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Usability at Eastman Kodak Company: A Study in Group Collaboration

Elizabeth Rosenzweig, Usability Manager
Eastman Kodak Company
Kodak Boston Development Center
164 Lexington Road
Billerica, MA
(508)262-2043
(508)262-2077 FAX
eliz@alewife.kodak.com

Cay Lodine, Quality Analyst
Eastman Kodak Company
Kodak Boston Development Center
164 Lexington Road
Billerica, MA
(508)262-2036
(508)262-2077 FAX
lodine@alewife.kodak.com

ABSTRACT

This presentation describes the Kodak Boston Development Center Usability Laboratory and its collaborative work within the larger Eastman Kodak Company corporate environment. The unique product development process, resultant user interface guidelines and subsequent products are discussed. In addition, a description of the collaborative work within the larger corporation is described.

KEYWORDS

Interaction, research organizations, user testing, design guidelines, collaborative development, organizational context, development tools and methods

INTRODUCTION

Eastman Kodak Company is one of the world's largest manufacturer of conventional photography film and processing. With the introduction of PhotoCD in 1992 Kodak became immersed in the electronic imaging business. Today Kodak offers 5 different formats of PhotoCD and numerous software programs to support the technology.

Within Kodak's large Imaging Division lie many smaller digital imaging groups in both Rochester, NY and Boston, MA. During the past year these groups have been coordinating and cooperatively contributing to the development of many projects, introducing the Voice of the Customer into the process, bringing the quality of both the development process and resultant product up.

Eastman Kodak Company's Kodak Boston Development Center(KBDC) is a self-sufficient entity which can design, develop and launch desktop software products for Kodak's PhotoCD technology. Part of that group is the Usability Laboratory whose mission is to insure that all products meet the needs of the users being targeted. The usability Lab staff also participates in Committee and projects from different areas of the company to insure high quality, usable products. Rochester , NY is the home of the Design Resource Center, a group that houses the Human Factors group. Together the Usability Group at the KBDC and the Human Factors Group have enabled Kodak to become more centered on their users, to find the Voice of the Customer and integrated it clearly in their products.

Some of the projects the Usability staff have been involved with are Desktop Software User Interface (DSUI) Guidelines- a publication produced for in-house user to insure a common look and feel across Kodak products. Other projects include user interface design on PhotoCD Access, a product for working with images on PhotoCD, PhotoEdge, Shoebox, Create-it, all software products working with image files from various sources, including PhotoCD.

POLICIES

The KKBDC Usability Laboratory works on alm,ost any project Kodak would like to have the user input on. The Lab generally requests that the development group produce a specification describing the goal of the product and the target user group. Only after the Lab receives those descriptions does the Usability study begin. This insures that the developers and the Usability team are working together and their goals are the same.

PROJECTS

The KKBDC has worked on a variety of above mentioned products and been able to shared some of the knowledge from one to another. One example of this is the color ring around. This piece of functionality was originally developed for the ColorSense product. It's purpose was to allow users to view different color versions of an image to aid in color correction. The dialog box was set up so that the original image was in the center of the screen and the variations were displayed in a ring around the image. This allowed the user to visualize the changes before they effected them on the image file.

This concept was then carried over for brightness and contract correction. It was designed and tested with users.

Initial tested showed users many different screen designs while other tests looked at interaction in both human and computer behavior. The data was integrated into a prototype and tested with users. Once the user group finally liked the function it was integrated into the product.

The ring around was so successful it was used in the Create-it and then the Access 3.0 product. IT was also cited in the DSUI Guidelines as an example of good design.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN KKBDC AND KODAK

The relationship between KBDC and the greater Kodak community has developed slowly over time. Initially, the Usability group worked only with software products that were being developed by the KBDC. The Imaging Group worked independently in Rochester NY, with the philosophy that it was not workable to collaborate with groups in different geographical locations.

The Human Factors Group (HFG) at the Design Resource Center in Rochester worked primarily with hardware products developed in Rochester. Later on they also worked on systems which included software and finally they moved into work involving desktop software. HFG was working closely with the developers in Rochester and there was no contact with the Boston group.

During the past year the KBDC was chartered to develop guidelines for desktop software to achieve a common look and feel across Kodak products. This effort brought the groups together, along with other development and marketing groups in the Imaging Division The result was the DSUI Guidelines, mentioned above and considered a success by all parties involved. As a result of that work the two groups have started to work together on developing products, taking turns doing user interface design and usability testing.

HOW DO MULTIPLE PROJECTS FIT TOGETHER

The Usability Lab looks to provide the perspective of the user to every project it works on. The Lab strives to insure continuity across product lines. Since Kodak's desktop products provide user's with different aspects of solving their imaging and desktop problems it is important that the products work together and have a common look and feel.

The Usability Lab often works on more then one product at a time. This approach helps maintain the consistency that is desired because often times a piece of user interface can fit into another. A function from one product can be reused effectively in another.

WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE A MEMBER OF THE ORGANIZATION

Kodak's size and resources are particularly helpful in the field of Usability because, although it is a relatively new discipline, Kodak has been working on Human Factors and Ergonomics for years. Usability was therefore, the next logical step as the company moved into Digital Imaging.

The size of the Imaging division provide the company with the luxury of bring staff with specific expertise. The different geographical location and demographics of this staff balance the perspective of the overall group. Although there are inevitable frustrations that come with so many people working together (things like difference of opinion, different methodology, different communication styles) there are the benefits of extensive resources that enable more efficient systems to be put into place.

FUTURE

Kodak is continually working to develop more efficient, interesting, useful and fun digital imaging products. Kodak has made a strong commitment to listening to the voice of its customers and developing the products that they want. To that end, the KBDC Usability Group and the HFG group in Rochester have begun to work more closely together. They even attend a joint weekly staff meeting.

The development and marketing arm of the Digital and Applied Imaging Group has also made a commitment to working closely with all the Usability people on staff. This insures that the future development of products will be on the right track and include the user as a primary design consideration.