From CS160 User Interfaces Fa06

Contents 1 Post-It Buddy 1.1 Description 1.2 Target User Group 1.3 Problem Description 1.4 Context and Forces 1.5 Sketch

Post-It Buddy

Description

Have you ever jotted down a note at work, home, school, etc… only to forget to take it with you to your next destination? The Post-It Buddy, allows a user to synchronize all the notes taken to all of the devices he/she uses, for example, a desktop, laptop, work computer and many more. In addition to having access to all of ones notes and any electronic device, Post-It Buddy will also fill in the calendar events appropriately for each device.

Target User Group

The target user group is anyone that takes notes by hand and would like them accessible anywhere they are.

• business professionals -- One would be able to take notes at work or home and would not have to bring the paper copy anywhere

• students – jotting down the homework assignment or class notes, then easily having them outside of class when it comes time do the homework. An additional bonus is sharing notes with friends becomes easier and one doesn’t need to give there copy of the notes to do it.

• parents – shopping reminders, notes to loved ones can now be done from anywhere. For example, the parents leave the kids to go on vacation, and decide that they would like a nice meal cooked for them when they arrive back home, a note jotted down for Johnny is as easy as writing a note

Problem Description

The two main inconveniences that would be solved by Post-It Buddy:

• Not having to remember where you put that note you took.

• Updating all of one’s calendars with one hand written note.

Context and Forces

• Using the Anoto pen one will not have to remember where the actual piece of paper is nor carry that paper around. This will digitize the To-Do list, which of course has been done before, but now it will be written in one’s own handwriting. In addition, a person that can not touch type will not be hindered in entering digital information, where now the only hindrance is the speed of one’s writing. Furthermore, if a note requires a quick sketch, it is no longer a problem.

• If a person on the go uses multiple calendars, let’s say one for work and one for personal matters, then Post-It Buddy would be able to update the proper calendar or both, again allowing a sketch if needed.

I have searched the internet and have not found one product that does everything, but some products that do some of the parts: For example:

• I could find nothing that hooks into Outlook, but only because Microsoft does not release the API to allow people to do so. This will create an obstacle to users of Outlook. But if one uses Lotus Notes, the API is available and can easible be hooked into and updated properly. In addition any other open souce calendar can be easily integrated.

• 3M has products for each end of the spectrum but does not combine the two halves of paper post-its[1], and digital post-its[2]. In addition, 3M nor any other company currently provides a way to synchronize ones digital post-it notes, let alone one's hand written paper post-it notes.

• Another type of product on the market is a PDA, which allows a user to take notes with a stylus, but the OCR on PDA's is not that good, stylus' are uncomfortable to work with for too long and for this task, the PDA is unnecessarily bulky and not battery efficient.

Sketch

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