Page History

h1. ElderConnect

Connecting family members via the web.
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h2. GR2 - Designs


h3. Scenario

*Preconditions and Assumptions*
- Grandparent is able to open browser and access url.
- Hardware is already functional (webcam, speakerphone).
- Grandparent uses the same computer at home every time. Browser is able to store cookie so that grandparent never needs to log in.

Our original three tasks in GR1 were specific to three different modes of communication: email, phone, and videochat. We re-evaluated these tasks and decided that, rather than mapping to 3 modes of communication, the tasks should pertain more to the user’s high level need and thus be independent from any particular communication means. We have thus revised our three tasks to be the following.

# Establish a connection
# Communicate asynchronously
# Communicate synchronously

*Scenario*

Harry is a 70-year-old Californian whose granddaughter, Lily, goes to college in Boston.

One day, he receives a phone call from Lily asking him to connect with her on ElderConnect. Harry goes to the website and, while talking on the phone with Lily, connects with her and she is added as a contact (Task 1).

A few days later, Harry wants to talk to Lily but since she isn’t online on ElderConnect, he sends her a message that she can read later (Task 2).

That night, he goes online again and Lily happens to be online as well, so they chat about her school day (Task 3).

h3. Designs

We present three designs:
# Address book metaphor
# Phone metaphor
# Voice search and action wheel

h4. "Address book" Design

*Design Highlights*
* Grandparent carries out all actions through the interface of an “address book,” which contains clickable buttons corresponding to each contact. All mode of communication options (including adding a contact) appear as overlays on top of the address book, so that the address book is always in sight.
* Mode of communication is purposefully asymmetric to meet different needs. When grandparent sends voicemail, it is voice recorded on the grandparent’s side but sent as text/email to the grandchild’s side, to accommodate grandchild’s busy schedule.

*Usability Analysis*
# Learnability
#* Pros
#** Address book metaphor and mailbox metaphor together maintain some external consistency with grandparent’s existing method of keeping contacts, and thus lowers the learning curve.
#* Cons
#** Address book metaphor combined with dialing the desired contact may confuse a new user. In real life, one does not add to a paper address book by dialing the person’s number.
# Efficiency
#* Pros
#** Grandparent never needs to type on the keyboard.
#** Recording a voicemail is less time intensive than typing an email (provided the speech interface is easy to use).
#** Younger family member receives voicemail as text, so can check message while doing other activities.
#* Cons
#** Grandparent must always go through a two-step process of selecting the desired contact before selecting the mode of communication (call vs. send voicemail).
# Safety
#* Pros
#** Because the main page is never out of sight (all other functionality appear as overlays), cancelling an unwanted action is more visually intuitive; the “default” mode is always visible.