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The most tricky thing we find was how to populate the display area in the browse page. We were hoping to display all the images we have, and separate them into pages, but this would complicate the mechanism that keeps track of image location on the display area, and we did not have time to implement it. For this reason, we decide to have a fix number of tattoo images shown in the random mode, which may be inconvenient if the user wants to browse the entire database.

Evaluation

We tested our application with 3 users. 

We found our users by sending an email to our friends, asking if any of them are thinking of getting a tattoo for the first time. Some replied back, and out of all who replied back, we chose 3 people, all in the age range of 18-24. One is an MIT student, and the other two graduated from MIT. These users indeed match our target user population; they are young, never had a tattoo, and have considered or are considering getting a tattoo. However, there is no guarantee if they will actually get a tattoo or contact any of the artists listed on our system, which might affect how motivated they are when using our system.

Procedure

Briefing

First, the users were orally briefed on the goals of the system. We used the same briefing that are used in our paper prototype:

• Our application is designed for users who are looking to get a tattoo for the first time. They do not know anything about the tattoo process, and may not have a good idea of what they way. The goal of this application is to assist these users to not only learn more about the different types and styles of tattoos, but also find an artist who can match his style and preferences.
• Our target user base is the young adult population who are most interested in getting a first time tattoo. Imagine that you are part of this population and age group (which you are). 
• Finally, we would like to say thank you very much for helping us test our system. Note that:
  • We are testing our system, not you. Our system is a prototype and we need you to help find these problems.
  • If you run into some difficulties, that's great because it means there is some problem in our system.
  • We will be taking notes on what you are doing so we can improve our system, but you will not be voice or video recorded.
  • Finally, you can stop the test and leave at any time!
• Ok let's begin!

No demo is shown to the user.

Tasks

3 high-level tasks were presented to each of the users. The first two tasks involve the user to use our application as a first time user who are looking to learn more about tattoo process, while the third one involves a user retrieving their saved preferences after a busy week.

1. Learn about the different styles of tattoos, and find the category which best fits your aesthetic preference.
2. Find a suitable tattoo artist who will best fit your preference.
3. You saved your tattoo preferences (collected designs and suggested styles) on our website last week. In this task, retrieve these information before heading to a tattoo parlor. 

Problems Found and Possible Solutions

Reflection