Final Images and Description/Instruction

In the first 4 images I was really trying to capture the users' experience when using this object. The last one I thought was a nice shot of all the aspect of the interactive object together.  

This object is designed to get the user to separate and utilize two of the senses; sight and touch. I choose these two senses because we rely so much on combining them to gain an understanding of the world around us, so when we are forced to separate the two it forms an interesting experience. I initially investigated drawing what you felt but found that people drew far to differently for the results to be interesting. I also tried to use interesting objects I brought, but it was too easy to feel the different materials. I realized I needed to focus on the form of the objects rather than texture; therefore I made abstract objects out of clay that only I knew what they looked like. In return the user began to experience a great deal of surprise when feeling the unusual forms. It is also very challenging and exciting trying to form an image of the unfamiliar shape in your mind that matches the one in the picture. Once the right object is chosen it is very rewarding and interesting to actually see the whole shape. Over all the clay objects and photographs are visually appealing, adding to the enjoyment of the interactive experience.    Instruction Examine one photograph and put your hand inside the box to feel the objects without looking. The photographs are only details of particular parts of the objects, you must carefully feel each one to find the one in the photograph. Once you think you have the right one you can pull it out to see if you are correct, you will know for sure because it will be the same colour as the one in the photograph. There are a number of photographs so each person can choose a different one.

Fine Tuning

I re-shot some of the photos to make sure they were high quality. Also I decided not to add the symbols to the front of the box because they would look quite out of place and are not completely necessary. Finally I decided to make a single stand to hold the photos on, so that the user can have a clear view of the image without having to hold it, or change one photo from one place to the next like I had originally planned.  

Testing the Intuitiveness

I gave the box (with the objects inside) and photos to someone who had not seen it before or heard anything about the project. The only thing I told them was that I was testing to see how intuitive the interaction was and that it was based on stimulating the senses.

The first thing they did was pick up all the photos and look through them quite carefully. They then pulled one object out of the box one at a time and tried to match them to the photos at first not realizing that the colours matched (she thought the colours in the photos had been swapped or changed somehow but then figured it out).

This showed that my photos were indeed quite deceptive which I was going for, and that it was clear that you needed to put your hand inside the hole. The suggestions I received were:

- I should make the material around the hole fit around your hand, possibly adding elastic. This would discourage the user from looking inside the box.

- Symbols of a hand with a tick beside it and an eye with a cross would give quick and clear visual instructions to touch and not look inside the box.

- Present it to the user with one image already inside the holder so that they know to only look at one but also realize they can change it.  

Testing Near Final

This time I made an extra two shapes ( the blue one and white one) and took even more close up photos than before to make it more of a challenge for the user. I found that due to the shapes of the objects it started to create levels form easiest to hardest in identifying the shapes of the objects.

It still took quite awhile for the users to pick an object but they did not get it wrong.

The suggestions for improvement I received included:

- Have a pocket on the side with the images and maybe use symbols to get them to take one. 

- On the top have corner tabs where it can hold one photo while the user interacts with the object.

- Present the box to the user diagonally so that they can see the photos in the pocket on one side and know to put their hand in the hole on the other side.

- The box should be made of a reasonably heavy material so that it doesn't move around too much while the person feels around for the objects inside. Also so it can with stand a number of people using the object. 

Developing Ideas

I made four new shapes and I concentrated on really refining them and making the shapes quite smooth. I also looked at creating really unique 3D forms so that the experience would be quite unusual and interesting. My inspiration came form the objects I brought at the beginning of the testing and took aspects, like a straight edge or curvy form, then combined and abstracted the aspects further.

This one kind of looks like the top of a bed post.

Though this image only reveals a very small part of the object the people I tested it on found it quite distinctive compared to the other objects. 

This is a very nice photo due to the clarity and the shadows it casts. I hope to take more photos like this but maybe push the composition more. 

This was the hardest object to identify because it played on scale a lot. However, the quality of the photo needs improving.

I tested these objects on two of my friends and they both thought it was quite challenging and exciting. they liked the shapes and found it very rewarding to pull out the shape and see that they got it right, also to see what the shape actually looks like when they have only felt it.

Improvements they suggested were just to make the images more deceiving, using shadows to reveal the shape more or challenge the viewer, this would make the photos aesthetically pleasing as well. Also to maybe make an extra one or two shapes so there is more to choose from.

Now I need to make a box and ensure that it is suited tot he experience I am trying to achieve.