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IPhone 6 Evaluations and Recommendations Research Paper

Essay Instructions:

Coursework – Assignment / i phone 6 evaluations and recommendations 
You are keen to develop a start up Human Factors company that specialises in undertaking evaluations of interactive devices and systems that are in everyday use. You intend to provide evaluations and recommendations on whether the device is appropriate or not for the intended user group, in terms of, for example, task functionality, usability, safety, security and design aesthetics.. A key to the potential success of your business will be to show to potential clients, that you have specialist skills and understanding of Human Factors tools and techniques. To help you in your quest to show that you do indeed possess these much sought after skills and qualities, you decide to undertake an evaluation of a device in order for you to have an example portfolio of your work that you can use to show potential clients.
1. Task 1
The first assessed piece of this assignment is for you to provide a justification for the need to undertake evaluation of interactive systems. Your justification should also indicate what evaluation is about, describe the different types of evaluation that can be undertaken and a brief critique of each of the different evaluation methods. (E.g. Heuristic evaluation). This will be approximately 2 - 3 sides of A4 maximum.
15%
2. Task 2 
Identify and select appropriate user task goals for the evaluation. Using an appropriate task analysis technique, identify a range of typical task goals that users would use the device for. (Again if you should think of appropriate Use cases to help you identify appropriate tasks.) This will form the basis for your evaluation. Typically you should identify between 5 – 10 tasks. (Your task analysis should consider, task frequency, task sequence, task criticality etc..)
10%
3. Task 3 
Conduct a user profiling to identify the key characteristics of the intended users of your chosen device. This analysis will form the basis for your evaluation on, for example, the appropriateness of the device for the intended user group against their typical characteristics.
20%
4. Task 4 
Provide a usability specification to enable you to evaluate the device against the specification. You should aim to have 6 – 10 usability/ user experience goals.
10%
5. Task 5 
Undertake an evaluation of the device using an appropriate evaluation technique(s) (eg Heuristic evaluation, observation of users etc. ) Part of this task will be designing forms etc to capture your results.
25%
6. Task 6 
Once you have undertaken your evaluation you are then required to begin the process of analysing your results and then preparing them for dissemination to a wide audience of people who may be interested in your findings. (Users, retailers, developers etc.). This is a key part of the assignment and again you have complete freedom and flexibility over how you might wish to communicate your results. Examples that you might wish to consider include:-
• Producing a short ‘You Tube’ type video highlighting issues with the device and summarising your results
• Preparing a ‘TechRadar’ type web based report
• Producing a ‘Powerpoint’ type presentation. (You may be required to present it.)
• A short evaluation report with an executive summary of your key findings
As stated above, it is entirely your choice but the key point is that, whichever method you choose, you are able to clearly communicate the results of your findings in a way that those who would be interested in your study can readily understand. The results and presentation of your evaluation will need to be concise but highly relevant, useful, informative, meaningful and relevant. (You need to think about being able to convey your results to your audience within a maximum of 4 -10 minutes, whichever form of presentation you decide to use. (You have only a limited amount of time to impress!!)
20%
NB The main bulk of the work you have done in tasks 1 to 5 will not form part of your executive ‘report’ but will be submitted as part of your overall portfolio as a group of appendices. Eg User Profilling data sheet, Questionnaire, data analysis, Heuristics and evaluation analysis, usability specification etc.,etc..

Essay Sample Content Preview:

IPhone 6 evaluation and recommendation
Name
Institution
I phone 6 evaluation and recommendation
Technology is now an integral part of our society and someone has to ensure that the devices we use are efficient. My job entails evaluating interactive devices like mobile phones on the basis of task functionality, safety security, and usability among others, to ensure that device is appropriate for a user. Recommendations are also offered on how to improve the functionality of a device or which device would be more efficient.in this study we are going to evaluate the iPhone 6, a popular device too many.
Task 1
Users want interactive products to be easy to learn, effective, efficient, safe, and satisfying to use. Being entertaining, attractive, challenging, and enjoyable is also important for the success of websites, games, toys, and other consumer products. Achieving this requires the product to be evaluated, and running effective evaluations involves understanding not only why evaluation is important but also what aspects to evaluate, where evaluation should take place, and when to evaluate.
Evaluation is needed to check that users can use the product and that they like it, particularly if the design concept is new. Furthermore, nowadays users look for much more than just a usable system, they look for a pleasing and engaging experience. User experience encompasses all aspects of the end-user’s interaction. The first requirement for an exemplary user experience is to meet the exact needs of the customer, without fuss or bother. Next is simplicity and elegance which produces products that are a joy to own, a joy to use.
From a business and marketing perspective there are also good reasons for investing in evaluation, these include: designers get feedback about their early design ideas, major problems are fixed before the product goes on sale; designers focus on real problems rather than debating what each other likes or dislikes about the product.
Evaluation tests the usability, functionality and acceptability of an interactive system. Evaluation may take place in the laboratory or in the field. Evaluation methods are either based on expert or users. Analytical evaluation, review method and model based methods are some of the approached based on expert evaluation. Experimental method, observation method and query method are based on the user.
Analytical evaluation is an approach to evaluation that does not involve end-users. Heuristic evaluation, walkthroughs, and modeling are forms of analytical evaluation. Heuristic evaluation is an approach to evaluation in which knowledge of typical users is applied, often guided by heuristics, to identify usability problems.
Task 2
The wide diversity of interactive products gives rise to a range of features that evaluators must be able to evaluate. For example, developers of a new web browser may want to know whether users find items faster with their product, whereas developers of a creativity support tool for teaching story-writing may ask if students develop more engaging, emotionally satisfying stories. Government authorities may ask if a computerized system for controlling traffic lights results in fewer accidents. Makers of a toy may ask if six-year-olds can manipulate the controls and whether they are engaged by its furry case and pixie face, and whether the toy is safe for them to play with. This many features make it difficult for the expert to select the appropriate user task goal for evaluation.
Task analysis techniques are used to make the work of the evaluator easier by helping him identify a range of task goals that the device would be used for. Task analysis refers to the process of learning about ordinary users by observing them in action to understand in detail how they perform their tasks and achieve their intended goals. Task analysis is very important in the evaluation process because it helps identify the tasks that the system must support and can also help determine the appropriate content scope. It is important to perform a task analysis early in the evaluation process. This is because task analysis makes it possible to design and allocate tasks appropriately within the new system.
There are several types of task analysis but cognitive task analysis and hierarchical task analysis are the most commonly used. Cognitive task analysis is focused on understanding tasks that require decision making, problem solving, memory, attention and judgment. Hierarchical task analysis is focused on decomposing a high - level task to subtasks. For the purpose of our evaluation we are going to use the hierarchical task analysis technique.
In the hierarchical analysis technique a method known as task decomposition is used. The aim of ‘high level task decomposition’ is to decompose the high level tasks and break them down into their constituent subtasks and operations. This will show an overall structure of the main user tasks. The process of task decomposition is best represented as a structure chart. This shows the sequencing of activities by ordering them from left to right. In order to break down a task, the question should be asked "how is this task done?" If a sub-task is identified at a lower level, it is possible to build up the structure by asking ‘why is this done?".
Some of the high level tasks that the iPhone 6 users wish to perform include entertainment, education and communication. These tasks when decomposed yield other low level tasks. Users can use the iPhone 6 to play games using the various gaming apps, one can also watch and recording videos using the iPhone 6 stellar video recording capabilities. Listening to music is another user task, this is accomplished using the audio playback that has a user-configurable maximum volume limit, MP3 VBR, format 1, 2, 3 audible enhanced audio among others features.
The iPhone 6 possess e-resources that the users can use for research and education purposes. One can also use the browser to search the web for various forms of information. Students use the phone to record notes since the phone is a good alternative to heavy books. The phone is also use to create and save documents. Communication is the major goal for many users. The ability to call and text is important. People use social networks to socialize and network. The phone’s face time video feature is used to imitate video calls over Wi-Fi or cellular to any face time enable device. The analysis was helpful in identifying the individual user task goals of the device.
Task 3
Teenagers are considered one of Apple Inc.'s target markets. Teenagers use iPhones for many reasons. Some of these reasons are to socialize with friends, listen to music and go on Facebook, MSN, twitter etc. There are also many gaming apps that appeal to them. IPhones have become quite a trend with teenagers. College and university students are also targeted by Apple Inc. These students use Apple Inc. products such iPhone's to quickly record notes. These notes are kept organized in their devices. Also these products are light which makes carrying devices to and from school much easier.
Business people are very intrigued by Apple products. All Apple devices (iPhone's, iPad's, MacBook's etc.) have a business quality that is very useful. These devices are used to finish work efficiently and to communicate with clients easily. In addition, sending documents is easy and organized. Apple products are also useful to young children and kids. The reason for this is that devices such as iPhones are easy to use due to their touch screen quality which is good for children. Parents can download learning game apps on Apple devices to teach young children and kids. Kids also use the gaming apps available on these devices for entertainment. Adults are also one of Apple Inc.'s target markets. IPhone’s are useful to adults for their everyday needs such as phone calls, map directions, internet connection, documents and cameras. Carrying these small devices makes adults lives much easier for communicating daily.
Apple is a premium brand that is associated with a prem...
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