Evaluation

Throughout the development process, we have experienced several iterations and updated the product with major changes based on feedback from our real users.

In the first iteration when we finished the first framework in xcode, we conducted an in-person interview with eight college students to test the app.

We focused on testing the user interface from the perspectives of learnability, usability and safety.

Here's the result:

• Users feel like they have a clear understanding for what is the purpose of the app.
• Users are able to use the app without any instructions. -> Learnability
• Users are able to navigate to the page they are looking for and complete the task they desire. -> Usability
• Users would not accidentally jump into trouble even if they make a mistake in clicking some unexpected icon and they could easily fix the mistake with simple steps. -> Safety

However, we also received some more feedback for improvement. For example, one of our users pointed out that we have five buttons in the bottom tab bar, which seemed too much overwhelmed for him. He was kind of lost when he saw the five different icon buttons. We made a major change in the navigation bar:

• We decided to combine some related functionalities into one tab with the hope to guiding users to accomplish tasks in smallest steps. We did a To achieve the goal, we also put the functionality with most frequency in the most important and most easily-accessed position.
• The updated navigation bar is like a steering wheel. When you click the middle button, three small buttons would then pop out and form a new sub-navigation interface.

After finishing the development, we repeated the same process of evaluating. We received a rate of 98.55% in terms of satisfaction for the app.

Based on the reviews from our real users, the pet lovers and pet owners, some of our concerns in the beginning of the project is finally solved.

For example, we were concerned that if virtually interacting with pets, seeing their photos or videos is equivalent to or similar to having a pet in the real life. However, after seeing the demos and using the product, the percentage of people who feel satisfied with the virtual interaction we defined in the app increased from 67% to 89%.

To summarize our project, I would like to cite a story told by one of our users. She shared with us about her experience when using the cloudpetting function: "I can see the pets actually showing up in my backyard after I followed the pet. I would be notified and the cat would be animated when the pet owners update photos or journals. It's just like having a pet in my house!" "The more I know about pets and the stories behind the curtain, the more I feel responsible if I choose to be a pet owner. I would definitely take a thoughtful consideration before I make the decision. I would never never stop loving it and seeing it end in a situation that is not warm and blessed. "

Pic Credit: https://media.giphy.com/media/3o85xI8kc43RULUUlq/giphy.gif