Final Project: PROPOSAL

Project Title:

The Digital Menu

Team Members:

Aisha Qureshi

Required Skills:

Working alone, I am required to solely tackle all relevant responsibilities regarding this project. It is therefore vital that I thoroughly plan, prepare and manage the tasks, enabling me to play multiple roles. The roles include being an innovative problem solver, who designs an indispensable user interface. I must also exercise acute observational skills to scrutinize the design for sustainability, which translates into effortless user experience. I will need to be analytical, constantly producing, testing and revising prototypes in order to create the most efficient interface. Once the prototype and usability is perfected, I will need to then treat it with appealing and appropriate graphics.

Motivation:

The concept behind digital menus is to facilitate a thorough and efficient ordering process for restaurant customers. The digital menu will enable customers to browse through the menu easily, while giving them the option to view photographs of the meal, and it’s ingredients and nutrition facts.

The interface will also allow customers to order their meal directly from the menu, without having to deal with a waiter/waitress. The interface will however, provide the option for calling open a human waiter/waitress. This concept will also benefit the restaurant itself, as it will gain from the significant employment cuts. Another aspect of this concept that caters to the restaurant itself is the ability to update the menu without having to tape over or cross out items that are no longer served.

I understand that human interaction is a part of the restaurant experience, but some restaurants, where there is an open kitchen concept or where order are taken over the counter, already exclude the human factor. In such cases, the digital menu will only refine their service philosophy. Additionally, I expect restaurants in the near future to eliminate human mediation entirely, similar to many services today (ticketing counters, hotel desk clerks). Another concern may be the cost of implementing such technology on every table at the restaurant. This does not necessarily stand true, since technology only gets better and cheaper, and in the mean time, restaurants could resort to creating revenue by hosting advertisements when the devise in not in use.

Approach:

I will need to first allocate a specific restaurant, which I can base my study upon. The Hampton Chutney & Company is the ideal case study restaurant, located in SoHo, Manhattan. The area and restaurant attract a hip and modern audience, who are keen and willing to explore new, unique trends.

This quaint and chic restaurant serves South Indian cuisine over an open kitchen counter. The nature of the cuisine, coupled with the restaurant’s serene and inviting ambiance, encourages guests to eat in. Such an environment only increases the usefulness of digital menus.

I will need to study the current menu, examining its format and location within the restaurants, how guests interact with it, what information do guests look for, and whether further inquiry is needed. I would also need to survey how much, if any, help is needed from the staff during the ordering process, as well as, monitor the wait time in the ordering line. Additionally, I would also need to consider the restaurant’s needs and requirements from the menu.

Once I thoroughly research the restaurant and their menus, the guests and their experiences, can I evaluate the information to incorporate it into an effective interface, and design the interactive prototype.

Scope:

At the end of the term, I shall deliver a prototype of a digital menu that is not only customized for the case study restaurant, but will also fulfill the general needs for many other restaurants. The prototype will consist of the menu pages, and the sequence of pages that are required to access the other options the interface offers.

Resources:

I need conducted behavior studies of guests and evaluated the requirements of the restaurants, in order to translate them into a significant and effective interface. Once I have gained a better understanding of the interface, shall I be able to develop a prototype and present a plan for required equipment and materials.

Result of ATM Usability Test

“Please withdraw $20.00 for your checking account, and $20.00 from your saving account. Try accomplishing both withdrawals within the same transaction”. This was the task given to the user.

The user approached the ATM interface admitting he is never certain what direction the card is inserted into the machine. This is a common issue amongst users, which is why I designed the slot with a black strip on its bottom right, indicating the direction the magnetic strip on the card must be in upon insertion.  

 The image below explains how the use of a black block beneath the slot can suggest the direction the card needs to be inserted.

However, this subtle indication is not sufficient as the user’s uncertainty continued. This is an aspect I need to readdress when revising the interface. A way to make it clearer is in the use of illustrations or icons. Perhaps then, I may also make icons for the remaining slots; the cash and receipt slot, remaining consistent with the designs.

The screenshots are designed such that the user is able to track back through their path during their transaction. As the user progresses through their withdrawal activity, a menu along the side tracks their path from the ‘main menu’, to ‘accounts’, to ‘amount’. This side bar does not only track the user’s progression, but also act as shortcuts to previous menus.

It is this side menu that I intended the user to take advantage of when giving the instructions. However, since it is not a common feature in ATM interfaces, the user did not expect a side menu and was unsure of its function. I intend to keep this side menu as it allows the user to move back a step, or jump back to a step, while keeping track of the process. Although, perhaps the menu and the buttons composing it need clarification, making the menu distinct from the main page-activity.

Anther confusion cause by the side menu was due to its graphic treatment. When in the Main Menu, the ‘Main menu’ button would still be present, even though it is indicated that it is inactive, likewise, when in the Accounts Menu, the inactive ‘Accounts’ button would be present. Causing confusion, it was suggested that I completely eliminate the button when in that menu.

The screenshot below reveals this issue.

The wording of the ‘End transaction’ and ‘Restart transaction’ buttons created further misunderstanding, as they were not true to their functionality. I would need to revise these buttons.

The process itself is not much different from that of the original ATM - long and tedious. I need to rethink the screenshots and try eliminating, or combining some in order to quicken the process.

Another aspect I need to reconsider is the combination of the touch screen and physical keypad. It would make for a more consistent interface design if the keypad were fused within the screen. However, after much research of the existing ATMs featuring touch screens do have physical keypads. If this is a decision based upon technical difficulties, then it may be overcome and ultimately should not reflect upon the design, which is why I shall incorporate the two interfaces in the next revision.

The incorporation of both physical and touch screen display may also be a security decision. The dial pad is located such that when a user is interacting with the ATM, he/she blocks it from the view of people around them. However, adding another security feature that is more inimitable than a four/six-digit pass code, and something that only the user can provide - a fingerprint, may strengthen the security. An onscreen finger print reader may allay the need of a dial pad, however it would not eradicate it. I intend to include both activation methods, incorporating both onscreen.

Another feature I would like to include when improving the design is the option of withdrawing denominations other than $20. I think this would benefit the functionality of the ATM greatly.

When revising the interface, I intend to improve the design taking into consideration all that I have learned from the usability test.

Results of Task Analysis

ATMs allow easy access to the user’s money through the use of a credit or debit card, and PIN (personal identification number) code, while avoiding the inconvenience of long bank lines and the scrutiny of curious bank clerks. ATMs are everywhere: banks, government buildings, stores, restaurants, gas stations and delis. The fact that they are found in a multitude of quick-stop locations is convenient for users, who often need cash unexpectedly. On the other hand, even though ATMs are aimed at making life and banking easier, they are not very user-friendly and need to enhance the customer experience.

When a user does approach an ATM, he/she must go through a series of steps in order to withdraw money, and the whole process may quickly become tedious. The user must first input their PIN before proceeding to answer the various questions that result in the desired action; make cash withdrawals, view their account balance or to transfer funds from one account to another. However, the questions and its sequence differ from machine to machine, which slows the user, as he/she does not always know what to expect. Also, the layout of each page varies, forcing the user to use additional time surveying.

When redesigning the interface of an ATM, the first of my considerations, which actually should be intuitive, is consistency in design. An organized layout that creates a template for the rest of the screen shots will create the consistency, which users will easily comprehend. I intend to employ a consistent grid plan for the placements of buttons and information, according to users’ expectations.

A common frustration with the ATM interface is the inability to backtrack through a process. If a user needs to move back to a previous step, he/she usually will need to cancel and restart their entire transaction. I intend to design an interface that does only fulfill a ‘back’ option, but also jump back several steps. These steps shall appear in a side bar that will be clearly separated from the main activity onscreen, outlining the pathway of the process, while also allowing the option to move back to that step to modify their transaction.

For additional comprehensiveness, the language used throughout the process will be clear and concise. Furthermore, the number of interactions will be limited to one per screen. This creates for a smoother interaction flow, and thus quicker transaction.

Also, I intend that the design feature a touch screen, eliminating the physical buttons that run along the screen. Living with the today’s technology, a touch screen is intuitive and expected by users.

After conducting a persona study and task analysis, many faults of the interface design became obvious. Learning from this study, the features mentioned above intend to improve user interface and interaction flow while increasing preferences usage, reducing transaction time and increasing customer satisfaction.

TASK ANALYSIS: PERSONAS, GOALS AND SCENERIOS

The ATM (Automated Teller Machine) provides a convenient service of allowing users to access their bank account, in order to, make cash withdrawals, view their account balance or to transfer funds from one account to another. Users of the ATM need not waste time in long bank lines, fill withdrawal slips, nor deal with curious clerks. Even though the ATM eliminates such hindrances, it is not the ideal solution. The ATM is not and efficient system, which does not have a user-friendly interface, yet.

Each bank provides an ATM service, but do not exclusively house these systems. Gas stations, delis, supermarkets, restaurants, and numerous other locations house ATMs too, making these stand-alone machines more convenient over those in banks, despite that the ATMs in banks are better designed and therefore comparatively easy to use. The stand-alone ATM needs to improve its system and interface, far beyond that of bank ATMs, to become efficient, time-effective and user-friendly.

However, in order to improve any system, the problems have to be first identified. I shall conduct a usability test to understand the user and his/her tasks, and the context of their actions. To perform a usability test, a questionnaire must be developed.

Preliminary User Observation

In order to devise questions, I first observed current users interacting with a particular ATM, making note of the general experience. The information I gather will help design interview questions that the persona will be asked during the usability test. I choose to analyze a ATM located in a busy mid-town deli. In this preliminary observation, I noticed the following:

• Certain users browse the store looking for the ATM. 
• Certain users look skeptically around them before beginning the transaction process.
• Certain users, particularly the female users, take additional time retrieving their cards from their purses and wallets.
• Certain users swipe their cards two to three times.
• Certain users cancel their transaction once they learn that the fee was two dollars.
• Certain users throw their receipts as soon as they receive it.
• Certain users forget to end their transaction once they have withdrawn cash and the received the receipt. 

Once the preliminary user observation is conducted, I choose a user to base the task analysis upon, and create their persona.

Persona 

• Name: Maxcely Xavier
• Age: 20
• Education: Junior architecture student, NYIT, Manhattan. Maxcely is a transfer student from India. She has been in USA for the last two years as an international student.
• Job: As an international student, Maxcely can only work on-campus. She is working in the Student Affairs Office as a receptionist, and earns up to $200 weekly.
• Major Responsibilities: Maxcely’s father funds her education, paying for her tuition from India. Maxcely is currently living with her Aunt and Uncle in New Jersey. She therefore does not have to pay rent or any bills, and uses her income solely for her needs. As an international student her only priority is school.
• Family Status: Maxcely is from an upper-middle class family in India, however, due to the difference in currency-value between the Indian Rupee and the American Dollar, she is reluctant to spend and lives frugally.
• Goals in Relation to Interface: Maxcely uses the ATM machine mostly to withdraw cash, and at times to check her account balance. However, she almost always tries to use her bank’s ATM, even if it means that she would need to walk a couple of blocks to her bank.
• Tasks in Relation to Interface: Maxcely is accustomed to using the ATMs provided by her bank. She is now familiar with their process; where the card slot is located on the machine, the sequence of questions, the layout of each page. Even though the process Maxcely goes through in her bank’s ATM is not much different from that of a stand-alone ATM, she is not able to perform the tasks of the latter as effortlessly and efficiently.
• Environment: Maxcely spends majority of her time at college, in the heart of New York City. This metropolitan area is densely populated, bringing together a range of demographics that influence global commerce, finance, media, culture, art, fashion, research, education, and entertainment.
• Persona Priorities: “I always buy my lunch from the street carts because they are much cheaper, but this means that I always in the need of cash. I usually go to my bank to withdraw cash, but at sometimes I run short on time and will use the closest ATM”.  

Usability Test

User-generated Tasks:

The user, Maxcely, needs to withdraw cash from her account using the ATM. The following steps reveal her process:

•  Looks around the store to ensure others around us are not observing her.
• Points out the security camera dubiously positioned directly above the ATM.
• Uncertain which card she may use in this particular ATM (debit card, credit card or ATM card), she decides to use her debit card.
• Swipes card in the card slot.
• Waits.
• Reads the message that appears on the display, “Please insert and remove your card quickly”.
• Swipes her card again, following the instructions she received.
• Waits.
• Card is read by the machine, and the display now asks her to choose a language from English, French and Spanish
• Attempts to make a choice by hitting the options onscreen, when she realizes that it is not a touch screen display.
• Using the buttons along the side of the display, she mistakenly chooses the incorrect language.
• Unable to undo her action, she is forced to cancel her transaction and restart the process.
• Once she is asked to choose a language again, she correctly chooses English.
• ATM requires that she enter her PIN code.
• Inputs her code using the dial pad.
• Accepting her PIN code, the ATM asks her to choose an activity, “Withdrawal”, “Transfer” or “Balance”.
•  Chooses to “Withdraw”.
• Reads through the service fee acceptance: “FEE NOTICE to U.S. cardholders: The owner of this terminal, MG charges a fee of …. $2 for CASH WITHDRAWALS. This fee is in addition to the fee your financial institution may charge. DO YOU WISH TO CONTINE?”
• Accepting the $2 fee in dismay, she accepts.
• ATM asks her to choose a “WITHDRAWAL TYPE”: “Checking”, “Saving” or “Credit Card”.
• Chooses to withdraw from her savings.
• ATM asks to select the amount she would like to withdraw: “$20”, “$40”, “$60”, “$80” or “$100”.
• Forced to choose from the pre-determined amounts, she selects “$20.”
• Waits.
• ATM informs her that “NO ACCOUNT FOUND”.
• Receipt prints ending the transaction without fulfilling her withdrawal request.
• I explaining that perhaps it is because her savings account may not be accessible, she tries the again. Repeating the process, she chooses to access her “Checking” account this time around.
• Again, she chooses to withdraw “$20”.
• Display reads, “CONNECTING… PLEASE WAIT”.
• Waits.
• Display reads, “DISPENSING CASH”.
• Waits. Frustration builds.
• Retrieves cash dispensed.
• Retrieves receipt printout.
• Begins to leave assuming her transaction has ended, when I call after her, pointing out that she must hit “CANCEL” once she has completed her activity in order to end her transaction.
• Hits “CANCEL” and ends transaction.

This entire process took the user four and a half minutes.

Pre-defined Tasks:

Once cash is successfully withdrawn, I ask the user to perform other activities the ATM offers, such as transfer funds between accounts, and check account balance. The user is unable to perform the former since she has access to one account, but attempts the latter task of checking her account balance. The following steps reveal her process:

• Swipes debit card in the card slot.
• Waits.
• Machine reads card, and asks to choose a language from English, French or Spanish.
• Using the buttons along the side of the display, she chooses English.
• ATM requires that she enter her PIN code.
• Inputs her code using the dial pad.
• Accepting her PIN code, the ATM asks her to choose an activity: “Withdrawal”, “Transfer” or “Balance”.
• Chooses to check “Balance”.
• Waits.
• Receives printout with a figure of the total amount of funds available in that account.
• Hits “CANCEL” to end account activity.
  

This is the first time this user has performed this activity on an ATM; she usually checks her account balance through her bank’s website. In spite of the unfamiliar process, the user thought it was a comparative easy and quick task. Additionally, the user is pleased that she was not charged a service fee.

Goals:

The user, Maxcely, approaches the ATM knowing exactly what she wants to achieve:

• Needs to withdraw cash from her account using her bankcard.
• Needs to retrieve cash in the most time-efficient manner possible, which is why she chooses to use the ATM located closest to her (in the corner deli).
  

The user successfully accomplishes her goals, however because the transaction process was not quick as smooth, or time-efficient as she anticipated.

Tasks:

The following flow diagram illustrates the tasks a user performs to withdraw cash from his/her account using this particular ATM.

The following photographs are screenshots of the ATM display, taken while the withdrawal task is in process:

 

Scenerio:

The following video records the user interacting with the ATM interface in order to pursue her goals. 

 

Article Review: “As We May Think” by Vannevar Bush

I began reading the article, “As We May Think”, unaware that it had been written by Vannevar Bush back in 1945, and upon realization, I was not only intrigued but also highly impressed with the expectations Bush had for technology. Bush predicted that if it were economically warranted we would further develop and improve the existing methods in which we record and organize data. We could implement a technology that hosts the summation of human experience and knowledge in a ‘library’, where information was not only recorded and stored, but also could be easily retrieved and consulted. This ‘library’, which he called “Memex”, has today manifested itself as the Internet.

What amazed me was that when Bush wrote this essay, almost sixty years ago, when the World Wide Web did not exist, yet Bush was able to foresee the development of a collection as sophisticated as the Internet. In his essay, Bush references the technology that existed at the time; explaining how further “expansion of man’s physical powers” will enhance the “power of the mind”, and which is something we should aim for.

Bush stresses the importance of the “power of the mind”, arguing that we possess an abundance of information, but not a have an adequate ‘library’. We are unable to store and recall all the information in a way that we can truly benefit from the knowledge and progress as a race. Bush refers to Mendel’s study of genetics being momentarily futile, while it was lost in the abundance of information and was not being utilized. Bush proposes a ‘library’ that retrieves information efficiently, operating by association, as does the human mind. He models his theoretical “Memex” based on the human mind; recalling information upon association, creating a trail, or trails that would be saved; such is today’s Internet!

Reading Bush’s essay, I was reminded of Ray Kurzweil, a scientist living in today’s times, but like Bush anticipating technological advancement of the future. While Bush expected a world with the “Memex”, a library modeled after the human brain, Kurzweil proposes a world where technical development blurs the difference between man and machine. Both Bush and Kurzweil are futurists, but their different ideologies are what most intrigue me. Bush proposes modeling machines after the human body, while Kurzweil proposes the contrary, modeling the human body after machines.

This recognizes how our development and success as a race. Initially, technology was created to epitomize the human body, enhancing its physicality and functionality. Soon technology was able to perform human activities, and continued to develop to then achieve bionic activities. The sophistication of today’s technology is not only able to better perform human activities, but also achieve that which is impossible for. Futurists like Kurzweil recognize this and envision modeling the body after, and even incorporating it into machines.

Reading the accounts of the two futurists is inspiring. Both Bush and Kurzweil study current technological trends and envision where it is taking us. We too should create blueprints using what is available today for designs that will exist tomorrow.

Automatic Teller Machines – Ineffective Interface Design

The concept of the Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs), and the service they provide is brilliant as they make life all the more easier. However, the interface design cripples its utility and functionality.

ATMs are everywhere: banks, government buildings, stores, restaurants, gas stations and delis. The fact that they can be found in a multitude of quick-stop locations is convenient for users, who often need cash unexpectedly. ATMs allow easy access to the user’s money through the use of a credit or debit card, and PIN (Personal Identification Number) code, while avoiding the inconvenience of long bank lines and the scrutiny of curious bank clerks. Even though ATMs are aimed at making life and banking easier, they could stand to become user-friendly and enhance the customer experience. Even though ATMs have improved over time, the older, inefficient generations of stand alone ATMs are still being used today.

Firstly, the very aesthetics of the ATM is unpleasant, especially when considering modern day machines and systems. This makes the ATM unappealing and unapproachable, unlike the car seat control console, which users are so tempted to use whether they need to or not. This is because the design of the car seat control console is chic, comprehendible and natural. The appearance of the ATM, on the other hand, simply seems out-dated and difficult to use.

When a user does approach an ATM, he/she must go through a series of steps in order to withdraw money, and the whole process may become tedious easily. The user must first input their PIN before proceeding to answer the various questions that result in the desired action. However, the questions and its sequence differ from machine to machine, which slows the user, as he/she does not always know what to expect. Also, the layout of each page varies, forcing the user to use additional time surveying. This may be avoided if all ATMs (including today’s generation) adopted a standard process and layout.

The old generation of ATMs do not feature touch screen, but instead have physical buttons along the side of the screen that correspond to options onscreen. However, what makes this a poor interface is that the options onscreen do not align with the physical buttons that function it. This is frustrating as the buttons associated with each action is ambiguous. The push buttons themselves are not the easiest feature to function either, since they often jam, and sometimes cause errors; forced duplication or by an absence of imputation. Installing touch screens is the best solution, but aligning the buttons onscreen with those off screen is obvious, and should not have been an issue to begin with.

Another solution for the unfamiliar systems is personalized interfaces. Users may personalize their own settings through their bank’s website, which would be stored onto their card. Users may individualize screen shots, from dedicating wallpaper, to font and even language preference. Users should also have the option of adding quick links to their settings, which may give them access to their account information and activity. All these settings will be saved onto the card, and will appear each time it is swiped in any ATM, ensuring that the experience is natural, and the process is fast.

Each time I use the ATM, I receive twenty-dollar bills, why can I not receive the exact amount I need, or choose the denominations I would like to withdraw the cash in?

Security is always a concern when dealing with money, especially if it is through an ATM at a disheveled, New York deli. To assure most safety, ATMs may incorporate something more inimitable than a four/six-digit pass code, something that only the user can provide - a fingerprint. An onscreen finger print reader allows for added security.

If an ATM is able to dispense money, why is it not able to accept it too? By including the deposit function, users are able to bank after hours, avoid long lines at the bank and filling out bank deposit slips.

The service ATMs provide is irreplaceable, since we always seem to find ourselves in situations requiring that we have cash. However, its interface is something that can be replaced and developed. Bank ATMs have begun to do so but they too need further improvement.

The Car Seat Control Console – A Successful Interface

Cars today have begun considering the choices and preferences of passengers, providing them with controls that were initially limited to the driver. These controls allow passengers to regulate their personal spaces within the car, such as the temperature, volume, personal screens, power plugs and a multitude of other devices and interfaces, including controlling the very seat itself.

A particular system interface I always appreciate, and when in certain cars desire, is the seat control console. Every car offers a means to reposition the seat. However, the earlier models only give the front two seats this privilege, doing so using a lever mechanism. Later, the rear passenger seats too were adjustable, using the same mechanism.

The lever is a very traditional method, which helps move objects; in this case moving the entire seat forward or backwards, and straightening or reclining the backrest. This mechanism limits options, offering only three positions of each movement. Not only are the seat-positions predefined, transitioning between them is not the most comfortable experience as seats jerk to a halt. Above all, the very interface itself is placed under the seat, somewhere.

The recent interface has eradicated the mechanical mechanism, computerizing it. The lever is replaced with buttons, which take the shape of the actual seat. Furthermore, each button controls the section of the seat that it is shaped after; no longer do you have to move the entire backrest, rather, you can choose which portion of the backrest it is you would like to adjust.

The image below of the seat control console reveals the several buttons that compose it. In spite of the multiple buttons, it is apparent what the console controls as well as each of the buttons within it: the headrest, backrest, lumbar, seat pan, seat height, and seat distance.

The console offers various choices, allowing the user to adjust precise areas of the seat to achieve maximum comfort. Furthermore, the design of the interface and its buttons makes its functionality natural, successfully communicating with users, including first-time users. It is impossible to manipulate the buttons hoping to raise the volume or lower the temperature!

Another highly successful trait of this interface is its location. Unlike the old lever mechanism, this console is not lost under the seat, but is installed into the door. The console is not only immediately noticed by the seated passenger, but is positioned to also allow comfortable accessibility, while accommodating for varying elbow axes. The location of the console is important, inviting the users want to interact with it, and at times, even when the user does not necessarily need it.

The more sophisticated of these interfaces even allow the preferred position to be stored in one of the four memory buttons on the console. This option is very convenient and makes the interface all the more appealing. It is my personal favorite function, as I prefer my car seat upright, while other users of that car prefer the seat reclined. The memory function is controlled by four buttons adjacent to the seat control buttons, and are clearly marked M1 through M4. Users recognize that M implies ‘memory’ as we have learned from the calculator.

Another feature that makes the interface all the more successful is the backlighting. This allows the console to be viewed at night as easily as it is during the day.

Despite reposition the seat, the car also allows users to adjust the firmness of the seat itself; making the seat softer or firmer according to preference. However, this option is on a console of its own located on the side of the actual seat. To enhance the design of the interfaces, I would have the two consoles merged to one, since the functions do compliment one another.

Another revision I would suggest is to improve the interface is to give the driver ultimate control. Currently, each passenger is able to adjust their seat to their preferences, but the driver should be able to modify the positioning of other seats from his/her own personal console. All this would require is a panel of buttons that represent each seat in the car, which the driver could push before adjusting the desired seat from that one interface that controls his/her seat too.

Furthermore, once the driver has manipulated a passenger’s seat, the control should automatically return to its default setting - controlling the driver’s seat again. Doing so will avoid any user aggravation, which may be caused when the driver intends to manipulate his own seat without realizing that the setting had been altered to control other seats in the car.

Nevertheless, this interface and its functionality is very appealing to users, and only makes their ride all the more comfortable.