Brent Blihovde bblihovde3@gatech.edu Sean Latif slatif6@gatech.edu

1. Brent Blihovdebblihovde3@gatech.edu Sean Latifslatif6@gatech.edu Chris Reynolds creynolds7@gatech.edu

2. The Problem • Listening to music and reading generally become solitary activities • How can we make them social activities instead?

3. The Solution • B.A.M.! • Books and Music • A portable tablet device that allows users to listen to music and read books, AND sample the music and books of BAM users in their proximity

4. Wireless Headphones

5. Social eReader The user enters a browsing screen where multiple books from other users nearby can be chosen and read. A book is chosen and the user can read the book for as long as the book's owner is still nearby. The user can make notes and comments on the book to be read by other nearby users, or flag the book if the user is interested in purchasing it. The user finishes reading and returns to the browsing screen, with an updated list of books from nearby users. Another book is selected and read while its owner is nearby. If the current book's owner leaves the area, the book is no longer available and the user is returned to the browsing screen.

6. Overall Goal • Raise awareness in users to those around them • Theoretically/Ideally: Similar interests, or peaked interests, result in friendship. • Users: College students who frequently read or listen to music in public places • Sherry Turklenotes that portable devices are currently used as a means of escaping awkward situations, decreasing social awareness in place of exclusion

7. Research • Direct Observation • How is it used now? • Day-In-The-Life • User’s perspective? • Drawing it Out • More User’s Perspective • Interviews • Gathering of additional qualitative and quantitative data

8. Findings:Draw it out • Drawing-It-Out showed that users are relatively spread out through the buses. • People on the bus tended to sit alone rather than next to others when the choice is available • Gauged user expectations

9. Findings: Interviews • Interviewed 3 potential users • Joyce Wong (20), avid reader • Priyank Patel (21), avid Stinger user • Michael O’Rourke (20), avid music listener • Users’ taste in music tends to reflect their personality • Users tend to share tastes with their friends • Interviews served mainly to justify idea’s existence • Had we had a second chance, we would have asked more relevant questions • Example: “How weird would it be to see someone looking at you through a tablet-like device?”

10. Findings: Day in the Life • Placed us in the user’s shoes • Forced us to consider when the BAM would be used (beginning of the day vs end of the day) • Made us think of creative, outlandish scenarios that could occur via the BAM • Meeting your future spouse • Making a business out of supplying textbooks via the BAM

11. Findings:Observation Observing potential users in their natural habitat, the Stingers, helped the process in two ways: Placed us in user environment Showed us a multitude of the population that is excluded throughout previous research techniques

12. The Future • Improvements to Our Design • Finding some alternative to the proximity feature due to “creepiness” • Focus on social network akin to iTunes and Facebook • Better research next time • Informing Similar Designs • Implementing the proximity feature would encourage socialness in the right user • Is there a site for users to share their book and music interests?