Proposal for 597

Proposal 597
Inge Scheve
Zack Midles

CASE STUDY: WEBSCORER (iApp)
For our term project, we will be doing a case study on a brand new Apple application, the Webscorer iApp race timing system, which will be released later this fall. The Webscorer iApp will be available through the iTunes store, and can be used on both the iPod touch and iPhone.
Our objective is to determine how user-friendly this application is and recommend any improvements we identify based on a usability study that we will design, conduct and interpret. If there are any problems with the application that the participants in our usability study find, we want to be able to share their problems and concerns with Vesa Suomalainen, the creator of the application and the CEO of www.webscorer.com.
We chose this project is because we are both athletes. It means a lot to us to have easy access to results and being able to track our performance. We have both been to several competitions where it takes multiple days before results are posted. Our initial impression is that the Webscorer iApp process is quick and efficient. The iPhone devices are easily taken to all parts of the race course, and even in areas without coverage. The results are stored and can be transmitted between devices within the devices’ walkie-talkie range. Thus, the Webscorer iApp eliminates manual race timing with a stopwatch (except potentially as a worst case scenario backup). The results can instantaneously be posted online without having to edit.

Market situation:
While traditional timing systems that require extensive training, expensive equipment and take a long time to sort/verify and upload results to the web), this application represents a unique niche in the race community by providing an event timing system that is easy to use, inexpensive and works with gadgets people already own.
Webscorer has the capability to not only accurately time a race with a variety of entrants, but also posts the results to the Internet for quick viewing access. Furthermore, users will be able to create their own profiles on the webscorer web site, where they can track their results and progress, share results and status with other users and connect with various social networks.

Target audience:
The target audience for this product is anyone with access to an iPhone or an iPod touch and a need to time something. However, some major groups include coaches of all levels from club and community to NCAA Div I staff, to national team coaches, physical education teachers, athletes and race organizers.

Methods:
We will be working closely with Mr. Suomalainen to run a usability study on this product. This pertains directly to our class by the fact that we are studying usability in interaction design. While we are not designing the product, we are studying a newly designed product and observing how the usability tests and feedback will be interpreted before the final product is released.
We are considering a formative usability study. We will recruit five individuals to use the application over a given period of time and see how they satisfied they are with it. These five will include University of Washington coaches, friends, and professional athletes. On page 118 in Measuring the User Experience, it states that, “five participants is enough,” since the majority of usability issues will be observed with the first five participants. We feel that if there are any problems with the product, they will be addressed with our five applicants.
To use the application, they will need a list of entrants. When these entrants finish the project or competition, the user can check them off. The time they get when they pass the finish line goes next to their name and it places them automatically.
The five participants will use the product and determine what they enjoy about it and point out any aspect that are difficult to understand or not intuitive. At the end of the study, we will provide applicants with a questionnaire where they can explain in more detail what they did/did not like about it.

Results and Conclusion:
In our final report, we plan to incorporate many of illustrations and wire-frames that Mr. Suomalainen and his team used in the development process of the Webscorer iApp. We also plan to describe how we created our usability study and how it turned out, as well as any recommendations we made for a more successful implementation into the digital world.

References:
Designing the obvious
Emotional Design
Measuring the User Experience