User Experience Design | ENG PT ESP

Thanks Lucica for your feedback! And thanks for completing the concept of accessibility, the part when we say "people without disabilities" goes in that direction, but I agree with you: today (maybe more than ever) we need to design (in this case websites) for everybody.
Cheers! :)

Um sistema online de troca de presentes poderia prever as seguintes características, entre outas:
- Upload e visualização de fotos e vídeos dos presentes, com possibilidade de adicionar descrição ou audiodescrição
- Possibilidade de aceitar ou rejeitar o presente
- Presentes virtuais (simbólicos) e vale-presentes
- Rede social disponibilizando perfis aos usuários (nos quais poderiam constar as preferências por tipo de presente) e promovendo conexões, mostrando quem cada um presenteou e de quem cada um ganhou presentes
- Listas de desejos
- Agendamento de amigos secretos, com sorteio online e possibilidade de revelação por conferência
- Integração com e-commerce de lojas para aquisição dos presentes e de empresas de transporte para envio e recebimento
- Agenda de aniversários, datas comemorativas e outros eventos promovidos por amigos, como casamentos e chás de cozinha
- Dicas e artigos sobre como acertar no presente ou como organizar um evento comemorativo
- Troca de presentes, conectando-se automaticamente às lojas para verificar se há outras opções ou tamanhos ou identificando usuários dispostos a trocar seus presentes com outros
- Avaliação do presente (enviada à loja e/ou ao amigo, podendo ser pública ou privada)
- Lista dos presentes mais populares
- Integração com redes sociais
- HTML e CSS válidos
- Várias possibilidades de língua
- Versões em alto constraste, somente texto e em áudio

Espero não ter saído muito do escopo da aula. Quanto ao checklist, acrescentaria: "Usável por pessoas excepcionais".

Something João touched on with the chocolate bar example is the concept of unwrapping. We unwrap presents for Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries, and ohter gift-giving occasions. The unwrapping component evokes surprise and anticipation, two characteristics that make gift-giving much more fun. Since the value of a itself is determined by the recipient, I'll focus on the unwrapping portion, since that's more about the *experience* of receiving the gift than the gift itself.

To make that sort of experience accessible, I'd incorporate progressive enhancement as refered to in the article, "12 Tips for a More Accessible Website" (http://designshack.co.uk/articles/accessibility/12-tips-for-a-more-acces...). There would, of course, be the fancy version for folks with fast internet connections and without disabilities--simply point and click on a picture of a wrapped digital gift to tear off a piece of wrapping paper until it reveals the entire gift.

For folks with disabilities or a slow connection, I'd make it more text-based, or use simple images in addition to text. Since the feelings I want to evoke are surprise and anticipation, I need to figure out how to "wrap" a textual represenation of a gift. I could do that a number of ways. For example, I could write the name of the gift, but rearrange all the letters. The user would then "unwrap" the name of the gift by rearranging the letters. (I realize that unscrambling letters isn't really like unwrapping a present, but I do think it stays true to the general idea of unwrapping a present--overcoming a simple obstacle in a fun way to gain access to an item of value. It both preserves user curiosity and the effort involved in achieving the goal.)

What I like about the prinicples of universal design is that they're applicable to all types of design, not just graphic and web design. An example of universal design in action would be the handicapped stall in restrooms. The toilets are low to the ground to accommodate people in wheelchairs, but can obviously still be used by the non-disabled.

ok, this is my try in this case:

I totally agree with Bill about the unwrapping process, I will call it surprise factor.
The good thing about being a 'digital gift' is that it is easier to hide details such as who is responsible, so it can be used to emphasize the so called 'surprise factor'.

To improve the user experience I would try to make the user being part of the discovering process, not only by clicking and following a fixed process but also giving the option of completing tasks as part of guessing who is behind this gift, what it is..

To summarize: I would focus on the experience when the user is ignoring everything to obtain step by step all the information that finally allows the user to access the gift.

It is important to keep in mind that when people use digital gifts is either to enhance the 'surprise factor' or because it is not possible for them to do it personally.

I totally agree with Thao, there should definitely be an audio component to the gift giving. Not only should it act as a "supplement to the visual" but it can also be part of the emotive content. As a sound designer, I'm often astounded of how much people tend to favor the visual. Sound elicits an emotional response, don't believe me? try watching something like Nightmare on Elm St (http://www.nightmareonelmstreet.com/dvd/) without the sound. Suddenly you will realize how much our brains "trick" us, Freddy's mask becomes plastic and you will relinquish your "suspension of disbelief". That being said, the audio component allows sighted visitors a complementary experience to the non-sighted visitors. Additionally, I would add a voice beside the wrapping paper sound. Perhaps the gift giver could specify this voice (they would be given choices of different voices) so that the gift recipient's narrator would sound somewhat familiar, and comforting. For some recipients the gift opening could have cheers and for others just a familiar voice. I really like what everyone has said so far, this is a really interesting question. I think that the audio component could be used as a primary force in this experience. Of course I don't think it should be the only component because the experience must be able to be enjoyed by those who are deaf as well.

I'm imagining some sort of mobile interactive sequence. I believe using mobile communication as the medium for delivering digital chocolate will be the most far-reaching. There are mobile phone users in areas where there isn't even any electricity [1][2]. So this would make digital chocolate "useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities", whether they own a tablet, a smartphone, or a simple SMS/voice mobile phone. Furthermore, many mobile devices are designed for use with minimal physical effort, so that covers "can be used efficiently and comfortably and with a minimum of fatigue" and "use regardless of user's body size, posture, or mobility" - but feel free to disagree!
I was thinking of some multimodal way to send digital chocolate through mobile devices.[3] But failing that, I just thought of how digital chocolate interaction could be presented via audio-visual, SMS text, or audio. I'll assume that the sender will shoulder any service costs involved. It's not a gift if you have to pay to receive it, right?

Audio-visual version
Please look at the uploaded file chocolate_audiovisual.jpg for the planned interaction. The receiving person can open the box right away, or can listen to an streamed audio file from the sender. After one action is chosen, the next one will be shown as an option. The receiving person will be invited to send digital chocolate to the sender to thank him or her.
Ideally, the sender will have options on what the box image and chocolate image will look like (colors, flavor, etc.).
Also, would be nice to have a multi-language version.
This audio-visual version would be ideal with full-featured mobile devices, for most non-disabled persons or for children with adult assistance. Possible to view it on a desktop computer as well.

SMS text version
This will be like an SMS "choose your own adventure" interaction.[4][5]. As you can see in chocolate_sms.jpg, the interaction is almost parallel to the audio-visual version, except that everything is in text. Again, it would be nice to have a multi-language version.
This version would be suitable for sending digital chocolate to people whose devices are limited in screen size, or have mobile content limitations. Those who are hearing-impaired but otherwise literate could receive chocolate in this manner also.

Audio version
I'm thinking some sort of voicemail/IVR medium being used. Refer to chocolate_audio.jpg for this. Ideally, the sender would be asked to record the parts enclosed in <> using their own voice.A "template" voicemail would be sent to the receiving person, informing them to "pick up" the digital chocolate by calling up an IVR number. There would be sounds to indicate opening the box, a clear description of the chocolate, and a recorded message from the sender. Not sure how to encourage the receiving person to thank the sender, but I guess they could call the person.

This would be a chcolate delivery method for the visually impaired who have a voice-dialling mobile device, or operator-assisted dialling like the GreatCall Jitterbug[6].

Summary
Overall, what I want to do is to make the receiving person curious about the gift, and after receiving it, make an action of reciprocating or thanking the sender - which is a usual interaction sequence with real gifts.

References:
[1] http://www.textually.org/textually/archives/2009/07/024071.htm
[2] http://www.textually.org/textually/archives/2007/09/017161.htm
[3] http://www2.research.att.com/~johnston/
[4] http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/1.03/muds.html?pg=3
[5] http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2010-10/07/kindle-games-adventure-text
[6] http://www.yourtechreport.com/2010/10/14/the-jitterbug-j-simply-making-l...

I'm going to narrow down on the scenario of receiving a chocolate bar. I'm working on the assumption that this gift is random -- versus gift-giving at Christmastime or on birthdays in which gifts are, in a way, "expected" of close family and friends.

The emotional characteristics I'd like to simulate are:
- surprise. I think this kind of emotion is best conveyed by information that is pushed to the user (in other words, push technology.) This kind of information would preferably be pushed to a mobile device which the user typically has on himself 24/7 and where the user can see the gift right away.

- a personal connection (AKA warm fuzzy feelings towards the gift-giver.) With the exception of the rare present that gets sent through post, most gifts -- especially ones as small as a candy bar -- are usually personally handed to the receiver. To simulate this, I'd like to go one step further (building on the suggestions above) and to have the sender record an audio file that will be played. Or where they can upload a photo of themselves (and do something like ElfYourself) or a video that can be played.

- anticipation. I'm sure I'm not the only one who tries to figure out what's in a package before opening it. :P So maybe you can have a model of the present which is a bit indicative of what's inside. (Ex. not having something shaped like a bike, and it turning out to be a stuffed toy.) Then the user can zoom in, zoom out, view the present from different angles, stuff like that.

I agree with the other posters above with regards to unwrapping. I think the unwrapping component is pretty important in gift giving. You could also add an option of double-wrapping a gift to add to the anticipation (and frustration.)

W4 [ESP] Accesibilidad.

El Regalo del chocolate, es interesante ver como para diferentes personas son importantes diferentes cosas.

Entonces haría preguntas orientadas conocer el perfil de la persona y según eso cambiaría la apariencia del regalo.

I really like most of the responses about simulating digitally, the act of gift giving. Most persons have covered all the bases of a good simulation, which include visual and auditory stimuli.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but most persons seemed to have bundled all the sensory stimuli together in one package. What I would do differently is create options on the first page of the Gift Giving application that allows a user to choose the type of Gift Receiving experience that they'd like to experience. For example, I would make an option for persons who only want an auditory experience, another option for persons who only want a visual experience, and a third option for persons who want the full experience that combines all the stimuli. Additionally, I would set up the application to automatically detect whether a user is accessing it using a personal computer, a smart phone, or even a not so smart phone that can only receive SMS messages instead of MMS messages. After detecting this, the Gift Giving application would serve up the version of the program that is compatible with the method that the user is using to access it.

I would allow the Gift Giver to be able to choose the type of gift that he or she would like to give, as well as be able to customize it to their liking. I however, would not allow the Gift Receiver to be able to choose the gift that they'll receive, because I think this would negate the thought, time or creativity that the Gift giver had in mind or used when selecting, customizing and sending the gift. In reality, if someone sends another a box of chocolates for Valentine's Day, upon receiving the gift, the Receiver does not have the option of clicking something and changing the box of chocolates to a dozen red roses, or a heart shaped balloon. I think the purpose of Digital Experiences ideally are to simulate reality as much as possible, so I would try to stick as close to reality as much as possible while designing this experience of gift giving.

Universal Design:

I think the the example of the Automatic Sliding Door is a great example of something that perfectly fits the idea of Universal Design, because it's accessible to a wide variety of persons with varying abilities.

Another example of something that fits the Universal Design principle well are Building Ramps that are not too steep. These are sometimes used to access buildings instead of stairs.

Here's how they match up on the Universal Design Checklist:

- Usable by people with standard locomotion characteristics: yes;
- Usable by people on wheelchairs: yes;
- Usable by deaf people: yes;
- Usable by blind people: yes (With white cane used by many people who are blind or visually impaired,);
- Usable by the elderly people: yes;
- Usable by children: yes;
- Usable by people with different heights: yes;
- Usable by people with different weights: yes;
- Hypothetical use by non-humans (pets, etc): yes.

By this, we can conclude that Building Ramps are Universal.