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Evaluation on Erasable Pens

      As our first evaluation, we wanted to start small as we will be getting into more complex technologies later. To ensure they make sense, we will use this as an example evaluation so to speak. For this evaluation, we will be looking at the erasable pen. Many have seen these in office supply stores. There are different brands and styles, but for this we will be looking at erasable pens as a whole rather than focusing too far in on one brand.

      For some, erasable ink has its appeal. Ink looks more professional, but offers low forgiveness for mistakes. Therefore, having a pen where the ink is erasable has a perceived usefulness to those who prefer pens to pencils. On top of this perceived usefulness, erasable pens fit into what we will refer to as mental models. These are like webs of information that we use to make sense of the world. When we are given a bit of information it sets off a chain of lightbulbs in our brain. So, when we see erasable pen, we think of erasers and then pencils and then being able to fix mistakes. Suddenly, erasable pens do not seem as strange.

      We know that erasers afford, or allow for, getting rid of written mistakes with pencils. Erasable pens are no different in that they have the affordance of an eraser which allows for getting rid of mistakes. Now, one topic complicates this affordance: visibility. When you look at some erasable pens, you can easily see what its uses are. The eraser may be spotted right away because it is a different color than the rest of the pen (as pictured above). You can see the affordance and know what it does; the affordance is physical and perceived by you. Now, other times, the eraser is the same color as the pen and looks like a normal click-top (as pictured below). The affordance is still physically there, but this time it is hidden from you. It now has low visibility.

      Regardless of visibility, these ink erasers afford two things. Much like pencils, erasable pens’ erasers allow you to get rid of your writing mistakes. This nearly eliminates the low forgiveness of ink that we discussed earlier. The eraser increases forgiveness for mistakes and, in turn, it increases safety of the device by protecting the user, in theory.

      Now, we looked up how they actually erase ink and came up with some interesting findings. Apparently, in most cases the eraser uses friction to heat up the special ink which turns invisible. Pretty cool, but it comes with a caveat. Using friction on paper to erase can cause tears in the paper. So, you may not only be erasing the ink, but getting rid of the paper around it as well. In addition, the special ink found in these pens tends to take longer to dry and spreads across the paper. Due to this, we considered the erasable pens to be low in safety overall. If your writing utensil is sabotaging your work, it’s not a very useful utensil.

      After evaluating erasable pens as a whole, now we ask the questions: Are they useful? For who? Pen users seem to be the intended audience, with the hope of giving them more forgiveness in their writing utensil of choice. However, pen users are still more likely to use regular pens in most situations, as it offers the smoothest writing experience between pens, pencils, and erasable pens. Though erasable pens offer the ability to eliminate your mistakes, it comes at a cost of loss in quality of the ink. This causes the writing experience to prove difficult overall. And although the “ink” has the forgiveness of erasability, it doesn’t come off paper as cleanly as the graphite in a pencil. Also, the user could tear the paper in an attempt to erase it all. So overall, we decided that erasable pens, although useful in theory, cause too many problems for them to be a great writing tool.

Now let’s turn to Tumblr’s own “trusty” Tumbeasts for their opinion:

2/10 Tumbeasts would eat this piece of technology. Hmmm doesn’t seem like they like this one too much and we don’t either.

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Evaluation on Gaming Keypads

      When building a gaming PC, many gamers opt to purchase a gaming keypad. These devices take what a keyboard has in functionality and simplifies it down to the keys a gamer needs to play. Because these are mainly used for gaming, the prospective audience is limited to gamers. Despite this limitation in audience, for that audience there are many perks.

      One positive of the keypad is its higher accessibility, specifically in operability. Without modification, this device eliminates the long reaches that are usually needed when using a regular keyboard to play games. It is also adjustable to hand size, so younger kids and people with smaller hands can feel more comfortable using it. A downfall in this area is that most models are made for the left hand. There are a few ambidextrous models, but they are primarily left handed. However, it would increase operability if there were models where the analog stick was accessible to both left and right-hand users.

        Aside from handedness of the device, the learnability of the keypad is relatively high. The default button settings are mapped to the most used by gamers and games. They are also customizable by the user so they can set it to what feels right for them. Both features make the device easier to learn. Also, the keypad cuts down on all of the unused buttons of a keyboard which eliminates the issue of the 80/20 Rule of the keyboard in gaming. One complication in this learnability is the unnatural mapping of the analog stick. Up is pointed toward the computer screen which may take some getting used to. Overall, the device isn’t difficult to learn aside from possibly needing to acclimate to using your weaker hand and the analog stick.

        A final perk of the keypad is its ability to add to the IKEA Effect of PC building. Many gamers choose to build their own PC which increases their liking and enjoyment of the PC since they had a hand in creating it. The gaming keypad is another piece that can be combined with the gaming PC to enhance the gaming experience. It’s another piece to the puzzle of PC building.

      In the debate of keyboard versus gaming keypad, it comes down to performance versus preference. All the features mentioned before add to the performance of the keypad. However, despite performing better in gaming, keyboard users may not see the point of buying an add-on they don’t feel they need. A keyboard does everything a keypad does plus non-gaming usage. It may just come down to the shape or accessibility of the keypad appealing to the gamer leading to them breaking away from being “stuck in their keyboarding ways”. Nonetheless, the keypad has its perks if the user has the money to spend.

      With gaming keypads it comes down to what the user, in this case gamer, wants. Some enjoy buying things for their PC and the keypad makes for a great addition. On the other hand, some may not want to shell out the extra cost when they can easily use their keyboard. Sure it has the perks of high operability and customizability, cuts down on keys, and it’s adjustable. But, in the end, it’s not a necessity. It’s just a gaming tool or add-on that users may opt to buy.

What do the Tumbeasts have to say?

7/10 Tumbeasts would eat this piece of technology. I guess they’re leaning on the side of it being a good product despite being mostly unnecessary.

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Evaluation on Steam

Steam is a popular gaming application for PC, seen as the main source of digital video game downloads for PC gamers. It is so popular, in fact, that it is synonymous with the phrase “PC Gaming”. It’s easy to see why, as the store contains nearly any type of game someone may want to play, and many titles within each type.

The main attraction of Steam, is its simplicity. The layout of the Steam software is simple and organized, with your library being in alphabetical order and the store broken down into sections according to genre. Steam centralizes all games on your computer, even ones not in the Steam shop, in your library. This affordance simplifies access to your games.

What could be considered a weak point of the Steam experience, however, is the sheer number of games in its store. Hick’s Law (which states that the more choices a person is given, the longer they will take to make a decision) comes heavily into play here. This could easily leave the user feeling overwhelmed after spending a gratuitous amount of time scrolling through page after page of games. Though having options is great, having thousands upon thousands of choices could easily lead to a paradox of choice. That is the user, after finally making a choice, may feel they made the wrong choice. Steam has taken steps to combat this problem by giving users recommendations based on past games they have played. This system is known as the “Discovery Queue”. This problem is also alleviated by allowing players to leave reviews on games to let other players know whether the game is worth their money.

      Although gaming on a PC is thought to be kept as a desktop affair, Steam is changing that sort of mental model that we’ve come to know. Their “Big Picture Mode” (pictured above) is an alternate design that allows accessibility via a controller, possibly making PC gaming more of a living room or couch affair. Its look is reminiscent to that of Microsoft’s Xbox 360 or Xbox One dashboards. It’s simplistic, with only three main pages on the interface: Store, Library, and Community. Each page is optimized for visibility (readability and legibility) and efficiency, with large icons and bright fonts against a dark background so that the user knows what they are selecting while navigating through a vast amount of content.       Steam also has rewards built into its design, which is a gamification in and of itself. For completing certain objectives in games, players earn achievements and trading cards which allow them to progress in Steam’s leveling system. Steam chooses trading cards to give to players at random after receiving achievements. Trading cards come in different levels of rarity, which can either be traded or sold for real money (though usually not much). This creates a loop of reciprocity that encourages input from the user, because the user knows that they will receive something in return. Achievements, trading cards and levels can be viewed by other players, encouraging competition in the meta-game.

      In sum, we found Steam to live up to its name as the center of PC gaming and always enjoy our experience with it as gamers. Steam offers us gamers a simple way to access many games both on the computer and on a TV. Features like discovery queues and reviews make the buying experience even simpler. On top of that, offering games of and supporting smaller developers adds to its appeal. Not only does it offer plenty of games, but it also gamifies the user’s online experience. It draws players in with trophies and profile levels to really bring out the competition in its users. If you can’t tell, we truly enjoy Steam despite its firm grasp on our wallets (we’re always convinced to spend too much in the Steam sales).

Now let’s see what the Tumbeasts have to say:

9/10 Tumbeasts would eat this piece of technology. Wow! They sure like this one! And, of course, we do, too.

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Evaluation on the Tumblr App

      Tumblr is a website (or in this case, an app) where people can create their own personal blog based around a loose framework given by the website itself. Beyond that, users can customize their blogs any which way they like, organizing the layout of their posts and choosing color schemes that are the most appealing to them (just like you’re seeing now). With nearly 400 million blogs on their website, it’s clear that people love using Tumblr, but that doesn’t mean it is easy to use, and this is especially true of the mobile version.

      Someone who is new to Tumblr could easily be overwhelmed. Not all mental models from other forms of social media transfer over, as the mapping is quite different from something like Facebook or Twitter. For example, where most of the icons in the Facebook and Twitter apps are along the top, the Tumblr app has all of its icons along the bottom. However, there is a certain level of transferability for someone who is coming to the app version from the desktop version of Tumblr. These users will find that it is relatively functionally consistent, but with missing features. It is impossible to see the true layout of someone’s blog, resorting to only seeing each individual post as a basic vertical feed as your scroll. The icons have been cut down for the sake of simplicity, but leave you unable to use things like the “explore” option or going in-depth with customizing your own blog. When scrolling through a blog on the app, aesthetic consistency still applies as color schemes, fonts and other basics of an overall theme will show through, but getting the full extent of someone’s blog is only possible in the desktop version.

      Despite obvious problems with the app, Tumblr users still put up with them because they simply like the core ideas of the website so much.  This can be explained with the tech acceptance model. The app is hard to use despite its possible usefulness. It runs into errors in its usability. Tumblr is, in concept, not something that was built to be compatible with the small touch screen of a smartphone. Everything becomes condensed in a way that leaves the user feeling like they are scrolling through one post forever (like I am sure these evaluations look). Some images even have trouble rendering completely. Feedback is not clear either. When uploading a post, the app sometimes continuously tells you that your post is uploading, leaving the user unsure whether or not their post was actually uploaded.

      With the Tumblr App, it’s great in theory much like the erasable pens. Sure users could take their blogs and scroll through posts wherever they go. But, in practice, this app causes more frustrations than it’s worth. With the long scrolling, photos not loading, and not knowing if your posts went through, it’s all just extremely frustrating for users. In our opinion, Tumblr is already complicated enough without adding mobile into the mix.

Let’s see what Tumbeasts have to say about their home site’s app:

5/10 Tumbeasts would eat this bit of technology. Hmmm on one hand they could be biased, but on the other they could just being seeing the potential portable Tumblr has.

[hci-design-diary-blog]

Evaluation on the Nintendo Switch

      Nintendo Switch is Nintendo’s latest video game console, released in March 2017. The console exploded in popularity before it was even released, as pre-orders had sold out within minutes of their opening. Potential buyers were out of luck with finding the console for months after release due to such high demand and low supply. With its sleek design and the appeal of playing full-blown console games both on the go and at home, it’s no wonder how the Nintendo Switch has picked up so much steam.

      Though not the most powerful console, the Nintendo Switch boasts the title of being the  first of its kind: a console/handheld hybrid. This console takes the concept of adaptability to a new level. Taking your favorite game with you is as easy as picking the Switch’s tablet out of its charging dock, and you can watch as the game transfers from your TV screen to the screen of the tablet. This is made possible because all of the processing hardware of the console is hosted within the tablet itself; the dock is there to simply charge your tablet and project the games onto your TV. Portability may be the biggest selling point of this console, and it is fairly competent as a handheld. Battery life while playing a game can range from three to four hours, depending on how taxing the game is on the Switch’s hardware. Though there are other handheld consoles that have considerably longer battery lives, it is impressive that the Switch can last as long as it does playing games like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. However, the switch isn’t going to last you a long car trip without hooking it up to the charger. And when you get home you can continue playing on your TV by just dropping it in the dock, and the console will charge while you do so.

      There is also functional consistency within the controls of the Switch, as they will be familiar to anyone who has used a modern video game controller. The Switch’s controllers, or “Joy-Cons” as they’re called, are two remote-shaped objects that attach to the side of the tablet via interlocking grooves. However, there are some issues with ergonomics when it comes to the mapping of the buttons. They are laid out so that the face buttons (A, B, etc.) are aligned vertically with the analog sticks, thus forcing the user’s hand into an unnatural position while reaching for the analog stick (most notably the right one). It is also worth noting that other forms of controllers are available at an additional cost, though the Joy-Cons are more than competent.

      Nintendo has implemented a few safety features for the console to keep you from breaking your expensive new electronic. The cartridge slot on the top of the tablet features a cover that prevents dust build up, and easily opens and closes while inserting or removing a cartridge. The controllers each come with their own clip-on wrist straps to prevent dropping or throwing them (at your TV) while they are detached from the tablet. This is especially useful for games that implement motion controls.

      The User-Interface (UI) for the Switch is fairly simplistic and straightforward. The dashboard strays from being too cluttered, as it divides the screen into three basic rows: profiles (top), games (middle), and utilities (bottom). The “profiles” row contains the consoles user profiles, the “games” row shows your games in a line from latest to earliest played and the “utilities” row contains the options menu, set-up, and eshop. Each item is represented by an icon for easy reference.

      The Switch really does live up to the hype. It beautifully combines the stationary console and the portable handheld. Nothing was done to make this stray too far from the box, however, which may have added to its popularity. Gamers could pick it up and just play because it fit their mental models for controllers. The UI icons and workings being similar to previous Nintendo consoles also added to this. All in all, the console deserves the hype it has been given and we’re excited to see what other fun games come out for it. If you have the money to put forward for a new gaming device, this is one to highly consider.

Let’s turn this over to our favorite little Tumbeasts:

9/10 Tumbeasts would eat this piece of technology. Almost a perfect ten, but that battery life and the awkward mapping must have scared the other off.

[hci-design-diary-blog]

Evaluation on Zombies, Run!

       Many fitness apps have made their appearance in the iTunes and Google Play stores. One that sticks out is the app Zombies, Run!; an app designed to have you listen to a story set during the zombie apocalypse to mediate and motivate your run. Not only is the concept of having users run from zombies interesting, but the designers also made an easy to use app and gamified running by using points and achievements.

        The app starts off with a quality we look for in many apps: simple instructions. And they have fun graphics to back up the instruction. 

        Using instructions paired with graphics sets users on the right path with learnability of the app through the picture superiority effect. Pictures stick better than using even simple text-based description. Another feature adds to learnability once the instructions are clicked through: modularity. The overall app is broken down into more manageable screens through the menu system. On top of that, the menu options are short, clear and display icons which are all great features to have in a menu system.

        Arguably the best part of Zombies, Run! is that it combines running with game-like elements, also known as gamification. Through your runs, you can gain items to build up the fictional town called Abel Township, a refuge for the apocalypse survivors. The developers also included various achievements that can be earned. Both achievements and item collecting prompt closure and completion in users. Users want all pieces of the town and the achievements, so they will work harder to fill their need for closure. Developers utilize a reward system for going on runs much like games give rewards for in-game actions.

        Zombies, Run! also relies on immersion; it really needs to get the user involved in their run and the story. The app succeeds at this immersion through two principles: spatial presence and SIVE. The app immerses the player through sounds like the characters talking and background noise of the world. This is meant to transport the user to this fictional world; this is spatial presence. These are meant to make the user feel as if they are in the world they’re supposedly running in. This is key to features like the “escape the zombies” sprints, events in the user’s run where zombies appear and the runner must run faster to escape. If the user doesn’t feel like they’re in the app’s world, the zombies behind them won’t seem as real and they won’t feel fear.

      SIVE, or Social Influence in Virtual Environments, describes the relation between behavior realism and human-likeness of a virtual agent, or character. The more human-like and behaviorally realistic the character is, the more trustworthy and believable they are. The less human-like the character is, the more behaviorally realistic it needs to be to make it influential. In Zombies, Run!, the story characters show emotion and a personality. They act like we believe humans would in the face of the zombie apocalypse: they may be hardened or fearful or something between. This idea of making non-human things, like a computer voice, more human-like is known as anthropomorphism. The characters in the app’s story are made to seem like the user is listening to an actual human. This creates the more influential characters as introduced by SIVE.

      The final quality of Zombies, Run! is that the developer tries to create an in-group for users. They offer sign-ups for online race events and where participants receive sign-up rewards, unique missions, and the ability to post their race times to a leaderboard. They also get access to their private forums to chat with other runners. Creating this in-group promotes belonging among users and even competition. Users can feel like they are a part of something. One problem we saw with this is that runners might still feel separated by only going through online forums. Other than that, the app really tries to create a new running community based on zombie apocalypse survival.

      Running is made scary, or in this case fun, with zombies. For people who think running is boring with just music, adding a story and zombies into the mix may be just the thing they need. Zombies, Run! is an highly learnable, easy to use app that gamifies running for its users. Users are transported into the app’s world through the features of immersion in the app. The developers also attempt to create an in-group for their users. So, if users enjoy zombie games and apocalyptic scenarios, running, and getting involved with a running community, Zombies, Run! is for them.

What do our mindless eating machines, the Tumbeasts, think?

8/10 Tumbeasts would eat this piece of technology. The last two must have been scared off by the zombies, or wished they could run with fellow runners in person.

[hci-design-diary-blog]

Evaluation on the HTC Vive

      Virtual reality has been a concept that has long been dreamed about since the invention of computers. The idea of immersing yourself in another world has long been taken to new heights in pop culture, and hasn’t been a widely available thing for consumers, that is until now. The HTC Vive is the leading VR headset on the market in terms of specs and is an amazing piece of hardware, however, it does not come without its own set of caveats.

      The Vive’s accessibility has a wide range of positives and issues. First is its operability. People who are prone to headaches or motion sickness may want to avoid using the device. Though steps are taken to prevent things like motion sickness during setup, some people still experience it because their body simply can’t handle their mind telling them that they are moving while stationary. Beyond that, there are many different ways in which you can play games on the headset. The headset comes with two motion control remotes and cameras that allow playing games to be a full body experience. If you’re looking to immerse yourself while sitting down and relaxing, you have the option of playing with a regular controller instead.

       Along the same line of accessibility, the Vive is financially inaccessible. Not only is the headset itself $600, but a user needs to also have a computer with enough power. Building or purchasing a PC that is VR ready can run a user over $1000. In addition to that, HTC sells add-ons for audio and such at about $100 each. It’s pretty easy to see that VR is not financially accessible to the greater populace.

      The Vive is not something you can play anywhere. Not only do you need a powerful PC to run it; you need plenty of room to move while in the headset. As mentioned earlier, some of the games are a full-body experience so having an open floor to work with is a necessity, that way the player isn’t hitting objects or running into walls. This need for plenty of space lowers the device’s compatibility in regards to most homes. Beyond taking necessary precautions, constraints have been put in place to prevent this as well. After setting up the infrared cameras for the Vive, they scan the room and put up “barriers” within the field of view in the headset to give feedback to the user that they are near a wall. Not to mention you have to account for the abundance of wiring coming out of the headset could easily act as a tripping hazard. Simplicity isn’t exactly the Vive’s strong point, as initial setup may require someone with a certain level of tech savviness; it’s far from plug-and-play. Not only must your PC be optimized for it; you have to use several USB slots, setup the cameras, install drivers and make sure each program you run plays nicely with the headset.

      Spatial presence is a key term when talking about interaction in a virtual environment. Never before have we reached the level of immersion that the HTC Vive offers. When you put on the headset, it’s as if the world around you melts away and you’re swept off to another dimension. This does, however, conflict with your self presence. Although your vision and hearing are focused on this virtual environment, your touch and smell can still keep your mind aware that you are not actually present in the world you are interacting with (though there have been experiments with “smellivision”).

       Due to its decently high inaccessibility, we have a hard time rating the Vive as high as we’d like. Sure it’s one of the better headsets we’ve seen, but, much like most VR right now, it just requires too much of the user. So much setup and computer experience goes into running it. On top of that you need the room and the computer power to actually enjoy it. All in all, VR is still in the works on getting that high immersion with high accessibility to potential users. We continue to fight with the stages of having wires or lag pull us out of the immersion, but it was cool to play with nonetheless. So, if you have the know-how, computer power, money, and desire to explore virtual reality, we recommend checking out the Vive. Just make sure you handle motion well (unlike Kayla) before throwing your money at it.

Tumbeasts, how does it fair?

7/10 Tumbeasts would eat this piece of technology. They must have been entranced by the ocean and solar system, too.

[hci-design-diary-blog]

Evaluation on the Coke Freestyle Machine

      This next evaluation is on the Coke Freestyle Machines, the standalone Coke machines that have just about every Coca-Cola product you can imagine. For this one, we decided to split it into a customer’s experience and a worker’s experience. As Kayla has used this technology as a customer and worker and Collin has used it as a customer, it seemed fitting to provide information from both sides.

      To start, we will discuss the technology’s effect on customers. The Coke Freestyle Machines have many choices, as was mentioned before. With all of these choices in front of them, customers may be confronted with Hick’s Law and take longer to make a choice because of how many are put in front of them. This problem follows them even after they walk away from the machine, but it changes form. After a customer takes their drink, they are faced with the paradox of choice. They begin to wonder if they made the right choice and become dissatisfied with the drink they chose. Maybe they should have chosen Dr. Pepper, or maybe flavored water, or maybe even tried the new special drink on the side. There are so many options it can be overwhelming and complicated.

      But, we would argue for the machine managing to have numerous choices and still focusing on simplicity for their users. A customer’s time with the machine is made simple, for starters, with its hierarchy. Users are guided through different menus to narrow down their choice. On the first screen, they choose between four categories: all drinks, low/no calorie, caffeine free, and fruit flavored. Then they see all of the brand logos that fit under the category they first chose.

      Brand loyalty comes into play here and makes their choice even simpler. Most customers are just going to default to their usual preference even if another would taste better. This phenomenon is known as performance versus preference. Even if another drink “performs” (tastes) better, customers will default to their preference without really thinking twice because their preference is reliable. Any future cognitive dissonance, or mental discomfort, due to the paradox of choice is alleviated by the customer convincing themselves that their preference is still superior.

      Now to discuss the workers’ side of the machine and how overly complicated it can be for new users. A worker (from here referred to as the user) is doing their rounds at the restaurant when they see one of the Freestyle Machines’ light is on. This light acts as an error message telling them that a syrup box is out so a drink is not available until it is restocked. But sometimes it just means nobody deleted the alert, which is annoying. To see if a drink is out, the user will need to access the manager menu. Easily one of the most annoying things about these machines because there is no physical button. Users just need to tap around in the general area of the screen where it is hidden and hope that it opens. This hidden affordance, despite promoting higher safety against customers accessing manager functions, lowers learnability for workers.

      Closing the machine brings on its own host of problems; few of which the machine attempts to handle. First, users must go through the steps of accessing the manager menu as they did when checking syrup availability. This time, however, they need to enter a password to unlock the machine. Yet another constraint to increase safety against customers accessing functions they should not. In addition to this, the manager menu is complex. Here is a photo: 

      The menu is mostly organized, but we still feel that it could be simplified to get rid of unused functions and focus of those that are most used to adhere to the 80/20 Rule. When cleaning the machine, things get a bit simpler. The smaller parts all need removed before wiping everything down. A problem that could come with this is that a worker may forget which parts go where. Luckily, most can be placed intuitively based on size and shape. To ensure the ice dispenser pieces are put in right, the sections are numbered to tell the user which goes in first. This increases visibility of how to place the parts and therefore simplifies the cleaning process.

      Now, with all of these issues and complications of the machine for the worker, many might think it will be a pain to work with. Well, it is. But, with experience, it gets a bit easier to use. Direct experience in using the device itself increases memorability of the functions required to keep it running. This doesn’t mean it should remain as complicated as it is.

      So, we broke down the Coke Freestyle machine into two parts: customer and worker. As for our review on the product, it makes sense to review each separately as well. As customers, we are thankful for the machines. Sure there are almost too many choices, but at least we know the restaurant should have out drink of choice. For workers, this machine is ridiculous in most ways. From ambiguous error messages to hidden “buttons”. The machines may be great for customers, but workers will have a struggle.

Let’s go to our panel of Tumbeasts who acted as customers:

8/10 Tumbeasts would eat this piece of technology. It must taste like Coke syrup.

As for the worker Tumbeasts:

4/10 Tumbeasts would eat this piece of technology. Ooo, half that of the customer Tumbeasts.

[hci-design-diary-blog]

Why We Chose Tumblr

       When tasked with choosing a platform to post our evaluations and reviews to, we wanted to use something that was familiar to both of us. We also wanted it to be user friendly and relatively easily accessible. We went with Tumblr because we both have used it and found it to work well with our project.

        Tumblr, for starters, makes their posts the largest section of the page with large titles created by the account creator. The few other items on the page are made smaller to really emphasize the posts themselves. Posts are also searchable through creator made tags to make posts easier to find. All these features aid in perception and put the spotlight on our evaluations.

        For our posts, we could add pictures to them to utilize the picture superiority effect. Just naming the technology may not grab users’ attention or trigger their memory as well as a picture would. One problem with this is that the pictures take up the width of the post so they break up text. We had to be strategic with our picture placing either by putting it at the start or planning our text to have breaks for the picture.

       Another, more minor, feature of Tumblr that appealed to us was its use of color theory. Blue shows trustworthiness and friendliness. It says, “Hey, look, I’m a friend of yours. Come read these posts.” For our evaluations, we could bank off that. We could make our posts seem more trustworthy through blue.

       Lastly, one problem we ran into with Tumblr was the way posts are ordered. The newest post is at the top, but we had a plan for how we wanted our posts to read. While we were posting, we had to post this blurb about why we chose Tumblr first so that it would be last and post the erasable pens last so that it would appear first. Tumblr heavily relies on mental models for exploring its site. Both mental models from using other sites (like Twitter) and from using Tumblr exclusively. If we hadn’t known that posts were ordered this way, we may have messed up the whole order of our page. We’d be referring to the erasable pens being the example post users will read first when it’s at the bottom then it would get awkward. Then we’d have to reorder the whole thing or just delete the posts and try again. It would be much more user friendly if account creators could order the posts how they please.

Overall, Tumblr offered us a simple, well-designed base for our posts. Because we were planning our posts ahead, we could avoid many of the problems that it posed.