Pre Seminar Meeting #1

So, today we met again, we wanted to decide on the interface we are going to design for the second assignment. During our brainstorming session we came up with different ideas, but we narrowed it down to two different models that we want to present for the second seminar. Here they are:

1- Smart googles with built-in voice recognition technology that will aid on real time navigation. These will have minimized interface in order to avoid  clutter on the user’s vision that could be dangerous while riding a bike. We want to include a map on one of the corners of the vision field, the map shoud be as minimalistic as possible, we thought of the map on the videogame “Metal Gear”, neon lines on a single colour background, color dots indicate our position, destination, and other features. We want a sleek user experience for this googles, the interface should be smooth, fast, accurate, and give a sense of sophistication.

2- A 7″ tablet-like touch device that can be attached to the bike using a frame. This  navigation system will be very similar to applications that already exist, we though of Garmin or Waze over Google Maps. This interface does not have to be minimal so we could include more features and visual options for a better experience. We want to use a touch screen,  geolocation, voice recognition to navigate easily, it could also be connected to the internet and include various extra features such as live notifications. We want a satifying user experience for this product, it should be simple but complete, robust and reliable, easy to navigate with an intuitive user interface and a complete range of features.

Problems Cyclists Face

For this project we will be designing a HCI for cyclist. After a brainstorming sesssion,we came up with a list of problems cylists usually face.

• Climbing steep hills in non-flat cities
  • Auxiliary lifting systems or elevators might help in a very steep hill (think cities like San Francisco or Valparaiso).
  • People walk up hills – it is slow and tiring to carry the bike on the side.
• Lack of parking places:
  • There are often abandoned bikes parked in some crowded areas (think Amsterdam’s train station) – if removed, there would be more space.
• Not well-developed cyclist roads. Some bike roads (mostly on the countryside) are pretty dirty/muddy (after rain) this makes circulation difficult.
• Bad road signalization: is a problem not only for cyclists but for drivers too.
• Lack of directional lights:
  Pointing direction with hands can be unsafe and is often ignored.
• It is impractical and unsafe to search for directions (e.g. GPS) and ride on a bike at the same time.
• Bike theft: Some locks are easily violated, lights and other bike accessories can also be easily snatched.
• Not effective proof of bike ownership. Something like plates or a city registry could be implemented to increase security.
• In Uppsala: no bike rentals or public bikes. A pick-up, drop-off system would be a good idea. Users could pick-up a bike from a specific point and leave it at any other drop off point in the city. This could also aid to diminish traffic and parking issues.
• In Uppsala: it is not possible to take your bike on the bus. This could be solved with a hook frame in front of the bus, as implemented in many cities around the world.
• Some people have mountain bikes with wide tires, that don’t fit in most bike holder frames.
• Sometimes is difficult to locate your bike when it’s parked in a very bike crowded area (train stations, schools or university campuses).
• Travelling on a train with your bike is usually allowed but not very comforting. This could be improved with special compartments only for carrying bikes.
• Reaching your phone to answer a call or send messages while riding is very dangerous. A hands free approach such as voice recognition might be a good solution.