Friday, June 29, 2012

Budget

ItemCost
Software and Hardware£1,000
Evaluation Costs£600
Staff Costs£9,862
Estates Costs£2,663
Indirect Costs£11,682
Grand Total£25,807

Risks

 
RiskImpactLikelihoodWeightAction
Failure to appoint RASevere (5)Very Low (1)5Ensure appointment is well publicised internally and externally; identify appointable candidates in person (City has many graduates with relevant experience); the Centre for HCI Design has several current part-time staff who are likely to be available
Failure to recruit participantsBad (4)Low (2)8Use established interaction laboratory user panel if required; give participants £15 compensation.
Data LossBad (4)Low (2)8Use Subversion server for continuous version control and backup on RAID server; Regular backup schedule to external storage.
Changing Software/Hardware IssueModerate (3)High (4)12Ensure compliance with official APIs, avoid use of APIs under known threat of change or redundancy.
Failure of Interactive DisplayBad (4)Low (2)8
Two interactive displays of a compatible model are owned by the Centre for HCI Design; one could be substituted while the display is repaired

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Work Plan

Work Package 1 (WP1): User Research (3 weeks)

Investigate the user context, including mobile phone and library use. Gain provisional feedback on potential interaction designs.

Work Package 2: Prototyping (3 weeks)

We create one or more prototypes (WP2.1) and get initial feedback from initial trials with users.

Work Package 3: Development (7 weeks)

The most viable design of WP2 will be implemented. This will be an enhanced prototype, capable of realistic user testing in situ or at City's Interaction Laboratory.
We anticipate that the primary technology form used will be a ‘Webapp’ as this both minimises development costs, and provides support for the use of the widest range of devices.

Work Package 4: Evaluation (4 weeks)

Final coding and testing leading to the final app, followed by installation and both observational and over-the-shoulder studies of the system in use.

Work Package 5: Documentation and Dissemination (ongoing)

At the end of each of WP1-4, the documentation of the user needs, outcomes of design work, and technical outputs (e.g. program code) will be prepared for dissemination by Buchanan.

The MoPED Project

Aims and Objectives

The MoPED (Mobiles and Public Electronic Displays) grant is investigates how to integrate library users' mobile phones with large public electronic displays. Public displays provide high-visibility communication of a library's resources in situ, but traditionally lack any connection with other parts of the IT infrastructure, or with patrons' personal devices.
In MoPED, we are combining personal mobile devices with large displays as a way of promoting access to the library's resources both on- and off- site.

Project Outputs

The specific output will be:
  1. One or more working prototype interfaces for connecting mobile phones to a public electronic display.
  2. The results of user study(ies) on the use of the prototype system(s).
  3. A strategy for the future exploitation of public displays for promoting the use of library resources.