5 - Adam Friedman

For my project, I redesigned the layout and keyboard feature for the Xbox 360 YouTube App. The redesign was simple because the app was already pretty minimalist, but I felt that the keyboard needed revamped because it was not the best design. It took too long to type out search queries and was the cause of some frustration. 

The Unnecessary Test

Is there more than one way to complete the task this feature supports?

This feature, being able to search for a video using the Xbox YouTube app, has to take in user input and optimize the way that users interact with their results. This could be done in several ways; however, the key components of this feature cannot be done in a different way. There has to be a keyboard to take user input and there has to be a list of search results based on the user's query. The way these two features are accomplished can be designed in several ways and some ways are more optimal than others. So, yes, this feature can be designed in different ways, but the key components remain the same

Does this feature contribute directly to the completion of the task?

Yes, the feature I chose to redesign optimized the computer-user interaction. I took the keyboard, which was designed rather poorly, and made it easier to use and navigate.

Is the task this feature supports vital to the activity this application supports?

Yes. As I explained above, this feature must have a keyboard or some way for a user to input their search queries and it must show results for the user to choose from. The design has one, middle-ground component that shows possible search queries. Although this is not necessary to complete the task, it optimizes the process by providing already-typed answers. This feature is fairly accurate and cuts down the time that a user has to spend typing out a search query. Besides that, the only other features are the keyboard for input and the search results


I don't think I would be able to cut any features from my design. As I said above, there are only three components to my design. A search box with keyboard so the user can input their query, a list of possible search queries based on user input, and the search results. Two of these components are absolutely necessary for the process of searching and the third component greatly aids the user in the process of getting their results. I believe this design is cut down to its bare minimum essentials.