Social Computing

1. Sri Lanka Institute of Information
Technology
Master of Science (Information Management) Degree Program
Social Computing
Class Activity 03
W.M.J.H. Fernando
MS18901290

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1. Justify how and why you select the application.
Almost every day, every hour, thousands of vehicles
cross hundreds of miles from various locations
without realizing the fast that many of them follow
the same route at the same time and can accompany
people and earn some money, reducing their cost of travel.
PickMe is a taxi app based on Sri Lanka developed and maintained by Digital Mobility
Solutions (Pvt) Ltd headquartered in Colombo, Sri
Lanka. The app is at present available
for Android and iOS platforms. A passenger can
download app from the respective app store and
install it. When a taxi is requested, it would be
diverted to the nearest driver via PickMe's servers
where the driver would reach the passenger's
location and pick up the passenger. Currently, PickMe
has Tuks, Nano,
Mini, Sedan and
Luxury (VIP) cars
on their fleet. Also, the app is available in
English, Sinhala and Tamil. Passenger easily select
preferred language they want. Also there are payment
can done using cash or card.
According to Google play store review most people use
this app for there are travelling purposes. PickMe app simple and very user-friendly
development to the users. And also PickMe is a e-commerce moblie applicaton in Sri Lanka.

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2. Find a user who use the selected application and get his/her feedback.

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3. Ask the user to do an activity using the application and find a design issue(s) of the
application and report the fault as a technical writer.
UI design must take account of the needs, experience and capabilities of the system users.
So, designer must think about users physical and mental limitations and should recognize
that people make mistakes
According to 10 basic principles, in Pickme app find some design issues as follow:
I. Visibility of system status
- No issues
II. Match between system and the real world
The system should speak the user’s language familiar to user. And, clearly
highlighted in special areas in interface.
• In the email notification they highlight fare amount. Sometime user did not see
paid amount. There is user confuse and they paid wrong amount to the driver.

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III. User control and freedom
 No issues
IV. Consistency and standards
 No issues
V. Error prevention
 No issues
VI. Recognition rather than recall
 No issues
VII. Flexibility and efficiency of use
To speed up the system and keep necessary thing in system very needed.
• The user can’t take another trip before it finishes. Can’t book two more booking
one time through the Pickme app.

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But in the Uber app there allow the multiple booking option and there are help
function shows the way that do.
• In Pickme app before the request the trip, app not display information about
number of people can seated and other special features about that vehicle.

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But compare to the Uber app, it shows all features and other vehical detals in same
interface.
• The directory of location name isn’t as comprehensive. They show only few
locations to select and some location name address are wrong.

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VIII. Aesthetic and minimalist design
 No issues
IX. Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors
 No issues
X. Help and documentation
Even the better app there very essential option is help function. Because it should
easy to force on the user’s task, easy to use, list concrete steps to be carried out,
and not be too large.
• Pickme app not have this option. So user getting some problem regarding
the app it’s difficult to find.
But in the Uber app there is having this option. So user can esily find there are diffecult
things through this option.

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4. Suggest a prototype to solve the design issue and get the feedback from the user.
- Before the request the trip, app display information about number of people can
seated, time duration, driver preferred language, no of carrying luggage and
other special features about that vehicle.
- Email notification is very essential. In highlight area shows the paid amount, user can
easily understand and do the payment.

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- Designing mobile app, it should be user friendly. So, the directory of location name
should be comprehensive. User type one location name in app, it should give more
alternatives to the user. Then user can easily select correct locations. It most
importation to calculate the trip amount.
- Using this method user can take another more trips when before the finish previous
trips.

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User Feedback for new prototype design.
PickMe is most of app in Sri Lanka. But there are app has some design issues. In above show
solution for these issues. To prove this new prototype design very essentials, I get user
feedback for it. Evaluating there are data agreed amount higher than they disagree user.
Prototype 1 Prototype 2 Prototype 3 Prototype 4
Agree 3 5 6 5
Disagree 3 1 0 1
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
PickMe User Feedback
Agree Disagree