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

Research Day 1

Here is a video of a clip of Comcast x2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kObYQSK7q_E

Here are some remotes/controllers that I found inspiring as far as devices:

Schedule (draft)

Tuesday - Introduction

Wednesday - Research/sketches

Thursday - Mockups/presentation preparation

Friday - Mid-crit

Saturday - Revisions

Sunday - Final models

Monday - Safe day

Tuesday - Final Critique

Day 1 Journal Entry

Today was the first day of the Sprint project and the introduction into the Project with Comcast. We first started  by meeting with team 1a’s manager, Matt Cook and deciding with team from the consultancy would be working on Brief 1, and which team would be working on brief 2. We all agreed to work on brief 2. We started our process by going over the brief and analyzing it, and each going over what we took from Comcast’s introduction and our first thoughts and ideas. This process went much smoother because  we were able to dive right into it, because we had met the night before to introduce ourselves and go over our schedules, while also exchanging information. We made camp in one of the graduate student labs which we had to ourselves. We used the white boards in the grad lab to put out any and all first thoughts and ideas, and began to start focusing on things we all found stood out to us  in the brief and introduction we were given. Some of the things that were brought up were personalization, interface ideas, and things we liked and didn’t like about our current tv experiences. We also created a survey to give students and people we know younger and older than us about their tv and media experiences and other questions relating to the brief. We took a lot away from talking about our experiences and knowledge we previously had. We all decided it would be good to begin sketching and filling out at least one 11×17 piece of paper of initial thoughts and ideas, while gaining more information from the survey and further research overnight. We also opened up a blog we could all share information in, which we also gave to team 1a to view. Team a1 made a blog as well which they gave to us. We plan on sharing information, research,  pictures of mockups, and sketches in the blog throughout the entire week. We also began a group text between me and all of my team members so we can easily communicate spur of the moment ideas and easily meet up.

Carter Agvent, and team 1b

Blog link:

http://comcastsprint1b.blogspot.com

SurveyMonkey link

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3ZPT9ZB

Survey

What is it you like most about watching TV? What do you dislike most about TV?

What media content do you enjoy most?

What do you think is better about hanging in person compared with telecommunications i.e. skype/phone?

How smooth is using your cable service?

If you could do ANYTHING, what would you incorporate/change about your TV experience?

How many devices is too many to keep track of? How many are you comfortable with?

How many different people share your TV? (Both together/throughout the day)

What items do you carry everyday? What personal belongings do you enjoy having?

Are you ok with your devices knowing where you are/what you’re doing?

Day 1 whiteboard discussion

Sprint introduction slides

Sprint 2014 Design Brief 2

We are Team 1b.

Brief 2: Medium-Term Home "Ecosystem" Concepts

Create a family of related devices and sensors for the home" In 5 to 10 years, what do we want our technology-empowered experiences to be, in and around the home:

- In a software-domincated near-future, where technology makes any interface possible, propose a Comcast "Ecosystem"; a suite of interfaces, sensors and devices within the home and, possibly, on the consumer. Incorporate physical devices to make interaction with media, data and services simpler, more rewarding, and more engaging.

- Make the objects matter. In ten years, most interactions with information will be able to be accomplished without pushing buttons, turning dials, or even swiping screens. What do physical objects still have to offer, now that there are other ways to get things done?

- Make the system awesome at adapting to and learning about its users and their interests. What can the system know, without having to be told? How does it find out? How is this more useful, and less creepy?

-Think about, but don't limit yourself to: wellness, games, entertainment, communication, security, working, family, pets.....


Criteria for success:

- It's stylish, context-appropriate and beautiful.
-Transparent
-Imagine the possibilities.
-Natural Mapping.
- Affordances and constraints.
-Intuitive