moving windows
A product that supports and saves time when working with multiple windows open.
TEAM
Selina Dick, Malte Fial, Elisa Moder
YEAR
2022
SUPERVISOR
Prof. Michael Schuster
The task of the course was to find a “problem” in our digital work which must be improved through an analogue interface.
COURSE
Invention Design
Project objective
We saw great potential in our workflow when moving windows on the screen. Our aim was to optimize this exact situation on macOS.
THE PROCESS
BENCHMARKING
In the first step of benchmarking, we could get a better overview of products, that already exist. The different functions helped us to specify our concept. We wanted to have a predefined division of the screen. After discussing several ideas and possible interfaces, we limited ourselves to three main ideas: a touchpad, a joystick and a mousepad.
TECHNICAL IMPLEMENTATION
(BASIC) + VARIANTS
Most of our time was invested in the technical implementation, which was accompanied by a number of challenges, due to the fact that all three variants presented different technical challenges. The basis of everything was the connection between applescript and arduino. Applescript provides the possibility to trigger shortcuts, which are set in the code. Arduino can trigger shortcuts. We took advantage of this correlation to further develop our idea. When the basis was set with this, we could deepen into the different technologies of arduino.
USER TESTINGS
We conducted user tests with four people to get different opinions. To see, how intuitive the prototypes were, we set three tasks, that set on each other. To our astonishment, the mousepad was partially misunderstood, while the joystick was very quickly understood. The mousepad did not clearly indicate in which area something should be triggered. Of course, the prototypes had also a lack of accuracy, which made it difficult to use at times. Nevertheless, we saw the greatest potential in the mousepad, so we set our focus for the next steps on it.
FINAL PROTOTYPE
For the general technique we were using rfid chips on the back of the mousepad and integrated the rfid reader into the mouse. That means, whenever the mouse is hovered over a rfid chip, it is detected and output in the code. Our main focus after the usability test was on the accuracy and feedback. This meant we had to position the rfid chips more sensible.
To get the necessary feedback for the user and ensure that the mouse will be positioned on the rfid chips, we integrated magnets on the back of the pad. This caused the mouse to be dragged to a point, which was also the point where the rfid chips were placed, at a certain direction.
MATERIAL
To support the user through visual hints, we lasered icons into the leather.
CONCEPT VIDEO