INB272 User
Study
Study on Life
Schedules
Andrew Dor, n6379664
Table of Contents
Executive Summary ................................................................................................................... 1
Ethnographic Study ................................................................................................................... 2
Approach Taken ..................................................................................................................... 2
Setting .................................................................................................................................... 2
Data Gathered ........................................................................................................................ 2
Findings.................................................................................................................................. 3
Difficulties and Next Steps ..................................................................................................... 3
Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 4
INB272 User Study
1
Executive Summary
In the study conducted, I observed and analysed the home scheduling life of a typical
suburban family consisting of a single mother and her two, identical twin daughters. The
study is conducted during the afternoons of two busy days, and the subjects were informally
interviewed after the second day.
The family generally scheduled well, having a system that involves scrap paper for notation,
a physical wall calendar and calendars with reminders in each participant’s mobile phone.
Each member also has their own way of scheduling and remembering tasks, but the often
involved the mother and the physical act of writing tasks down on the calendar hung in the
kitchen.
A suggestion for this household would be a digital scheduling system which allows them to
share tasks, and sends reminders automatically, however this would be hard to implement as
the family is not used to online calendars.
Andrew Dor, n6379664
INB272 User Study
Ethnographic Study
2
Approach Taken
The approach I chose to take was a simple one. I observed the family over during one of the
most active times in the house (3pm – 4pm) and then conducted informal interviews with all
three members of the household. The usual activities undertaken were observed for
approximately an hour on two separate days, and notes were taken by hand about the
observations.
The focus of the study was to observe and document how each of the members of the
household schedule tasks, both individually and communally, and the systems that they use
for information management amongst themselves.
Each member was asked to explain to me the system that they use to both schedule and
remember tasks, and any issues that they knew about or could imagine would happen using
their current scheduling system.
Setting
The household I chose to study consisted of three individuals. A single mother who is the
head of the household, and her two daughters who are identical twins aged 16. The main
living area where the study was conducted includes two computers, both of which are
connected to the internet and in almost constant use during the time studied, a television
which is on, and watched by the other family member not on a computer, and the kitchen
door, on which the calendar is affixed.
Each member of the family has a late model mobile phone, two with touch screens, and all
with calendars. All three participants also have laptops, which are used in the bedroom or on
the lounge while watching TV. The house has a wireless network which allows them to access
the internet from anywhere.
Data Gathered
The household’s main method of recording schedules and tasks involves a calendar on the
wall in the kitchen, and each person the task involves entering the information into their
phone calendar, and adding an alarm.
During the course of the fieldwork seven tasks were recorded and scheduled, three were for
the mother, one was for the youngest sister, and the other three included all three members
of the family.
Each of the tasks was arranged by phone except one, which came by email. The mother was
contacted for six of the seven tasks, and while she was on the phone, she notated the task
onto some scrap paper at the computer desk where she was sitting. After writing the task
down and completing the phone call, she immediately transcribed the appointments onto the
calendar in the kitchen. This was not so with the phone calendar. During the time I was
observing, only two of those tasks were added into the mother’s phone instantly after the
appointment was created.
The last task was for the youngest sister. She received a phone call, and did not notate the
task while on the phone. After hanging up the phone, she spent the next 5 minutes finishing
what she was doing on the computer, then went and informed her mother of the
Andrew Dor, n6379664
INB272 User Study
appointment which was then notated onto the calendar in the kitchen. This task only
involved the youngest sister, but it was written onto the calendar, and the mother would
remind the sister of her appointment.
When the mother was informed of a task which involved both the children, she would
instantly write the task onto the calendar and then inform them verbally of the task, with the
expectation that they would add it into their own personal phone calendars. This however
only happened a few times, as the daughters were doing something else and forgot.
Findings
Of the three inhabitants, it is clear that the mother is the main task scheduler, arranging
tasks for both her daughters and herself. Keeping these tasks up to date and written down on
the physical calendar in the kitchen allows for easier communication of schedules between
all occupants. A flaw in this system is that only the mother checks the calendar regularly (in
the mornings and afternoons) and then has to remind the daughters of all events occurring.
Although the entire household is very in touch with technology, and uses a computer or
smart-phone every day, none of the participants have an online calendar or scheduling
system.
The mother is the main scheduler in the household, and is involved in most appointments.
She uses scrap paper extensively and also annotated everything onto the calendar. She uses
her phone extensively to remind herself of appointments an hour in advance.
The youngest daughter has a very lax attitude towards scheduling, and does not write down
or tell anyone about her personal schedule items. While she says that she does not forget an
item, everyone is human. The eldest daughter is a bit more serious, writing items down on
scrap paper or the calendar, and telling her mother to remind her, who then writes it onto
the calendar to remind herself.
Difficulties and Next Steps
While conducting the fieldwork and interviews, I believe my presence was interfering with
the usual flow of information, and due to my presence each person in the household had a
reminder to continue the flow of information, and this slanted my research toward the
positive. To eliminate that as a factor, a more extensive study should be undertaken, possibly
using hidden recording devices to keep the participants acting naturally.
The next steps in this study would involve deeper analysis and possibly observing another
family in a similar environment, then compare them with each other, and offer suggestions
from one to the other.
Andrew Dor, n6379664
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INB272 User Study
Conclusion
Through this study I have found that although the household works very well together, and
very rarely to never miss appointments, a lot of information is communicated verbally. If a
new system were to be designed to improve the lives of the household, it should allow them
to schedule items online, and have a shared scheduling and reminder system, but also a
personal side. As all users have a mobile phone, SMS reminders could be used to help them
remember schedules and appointments.
The household spends a lot of time on the internet whether it is on computers, notebooks or
internet-enabled mobile phones so the system should definitely be able to be controlled
through all aforementioned systems. Possible existing systems include Google Calendar or
any other online calendar system. This could be improved by adding functionality specific to
these users’ needs.
A simple online form connected to the calendar would enable the adding of events quicker
and easier for the mother, who is not technically savvy, and a weekly calendar could be
emailed each morning, or texted to her phone.
Andrew Dor, n6379664
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