#techcontrol

[hsouthwickvisualcommunication]

Target Audience Testing Techcontrol

My brother is 16 and currently doing his GCSE exams so it was perfect for me to get someone from my audiences opinion on the usability of the app and what he thought of the idea to gain some feedback. 

The first thing was that he said he found it clear and easy to use as the experience of using the app was similar to those he uses regularly and existing smartphone interfaces. Also that it was easy to navigate as the buttons were well labelled and the icons helped understanding. 

He said that he would definitely use it and would especially be really helpful particularly in this exam period as it is so easy to get distracted whilst revising, when there is so much going on.

Some good feedback he gave me which I will use and show on my design board is that he said he would like to see how a revision schedule could be made, and how techcontrol could help plan revision time as this is something he and his friends find really difficult. Exam season is a time when there is so many different subjects to revise and it is hard to remember when to revise certain subjects as there are so many exam dates flying about so to have something structured in this way and to automatically let you know when to revise a certain subject would be really helpful.

Other comments he made were that the active credits are a great idea as not only would it encourage him to spend time away from the screen, but would also give him and his friends the chance to go and do things together at weekends because at the moment it is difficult as they don't have the money so just stay in playing playstation.

It was really good to get this feedback from the perspective of my audience as I can understand now the features which I need to predominantly show in my final outcomes.

[hsouthwickvisualcommunication]

I placed all of my screens into the new Adobe XD programme which allows me to create a prototype of the full app so I can test the usability with my target audience and also record the interaction to create a walkthrough video which shows clearly the different features of techcontrol and how to use it, in a realistic way.

[hsouthwickvisualcommunication]

One in four teens now obese by 15

New study shows 'staggering' rates of obesity among 'millenium generation', with some hope that health messages are getting through to parents of younger children

This study shows just how many teens form the millennium generation are obese. 25% of young people are obese by the time they reach 15 which is an incredible statistic.

I really think that it is no coincidence that whilst the amount of time teenagers are spending staring at their digital devices and becoming inactive is rising so has the rate of obesity.

My idea techcontrol works as a solution to this huge problem by tackling both issues. Attempting to reduce time staring at screens through better control of devices and then using this time productively to gain active credits to be used at leisure centres where these young people can engage in physical activity which will help to reduce obesity within the teenage age group.

[hsouthwickvisualcommunication]

Teens, Social Media & Technology Overview 2015

Smartphones are fueling a shift in the communication landscape for teens. Nearly three-quarters of teens now use smartphones and 92% of teens report going online daily — including 24% who say they go online "almost constantly."

Some really interesting facts about teens and using technology in this article. Particularly about the differences gender or wealth play in the types of social media the audience use. 

Unsurprsingly girls dominate the image led social media platforms such as instagram and snapchat, and boys spend more time gaming than girls. 

This can be something I think about in tailoring techcontrol according to different users for example girls could be limited to a certain amount of instagram uploads a day and boys could be restricted to a certain amount of games of FIFA so it directly targets the specific needs of each user within the target audience. This is why within setting up modes in techcontrol I have allowed the setting profiles to be as specific as possible to cater for different users within the target audience.

[hsouthwickvisualcommunication]

New digital notebooks combine the power of analogue and digital. Hand drawn notes are captured through the camera and translated to a digital file which is then completely editable. 

This technology relates to my idea of users snapping the work they have done to techcontrol and it then recognising which set task that it is relevant to so that the reward credits can be awarded.

[hsouthwickvisualcommunication]

This image shows a user taking a snap of their geography work which they have completed to let techcontrol know they have completed the task. 

This is about making the experience engaging for my target audience using a similar format (snapchat) to which they spend a lot of time using and are totally familiar with. Techcontrol uses new capture technology to pair the footage input from the snap by the user to recognise which work relevant to their tasks or target has been completed.

[hsouthwickvisualcommunication]

Techcontrol allows the user to see in detail the specific areas of usage in their devices and then can then manage them accordingly in order to improve their habits. 

Rewards will be given for progression and improvement through reaching targets and then will encourage them to use these as active credits as if they then use them on screen time credits they will be harming their progression and consequently will miss out on other targets. 

Techcontrol really is about minimising distracting screen time all round helping users to improve their habits and take control over their devices and then giving them incentives for positive usage.

[hsouthwickvisualcommunication]

Finally designed all of the screens for techcontrol in a layout which flows to show the experience of using it for a 16 year old at school. I now need to think about how I present the ideas in a design board format to bring the idea to life and give it context, through image and text explanations.