Concept Presentation

Today we had a concept presentation at the Microsoft Accelerator with the four other groups.

Our presentation went really well.  A link to the presentation slides can be found here.

Here is the presentation at Microsoft:

We got some very constructive criticism.  The main one was about the stand we want to use.  The circular advertisement stand, they said, takes up more space than we can use, since we want to use LCD screens inside (as per our past posts).  The circular shape might put a barrier between people, and since discussion is one of the main reasons to put a physical stand rather than use an app, hindering conversation is one thing we don't want to do.

Spock commented on the possibility of vandalism when recording public opinion, and that a recorded video might be very embarrassing.  Also, he thinks that maybe listening to others' opinions will skew the resuts.

Henit asked about time aspect: how long does the user have to stand in front of the system?  This is important because we don't want to miss the votes of people who don't have much time.  Also, she recommends that if we continue with recording the public's opinion, that the person who recorded their idea gets some credit for what they added to the discourse, like an option to put his video on Facebook.  She also suggested we let people post their opinions from home.

Gilat also talked about the time aspect of our device.  She suggested doing a user study to figure out what is the minimum time needed to get all the information.  She added that it is important to remember that not all issues are for and against, and that some of the issues might be between two options.

Amiel loved the idea of the public opinion video clips.  He told us to consider presenting the information in another way rather than video, such as static text.

Mentor Speed-Dating

To get feedback on our preliminary ideas, we had speed dates with mentors.  Each of the six mentors had 5 minutes to listen to our pitch and 5 minutes to give us their opinion and tell us what they think about our idea.

The mentors ranged in areas of expertise, from music to engineering.  Each one had their way of looking at our concept that shaped the path we're going to go on now.

Amiel Shapiro:
He liked the social aspect of our design, and the discussion that will arise through interaction with the kiosk.  He advised us to create a system for comments, where people send in text messages, and comments are colored according to the side they take.  As for the step as a means of voting, he though it wasn't interactive enough.  It was also unintuitive to him, and if we are going to continue with the idea, we need more than a footprint on the floor to signify that stepping is voting.

Liat Segal:
She thinks that it is important that the user get feedback after he voted.  If an application is made, make it so that a notification is received when a decision is reached.

Yair Halevi (Spock):
Since the kiosk could be on a busy street, his thinks it is important to put an emphasis on the visual aspect of the videos.  He thinks the authentication is a viable option, but he suggests doing some two-step authentication with weight or height.

Gilat Parag:
She says the kiosk is not inviting.  Older citizens would not vote because they don't want to "play" (step on the pedal).  She suggests thinking about to to make the metaphor into something more accessible.  The shape needs to be something more elegant, maybe some element of the city that's also informative.  Maybe something three-dimensional with voting on one side and information on the other.
She think that maybe the metaphor for weight should be better used by pushing rather than stepping, since weight is problematic with people.  She thinks we need to find a fun and interactive vote that everyone would be willing to do.
As for the results, she thinks the idea is sort of gimmicky.  It's a good thing to have in front of city hall, but it could be better designed.

Itay Pries:
He thinks the test tubes are nice, but not the main part.  The more important part for him is an app or a website that will keep people updated.

Henit Vitos:
She set us straight with needing to meet with the city.  How much is public opinion really important to them?  Is it a gimmick or do they really use the information?



After the event, the following changes were made in regards to the feedback:

1. We decided to add comments.  we loved Amiel's idea, which game the audience a more thorough look at the issue.  The comments will be sent by text messages, and will appear on the system itself.

2. We decided to give up on the idea of displaying the results in front of City Hall.  We realized we would make better time by focusing on the main features of the system.

3. We decided to set up a meeting with the municipality to find out which procedures exist for public participation, whether they need a product like Stepolls, if there are specific needs/features that we are missing, and if there is a possibility of cooperation with them in the future.

4. We decided to change the way the kiosk looks, and to build something that is more connected to the city. We decided to build the system as a billboard.  A more detailed description will be posted later.