Although I want to keep my interface as gender and age free as possible (the color should be able to be changed) the main interface will generally be black with colored areas. The clock (or hands is analog) will be in a contrasting white and the energy readings will be in green-red spectrum.
The black helps make the colors stand out and easily readable at a glance.
Wednesday, 7 September 2011
The look of my interface has changed from a square to a circle to tie in with the clock feel.
Not only does this make more sense visually but it also reduces the pointless space wasted in the corners.
From a practical viewpoint this not only cuts back on resources needed for making it but also improves the overall aesthetics when placed in a modern home. (which is typically quite square and measured)
Not only does this make more sense visually but it also reduces the pointless space wasted in the corners.
From a practical viewpoint this not only cuts back on resources needed for making it but also improves the overall aesthetics when placed in a modern home. (which is typically quite square and measured)
Tuesday, 6 September 2011
Specific examples
Most people have let me know that they want to know what is using the bulk of their energy.
As well as giving some numbers (only if they want to see them, the main thing for the interface is to be as numberless as possible), the interface can let you know the main areas of energy use per day or per hour.
This will let them know where they need to cut back on.
As well as giving some numbers (only if they want to see them, the main thing for the interface is to be as numberless as possible), the interface can let you know the main areas of energy use per day or per hour.
This will let them know where they need to cut back on.
Functions
Some functions are needed for my 'clock' interface.
Users should be able to see the rate of their energy use against their average.
I plan to do this with a circular percentage bar thing. It will progress around the outside of the clock against the users average energy use. As it reaches 100% it will turn more red and at 100%> the whole outside of the clock will be red. This will let users know at a glance how they are doing against their energy use.
Apart from just the percentage rating I want to show people the times during the day they are using the most energy. Theres not much point telling someone that at 4 am they are on track if they use most of their energy after 5pm for example. therefore a second interface option would be to show each individual hour against the average for that hour alone.
Users should be able to see the rate of their energy use against their average.
I plan to do this with a circular percentage bar thing. It will progress around the outside of the clock against the users average energy use. As it reaches 100% it will turn more red and at 100%> the whole outside of the clock will be red. This will let users know at a glance how they are doing against their energy use.
Apart from just the percentage rating I want to show people the times during the day they are using the most energy. Theres not much point telling someone that at 4 am they are on track if they use most of their energy after 5pm for example. therefore a second interface option would be to show each individual hour against the average for that hour alone.
Monday, 5 September 2011
Target Audience
What will the target audience be for my interface?
The western world is the greatest user of power compared to the eastern/middle east per capital.
They also are the people most likely to be able to change their energy use.
Since I am focusing on the household my target age would probably be home owners but anyone who is interested in reducing their power could use it. It wouldn't be complex so that anyone could be able to use it.
The interface would be unisex but maybe having different color choices could appeal to a wider market.
The western world is the greatest user of power compared to the eastern/middle east per capital.
They also are the people most likely to be able to change their energy use.
Since I am focusing on the household my target age would probably be home owners but anyone who is interested in reducing their power could use it. It wouldn't be complex so that anyone could be able to use it.
The interface would be unisex but maybe having different color choices could appeal to a wider market.
Some interface research.
I asked a few people this question:
If you had an energy monitoring application on your phone or ipad etc. what kind of information would you like it to show besides your overall power usage?
to find out what some of my target audience would like and here are their responces:
-what elements of use use the most power, probably in receding order from most to least and maybe options of turning off certain applications that are using power unnecessarily?
- It'd be cool if it displayed power used in terms other then watts volts joules whatever. If it told me the power my phone was using in terms of a Big Mac that would be cool, as in "my phones running through a 3 Big Macs a month since I started playing angry birds".
- It'd be cool if it displayed power used in terms other then watts volts joules whatever. If it told me the power my phone was using in terms of a Big Mac that would be cool, as in "my phones running through a 3 Big Macs a month since I started playing angry birds".
- If you could scroll down your list of application and 'flick' the apps that are sucking power into a dormant mode area where they're turned off. It'd also be good to see how much power is being used by 'dormant' but active things, like applications that auto sync on a regular basis.
-if the phone could hold information about nominated applications for the month which could be downloaded. Info such as usage duration//cost & diff in cost if application had been used at a different time (peak/off peak etc).
From this I've noticed that people don't want to be told useless numbers and facts. Also that people want to be able to control their power rather than just know what is currently happening.
If you had an energy monitoring application on your phone or ipad etc. what kind of information would you like it to show besides your overall power usage?
to find out what some of my target audience would like and here are their responces:
-what elements of use use the most power, probably in receding order from most to least and maybe options of turning off certain applications that are using power unnecessarily?
- It'd be cool if it displayed power used in terms other then watts volts joules whatever. If it told me the power my phone was using in terms of a Big Mac that would be cool, as in "my phones running through a 3 Big Macs a month since I started playing angry birds".
- It'd be cool if it displayed power used in terms other then watts volts joules whatever. If it told me the power my phone was using in terms of a Big Mac that would be cool, as in "my phones running through a 3 Big Macs a month since I started playing angry birds".
- If you could scroll down your list of application and 'flick' the apps that are sucking power into a dormant mode area where they're turned off. It'd also be good to see how much power is being used by 'dormant' but active things, like applications that auto sync on a regular basis.
-if the phone could hold information about nominated applications for the month which could be downloaded. Info such as usage duration//cost & diff in cost if application had been used at a different time (peak/off peak etc).
From this I've noticed that people don't want to be told useless numbers and facts. Also that people want to be able to control their power rather than just know what is currently happening.
Sunday, 4 September 2011
More development
One thing that interests me is the availability of information. In the lecture we were told that people who check their bank account regularly will ultimately use less money as they notice the steady increase in their spending. However if you never saw your bank account you would have no idea if you were spending too much.
I would like to take this into the energy field. The current problem is the lack of current updates on our power usage. If we were to constantly see it we might actually change something.
My plan is to combine a clock with my energy interface so that the user will be checking their power usage regularly in their home without needing to go out of their way to do so.
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