SocialTV

SocialTV was my 4th year design project for my undergrad degree in Systems Design Engineering at UW. It was completed with Melina McLarty, under the supervision of Dr. Stacey Scott.

Problem: How can television be brought to the next level? Many products have achieved popularity through social aspects, so this project set out to turn television into an inherently social experience. Also looked at were existing usability issues with regular cable television services.

Solution: This solution specifically looked at designing an interface for a custom remote that would allow access to two types of features.

• Social: friends list, view what friends are watching, send messages, share content with friends
• Browsing: better sorting, searching, and recommendation of shows, and information at a glance

Methods: There was a focus on using a wide range of methods to create and evaluate the design.

Research Methods:

• surveys
• ethnography-type experiments
• literature reviews
• competitive reviews
• card sorts

Evaluation Methods:

• cognitive walkthroughs
• “draw on the experience”
• design reviews
• focus groups
• interviews