• Created by Unknown User (staicy6@mit.edu), last modified by Unknown User (aaivanov@mit.edu) on Mar 31, 2013 23:13

Problem statement

Process of studying new drawing technique for an artists consists of different parts. One of the most important steps is to get handle on typical drawings. At the same time artist needs to receive a constant feedback to understand what he does wrong or right.

User Briefing

Hello, my name is ________ and this is my team. I'm happy to present you our project ArtUp. We appreciate your help a lot! This is a service for studying a new drawing technique. So, you're an artist who want to study a Leonardo Da Vinci drawing technique. You've never drawn in this style before and you decided to begin with Mona Lisa.

Prototype iterations

Since GR2 we decides to put more attention to the following details:

  1. structure, design and interface of the main page
  2. steps users needs to take to find necessary technique
  3. process of choosing level of difficulty
  4. user understanding of how to do initial preparations

So we decide to refine our paper prototypes according to this aims.

Iteration #1

Prototype description

Image

Description                                                                                                                  

This is the start screen of our prototype.The short description is given. A sample lesson is offered.
Most popular drawing categories/techniques are shown. A search button is provided to find a specific
picture or technique.

The search results. A user tried to find Da Vinci's techniques and paintings using a search button
from the main page. As a result, he sees different paintings by Da Vinci. He now can choose one
of the techniques.

After choosing one specific painting/picture the user can read its description in order to decide
whether he wants to redraw it. If yes, he can press the "Start" button and start the training process.

Each of the techniques has several levels of difficulty. On this screen the user can choose a picture
within the techniques he chose on the previous screen. Pictures are grouped by the level of difficulty.

This is the first step of training. The user needs to make initial preparations: to take a sheet of paper,
to take a pencil and to appropriately place a web-camera so it can make pictures of what he will be
drawing.

We excluded the screen of drawing on the paper from the first version of prototype. So when the user
finishes the picture, he will be redirected to the final page where he will get feedback on his work. He
will get a percentage of accuracy. He can compare his progress with his previous trainings and
redrawn pictures.

Tasks

 

Description                                            

Images                                                               

Task #1

Try the first lesson from the main page

Task #2

Find Leonardo Da Vinci's drawing techniques

Task #3

Try to redraw Mona Lisa and get the final feedback

Usability issues

 

Task 1                                   

Task 2                                    

Task 3                                         

User #1

The task was performed correctly

The task was performed correctly

The task was performed correctly

User #2

Didn't find the button "Try now!", tried to press on images instead. After this critical incident, we painted it with green.

The task was performed correctly

Put a sheet of paper in landscape mode, but not in a portrait one like it was on initial preparations' page.

User #3

The task was performed correctly

The task was performed correctly

The user didn't look on the type of pencil he took.

User #4

Clicked on one of the pictures (popular drawing techniques) instead of pressing the "Try now" button.

The task was performed correctly

Was a bit confused about the given feedback (what the number means)

User #5

Didn't find the button "Try now!".

The task was performed correctly

Placed the camera in a wrong way

User #6

Clicked on one of the pictures (popular drawing techniques) instead of pressing the "Try now" button.

The task was performed correctly

Complained that she had to choose the same things too many times
before the actual start of drawing

User #7

Clicked on one of the pictures (popular drawing techniques) instead of pressing the "Try now" button.

The task was performed correctly

The task was performed correctly

Summary

  • Users can't find the "Try lesson" button on the main page.
    • Fix: Change button's color and form
  • Users commented that main page overwhelmed with pictures
    • Fix: Rearrange and reposition pictures on the page
  • Users commented that there are too many steps between the first choice of the technique and the beginning of drawing

Iteration #2

We designed the second iteration to test how users will accept feedback from the system and will use it to change the picture.

There are three main steps we wanted to test the system:

  1. erasing lines
  2. drawing line
  3. drawing oblects

Prototype description

Image

Description                                                                                                                     

During this step user needs to erase line from the object.

During this step user needs to draw new line instead of old one

During this step user needs to draw new object (leaf) by connecting points.

Tasks and usability issues

 

Subtask #1                                    

Subtask #2                                 

Subtask #3                               

Description

Erase line

Draw line

Draw object

User #1

Did correctly

Did correctly

Did correctly

User #2

Erased too much

Wasn't clear what to do from
the description

Did correctly

User #3

Wasn't clear what to do from
the description

Did correctly

Wasn't clear what to do from
the description

User #4

Erased too much

Did correctly

Did correctly

User #5

Wasn't clear how much to erase

Drew in his own way

Drew in his own way

Summary

  • Users don't want to follow strict rules.
    • Fix: Make descriptions more polite
  • Users suggested to highlight the part which needs to be erased
    • Fix: Highlight the part which needs to be erased
  • No labels

1 Comment

  1. Sarah E Lehmann

    Prototype: Nice job testing feedback in your second iteration-though as your observations would suggest, it's not quite there yet. For example, this sort of feedback works when drawing a simple flower, but how will you provide feedback on something like the Mona Lisa? Keep improving upon your design!
    User testing observations: I like how you organized your observations-it was very clear both how many users you tested a high level summary of the problems they faced.