Pre Theme 5 - Design research - Part 1

PART I

1. How can media technologies be evaluated?

Media technology can be evaluated in different ways. I think that it’s important to take into account the type and purpose of the technology that you are going to evaluate. In the article by Réhman, Sun, Liu and Li they had a prototype which they evaluated through having user tests. They also focused on other aspects by having three keywords as a point of view; effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction. It's a good way to evaluate media technologies, since the artifact rarely affects only one aspect of the user.

2. What role will prototypes play in research?

Prototypes have a big role in researches on new or developed media technologies. Prototypes have the advantages of giving the designer and developer a chance to try if their ideas are understood by the future users. It gives possibilities of detecting new errors or misinterpretations that can be later on fixed and prevented having in the final product. Prototypes could also open up to new idea. Sometimes products with an initial purpose could suddenly show that it can also have a new purpose for a user that wasn’t taken under consideration when designing.

3. Why could it be necessary to develop a proof of concept prototype?

Proof of concept is a demonstration through documented evidence to show that a potential product can be successful. This concept helps the developer to minimize the potential errors in the final product and lead to a difference maker for success or failure.

4. What are characteristics and limitations of prototypes?

Prototypes are samples of the final product, it’s not finished and can differ from the final product. Its characteristics are to give the users an idea of what it could be and how it could work to be able to try the product and evaluate it before final production. When making a prototype there are limitations such as expenses for materials or workers and time limits. In prototypes alternative materials can be used to lower expenses and when working on projects you often have time limits and can’t do everything you would like to make it perfect. This could affect users when testing the prototype and create limitations on their experience of the potential product.

5. How can design research be communicated/presented?

Design research can be presented by having data collected through e.g. questionnaires or interviews that are later on analyzed and summarized. You could also add visual explanations, such as images or videos, helping the readers understand. These types of methods can be very useful.

SOURCES: 
Réhman, S., Sun, J., Liu, L., & Li, H. (2008). Turn Your Mobile Into the Ball: Rendering Live Football Game Using Vibration. IEEE Transactions on Multimedia, 10(6), 1022-1033