MapU testing

This spring we have continued on Rate the State of Your Local Environment project.

We have been exploring different evaluation methods and maps as well as Sara Jacobsen’s Master of Arts thesis on urban planning. Here are some map and rating examples:

As it turned out we were unable to create a working smartphone app, so we have been concentrating on the UI.

I attended a Nodebox workshop and I tried out different approaches to the user input like movement and active corners:

Here turning the phone to different positions (first row) will give different ratings as well as "hot spots" (lower row) and the rating will show as color changes on the map: bad –> unsaturated, good –> saturated + warm colors.

I created a demo with AfterEffects where shaking gives bad rating and a kiss on the phone will be good. In the movie I also added sounds: agony –> bad and baby laugh –> good.

Movie can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzcXyeRskLw&feature=youtu.be

At some point there were also experiments with fragmented maps, small game elements and Photoshop filtered maps.

After all different experiments we ended up to use facial expressions as we did in the fall and decided to rate three things: air, sound and the looks of the environment. Instead of trying to create 11 expressions we decided five expressions would be enough. The rating itself is more accurate.

The rating is based on touch and the longer the user holds down the finger, the better rating.

As in these facial studies can be seen, I had a problem with negative rating: should the starting point be indifferent (as in first face) or most negative? So I started experimenting on combining the three elements in one face. Tapping would give bad rating, holding finger down a good one. Here too the rating would happen in order: Breathe, Listen, Look.

First picture is the starting point, second the worst rating and third the best. I wanted add some more visual feedback to the map as well as to the faces.

As we decided to divide the three aspects into three faces I made new faces and tested hand movements.

I created a tiny app icon and came up with a name MapU. I made a html site and I am updating as new suggestions from other group members come forth.

The html site is at address: www.satuilta.fi/MapU/mapu.html