Milestone: Last round of end-user workshops completed
In October and November 2023, the third and final round of testing with end-users during dedicated workshops took place in Austria and Switzerland. The focus was on newly developed app features and mixed reality games. Although there were some technical challenges and change requests, the overall feedback was very positive.
User-centred design workshops
After testing the prototypes already several times with end-users from young and older generations (see previous articles: Pre-Test, Workshop 1, Workshop 2) the team completed the last round of end-user workshops in November 2023. The workshops were organized and hosted by Gedächtnistrainingsakademie, Jugendinitiative Triestingtal located in Austria and terzStiftung in Switzerland.
In the third official testing round with primary end-user groups (PUs: older and younger adults), secondary users (SUs: caregivers, social workers, experts in the field of life coaching for older adults), and tertiary users (TUs: social coordinators of communities and cities, neighbourhood initiative and organizations who would benefit from the solution) the overall goal is to get direct feedback on (new) elements of the whole Buddy4All system for the development of the final system that will be tested in detail in the end-user field trials starting in spring / summer 2024:
Set Up, Goal and tasks
Primary-End-Users: The PUs (young and older adults) were invited to a 90 minute workshop. The goal of this workshop was to test the whole Buddy4All System. For each test person a smartphone and Mixed Reality glasses were needed. The following was tested in detail:
The location-based-game included a scavenger hunt where younger and older persons solved virtual puzzles together and navigated from location to location to solve all puzzles.
All test users tried out the cognitive trainings and played a memory and/or (depending on time) a pair game with the mixed reality glasses.
In the forum section the test persons were asked to post a question on the forum as well as reply to a question of another user
The reporting function was tested for the first time. It is designed to enable the users to report inappropriate content.
In the notifications section the test users answered a questionnaire regarding different options of notification settings.
Secondary Users: The SUs (social workers, care givers) were also invited to a 90 minute workshop on the Buddy4All System. Furthermore, they also had the possibility to see the backend and settings for all parts of the system that were interesting for them.
Tertiary Users: The TUs, consisting of potential investors and buyers of the Buddy4All platform, were also invited to test the system. Due to the fact that the availability of these persons is more time constricted, the workshops were planned to last no longer than an hour. The test proceeding was more open and orientated on the interests of the users. Depending on their time and interests, they had the possibility to test most of the mentioned features and give feedback.
Screenshots from the Buddy4All Social App that was tested during the workshops
Strengths and needed improvements
Valuable insights were gathered from all user groups, shedding light on the strengths and areas for improvement. Although there were some technical hurdles, the usability of the Social App and the games were rated highly positive overall. Nevertheless, there were also suggestions for further improvements before the Buddy4All system can be tested in a field trial.
Users see the main motivation for using Buddy4All primarily in the cross-generational contact and the opportunity to play together. However, they also pointed out that the technical challenges and lack of time could lead to not using the system.
Mixed Reality: Location-Based-Games and Cognitive Games
Both young and older users enjoyed to play the game together. Some of them would have liked to play for a longer time. Generally, the young users found it exciting to play with an older person. All of the test users had a good first impression of the cognitive training. Participants felt inspired while playing and they mentioned the positive aspect of including physical movement.
There were some technical issues with the MR glasses and app, that need to be fixed. Introductions, tutorials and help sections regarding gaming were missed and the starting of a new game was regarded as too complicated.
Forum
Since the last workshops, some simplifications have been made to the forum. These modifications were approved overall. What was missing, is the possibility to search for specific forum posts or topics and find instructions. Starting a video call was also no problem, especially for the younger ones.
Reporting function
The reporting function serves to protect users and helps to create a more secure environment in the app. It was therefore important to test this function. Most of the participants welcomed the possibility to report inappropriate content. The participants stated, that the reporting function is very important and necessary. Younger people in particular could also imagine addressing the person directly and drawing their attention to their misconduct.
While it is sufficient for older participants to get the confirmation that the report was sent, younger people wish to be updated about the further steps.
Conclusion
Overall, the usability of the Buddy4All social app was rated very positive. Suggestions for further improvement were mentioned regarding some details. Testing the new location-based game brought up several (technical) challenges that will need to be improved, but once these challenges were overcome, the feedback was also positive.
The discussion groups with the Secondary Users (care givers & social workers) showed the potential value of the Buddy4All platform from their perspective. They do like the intergenerational aspect and the low threshold of getting into contact digitally. It was also discussed how they could integrate the use of the platform into their daily work and how to motivate their clients to use it. The discussed insights will be used for updating the business plan.
What’s next?
Just like the past workshops, the gained insights in the perceived strengths and weaknesses of the Buddy4All platform will contribute to the further developments. In spring and summer this year filed trials will be held in Austria and Switzerland. The goal of the filed trial is to test the use the platform in a real-life setting.
Thanks to all the workshop participants for their involvement and support. We really appreciate your feedback. It not only helps us to further improve the platform, but it also gives us lots of positive energy.