Revised Problem Statement
Based off of potential user responses, the Chronos Multipurpose
Alarm Clock needs to be very intuitive when allowing users to input
calendar and alarm times/settings. The advent of programmable menus may
not be the most useful feature of the clock, so all reasonable uses
should be accounted for in the firmware development. Because of current
cell phone capabilities, the Chronos Multipurpose Alarm Clock needs to
be more focused on the input/output methods and calendar/alarm settings
and usability. The touch screen, wallpaper, and mp3 features are
well-liked and useful features of the Multipurpose Alarm Clock and will
be carried out on the final design of the clock.
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Representative Users
In deciding the target audience of our project we considered those who have hectic lives and could use a multifunction alarm clock to help them manage their tasks. As a result, we came up with two distinct representative users: a student and a worker.
Students: Students need to manage their school work as well as their personal lives. They need to track homework due dates as well as birthdays. Students have a unique problem in that their daily schedule will vary based on class schedules. If they have a part-time job as well this will increase the variability in their schedule. Based on talking to students we felt they could use an alarm clock that could be personalized to their needs. Furthermore, many students would enjoy customizing options this product employs. While we are considering a wide range of ages for students, we do not recommend this product for those under 16. We determined this age range based on the technical the product will employ as well as the lack of interest anyone under 16 would have towards this product.
Workers: Workers have their own distinct needs. For them,
they need to manage their work and personal lives. Work includes having
business dinners, meetings, and deadlines. Personal would include
birthdays, anniversarys, and parties. This multipurpose alarm clock
could be used to help them organize all these tasks in a handy
solution. These users may also enjoy the MP3 and photo options to
customize their product.
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Task Analysis
User Task Matrix
| Task | Student User | Worker User |
|---|---|---|
Set up Alarms |
Frequently | Frequently |
Add Appointments to Calendar |
Frequently | Frequently |
Set Up To-Do List |
Sometimes | Sometimes |
Customize Alarms |
Frequently | Sometimes |
Customize GUI (Make Photo as Wallpaper) |
Sometimes | Sometimes |
Add MP3s |
Frequently | Sometimes |
Add Photos |
Sometimes | Sometimes |
Play MP3s/Radio |
Frequently | Sometimes |
View Photos |
Sometimes | Sometimes |
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Scenarios
Scenario 1: After school, a high school student enters the due dates for all the homework assigned that day. The user then sets an alarm to remind them to pick up a sibling at soccer practice at 3:00pm the next day. Before going to bed the user sets the alarm to wake them at 7:00am and sets it to use an MP3 the user had previously installed. The next day, the alarm rings with the selected MP3 and the user can see a list of all the tasks that need to be done this day before hitting the snooze button. At 3:00pm the alarm rings to notifies the user of the reminder they set.
Scenario 2: At work, an employee adds to the calendar the date of a project deadline. The user then sets the wallpaper image of his clock to a photo of his family. An hour later the alarm goes off reminding the user of a meeting. However, that meeting was moved to another date, so The user clicks the "re-schedule" button to set the same alarm to off at the new date and time.
Scenario 3: A college student adds tasks to their to do list including going grocery shopping and sending out a birthday card. After doing this the user decides to listen to their MP3s. While listening to the MP3s, the user looks at photos saved on the clock. While browsing, the screen changes and the MP3 stops an alarm goes off reminding the User to a paper. The user had already submit the paper (and forgot to turn off that alarm) so they acknowledge the alarm. The User clicks the "save" button to keep a record of the alarm in case they need to see what day they handed that paper in later on.
These scenarios were created based on common tasks that students of
varying ages and workers commonly have to complete. Students need to
keep track of assignments and everyday tasks. Workers need to set
reminders for work and home tasks. Both will find browsing photos and
listening to MP3s enjoyable.
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Appendix A: Interview Questions
- How do you feel about carrying an alarm clock? And how big would you prefer it to be?
- How often do you hit the snooze button?
- Do you need to set multiple alarms?
- Are you accustomed to using multiple buttons or is touch screen ok?
- Would you customize the clock with your own photos (as wallpaper) and mp3s (as alarms)?
- How many appointments you need to set each day?
- How many appointments do you have to manage in week?
- What kinds of appointments do you need to store (i.e. birthdays, appointments, etc)?
- Should old appointments be stored? Do you need to keep a record of previous appointments?
- How often would you use this type of alarm clock, now knowing of the various different features that could come with it?
- How would you feel about carrying an alarm clock? And how big would you prefer it to be?
- (Optional) How about customizing the screen? Organizing/applying GUI?
- (Optional) Would you want to customize the exterior w/ skins/detachable shells?
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Appendix B: Interview Summary
At least half work for the computer labs at Rutgers. Most people in my set did not object to carrying an alarm clock. Many mentioned that since they already carry a cell phone, it should be something around the size of one (but bigger than a Razr). About half said they never hit the snooze button whereas the other half reported they hit this feature too often. Most agreed that they hardly hit the button if something important needs to be done. Again, the statistics were divided when we talked about the use of multiple alarms. One half said they use multiple alarms when they absolutely must wake up or be reminded of an event whereas the other half (two people) said they never use the feature. The majority voted to have touch screens, with only one person concerned about breaking the actual screen. Majority ruled over the customizable options as well (mp3s, photos). One person, however, remarked how this seemed too much like a cell phone. The average number of appointments people wanted to set was three. The number of appointments for a week was variable, but many agreed between fifteen - twenty should be sufficient. The most popular kinds of appointments were: birthdays, exams, work (schedule and what-to-do), waking up and appointments, among other misc. things. Past entries should be kept, but let the user have the option of deleting expired ones. Sadly, the majority would not use an alarm clock that can do many tasks.
Only two out of the five people I submitted questionnaires to
responded to the extra questions. They both would like to have the
option to customize the GUI and exterior of the device.
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Navigation
- Revised Problem Statement
- Representative Users
- Task Analysis
- Scenarios
- Appendix A: Interview Questions
- Appendix B: Interview Summary
Information
Chronos Alarm Clock Project was created by Group 6 in Professor Jacek Gwizdka's Fall 2006 HCI Class.
Group 6 Members:
Peter Holt
Maria Musillo
Jeremy Pharo
Anisah Syed
This page was last updated on Wednesday, October 11, 2006