms we were VERY happy with. We shared them with Team 1a while communicating throughout the day, and they were also excited about them. We also found them to tie in with their designs in interesting ways, while still being a more futuristic take. We ended the night by being the last group in Hayward working, beginning our final Solidworks renderings, and preparing to build the final models the next day. We also made updates to our blog: http://comcastsprint1b.blogspot.com

Carter and team 1b

Design inspiration

Here are a couple images of what Julia's device design immediately reminded me of. I thought maybe posting them here for you guys to see would give you ideas on how we can improve on it.

Comments from Presentation: Comcast panel

Comments from presentation by Comcast panel

• Differentiate yourselves from other devices
• Brian’s talk about ambient art on wall seems like a confusing add-on. The push technology not explained so well. Stress more about After Party! Too close to Ipad? More user experience
•  Integration on hardware, mobile language not needed to be exact. Push technology? Doesn’t help mobile?
• Looks too much like an iPad. What about tactile feedback? Can you do something with the bend?

Renderings

Even though we are ditching the tablet, I thought it would be useful to post these here

To do journal entry for Friday

Try to use the same format for title, pictures, and text that I've been using. Thanks guys.

https://wordpress.philau.edu/comcastconnectsprint/wp-admin/index.php

Login is your username - for example mine is agvent4977

password is: nexus1


Thanks guys!

Mid-Crit takeaways

Things they liked:

After Party (different experience every time)
Ambient
Friend's recommendations
Shared screen
Curve top <-- really liked that part of physical design, can we build off that? Using bendable screens etc.


Things they didn't like:

Tablet (too much like iPad)
Interface (also too much like iPad)
Not looking at screen
Tactility


- Is mobile device a phone
- If 50,000 people are watching could it track it? (Not sure)
- Applications on tablets?/Don't build iPad!
- Large tablet is too much
- More tactile
- Is all the content on a tablet
- Play with shape

Key Points for Presentation

Stationary control (Home tablet)
-Physical design
-Iconic interaction ("push" swipe technology)
-Display interface (personalization) separate profiles
-"Cloud" and connect to mobile devices
-Portable tv/computer
-Interaction for shared media experience/connecting to each other

Mobile devices
-Portable version of home control
-Same interface, work together
-Mobile devices personal to you but connect/link to your profile on home tablet
-Connect you to others by linking devices based on similar media interests/lifestyle choices/personality traits/info pulled from things you've said in messages or on social networking

Home entertainment base/hub/charging station
-Low-key, sleek
-Pad that devices lay on to charge
-Comes in different colors for different rooms/decoration

Usability
-Full touchscreen
-Borderless display
-Turns on when touched
-Uses iconic "push" technology to push media from device to tv or wall for group viewing experience, or to another device to share media
-Touchscreen allows you to gain info about whats playing on screen, and to doodle and manipulate while sharing screen

-Personalized by login
-Desktop
-Contacts
-Social networking
-Programs
-Commercials

Shared media experience (THE STORY)
-Never experience media alone
-Watch movies together, witness great sports and tv moments together, watch live concerts together
-Live video conferencing while screen sharing gives real experience
-Features like pausing, playing, doodling on screen, or sharing facts and opinions
-Xfinity "After Party" brings you to post-viewing forums



"Truly personal experience, while never experiencing alone" <- what can we change that story title to?

"Push" things to friends

Thursday 1/30 – Day 3 – Team 1b

Today marked the 3rd day of the SPRINT project working with Comcast. Throughout the entire day we stayed in close working quarters and contact with Team 1a to continue easy conversation and keeping some sort of same mindset through the process. This morning we met in Hayward and discussed the sketches we had done the night before of possible designs for physical devices that could use the features and fit in the story and experience we had developed over the last two days. We also were able to sit down with several different professors throughout the day and discuss where we stood and get some insight and advice from them. Some advice stood out for us as being an important factor, which was developing some kind of “iconic interaction”, much like the swipe is with Apple, for our experience. We spent a lot of the time in the computer lab sketching, researching, and discussing ideas about iconic interactions. We also spent time further developing the design of the interface and it’s features, even adding some clever animations for the interface that would be visually appealing to the user while also building Comcast’s logo importance and their brand. We wrote out and broke down all the key points we wanted to talk about in the mid-crit presentation to Comcast tomorrow, also adding it to our blog for all team members to study and get used to so everyone would be capable of speaking on every part of the design. We made physical mockups to began working with the ergonomic feel, while also being able to give Comcast an idea of size and feel of the device models in the mid-crit. We decided to add an image of the interface design to the larger device mockup to easier demonstrate how the interface could be used and some of the features that make it special, such as the “push” feature. We ended the night by working on solid works renderings to add to our pdf for the mid-crit. Homework was to get some sleep, be in early and well-dressed to begin rehearsing and finalizing models and pdf.  I’ve also noticed that both teams have worked extremely well together, even side by side at times working on completely different ideas, with very open conversation. The team has worked well together too, continuing to talk through email and text message, showing up on time, and working together. Blog was updated as well: http://comcastsprint1b.blogspot.com

Carter and team 1b

Day 2 Journal Entry

Today was day 2 of the SPRINT project with Comcast. Our day began by meeting in the morning in Hayward and sharing sketches and discussing ideas we had came up with on our own the previous night through solo research. We also met up with group 1a to talk about the research we had found and had an overall discussion about our progress and how we understood the brief, as well as how we would make sure our consultancy had products that related to each other. Around noon we went to Kanbar to continue discussing our ideas while also handing out the surveys we had created to random students and faculty. Between the physical copies we handed out and the online version of the survey we shared through social networking, we received over 100 filled out surveys. We went over the information from these surveys and made a list of similar answers we found throughout them and worked on relating them to the ideas we had already come up with, while creating new ideas in the process. We also met back up with team 1a and watched some youtube videos from Microsoft dealing with futuristic products for inspiration. We spent the evening in the DEC building working in the same room at team 1a, bouncing ideas off of each other but also working separately, drawing up ideas on the white board trying to narrow down some of the main points that had stood out to us from our research and discussions. After a last discussion with team 1a talking about where we stand and what we plan on having for tomorrow, I gave my group members the task of working outside of the studio on some initial sketches on physical design for the products we had in mind, while also thinking of ways that all of these products will tie together, both interface-wise and physically. We also continued to upload to our team blog: http://comcastsprint1b.blogspot.com

Carter and team 1b

Whiteboard discussion #3

Whiteboard Session #2

Search input?

Best option out there - touchscreen keyboard? iPhone/iPad keyboard

Writing out numbers and words with fingers on a touchpad? Is that better or worse for kids?

The way to find the remote? Walk into room and remote makes noise, or camera on tv shows image of room with remote circled or highlighted

In-person simulator via ambient representation of group mood

Video chat, screen sharing - multi tv control, light and sound - Watching movies and shows TOGETHER  sharing the experience, not watching alone. (better experience than live tweets, laugh tracks, etc). Could have other interactions through sharing same screen on multiple tv's such as whiteboard, speech bubbles, etc. (All could be controlled through touchscreen remote)

 ^where would this be displayed? on tv, on box, next to you? Having the option to put on tv, or somewhere else in room

SKYPE THROUGH COMCAST EXISTS

 Doesn't have to be live, displays stored data from past viewings

 added layer of emotion

Color coding. Static color generated by dominant color throughout show or movie (informed by movie or show genre) to enhance experience. Connects to the rooms lighting or accent lighting in room

 Wearables/data gathering - unscrolling watch

What is the story behind the reasoning for design?

Personalizing - want to see certain things, don't want to see certain things. Can a profile recognize who's there and what they should see?

-personalized commercials

-personal settings, suggestions

-public profiles? comcast matching service?

No more broadcasting/all streaming?

Maximum of two devices desired

Comcast cloud - live tv on tablets - home security

 

How would the system know who's in the room and interacting? Facial recognition

 

Physical objects - remote, ambient presentation device, watch (wearable device) the box

 

BUILD WHOLE ENVIRONMENT

 

Mid - Critique Preparation

I just had a managers meeting with the professors and other juniors, mainly discussing the mid-critique on friday. My last post talks about some of the common mistakes to presenting as well as some pointers for how to present successfully.

Here are some requirements either I want or the professors want for friday:

Each team will be presenting for 10 minutes, 20 minutes for each consultancy.

We should all be dressed appropriately to be presenting to Comcast.

They stressed to us that ALL members of each team need to speak, so if each team is presenting for 10 minutes and we have 5 members, each member should speak for as close to 2 minutes as they can.

We will be able to use the projector, whether we use it to show a powerpoint, movie, etc.

They expect us to have some sort of mocked up model to show during the mid-crit as well.

We need to have a "story" to back up our reasoning for our design.

Presentation hints/common mistakes

For Friday's mid-crit

Turn head to read text you've written

Back to audience

Be aware of where you are in space

Show images and models in same orientation

Use models to make a point, not just sitting there

Have something to give them (the audience)

Eye contact

Little text on screen/too much text 

Present to. Comcast not professors

Make at least 10 copies of handouts

Kanbar surveys

Working with team 1a