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When a sketch is opened, it opens in Playback Mode. The user can use the controls in the bottom corner to play the piece, skip forward, and skip backward. The playback cursor defaults to the beginning. The user can move the cursor by clicking on a note to begin playback at that note when the user presses the Play button. Staff scrolls to the right in real-time when music is playing. It stops at the currently location if playback is paused. It skips ahead/backward while the forward and backward buttons are held.
The user can switch between Edit and Playback modes by clicking the phone’s menu button.
Analysis
+ indicates a good point of the design
- indicates a bad point in the design
Learnability:
+ Easy to place notes on the staff; very interactive interface
+ Easy to edit notes’ characteristics (apply accidental, make longer, tie together, add expressive marking)
+ App plays the note’s pitch as it is placed, teaching the user how precise they need to be when clicking the staff
- In Edit mode, it isn’t obvious that clicking on the key signature, time signature, tempo, and clef bring up menus to change those features. A user might think that they have to start over.
- Not obvious that clicking the phone’s menu button will toggle between Playback and Edit modes
- No obvious way to delete a file that a user no longer wants. This could easily be implemented using the phone’s menu button on the Menu screen.
Efficiency:
+ Can easily place notes of the same value in a row
+ Program automatically draws measure bars
- The loading screen may be unnecessary, depending on how quickly the app can load the list of files it has stored.
- As currently designed, the staff may be too small to accurately place notes
Safety:
- There is a risk of mode errors in the Playback and Edit modes because their basic design looks very similar.
+ The differences in the buttons (and the lack of the buttons the user would want if they were trying to do something in the wrong mode) is a clear indication that the user is in the wrong mode and they could easily toggle to the desired mode.
+ Cancel button lets a user go back to the Menu screen if they accidentally create a new sketch