TINK - sketching product experiences of connected objects

102 - TINK
6.3Recommendations
What follows are some recommendations
and ideas for further developments of the
platform based on the findings from the
user tests
TARGET USERS
confusing and redundant. A possible
solution would be to enable each building
block to track its own data produced.
The metaphor of the recording button
(Figure 46) could be used as a reference
button for users to enable this feature.
Figure 45. Proposal for more
explicit building blocks
Figure 46. Using the methaphore of
the record button to track data
While the platform already wants to be
designer friendly, it still can sometimes
favour an audience that is fluent with
coding. Future iterations of this platform
could be designed to be even more
accessible to a non technical audience.
BUILDING BLOCKS
As observed during the user test, the most
critical point that designers with little
coding experiences found confusing was
the structure of the building block. Some
small and simple changes can begin to
resolve these conflicts.
Just by adding few words before the name
of the building blocks some guidance can
be provided on the role of the different
types blocks.
IF, DO can be placed respectively in front
of the trigger and action blocks to aid in
clarifying the meaning of the block for
users. (Figure 45)
TRACKING DATA
Test users building found having a building
block dedicated to the tracking of data
ENTITIES
An attempt was done in making all entities
consistent: All of them have similar
representation style, and the same set of
building blocks.
This choice should be reconsidered. Having
more tailored properties for the different
entities might actually result in a better
user experience of the platform.
Because the coding/detailing of the
building blocks for the other entities
still need to be tested with users, there
is room for in-depth analysis of the
advantages and disadvantages brought by
the customization of the different entities
in terms of structuring, representation,
naming etc...
Connected object
An approach to making building block
more friendly for designers would be to
restructure the dichotomy trigger-action of
the building block format into a structure
that more accurately mirrors the setup of
the physical prototyping board.
I often hear fellow interaction design