Prototyping in PLACE: A Scalable Approach to Developing Location-Based Apps and Games

Anne Bowser*, Derek Hansen+, Matthew Reid+, Jocelyn Raphael+, Ryan Gamett+, Yurong He*, Dana Rotman* & Jennifer Preece**University of Maryland+Brigham Young University

OverviewLocation-based apps and games (LBAGs)

Geocaching Basics

Geocaching Basics

Geocaching…

Floracaching

Floracaching

Floracaching

LBAGs are different.

Project Descriptiion Application domain

My Experience(toolkit)

Capture field data with a context aware platform

General prototyping and evaluation

ContextPhone(toolkit)

Provide context by simulating GPS General prototyping and evaluation; Pervasive computing

ActivityDesigner (toolkit + framework)

Consider real life activities as they play out over time in realistic locations

Ubiquitous computing

Trajectories(framework)

Consider how users move through space, time, activities, and interfaces

Augmented reality

Prior Research

A scalable, mixed-fidelity approach to Prototyping Location, Activities, and Collective Experience over Time

Introducing PLACE:

Loca

tion

Collective Experience

Time

Activities InterfaceScalable 5 ways

PLACE Principle Elements

1 Start small and scale up the fidelity All

2 Treat participants as co-designers All

3 Test in a representative space Location

4 Focus on activities more than interfaces Activities

5 Respect authentic social experience Collective Experience

6 Represent time Authentically Time

Elements & Principles

Plant experts

Technology experts Plant experts Technology

expertsMixed group

Mixed group

Evaluating PLACE with Floracaching

Phase I Phase II

Key

University A University B

Session Participants* Demographics

University APhase I

7 (2) Male: 1, Female: 6Plant Experts: 7

University A Phase I

7 Male: 7, Female: 0Plant Experts: 0

University BPhase I

9 (1) Male: 2, Female: 7Plant Experts: 9

University BPhase I

11 (2) Male: 4, Female: 7Plant Experts: 0

University APhase II

14 (2) Male: 9, Female: 5Plant Experts: 2

University BPhase II

10 (2) Male: 1, Female: 9Plant Experts: 5

All sessions 58 Male: 24, Female: 34Plant Experts: 22

*Including (design team)

Method

Method

Qualitative

Research

Observation

Focus groups Surveys Behavioral

trace

A sample floracache

Loca

tion

Collective Experience

Time

Activities

A sample floracache

lowest-fidelity(Single building)

Loca

tion

Collective Experience

Time

Activities

A sample floracache

mid-fidelity(College campus)

Loca

tion

Collective Experience

Time

Activities

A sample floracache

highest-fidelity(Metro area)

Lowest-fidelity

Mid-fidelity

Highest-fidelity

Introducing PLACE

Lowest-fidelity

Mid-fidelity

Highest-fidelity

PLACE in action

Lowest-fidelity Mid-

fidelity High-fidelity

PLACE in action

✚

Highest-fidelity

ResultsWhat can we learn from prototyping with PLACE?

PLACE Principle Elements

1 Start small and scale up the fidelity All

2 Treat participants as co-designers All

3 Test in a representative space Location

4 Focus on activities more than interfaces Activities

5 Respect authentic social experience Collective Experience

6 Represent time authentically Time

#1: Start small and scale up the fidelity

Classification of Key Evergreen Trees in Utah

1. a. Leaves scaly-like; cones are small; blue and berry-like…………………………… go

to 2 b. Leaves needle-like; cones are large

and brown……………………………………… go to 3

2. a. Leaves rough; berry-like cones are about 1 inch in diameter; trunk is

forked………………….……………………………go to 17

b. Leaves smooth; berry-like cones less than 1 inch; trunk has central

stem…...Mountain Pine

#2: Focus on activities over interfaces

#3: Treat participants as co-designers

#4: Test in a representative space

#5: Respect authentic social experience

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 240

1

2

3

4

5

6

User 1 User 2

User 3

Time (hours)

Num

ber o

f che

ck in

s

#6: Represent time authentically

Future Work

http://biotracker.byu.edu

Prototyping Location, Activities, and Collective Experience over Time

• PLACE is an iterative, mixed-fidelity approach

• Researchers should scale up PLACE in accordance with their unique needs

• PLACE can be used with other frameworks or toolkits

• PLACE does not incorporate traditional usability testing

AcknowledgementsThank you Biotracker Researchers; Project Budburst; co-design participants;Eric Graham

This work was funded by NSF grant SES 0968456

Thank you!Who’s feeling curious today?