GM Car Network Project March 18 th , 2004 Participatory Design - - PDF document

GM Car Network Project

March 18th, 2004 Participatory Design Analysis

Prepared By Jim Garretson Whitney Hess Jordan Kanarek Mathilde Pignol Megan Shia March 27,2004

Participatory Design Analysis 27 March 2004 G M - N e t w o r k

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A participatory design session was held on March 18th, 2004 from 6:00–8:00 pm by the GM Car Network Group. This document represents the explanation of and analysis for this event.

Purpose

The main purpose of this participatory design session was to better understand what people currently do in their vehicles during commutes. We also hoped to better understand what people might do in their vehicle if their radio were given additional functionality. Specifically, we hoped to gather data that would help us make design decisions about

• ur concept of an in-vehicle personal radio station. The areas of interest with respect

to pending design decisions included:

• Community-building or personal?
• Types of use: music, games, talk shows?
• Levels of control: what do they want/need?
• One-way or two-way communication?
• What is a “station”?
• Do users need to be told what “station” they are on?
• Is XM Satellite Radio useful/pleasant/worth the money?
• How are DJ’s currently perceived?
• Will people ever warn a station if they don’t like it?

Participants

Of the seven participants present at the participatory design session, five were male and two were female. Their average age was 31. All of the participants used their car at least five days a week to drive to work or school, averaging 48 minutes roundtrip. All participants either rarely or never used car pools.

Questionnaire

Overview

Name “Questionnaire” Activities Questionnaire Primary Objective Determine demographics of participants. Get a general idea of what they do in their car during commutes. Secondary Objective Get participants thinking about being in their cars. Materials Questionnaire with 25 multiple-choice and short answer questions, and a pen. Moderator/Assistant Mathilde, with Jordan assisting Duration 20 minutes

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Procedure Each participant was given the questionnaire to complete by themselves. They were able to write in additional comments directly on the paper if relevant. Analysis Each questionnaire was analyzed in order to determine general trends within the participants. It should be noted that with only 7 participants, general trends can be noted, but statistical significance cannot be determined. For complete questionnaire results, see the Appendix.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Number of responses 6 5 1 3 4 Listen to the radio Listen to CDs

• r cassettes

Shave Put on makeup Read a book

• r the

newspaper Eat Talk on the cell phone

Figure 1: Answers to the question: What do you do in your car on your way to work or school?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Number of responses 7 1 1 2 2 FM AM XM or Sirius (satellite radio) Internet News Talk (non- news)

Figure 2: Answers to the question: What kind of radio do you listen to?

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Number of responses 7 5 4 2 Entertainment News Nothing better to do Drown out sound

• f traffic

Figure 3: Answers to the question: Why do you listen to the radio?

0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5

Number of responses 3 1 1 2 After every song or at the commercials Every 1 5 minutes Every 30 minutes Every hour I usually just leave it

• n

Figure 4: Answers to the question: How often do you change radio stations when you are in the car?

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Figure 5: Answers to the question: Average times for ideal radio station in a given hour?

Activities

Participants completed two exercises in addition to the questionnaire. The In My Car collage came first, followed by the Create Your Own Radio exercise. For examples of materials used in each exercise, see the Appendix.

In My Car...

Overview

Name “In My Car” Activities Collages Primary Objective When people think about their car and driving, what is important to them? What happens frequently when they are on the road? What is less import and less frequent? Secondary Objective Break the ice; let participants ease into more relaxed, creative thinking. Materials Poster boards with a bulls eye, markers, and stickers with pictures

• f car-related activities (e.g., listening to the radio, talking on a cell

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phone, eating, road rage, boredom, traffic etc.), and words (e.g., “messy,” “stressed,” “engine trouble,” “car seat,” “billboards,” etc.). Moderator/Assistant Mathilde, with Jordan assisting Duration 40 minutes

Procedure Participants were given an 11x17 sheet with a dark orange circle labeled “frequent/important” and the periphery labeled “infrequent/not important.” They were also given 2 sheets of stickers containing car-related activities and a sheet of words. The moderator asked them to think about their activities/concerns for when they are driving and to place more important and frequent activities/concerns inside the circle and less important/frequent concerns/activities outside the circle. Participants were given 10-15 minutes to create a collage. Analysis We analyzed the collages, looking for patterns. We rated words or images that appeared within the “important/frequent” circle as a “3”, on the periphery of the circle as a “2” and outside the circle as a “1.” Thus, more important activities/concerns have a higher total score than less important activities/concerns. Next, we grouped the concerns into several categories, based on their conceptual similarity. For example, pictures of donuts or coffee, or the words, “eat”, “drink” or “thirsty” are categorized as “eating/drinking.”

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Figure 6: Collages created by some of the participants.

Categories

Radio Pictures: Old wooden radio, Dashboard car radio, DJs / Talk show, Sports commentators Words: Controversial radio, New Music, Top 40, College Radio, AM, FM, Lots

• f Stations, Presets, Switch Stations, Public Radio, Commercials, Trivia

games, News Personal Music Pictures: CD, iPod Words: CDs, Mix tapes, Books on tapes, Bass, Loud Music Safety Pictures: Accident, Drinking and driving (man holding beer at the wheel), Repair man looking under the hood, cell phone ear piece Words: Safe, Dangerous, Unsafe, Engine trouble, Road Rage, Cut off, Bad driving, Police, Flat Tire, Sleepy Eating/Drinking Pictures: Donuts, Coffee cup, Woman eating fast food behind the wheel, Fast food window take-out Words: Eat, Hungry, Thirsty Communicating Pictures: Cell Phone, Woman holding her cell phone and driving, Man with a earpiece and microphone

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Words: Talk to friends, Cell phone, Email, Instant Messenger Distractions Pictures: Man shaving, Woman putting on makeup Words: Shave, Put makeup on, Read, Newspaper, DVDs, Games, Billboards Isolation/Privacy Words: Crying, Sing to Myself, Quiet, Isolated, Private time Getting There on Time/Delays Pictures: Construction, Traffic, No traffic highway, Long trip (filling the trunk) Words: Traffic lights, On Time, Late, Lost, HOV Lane, Slow, Fast, Navigate, Commute Aggravated/Bored/ Uncomfortable Pictures: Man yelling, Man looking bored Words: Angry, Cramps, Uncomfortable, Stressed, Boring, Upset, Autopilot Feel good Words: Laughing, calm, fun With other people Pictures: Kids, Carpooling (picking up), Carpooling (on the road) Words: Kids, Car seat, Carpooling Car interior Pictures: Neon interior car Words: Messy, Decorations

Important and Frequent Concerns/Activities We considered concerns/activities that had an average rating of 2.5 to 3.0 as

• Important. Everyone mentioned “radio” and “time/delays”. Nearly 90% mentioned

“personal music” and “being aggravated/bored or uncomfortable”. Over half considered “safety”, “isolation” Somewhat Important and Frequent Concerns/Activities We considered concerns that had an average rating of 1.6 to 2.5 as Somewhat

• Important. Everyone mentioned “Eating” and “communicating” as somewhat

important and frequent. A little over half mentioned “feeling good” and a little less than half mentioned “driving with others” as somewhat frequent and important.

Participatory Design Analysis 27 March 2004 G M - N e t w o r k

8 0.00 0.50 1.00 1.50 2.00 2.50 3.00 avg 2.71 2.67 2.80 2.29 2.29 1.00 2.80 2.57 2.60 2.25 1.67 1.00 percent 1.00 0.86 0.71 1.00 1.00 0.57 0.71 1.00 0.71 0.57 0.43 0.43 radio personal music safety eating commun icating distracti

• ns

isolation time/del ays aggravat ed feel good with

• thers

interior

Figure 7: The average rating of various concerns/activities and the percent of people mentioning them.

Make Your Own Radio

Overview

Name “Make Your Own Radio” Activities Create a radio consisting of six functions Primary Objective What functionality do people find important in a radio? Are people interested in increased functionality like the ability to send a song to a DJ? Secondary Objective Get participants thinking about how they use their car radio in order to participate in a guided discussion about car radios, XM Satellite, and DJs. Materials Paper with an incomplete car radio, markers, and stickers with a list

• f current and potential radio functionality (e.g., previous/next

channel, search by genre, block station, favorites, etc) Moderator/Assistant Jordan, with Mathilde assisting Duration 25 minutes

Procedure Participants were given an 8.5x11 sheet with an incomplete car radio. The radio included a power button and an up and down arrow for volume control. In the center

• f the radio were six empty slots (see Appendix). Each participant was also given a

sheet of stickers containing labels of potential radio functionality (e.g. “Search by Title” and “Be the DJ). The moderator asked them to create their perfect car radio

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using the functions on the stickers or by writing in their own. Participants were given 10 minutes to create their radio. Analysis Each participant’s radio was analyzed in order to get a count for the total number of times each functionality option was selected. Also noted was whether the participant had created their own functionality or changed the power or volume controls. Two participants added their own functionality and one changed the volume widget from two arrows to a dial. It’s interesting to note that Tivo-like functionality was written in by two participants (one using the term “Tivo” and the other using the term “on demand”). Another interesting point is that some participants considered “favorites” and “presets” to mean the same thing while others thought they were referring to separate

• functionality. Finally, there was some interest in “Be the DJ” but also some confusion

as to what it meant. One participant thought that it meant he could create something similar to a mix cd that would be useful on long trips. Two participants really liked the idea of being the DJ because it meant they would be in control of what they were listening to rather than relying on what’s out there. Another participant thought that the idea of being able to play a song on his friend’s car would be really cool.

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Figure 8: Radios created by some of the participants.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Search by Artist Previous/Next Channel Search by Genre Favorites Presets Search by Title Be the DJ Most Popular Song Send Song to DJ Tivo (on demand) Clear and Strong Signals Participation on Polls Talk to the DJ Block Station Vote for Songs Number of Participants Figure 9: The number of times each radio functionality option was selected by a participant. List includes items written in by hand.

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Discussion

Name “Radio Discussion” Activities Guided Discussion Primary Objective To determine what the participants thought of the functionality presented in the Create Your Own Car exercise. To ask specific questions not addressed by any previous activity. Secondary Objective To ask follow up questions to any comments made earlier in the

• session. To provide a feeling of closure to the participants by letting

them freely discuss the night’s topics. Materials None Moderator/Assistant Mathilde and Jordan Duration 30 minutes

Procedure Moderators posed questions to the group. If no one responded to a question, the moderators would address participants individually to hear their opinion. A discussion atmosphere was strived for rather than a question and answer session. Analysis Notes from the discussion were analyzed to better understand the benefits of current in-car entertainment systems and also to identify opportunities for improvement. Key ideas brought out in the discussion centered on several themes, including: Radio as Controlled Chaos, Issues with Current Radio, Satellite Radio, and Being the DJ. Radio as Controlled Chaos One participant described his ideal music-listening experience to be that of “a balance

• f controlled chaos.” He didn’t want to know exactly what song was coming up next,

because that was too boring. However, he also didn’t want the next song to be too

• weird. His ideal system would take a set of parameters for what he was feeling like at

the time and then create an experience suited to him. This way, he’s entertained without having to do much work. This same participant raved about his iPod because he could select a category of music, such as Baroque classical, and then hit shuffle. He would then have hours of music with very little effort, and he wouldn’t ever know what song was going to be played next. Issues with Current Radio Nearly all of the participants had complaints about the current state of radio. One participant would get very annoyed that he’d hear the same song repeated three times

• n the same station over the course of a workday. This made the participant feel like

certain music was being “marketed to him” and that he stopped thinking of the song as good but rather that it was “being forced down my throat.”

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DJs were also an area of frustration for the participants. In nearly all cases, participants found DJs to be pretty annoying. One participant commented that she would change the station as soon as a DJ came on. Another said that the DJs on the station he listens to make him feel very old because they are obviously targeting a younger demographic than himself, even though he likes the music they play. No one found the information that DJs provide to be interesting because they almost never say the title and artist of songs, or they say they’ll play a song after the break and then never do. One participant once tried to call in to a DJ but wasn’t able to while driving because she couldn’t remember the phone number, operate her cell phone, and drive at the same time. There was one exception to the general annoyance at DJs. One participant mentioned a former WRCT (CMU campus station) DJ that was really great. As soon as she said the DJ’s name, several other participants nodded in agreement about how good he

• was. She described this DJ as “hilarious, had a great record collection, kooky tunes,

would broadcast in a fake Russian accent, and was really fun to listen to.” The problem with this DJ was that you never really knew when he was going to be on the air. But when he was, it was a big “treat”. Satellite Radio Only one participant had ever used satellite radio before, though several of the other participants seemed interested in the service. This participant had encountered it in a rental car. His first impression of the system was tainted by the large user manual that accompanied it listing all of the stations. He was disappointed with the experience because of the poor encoding of the classical music. He also described the classical music channels as being the “top 40 of classical,” meaning that even with over 100 channels, he still heard the same music over and over again. Being the DJ Several participants were intrigued by the general idea of being a DJ. However, most thought of this functionality as imposing their music on people driving near them. One participant really liked the idea of playlist-sharing because some of his friends have “way better musical taste” then him. Another participant thought that this would be ideal for long road trips with multiple vehicles. If everyone could listen to the same music, it would be like they were all “in 1 giant car” together.

Appendix

Consent Form Questionnaire Results In My Car Materials Make Your Own Radio Materials

Carnegie Mellon University Consent Form

Project Title: Radio Conducted By: Mathilde Pignol, Jordan Kanarek, Jim Garrettson, Whitney Hess, Megan Shia I agree to participate in the research conducted by the Radio group. I understand that the proposed research has been reviewed by Dr. Kraut and Dr. Rosé and that to the best of their ability they have determined that the observations involve no invasion of my rights of privacy, nor do they incorporate any procedure or requirements which may be found morally or ethically

• bjectionable. If, however, at any time I wish to terminate my participation in this study I have

the right to do so without penalty. You may ask questions about this study, now or at any other time throughout the study, by contacting:

• Dr. Robert Kraut

Herbert A. Simon Professor of Human Computer Interaction Human-Computer Interaction Institute Carnegie Mellon University 5000 Forbes Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (412) 268-7694 You may report any objections to this study, either orally or in writing to: Regulatory Compliance Administration, IRB Chair Carnegie Mellon University 4516 Henry St UTDC Building, Suite 312 Pittsburgh, PA 15213 (412) 268-1901 Purpose of Study: I know that the researchers are studying the realm of entertainment applications for use in vehicles. I understand that I will be asked to participate in a focus group in which I will answer questions and complete activities about what I do during commutes to work. I realize that detailed notes will be kept of my responses, possibly in addition to audio or videotape of the sessions. I understand that the following procedures will be used to maintain my anonymity in analysis and publication/presentation of any results. Each participant will be assigned a number. The researchers will save all data by participant number, NOT by name. Only members of the research group will view the raw data files, audio and video tapes, and logs in detail. The audio and video tapes will be kept under lock and key by the research group. Optional Permission: I understand that the researchers may want to present portions of the audio or video tapes of my session for illustrative presentations of this work. I give my permission to do so provided that my name will not appear. _________ Yes _________ No (Please initial here __________)

Optional Permission: I understand that the researchers may want to present portions of the audio or video tapes of my session for educational purposes. I give my permission to do so provided that my name will not appear. _________ Yes _________ No (Please initial here __________) I understand that in signing this consent form, I give the research group permission to present this work in written and oral form, without further permission from me, under the conditions outlined above. ______________________________ ______________________________ Name (Please Print) Signature ______________________________ ______________________________ Telephone Date

Summary of Questionnaire Focus Group #1 March 18. 2004 7 participants: 5 male, 2 female Average age: 31

Car Questions

• 1. How often do you use your car?

(6/7) d. Every day (1/7) c. Five days per week

• 2. How often are you in your car each day that you use it?

(3/7) a. Once or twice (3/7) b. Three to five times (1/7) c. Six or more times

• 3. Do you drive to work or school?

(7/7) a. Yes

• 4. How long is your drive each way to work or school?

Average time: 24 minutes Median time: 20 minutes

• 5. What do you do in your car on your way to work or school?

(6/7) a. Listen to the radio (5/7) b. Listen to CDs or cassettes (4/7) g. Talk on the cell phone (3/7) f. Eat (1/7) e. Read a book or the newspaper No one shaves or puts on makeup Other answers: “iPod,” “Study/review notes,” “drink”

• 6. How often do you carpool or have passengers?

(4/7) c. Rarely (3/7) d. Never

Radio Questions

• 1. What kind of radio do you listen to?

(7/7) a. FM (2/7) e. News (2/7) f. Talk (non-news) (1/7) b. AM (1/7) d. Internet No one listens to XM or Sirius (satellite radio) Other answers: “sports”

• 2. How often do you listen to the radio in your car?

(6/7) a. Every time I’m in the car (1/7) b. Rarely

• 3. Why do you listen to the radio?

(7/7) a. Entertainment (5/7) b. News (4/7) c. Nothing better to do Other answers: “drown out the sound of other traffic,” “background noise”

• 4. Do you have favorite radio personalities that you usually tune into?

(4/7) b. No (3/7) a. Yes

• 5. Do you use presets?

(6/7) a. Yes (1/7) b. No

• 6. How many different stations do you usually listen to?

(4/7) b. 3-5 stations (2/7) a. 1-2 stations (1/7) c. More than 5 stations

• 7. How often do you change radio stations when you are in the car?

(3/7) a. After every song or at the commercials (2/7) e. I usually just leave it on (1/7) b. Every 15 minutes (1/7) c. Every 30 minutes

• 8. How do you find stations when you are in a new place?

(6/7) a. Channel surfing Other answers: “posted billboards/ads”

• 9. How do you resolve music conflicts with others in the car?

(4/7) a. The driver has control of the radio (2/7) c. We listen to a station I like for a few minutes, then we switch the station to something the passengers like (2/7) d. We don’t listen to the radio, too many conflicts (1/7) b. We find a station everyone likes Other answers: “No system, just case-by-case negotiating and generally being courteous”

• 10. Construct your ideal radio station, choosing what you consider to be the perfect amount of

time for each in a given hour: Average time for commercials: 2.43 minutes Median time for commercials: 0 minutes Average time for music: 42.71 minutes Median time for music: 45 minutes Average time for political commentary: 1.14 minutes Median time for political commentary: 0 minutes Average time for comedy: 10.14 minutes Median time for comedy: 10 minutes Other answers: 10 minutes for “news”, 15 minutes for “news/sports news”

Miscellaneous Questions

• 1. Do you have a weblog?

(5/7) a. Yes (2/7) b. No

• 2. Do you use online message boards?

(5/7) a. Yes (2/7) b. No

• 3. If you answered Yes to Questions 1 or 2, how often do you post messages?

(2/6) a. Less than once a week (2/6) b. Once or twice a week (2/6) c. Three to five times a week

• 4. How else do you communicate with people?

(7/7) a. In person (7/7) b. Cell phone (7/7) c. Email (5/7) b. In-home phone (4/7) e. Instant messaging (2/7) f. Text messaging No one uses a two-way pager Other answers: “mail”

• 5. What do you like and dislike about the way you currently communicate with other people?

“Would like more in-person time, though distance often makes this impossible for many of my friends.” “Email is great” “I like that there is no time frame. I can send an email at anytime and they can read it when they choose. I dislike getting caught on AIM by someone I don’t want to talk to or don’t have time to talk to.” “Loses that personal touch (bad); human and sarcasm lost in translation (bad); can be done anytime (good); stay in touch with people far away (good)” “Often, I don’t have the time to post replies. Speaking directly is still the best way to

• communicate. Online communication is a great way to stay updated on timely events.”

“Lack too many non verbal communication cues (visual, body language, voice changes). Hand cramps from fast typing.” “Like: usually quick responses, it’s cheap or free, more convenient. Dislike: sometime people don’t use enough personal interaction – very impersonal, some people don’t check email as

• ften as others.””
• 6. Would you enjoy being able to communicate with other drivers when you are on the road?

(3/7) No “Maybe – could be disruptive, perhaps” “No, horn, finger and lights are enough.” “Yes” “Absolutely. Would help to reduce a lot of stress while driving.”

• 7. Have you ever hosted a radio show, either professionally or in high school or college?

(6/7) No “Yes. College radio”

• 8. Do you emcee or have you ever performed at an open-mic?

(6/7) No “Read poetry open mic before. Hosted parties did some announcing.”

• 9. Do you watch public access TV?

(2/7) Yes (2/7) No “Very seldom” “Occasionally” “No. (I would, but we don’t get it in our area)”

Safe Fun New Music Top 40 Controversial Radio Talk to Friends College Radio AM FM Lots of Stations Talk to Friends Presets Private Time Switch Stations Boring Tapes Public Radio Sing to Myself Messy CDs Mix tapes Bass Decorations Loud Music Boring Traffic Cell phone Unsafe Dangerous Accident Police Kids Car seat Commute Eat Shave Put makeup on Trivia games Commercials Billboards News Newspaper Read Drink Hungry Thirsty Angry Cramps Uncomfortable Upset Laughing Crying Fast Slow Autopilot Engine trouble Quiet Calm Isolated Navigate Lost Late On Time Games Books on tape Sleepy Stressed Carpooling HOV lane Frustrated Screaming Road Rage Bad driving Cut off Instant Messenger Construction Traffic lights Email Flat Tire DVDs

volume Power