Interface : Washing Machine
Characteristics of the user
Anna is a second year student of Chemical Engineering at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS). She is a part time student and a mother of two children, Alex (3 years old) and Claire (4 years old). She is 26 years old. Anna is a simple and fast worker. She like to do house chores and always make sure all the things that she done is perfect. Anna also did not like wasting time due to busy studying and babysitting her children. She such a busy mother because her children are still a baby. Beside that, she also like to estimate how long the her laundry can be done by the washing machine so that she can complete her house chores and get ready her children real quick and sending them to day care so she can attend her lectures on time. Sometimes, she has to attend the lectures late because her laundry done a bit late. Bur, she does not have to worry if it is raining because the washing machine placed inside her house.
Goals
Anna has set a few goals for herself. She wants to know the exact time of the washing machine done with her laundry so that she can estimate how long she can get all the house chores done. To do so, she has to set the time from the beginning of washing until the end of the washing. Most importantly, Anna wants to make sure the laundry is clean and can be wear of her children because her children had a sensitive skin. Beside that, she also wants her laundry done real quick.
Motivation
Anna is motivated to use washing machine to ease her time while doing he laundry because she does not need to wash it manually. Furthermore, she also motivated because the washing machine wash her clothes real clean. She feel safe while wearing the clothes to her children and to her family.
Frustration
Even though the washing machine get her laundry done, she still cannot guess the time remaining of her washing machine. She also get irritated when sometimes her laundry done a little bit late because she cannot complete her house chores and cannot get ready her children real quick and sending them to day care on time. Thus, Anna cannot attend her lectures on time.
Scenario
Anna woke up late in this morning. She has to get ready her children and do her house chores quickly. She also worried that she will attend her lectures late. After prepared the breakfast, she do her laundry. She worried that if her laundry done late. The interface of the laundry did not shows the time remaining her laundry be done. She did not understand why certain day when she do her laundry, the time remaining is below one hour. Beside that, at one time her washing machine beeping three time. Anna get confused at that time, the washing machine did not tell any causes of that incident happen. After one hour, her laundry done. Anna already late to attend her lectures, because of that she only can send her children to day care. Sadly, she has to skip the morning class and only attend the afternoon class.
Display and Control
Power : To reset program/switching off the machine
Water Level : The amount of water to soak the clothes
Process/Function : Comprise a washing cycle in the beginning, a rest period, a rinse and then a spin to remove the water
• Soak : The Pre-Wash cycles provide an extra cycle for heavily soiled clothes • Wash : The machine will simply wash your clothes with soap • Rinse : Rewash the clothes with clean water • Spin : The clothes are spun very fast and excess water is removed
Program : Allow the user to pick any type of washing cycle that they want that fits with their clothes
• Fuzzy : The washing machine determines wash load quantity in machine • Heavy : For muddy play clothes and other sturdy • Speedy : Used when the laundry is light or less stained • Wool : Used for delicate, fragile, items like lingerie, lace, and silk, lower speed spins
Start/Pause : To begin the washing/Machine stops at any stage with or without water in it
Interaction Type
Instructing
• The users giving the instruction to the washing machine what it have to do with the laundry
• Can be a repetitive actions. For example, if the users want to repeat the spinning the clothes, they can press the function button to the spin process.
Responding
• The users will get the alert beeping sound if there something wrong while washing the laundry. For example, door error which there will be a three beeping sound.
Interface Type
- Command : Users will give the command to the washing machine what to do
- Appliances : An electronic/electrics appliances for doing laundry
- Tangible : Can touch the button, can feel the pressing
Display
Information Display
• Detection : The excellent sign once we press the button, the red light popping up and beeping sound heard
• Dynamic : The red light will faded after the cycle already be done
Type of Information
• Warnings : Beeping sounds when the lid did not closed properly
• Symbolic : Music pops up when the washing is done
Controls
Principle of response selection
• Feedback : The washing machine will give feedbacks in time, warnings, status of the current process.
Types of Control
• Discrete : Power button, function button, water level button, start/pause button, process button
• Physical feel : Push-button
Work System
Additional step
- Press the start/pause for second time to pause the washing
- Press the button many times to choose any the cycle wanted
Task
Task : Want to choose normal program of washing cycle to wash the clothes
1. Press the power button
2. Press the program button once (Normal – Jeans)
3. Press the water level button twice (34L – 39L)
4. Press the function button twice (Wash, Rinse, Spin)
5. Press the start/pause button
6. At the end, the red lights will pop up for several time and the washing machine start the cycle washing
Norman Interaction Diagram
Environment
The washing machine is suitable at indoor electrical appliances. The noisy level is medium and it is stationary, usually located between kitchen and bathroom area. Washing machine also produce a vibration, and usually noticeable when the it perform spinning cycle.The washing machine also have the maximum temperature which is 90 degrees Celsius because to kill germs on the laundry. It also must be avoid from rainy so that the motor inside the washing machine did not get electric shocks. The washing machine also must be avoided from extreme hot weather so that the washing machine motor did not get overheating, which cause the circuit component in it fire, explosion, or injury.
HUMAN FACTORS & ERGONOMICS 