John, Tiffany, Anton, Anna, and Martin December 12, 2006

Overview Problem Solution Demo Similar Work Development Process Usability Testing Lessons Learned and Future Work

The Problem Congestion in College Park –Large commuter community –Inadequate road system –On-campus traffic significant Infrequent use of alternative transportation –Shuttle buses –Bike paths Carpooling a car-based solution –UMD Smart Park carpool program Limited organizational function –Need a simple, safe and flexible carpool interface

The Solution Address carpooling as a social process Goals –Low effort to join/create carpools Searchable carpools Usability tested interface –Address safety concerns UMD login required Personal profiles –Provide means of managing carpools Messaging system

Demo

Similar Work Carpool Zone eRideShare.com PTS: Carpools--The University of Texas at Austin

Development Process Web based system (HTML vs. Flash) User needs –Diverse range of people –Similar usage Determine main functionality –Search/Create a carpool –Join/Modify a carpool

Development Process Split into two groups –Map based system Better suited for viewing individual carpools Carpool definition as one way travel –Calendar based Better structured for viewing repeated carpools Carpool definition can span multiple days

Testing Process Targeted users –Commuters: student, faculty, staff Testing environment –Public areas on campus (eg: Student Union) –Personal areas (eg: Office or home)

Testing Process 3-Step Test –Pre-Test Survey –User Test (2 scenarios) Logical progression for new users Complex operations performed regularly –Post-Test Survey

Results Key (9 = very easy, 1=very hard): 1)Registering/setting up profile 2)Site navigation 3)Searching for a carpool 4) Joining a carpool 5)Proposing a carpool 6)Modifying a carpool* 7)Sending a message 8)I can find the page I need to go to * Column 6 is out of 8 users instead of 12

Lessons Learned Issues with Flash –Difficulty in team coordination –Major revisions –ActionScript User Testing –Designing a clear task list –Adherence to HCI principles Notifications, color, consistency…

Future Work Implementing a dynamic map system Implementing a calendar for the home page Adding keyboard shortcuts Adding more options to a user’s profile Implement HTML version

Any Questions?