CYCLE 3: DEMONSTRATE

ROBY MICHELANGELO VOTA Student number: 4319397 Course: ID4250 Exploring Interactions Workspace: Rethink Learning Coaches: Mark van Huystee, Tjamme Wiegers

INDEX INTRODUCTION (RECAP)����������������������� 3 Design goal������������������������������������������� 3 Current interactions����������������������������� 4 Interaction vision���������������������������������� 5 Concept������������������������������������������������� 6 STORYBOARD��������������������������������������� 7 1. Registration for edX������������������������� 7 2. Registration for the MOOC����������������� 9 3. Exploration of the course���������������� 11 4. Self-intro in Sketchat���������������������� 14 5. Search for a buddy ������������������������ 16 6. Learning Sketchat rules����������������� 18 7. Sketchatting����������������������������������� 19 8. Special challenges��������������������������� 23 9. Co-sketching����������������������������������� 24 PROTOTYPES�������������������������������������� 25 Interface prototype����������������������������� 25 Co-sketching prototype������������������������ 26 PROTOTYPE TESTING������������������������� 27 PROTOTYPE FEEDBACK���������������������� 29 Personal emotions������������������������������� 29 Scaled questions���������������������������������� 30 Comments & suggestions��������������������� 31 AND ALVA?���������������������������������������� 32 CONCLUSIONS�������������������������������������� 33

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INTRODUCTION (RECAP) DESIGN GOAL How to improve through e-learning the aptitude of sketch-tical* design students, at first helping them break the ice with sketching and then stimulating their dedication to it? * i.e. feeling scepticism, fear or lack of motivation towards sketching and the learning of sketching. Users: primarily, design students; secondarily, design/sketching enthusiasts. Situation: MOOC (massive open online course) related to design sketching. Desired effect: encouraging students to put pencil to paper (initial ice-breaking) and to keep on sketching as often as possible (continuous practice). Stakeholders: other e-learners, e-teachers; e-learning platform edX.

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CURRENT INTERACTIONS Conducting a context-mapping study with six design students from TU Delft, many interesting observations emerged: • sketching is considered crucial in the design process, because it supports both thinking and communicating; • sketching is connected to some negative feelings: embarrassment (for being judged by colleagues/teachers), frustration (for its difficulty), dejection (because of childish skills); but when sketching is satisfactory, it conveys: surprise, love, magic; • in everyday life sketching seems absent; the only moments dedicated to it are during design projects and sketching lessons; • the key factors to learn sketching are considered time (always missing), (intensive) practice, motivation and patience; • sketching is often compared to artistic drawing, which, compared to the former, is heart-driven, relaxing, carefree, free.

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INTERACTION VISION The design goal of improving through MOOCs the approach of sketchtical design students towards sketching and its learning can be achieved... creating a sheltered and comfortable learning/practice environment through the mutual support with another learner. Key features The key features of my interaction view are: • “safe” sociality: sharing the experience with another learner (buddy)to amplify successes and reduce difficulties; • everywhere and everytime: making sketching a constant in work and life; • sketching and artistic drawing: borrowing the positive features of artistic drawing into sketching.

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CONCEPT The main idea is to create a digital correspondence of sketches between the learner and a limited number (up to 3) of other learners (buddies), similarly to the correspondence of mails between two distant pen friends. Interaction bridge The interaction vision is materialised through the connection between the learner and his buddy via an “interaction bridge”. This is formed by four key elements: • a massive open online course (MOOC) related to sketching, for instance called SKTC101x, presented on the e-learning online platform edX; • a digital device (tablet computer or laptop + graphics tablet); • a sketch-based instant messaging application, called Sketchat; • a digital assistant (and hypothetically also an add-on for the stylus), called Alva.

SKTC101x, the MOOC

Learner

Digital device

Sketchat, the sketch messenger

My design attention is mainly focused on the application and Alva the assistant.

Alva, the stylus add-on

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STORYBOARD 1. REGISTRATION FOR EDX The learner accesses edX websites, registers himself for edX and from his dashboard can start finding courses.

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2. REGISTRATION FOR THE MOOC In the course list, the new MOOC, called Design Sketching for Sketchtical People (code SKTC101x) appears: it’s a self-paced course, which can be started anytime and is taught by TU Delft professors (DelftX). Pressing the “learn more” button, a more thorough description of the course is offered. The only prerequisite for the course is the possession of a graphic device (graphics tablet or tablet computer, with stylus). The digital nature of tools is due to the versatility (in terms of editing, transmitting, storing) of digital sketches; the stylus is needed also for tablets because it allows a better control of lines and an approach more similar to pencil and paper.

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3. EXPLORATION OF THE COURSE The learner reads everything he needs to know about the course in the “Course Info” tab. The concept behind the course is immediately made clear. MOOC It’s structured in 4 parts and lasts 13 weeks. The first part is a warm-up: the learner familiarises with the tools offered in the course (Sketchat and Alva), breaks the ice with sketching and builds the right aptitude to it. The other 3 parts are related to the types of sketches which support a typical design process (see 1st Cycle researches): • thinking sketches; • talking sketches; • prescriptive sketches. Sketchat It’s the core of my project. As I’ll show in the following pages, it’s a messenger (available as a website within edX or as a standalone application) allowing a correspondence of sketches between the learners. Sketchatting, i.e. the activity of conversing through sketches, is supposed to start immediately after the registration for the course. It constitutes the warm-up, but not only: it continues on parallel to the course and can even go on after its ending.

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Alva Alva plays the role of the moody assistant during sketchatting activities. It works both virtually and physically. In Sketchat, Alva guides the learners through messages. In the real world, it assumes the form of an add-on for the stylus that the learner can easily take wherever he goes. Alva supports the objectives of Sketchat by: • monitoring and communicating to the learner his sketching efforts as well as the buddies’; • communicating in real time the buddies’ sketching activities; • reminding the learner to start sketching and keep practicing when the learner doesn’t sketch for too long; • encouraging the learner and the buddies to keep a balance.

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4. SELF-INTRO IN SKETCHAT Sketchatting requires the presence of one or more buddies. The selection of a buddy occurs through a database of selfintroductions drawn by learners. That’s why the first thing for each learner to do is sketching his own introduction. After being welcomed by Alva to the conversation environment of Sketchat, the learner is redirected for the first time to the sketching environment.

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In the sketching environment, the learner can familiarise with the drawing tools at his disposal. These are basic drawing tools like selection, pencil, eraser, pen, eyedropper, paint bucket, layers. Lines should feature the opportunity to set their straightness, helping novices to draw straight lines and good circles. “Undo” and “redo” functions can also help learners in gaining self-confidence. As regards introductory sketches, in order to give more unity to them, a common theme can be assigned, such as a self-portrait of the learner while sketching.

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5. SEARCH FOR A BUDDY The search for the first buddy (and later for other buddies, up to 3) can be started from the conversation environment, pressing the + button in the “Pencil friends” bar on the bottom left. The limitation on the number of buddies a learner can have is due to the objective of creative a sheltered and compact environment for the learner, and not a dispersive one. A new buddy can be added to the pencil friends from a screen displaying the introductory sketches of a limited number (e.g. 18) of other sketchers. These sketchers are picked randomly from those registered to the MOOC and having free buddy slots. The learner is encouraged to select a buddy that he feels is on his same level, to reduce the inferiority complex while sketchatting. Once a buddiship request is sent, the learner has to wait for it to be accepted by the other learner.

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6. LEARNING SKETCHAT RULES Once the first buddy is added, Sketchat starts working. From now on, the learner is given two bars: • the cyan bar visualises how much and constantly the learner is drawing; when the learner is sketching, the level goes down; when he isn’t, it goes down; • the red bar visualises the cumulative sketching efforts of buddies in response to the learner’s sketches; when a buddy is sketching with the learner, the level goes up; when he isn’t, it goes down. The two bars behaves like ink bars, on the basis of the idea that black derives from merging cyan and red. If both bars are full, the learner’s darkest colour is black and he can use every colour from the palette. When they are not both full, the darkest colour that the learner can use is given by merging red and cyan according to the levels, and all the colours in the palette are modified accordingly. The two bars are divided in 5 segment, to each of which a different expression on the avatar corresponds (from really sad to really happy). The learner starts sketchatting with both bars at 70%.

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7. SKETCHATTING Buddies’ availability is shown on the bottom left: a switched-on bulb means that the buddy’s online; notifications communicate that new sketches have been received or are being drawn. When a buddy is selected in the “pencil friends” area, her avatar is moved up and the learner’s and the buddy’s bulb complete the Sketchat logo. The buddy is identified with a nickname; her location and local time are displayed, as well as the last time she sketched with the learner. Sketches are presented in the white area on the right, surrounded by balloons. When a buddy sends a sketch, the learner has three options: • replying to the sketch on an empty board; • replying sketching on the buddy’s drawing; • starting a new sketch unrelated to the received one. Furthermore, to give the buddy an immediate feedback about the receiving of the sketch, the learner can draw a facial expression on a faceless avatar: the feedback is based once again on sketching and strengthen the emotional commitment in the buddiship.

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Whichever is the choice, the learner enters the sketching environment. A new option is available: letting the buddy see the learner sketching (in a balloon) and join his on-going sketch. Setting it to off, the buddy only receives the sketch once finished; otherwise, he can visualise in real time the leaner’s activity and collaborate with him.

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When a sketch is created to reply to a buddy’s, in the conversation environment the two balloons are linked to show the connection. With his own sketches, the learner has 3 options: • starting a new sketch using his previous one as a reference; • sharing his sketch on social networks, if he’s really proud of it; • asking for an expert opinion (given by more advanced student of the course) about specific aspects of the drawing. These two last options (strongly suggested by the testers during the 2nd cycle) are meant to support the leaner’s motivation and aptitude to sketching, but still are up the learner, to preserve the “sheltered-ness” of the learning environment.

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8. SPECIAL CHALLENGES The correspondence of sketches between the two buddies is free: subjects, techniques and style are at the learners’ discretion. However, sometimes special challenges are randomly proposed to the couple, clearly identified with a bright yellow. These challenges are designed to be engaging and funny to take on, but also help the learners develop important skills that they will better understand during the course. I elaborated a rich list of these challenges in the 2nd cycle. The challenges are mandatory. At the end of each challenge, a quick explanation of its meaning is given.

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9. CO-SKETCHING Another interesting addition to the 2nd cycle concept is the possibility for the buddies to draw together. If, for example, the buddy is online and accepts to let the learner see and join his sketch, the two learners can start co-sketching. This opportunity can reinforce mutual trust, complicity and support.

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PROTOTYPES In the 2nd cycle, I had the opportunity to produce two prototype and test them with my group mates and 3 external testers. Through those tests, I could certify the effectiveness of using a correspondence of sketches to achieve my design goal and interaction vision. The main changes in the concept in the 3rd cycle concern the number of buddies (not just one but 3, to prevent the sketchatting from stopping when the buddy withdraws) and the addition of some features, among which the possibility to sketch collaboratively. Furthermore, a better integration of my concept within edX platform was a new priority. Two prototypes were developed to test these characteristics. INTERFACE PROTOTYPE An interactive prototype of the interface was realised using Adobe Flash Catalyst, a professional program specific for UI prototypes. The images on the previous pages are taken from it. The prototype is not fully functional (e.g. you cannot draw

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in it), but shows precisely the aesthetics and mechanics of the concept. CO-SKETCHING PROTOTYPE The second prototype is much simpler. In order to test the effect of seeing another person drawing and start sketching with him, a collaborative whiteboard website was used: conceptboard.com. I inserted two balloons (red and cyan) in a huge board and testers could freely sketch in their balloon, draw facial expressions on bulb avatars, add balloons, create a conversation and also co-sketch. Whatever a tester was doing could be seen by his buddy tester.

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PROTOTYPE TESTING I tested my prototypes with 4 people. The test was divided in two parts. In the first part, I made each tester explore the interface prototype and hence the potential of my concept. The exploration was not totally free, because I explained all the functions offered and guided the tester through a virtual journey to understand the flow of sketchatting and its integration in edX. In the second part, I created, in two different occasions, two groups of three buddies: Eleonora, Hitomi and I and then Lu, Yan and I. The simultaneous presence of three buddies was meant to test whether having more than one buddy could compromise my interaction vision. Some of the material produced during these 1-hour sketching sessions is presented in the next page.

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PROTOTYPE FEEDBACK

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dis sat is f a cti on disgust

Eleonora Hitomi Lu Yan

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PERSONAL EMOTIONS The testers indicated on the big diagram on the right which emotions they felt (and how much they felt them) while experiencing the prototype.

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Before filling the questionnaire, the testers were reminded: • what my design goal and interaction vision were; • that the prototype was only a simulation of only a part of my concept, and hence had many limitations.

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The 4 prototype testers were asked to give me a feedback through a questionnaire. This was divided in three parts, dealing with: • a subjective assessment (about personal emotions); • a more objective assessment (efficacy of the concept and the prototype); • free comments and suggestions.

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help sketchtical guys be motivated to sketch?

SCALED QUESTIONS Breaking the ice How much do you think the concept can help sketchtical guys break the ice with sketching and its learning? don’t know

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Practice How much do you think the concept can help sketchtical guys practice more constantly? don’t know

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Embarassment How much do you think the concept can help sketchtical guys feel less embarrassed about their abilities? don’t know

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Frustration How much do you think the concept can help sketchtical guys feel less frustrated? don’t know

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Motivation How much do you think the concept can

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Confidence How much do you think the concept can help sketchtical guys feel more confident about sketching? don’t know

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Pleasure How much do you think the concept can help sketchtical guys feel the pleasantness of sketching? don’t know

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Progress How much do you think the concept can help sketchtical guys perceive improvements and progress in their abilities? don’t know

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Sheltered environment How much do you think the concept offers to two sketchtical guys a sheltered and safe learning/practice environment?

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Mutual support How much do you think the concept makes two sketchtical guys work together and monitor/help/orient/ motivate each other? don’t know

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Balance How much do you think the concept makes the sketching/learning efforts of the two sketchtical guys balanced? don’t know

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Correspondence of free sketches How much do you think the correspondence of free sketches is effective to reach design goal & interaction vision? don’t know

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Alva How much do you think Alva’s feedbacks (faces, gauges, ink colour) are effective to reach design goal & interaction vision? don’t know

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Special challenges How much do you think special challenges are effective to reach design goal & interaction vision? don’t know

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Statistics How much do you think the statistics page is effective to reach design goal & interaction vision? don’t know

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Prototype How much do you think the prototype was able/useful to simulate the concept? don’t know

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COMMENTS & SUGGESTIONS Positive comments What are the strongest (or your favourite) characteristics of the prototype/concept? What worked really well? Eleonora: “I liked shared drawing with others, it was fun! And also I appreciated the messages from Alva: I felt that I had a mission, that is helping my buddy.” Hitomi: “When buddies react to my

sketch, it’s rewarding and I feel glad.” Lu: “Drawing together is a good thing, as long as you and your buddies are on the same level. You can create lots of interesting pictures together and even some funny stories. That makes you want to draw more!” Yan: “It increases your imagination!”

Lu: “I think that drawing together is more attractive than drawing alone. Perhaps the design can encourage people to draw together.”

Negative comments What are the weakest characteristics of the prototype/concept according to you? What didn’t worked that well? Eleonora: “In the prototype, seeing the others sketching can engage a challenge, like who finishes first. I felt a bit in a hurry, but it’s OK if in the concept I can decide to share my drawing only when it’s finished.” Lu: “The prototype should have enabled us to draw smoother lines.” Yan: “I’m not sure about the real meaning behind Alva’s emoticons drawn by my buddies: e.g., if my buddy draws a scary face, does that mean that my drawing is horrible? Or does that reflect the emotional feeling he got from my sketch?” Free comments and suggestions Do you have suggestions to help me improve the prototype or the concept? Hitomi: “In reality, finding nice buddies may be a little bit difficult... It’s about chemistry...”

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AND ALVA? In the 3rd cycle I also developed the idea of Alva as a physical device. The concept I came up to could not be prototyped nor tested due to lack of time, so this could be the beginning of an hypothetical 4th cycle. The main prerequisites of Alva were: • the possibility to take it everywhere the learner goes, so that it can support anytime the learner; • the possibility to connect it to the stylus when the learner is sketching, so that it can be closer to the learner and part of the sketching tools; • the possibility to motivate and inform the learner both visually (blinking lights and facial expressions) and aurally (sounds). The idea is to create a small 2-valve device: when closed, it can be easily carried everywhere (e.g. attaching it to a key ring); once opened, it can be magnetically attached to a metal clip, applicable to almost every stylus. Visual and auditive feedbacks, as well as recharging issues, are still to be developed.

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CONCLUSIONS The tests with the users were extremely satisfactory: their feedback is particularly positive about the ability of the concept to help sketchtical student break the ice with sketching, to increase motivation, to convey pleasure, to create a sheltered environment, to build a mutual support between buddies. These were exactly the main characteristics I was looking for in my interaction vision. Unfortunately, I hadn’t enough time to develop further the concept of Alva as a physical assistant... If a 4th cycle were about to start, I’d probably go into this direction and complete the “interaction bridge” which I planned for my concept.

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