25-05-2018
In the database, this interview can be found as:
Audio_Interview_25-05-2018_DiscussingMyDayLightAndSecondPrototype Description: In this interview, that takes approximately 30 minutes, Gerd and the researcher reflect back on the first prototype deployment phase held from the 24th of April to the 30th of
April. Aside the findings on the new prototype, it is also discussed how the co-design iteration proceeded in the first iteration.
Couse Conversation: The conversation starts with the researcher asking Gerd whether or not he had appreciated the system for its purposes. Gerd explains that he found it a funny device – which is a positive thing – but he had not used it a lot. Gerd explains that this had to do with the fact that he was away from home quite often and MyDayLight is an at-home device. Subsequently, the researcher recalls where Gerd had been putting the lights and asks why he had put them at these locations. Gerd explains that he found these locations to be good reminders of the activity. When the researcher asks if these were the locations where the activities would set to happen, Gerd confirms this; the light would become part of the location.
The following question relates to the mental framing of MyDayLight. The researcher asks Gerd what happens when a rainbow light brightens up; does it activate him, or it is solely giving him a notification? The latter is true, according to Gerd. Gerd also emphasises, when asked by the researcher, that conducting an activity pointed out by MyDayLight did not give him a rewarding feeling.
Subsequently, the researcher jumps to the means for for MyDayLight might be used by Gerd, recalling the personal challenge of Gerd that he has problems showing up at appointments. Gerd then explains that he does not believe MyDayLight could be effective in waking him up, but he does believe it could be used for this purpose. This leads to the feedback on design opportunities that Gerd had been giving throughout the prototype deployment phase of the first iteration. The researcher explains that this has elaborately been included in the second prototype and asks he want to have a look at it later on. Gerd replies positively. The researcher then takes the system out of the suitcase. Gerd has emphasised earlier that he didn’t want to test out the system elaborately this afternoon, and therefore, only the sound interface was shown and tested out.
To start with, the researcher first recalls that Gerd has stated he would love to have a sound played with each notification. The researcher also explains that during the prototype deployment phase of the first prototype, user Adam had expressed that he would not immediately appreciate such a sound being played. Subsequently, the researcher starts explaining the second prototype. When told that Adam believed the doorbell as a default tune was badly chosen, Gerd confirms this and explains that he would have chosen a simple
beep. Afterwards, Gerd and the researcher go through all the different tunes that are not optional in the audio slider. When asked how the system operates, Gerd explains that he appreciates the interface. When asked if Gerd would use all the different tunes, he explains that he would doubt between the second and fourth tune. The next thing discussed is the recording button. Gerd explains that he thinks it is funny, but finds it too distractive over the other tunes. The researcher recalls the criticism towards the recording option expressed by Adam and asks if Gerd can understand this criticism. Gerd explains that he does completely. To built upon this criticism, and a conversation held with Jelle on the 17th of May, the
researcher explains that the criticism might be related to some of the users wanting to hide their challenges; that they are ashamed of it. Gerd explains that it is true that some of the people on the spectrum might be ashamed of it, but he states that he has mostly accepted it himself. Subsequently, coming to design opportunities for the next iteration, Gerd explains that he would get rid of the recording button and would add more options in choosing what kind of tune is played. Lastly, Gerd expresses that he finds the interface user-friendly.
Building upon Adam’s feedback from the previous iteration, the researcher now asks what Gerd would think of a feedback system where the user needs to let the system now it has seen the notification. Gerd confirms that he sees potential in it and suggests that the light should brighten up for five minutes and the user has to let the system know within these five minutes that they has seen the notification. By doing it this way, the system allows the user to process it calmly. The researcher subsequently states that feedback to the system could also be achieved without changing MyDayLight’s software or hardware, but simply agreeing with the supervisor that a mood has to be uploaded for each activity. If such a mood has not been uploaded for a certain activity, this can be understood as the user not having conducted this activity. However, this would include the supervisor in the process, but the most
important reason why Gerd would use this system is to become more independent. Gerd explains that this does not mean that the supervisor can be discarded in total.
Subsequently, the researcher recalls the previous day, where the researcher had been waiting for approximately an hour in front of Gerd’s door without being able to wake him up, regardless of ringing the doorbell multiples times and calling him on the phone. Gerd then lets the researcher hear what he normally needs to wake him up: a chaotic rock tune. Gerd explains that if MyDayLight was going to function as him alarm clock, he would need such a tune.
The following topic discussed is something Gerd had said during the first meeting they had had together: Gerd did not like the fact that he had difficulties with flirting with girls and he did not like the fact that he was still a virgin. Later on, Shireen had stated that she though MyDayLight could potentially also be used in such a way that it could help him to flirt. For example, which is also explained to Gerd, the MyDayLight interface could be used in such a way that it tells him everyday at two o’ clock to leave his apartment and find a girl to flirt with. However, Gerd explains that he would still find it very difficult to flirt with girls, even while using MyDayLight as a big stick. The researcher then asks it if would make any difference if his supervisor or his mother would support him while using MyDayLight for this purpose. Gerd explains that he doesn’t know if this would make any difference.
The conversation concludes with discussing the testing procedure. Gerd and the researcher agree that a collaborative test session would be a better testing procedure than letting Gerd test the new prototype completely on his own. Gerd and the researcher make an appointment to have the new prototype tested more elaborately at the activity centre Dac Ten Kate (Dagbesteding) to following Tuesday, on the 29th of May.