1. MUSICBLOX Flash Prototype Presentation

2. MUSICBLOX TEAM MEMBERS Anika Talapatra Mayank Mehta Nicolas Gaumond Zeid Al-Hammami

3. MUSICBLOX A music creation toy. Children ages 5 and up. Designed to allow children to be creative, without requiring any instrumental aptitude. MusicBlox is a direct mapping from composition using notes, to composition using blocks. Explore the process of music composition, learning the sounds in relation to one another and harmonies between notes.

4. MUSICBLOX USERS Assumptions about users: Ability to distinguish between colors. Ability to memorize/associate notes to colors. Basic motor and listening skills. Basic comprehension of picture labels. Creative capability and musical motivation!

5. PHYSICAL DESIGN NOTEBLOX 8 colors, 8 notes Connect using affordances on sides of the blocks Note name, and staff position

6. PHYSICAL DESIGN MAINBLOX Instrument selection toggle button with default setting Choose guitar, flute, or piano Play/stop rocker button

7. USAGE SCENARIO Link several noteBlox Link noteBlox chain to the mainBlox Select instrument Press play/stop Remove mainBlox and demo composition to parents

8. USAGE SCENARIO NoteBlox lights up as they play! Identify and replace ‘wrong’ notes.

9. EVOLUTION OF THE INTERFACE Iterative design method Empirical results from Evaluation Plan at each stage User-driven changes

10. OVERALL EVALUATION CRITERIA  Intuitive connection of noteBlox.  No more than four task-oriented instruction diagrams.  Less than five seconds to add each noteBlox; focus on goal, the musical piece.  Easy identification/change of notes within a string of noteBlox.  Natural memorization of different tones using different colors of the noteBlox.

11. EVOLUTION: STAGE 1 PAPER PROTOTYPE Basic concept formation Remove idea of chords and multiple note lengths Remove baseBlox Simplifies design for feasibility

12. EVOLUTION: STAGE 2 EVALUATION PLAN I – QUANTITATIVE MEASUREMENT - Intuitiveness of interface: Time to assemble/play first song - Learnability: Time to assemble/play second song - Number of mistakes to correct use II – COGNITIVE WALKTHROUGH - How does the interface support each step of usage? - NoteBlox colors and side affordances - Labels on mainBlox - Note lights as it plays

13. EVOLUTION: STAGE 2 EVALUATION PLAN III – HEURISTIC CRITERIA - Visibility of system status - User control and freedom - Error prevention - Aesthetic and minimalist design - Help users recognize, diagnose and recover from errors

14. EVOLUTION: STAGE 2 SOFTWARE PROTOTYPE CHANGES 1. Default instrument: Satisfies error prevention 2. Play/stop rocker: Satisfies visibility of system status Overall criteria satisfied

15. EVOLUTION: STAGE 3 ALPHA PROTOTYPE CHANGES 1. Drawings showing instruments for toggle selection button: Satisfies Visibility of system status 2. More detailed user diagram: Satisfies Error prevention and recovery 3. Internalize LED’s: Satisfies Aesthetic and minimalist design, safer for children

16. EVOLUTION: STAGE 3 ALPHA PROTOTYPE POSITIVE USER RESPONSES 1. Physical affordances were clear 2. Staff markings provide good mapping 3. Familiar/“intuitive” language used 4. Buttons clear to use and indicate state 5. Visually appealing bright colors

17. EVOLUTION: STAGE 4 BETA PROTOTYPE

18. MUSICBLOX ?