Project Title:
Archchive: Photo-organizing & sharing for architects
Author:
Anjali Arora
Description of project:
Archchive is a web-based photo-sharing application geared
to the specific needs of architects. It provides a complete solution
for their professional photo-organizing, sharing & discussing, & retrieving
needs.
User scenario:
Through my user research with architects in New
York, & centered around the
use of cameraphones for picture-taking, I found the following:
• Some of the scenarios when an architect needs to take, save & organize,
share professional pictures:
- a new site / building she may have come
across.
- recording a work-in-progress as documentation / to share with
staff.
- to convey progress / take feedback from clients.
The findings:
1. Camera phones are good to capture a fleeting
moment, but are unsatisfactory due to low resolution of pictures, inability
of camera-phones to allow a degree of freedom in composition. Digital cameras
preferred.
2. The cost
of transmission of images through the cell-phone seen as a deterrent by
this user group.
3.
Privacy & control over who sees the images an important factor.
4.
All the users would like the ability to have their pictures on a central
web-server.
5.
Ability to print pictures very desirable.
6. Ability to annotate the pictures
important.
Design approach:
While none of my user group used the camera-phone
to take pictures for professional use, I have nonetheless woven in this
functionality into the overall design of my application.The reason is that
cameraphones are rapidly offering high resolutions ( 4-5 megapixel devices
being currently available in Korea) which will counter some of the objections
to its use by my user group.
However, the cost of transmission remains a real issue, especially as resolution
of images improves.
I have therefore focused here on a scenario where the user takes the picture
with a cameraphone, & transfers the image to a desktop / laptop
through Bluetooth. Also, the focus here is on the interactions that the
user is afforded through the menus on the phone; as well as on using currently
available solutions ( Picasa for one) to dovetail with this solution in
offering a painless way for the user to meet her goals. ( I have used the
Nokia 3650 as the focus of this study).
Further objectives of this component are:
1. Ease of use for user
2. Automation of tasks to remove excise for user.
3. Enhance ability to efficiently organize digital assets in order to retrieve&
reuse them over time.
User goals
Go on to application
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