I caught the inadvertent "Great timing" pun too late... The post had already left the station.
I'm focusing on providing some elegant features to the functionality of the alarm that will ease people into their day. The slow ramp is something I've always wanted. (I haven't quite figured out the foot massage option) More importantly, however, I want those same people to be able to relax at the end of their day. If they get home late from a long trip, stumble into their bedroom and in a half zombie state try to set their alarm for an early meeting the next morning, I don't want to inundate them with options and questions. I can add things to the way the alarm operates to make it more pleasant, but the biggest failing in just about every alarm clock on the market is the convoluted method of setting it. (The AM/PM thing for example. That's always referred to as the user making a mistake in setting it, but it's a flaw in design that STILL hasn't been overcome) I don't understand the "end noise" time. As a deep sleeper, I've on occasion cursed my own alarm clock for turning itself off after a set period of time. There should be no "end noise" time. The "end noise" time is when you finally get your lazy butt out of bed and manually -- by choice -- end the noise. I agree that some people might find it nice to be able to adjust how long before the set wake-up time the "ramp from zero" starts, but if it's just hard-coded at a pre-defined time based on user research, people won't even notice the choice is missing. I want them to say "oh that's so easy" when they go to bed, and then say "oh that's so nice" when they wake up. So, for some informal user research, what do YOU think is a nice period of time for the slow increase of volume? Say you set the alarm for 6:00 am, and you've set the max volume for 70%, I personally think 15 minutes from zero to max is about right.. That's one person. Please email me or post to the list with what you'd like. (and yes, I'm still trying to figure out the foot massage option.) On Tue, Jun 24, 2008 at 5:14 PM, Katie Albers <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Speaking strictly for myself, I am prepared to overlook the phrase "Great > timing", but don't do it again :) > > As long as you're designing an alarm clock, why not allow the user to set > the "start noise" time, the "end noise" time and the beginning and ending > volumes? > > katie > > > > Great timing! As of this week, I'm in the position of designing an >> alarm clock -- something I've been dying to do for quite a few years >> now. >> >> One of the things I've always craved in my own clock was a slow >> ramping of volume from zero to whatever max volume I'd originally >> set the alarm to go off at. >> >> The question now is: How long would the ideal ramp be? >> I think it should start about 10 or 15 minutes before the >> you-must-get-up-now time. >> >> Would the user like to be able to adjust the length of ramp time? >> > > -- > > ---------------- > Katie Albers > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
