d.tools User Study Post-experiment Questionnaire
Section 1a - Background information:
Please answer the questions below in order to help us understand your background and experience:
- Age:
- Gender: Female Male
- What is the highest level of education that you have completed?
o Some High School
o High School Diploma
o Some College
o College Degree
o Some Graduate School
o Graduate or Professional Degree
- Please list your major area(s) of study.
- Have you ever attempted to design your own physical computing device or information appliance?
Yes No
(If you answer yes, please take time to fill out section 1b of the questionnaire, which asks you to revisit one of your past projects)
- How would you rate your own programming expertise?
o No knowledge at all
o Passing knowledge, but not comfortable
o Working knowledge with occasional struggling
o Fluent, frequent user
o Expert / professional
- Which of the following programming languages and environments have you used before (check all that apply)?
o Macromedia Flash - without ActionScript
o Macromedia Flash – with ActionScript
o Basic Web Pages (HTML)
o Dynamic Web Pages (JavaScript, CSS, etc.)
o Visual Basic
o C/C#/C++/Java
o Others: ______
- Have you ever used other visual programming environments such as Max/MSP, or Simulink before?
Yes No
If you answered yes, please write down the name(s) of the application(s) you have used:
- How would you rate your electronics expertise?
o No knowledge at all
o Passing knowledge, but not comfortable
o Working knowledge with occasional struggling
o Fluent
o Expert / professional
- How would you rate your graphical design expertise (Sketching, Photoshop, Illustrator)?
o No knowledge at all
o Passing knowledge, but not comfortable
o Working knowledge with occasional struggling
o Fluent, frequent user
o Expert / professional
- How would you rate your physical design expertise?
o No knowledge/ two left thumbs
o Can do basic construction, but no knowledge of advanced machine processes or prototyping technologies
o Know my way around a shop if help is available
o Comfortable with machine processes and CAD
o Expert / professional
Section 1b - Design Experience
Please complete this section if you have ever built prior physical computing projects:
- While you are prototyping, what 3 tasks consume the most time?
o Ideation/brainstorming
o Building shape prototypes, e.g., foam core
o Building circuits
o Programming
o Debugging software
o Debugging circuits
o Getting software and circuits to work together
o Self testing
o User testing
o Other: ______
- How long have you been building physical computing projects?
o Less than 1 year
o 1-2 years
o 3-5 years
o More than 5 years
- How many projects have you built thus far?
- Please revisit one of those projects and briefly answer the following questions about it:
o Give a brief summary of the idea and implementation of the project – if you want to, draw a sketch of it.
o What kinds of prototypes did you create? (i.e., Paper prototypes, rapid software prototypes, etc.)
o What hardware and software tools did you use? Why did you choose this hardware/software? What did you most like/dislike about it?
o What other tools were available? Did you reuse code or parts from prior projects or prototypes?
o What was most frustrating about the development and design process?
o What did you want to create but did not, and why? (e.g., limited time, lack of expertise, etc.)
Section 2 - d.tools Experience
Please answer the questions below about your experience with our d.tools system.
- What would you see as the primary advantage of using d.tools as compared with your current practices?
- What would you see as the primary disadvantage of using d.tools as compared with your current practices?
- How likely is it that you would integrate d.tools as a regular part of your physical computing design process?
o Very Likely
o Somewhat Likely
o Neither Likely nor Unlikely
o Somewhat Unlikely
o Very Unlikely
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- Please read each of the following statements about the role d.tools could play in your design process and respond according to how you feel about each statement.
Strongly Disagree / Disagree / Neutral / Agree / Strongly Agree
Increases my ability to realize ideas / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Shortens time required to build a prototype / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Increases the expressiveness and functionality of prototypes / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
I would build fewer prototypes / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Facilitates rapid modification / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Makes me experiment more / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Keeps me focused on design details / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Keeps me focused on the big picture / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Helps to understand user experience / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Facilitates communication with clients / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Facilitates communication with programmers and engineering team members / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Facilitates communication with users / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Helps me conduct usability tests / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
- What did you particularly like about the d.tools software?
- What did you particularly dislike about the d.tools software? What would you change?
- Did the software interface ever behave unexpectedly?
- What did you particularly like about the d.tools hardware?
- What did you particularly dislike bout the d.tools hardware?
- What additional features would you like to see in d.tools?
What would it take for d.tools to be truly useful to you?
- Do you have any thoughts on the aesthetics or visual design of d.tools?
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