User Testing Session 2

User Testing - Session 2

In the second user testing session with the Senior Technical Production Manager for Deadline White House on MSNBC, Anthony Amador, we got feedback from users on our refined MVP prototype.

Contents

Script

For the second user testing with the TPM, we focused on the same four user tasks from the first round of user testing:

  1. Adding a Live Shot to a Show Timeline

  2. Creating a Live Shot, Grabbing Paths, and Saving a Shot as a Preset

  3. Editing a Shot, Viewing Different Views, and Grabbing Objects

  4. Notifications

After we guided the users through the tasks in the prototype, we asked them to answer follow up questions and to rate their experience per task.

Our Script for our Technical Manager Interview

Summarized Notes

Liked

  • The updated top-down view that has all the information he needs that is on his live shot sheet

  • The path data represents more than what meets the eye in the live shot sheet

    • The extra paths in a live shot are in a separate view/window to reduce clutter

  • The updated show canvas title/selector- is very clear and bold now

  • Updated search bar for live shots and the sidebar that pulls out

  • If you were to change the hit time of a live shot, LSM would dynamically reorder the live shots in ascending order by hit time

  • Being able to collapse the additional details of live shots in top-down view to see his whole hour

  • The ready-for-air checkbox

  • The plus icon on right sidebar to create a liveshot

  • Path data modal has value for troubleshooting, especially for Media Traffic

  • Being able to grab/take whole live shot as well as individual paths

  • Inputting data directly in live shot fields in the top-down view

  • The timeline view is great for having basic overview of an hour with critical info & swinging between control rooms

  • Table view good for seeing all the information a user needs on one page

  • Notifications as a pop-up window

Not Liked

  • The viewport in the top-down view only shows a limited number of live shots. He wants to be able to see an entire hour to avoid switching between two different views

  • The path data button doesn’t indicate if it isn’t an ordinary shot - that having multiple cameras or outbound lines

  • In the top-down view, the live shot names aren’t bold. He had a hard timing locating shots

  • The arrangement of information in header of a live shot vs. in the additional info (Refer to wants section for more info)

  • The “Ready-For-Air” checkbox in create a live shot sidebar. It shouldn’t be there

  • The prototype only accounts for studios - could also be truck or remote

  • Path data toggle between send and receive (refer to wants section for inbound/outbound)

  • The path data fields - doesn’t account for following signal endpoints (Transmission, REM, RS, PL, IFB)

    • How it is entering/leaving control room

    • The transmission - how it is being processed

    • Where it is being received - The REM

Wants

  • Restructuring of path data modal

    • Split Inbound Lines and Outbound Lines

    • Inbound: Fields Needed

      • Type of signal

      • Inbound line/path

        • Vendor (No REM)

        • NBC entity (REM)

      • Transmission Method

        • LTN

        • DC Fiber Transmit

        • 3 more possibilities

      • What does the transmission translate to on our router - The REM

        • CR path

    • Outbound: Fields Needed

      • Type of signal

      • CR path - How it is getting out of the control room

      • Transmission (Outbound of the building)

      • Where is it being received

        • Vendor - no more info needed

        • Internal - need to identify the REM

Wants (cont.)

  • iNews Integration: When selecting a studio in the create a live shot sidebar, it should automatically fill in information for that studio. This requires a new back-end data point to break up the long text string of information that iNews provides

    • Studio contact

    • Phone number

    • Address

    • Transmission method

    • NOTE: If something changes or is new regarding studio information, users should be able to edit single fields for a live shot without affecting the back-end data point

  • Keyboard shortcuts

    • “Escape” to get rid of sidebar

    • Same commands from iNews

  • Timeline view needs IFB, PL, and RS. Should have same header as top-down view

  • Table view

    • Needs column for transmission

  • Notifications - bold animations in real time i.e. background flashes red if important

Wants (cont.)

  • A live shot template for reporter

    • If reporter chosen, word “Studio” changes to “Truck”

  • More categorization of live shots when searching for them

  • Additional details of live shots rearranged in the top-down view

    • In header: Hit Time, IFB, PL, RS

    • In additional details: Window, Studio, Transmission, REM, Studio Contact, Contact Telephone

  • Once a live shot is ready for air, a stronger visual indicator than just the checkbox

  • Change “Studio” to something like “Shot Origination” or “Shot Location” to account for trucks and remote shots

  • If someone edits something after it is assigned ready for air….

    • The live shot is no longer ready for air

    • The live shot signals what has been changed

    • Notifications to involved control rooms

Wants (cont.)

  • To be able to scale back on the top-down view and see all the live shots for his hour

    • Also zoom in on specific blocks/shows

  • A visual indicator on live shots if there is more than just an ordinary single inbound signal

    • Outbound lines

      • Program Return - A live feed of the show so guests can see what viewers are seeing

      • Prompter

      • Monitor Fills

    • Extra cameras

  • An indicator if guests in the same block are played together (i.e. a panel conference call) or hitting separate

  • Keeping hit time & window manual entry because the computer isn’t going to know when someone actually hits

  • He wants the live shot titles to pop more

  • Visual indicators for anchors vs. guest

Key Takeaways

  • 90% of live shots are video and audio signals coming in

  • In anchor situations there will be a lot of path data i.e. multiple cameras

  • Everything should be customizable because studios have five transmission methods to get a signal

  • They aren’t setting up live shots in the control room. TPCs are doing that way ahead of time

  • For TPMs, their workflow is very dynamic. The live shot sheet is a guide and things change often

  • In their current workflow, there is a whole section of the live shot sheet at the top dedicated to paths

    • TPMs typically just deal with one camera coming in. The 10% of shots with extra paths will have their extra metadata in this top-section

      • The paths are more significant to TDs since they feed graphics out of the control room

    • If each path has its own transmission and REM, we need to determine which transmission and REM gets displayed as the primary one in the top-down view

  • The splitting up of outbound lines & inbound lines in the path modal because they are treated differently

  • Generally the whole prototype needs stronger visual indicators for important actions so users don’t miss anything in chaotic control room situations