CSE/EST/ISE 323 Human Computer Interaction
Spring 2019
Client:
Stony Brook University
Title: Stony Study Guide
Objective:
To develop an app/platform for students on campus with a virtual/interactive map of where they might find places to study. Alongside obvious places to study, we want to include spots on campus that would be considered off the beaten path. Each location will carry some information about services provided (ie. printers, public access computer labs), hours of operation, peak/off-peak times, study spaces available and panoramic photos of the specified locations. We also want to give our users the option of having the application generate a location for them based off of their selected preferences. The users will be able to choose various different categories. The most suitable and closest location will be the firstmost suggested, followed by other locations that match but might not be as close as the first.
Interactive maps are usually satellite-like maps. Sometimes these might require some time to look through, with the zooming in/out options and may be disorganized. This would be considered one of the main limits of this current practice. We want to keep it simple and easy to navigate. Especially if it’s something that students will have readily available on their phones. A lot of young people rely on things like Subway apps or Google Maps when traveling someplace they aren’t familiar with. We think structuring our platform in the proposed way could be useful to many. If we are successful, we get to share unknown and upcoming places around campus for students. We will also know if our design and structure were actually as great as we planned for it to be. If it’s not successful then we are able to learn from it.
Target Audience:
The targeted age range and education level are 18-22 and students of Stony Brook University. These users do not need to have much technology literacy besides knowing how to navigate their cellular devices (or browsing the internet). To access the platform, students will only need their cellphones (or computer, if they do not have their own, they can access the internet through the University’s many SINC Site Computers). This will be provided in English.
Similar Products:
Although this prototype is not in competition with others of the same sort, there are similar ones out there. One, in particular, is the Stony Brook Interactive Map. This map includes the entirety of the campus and includes photos and information of a certain location a user selects. This interactive map focuses more on the general locations on campus for someone who is not able to physically tour the campus.
Special Requirements:
The map will be implemented using Mapme, a way to create and customize maps to seamlessly make them interactive. Users will be able to access the map and hover over different locations available. Displaying multimedia will be an available option to include. Mapme allows for categorically organized data which will be vital when implementing a decision tree algorithm for generating a location on the map.
For further information on the design implementation of this product, check out our Design Brief below: