Meeting new people could be hard and boring.
Shuffle is a freshing grouping system that aims to break awkwardness and raise real-time engagement level between students by using a smart badge and badge vending machine that relate students’ personal interests to the grouping mechanism.

My Role

  • Brainstormed the design ideas with sketches to illustrate the ideas for primary users
  • Designed and conducted each step of user research and summarised the findings
  • Contributed to the iterations of design solutions
  • Designed the procedures of usability test, participated into the user testing, and evaluated the results

    • Understanding the User

    Primary Users: Undergraduate Students
    Secondary Users: University Students at all levels

    Our team conducted a pilot study on collecting students' opinions on their current in-class grouping experience by creating an online questionnaire with the following findings and pain points:

  • Students acknowledged the benefits of collaborative learning
  • Current randomisation grouping system is “boring and ineffective”
  • Students would like to meet new people but were lack of initiatives
  • The need for a more engaging in-class group integration strategy in the long-term

    • Initial Design Solutions

    Based on the findings from pilot study, our team discussed and came up with the initial design solutions as illustrated by bullets points and sketchs below:

  • Optimised Student ID with detachable screen as personal identifier for in-class interactions
  • Students would like to know different people but they are lack of initiatives
  • Use of physical artefacts (e.g. Classroom screens) to increase tangibility and engagement
  • Grouping strategies: Proactive v.s Passive

    • Storyboard

    Scenario 1

    Scenario 2

    Key Elements

    Screen on the Wall: Create Real-time grouping experience

    Group Symbol: Enhance group identity with elements of gamification

    Tapping Mechanism: Check attendence and interact with group members


    User Research & Iteration

    Goal: To understand users’ preferred grouping strategies in order to optimise the detailed features of final design solution.

    Process: We conducted interviews with users to find out their preferred grouping elements. The results were evaluated by creating personas and a 2x2 feature pritorisation matrix. We then implemented the selected features into our final design solution and ran on-site usability with the physical prototype.

    Personas illustrating the findings of interviews: users value engagement and efficiency.

    2x2 Feature Pritorisation Matrix highlighting the preferred features from interview findings

    Usability Test

    Goal: To test if Shuffle meeted users’ expectation of having an engaging and efficient in-class grouping experience.

    Process: Five undergraduate students were recruited to use the Shuffle respectively, when being given the same scenario.

    Strategy: We applied Wizard-of-Oz Method and Think aloud Protocol by using low-fiedility physical prototype and role playing to stimulate the grouping process in the conext of classroom, and asking the participants to express their thoughts/confusions at any point.

    Feedback

    “It feels fun to touch and allows the badge to change with a good amout of forcing but not forceful to have a natural conversation.”

    "It’s straightforward but how would I know I need to look for my members with similar symbol on the badge? There should be clearer signs to inform that the symbol will change when your members are nearby."


    Evaluation & Implication
  • Shuffle created a straightforward and efficent grouping experience as expected
  • The anmiated group symbol allowed flexibility and autonomy that encouraged a relaxing talk between students
  • The instructions of how to use the system were not clear: the screen should actively promopt the users for their next steps
  • Engagement level might depend on individual preference of the group symbol so that the selection should be more systematically evaluated before implementation

    • More Information

    The video demo of Shuffle is below and a detailed report of the system can be found here.

    Video edited by Scarlet Hu