Project Requirements

Partner Introduction

IBM is a global technology company with a rich history of innovation spanning over a century. Their Innovation Centre at York Road, Waterloo serves as a hub for showcasing cutting-edge technologies and solutions to clients and partners. The centre demonstrates IBM's latest advancements in areas such as quantum computing, artificial intelligence, cloud solutions, and more.

The Innovation Centre plays a crucial role in IBM's business strategy, allowing potential clients to experience firsthand how IBM's technologies can transform their operations. However, the physical limitations of the centre mean that international clients and partners often face challenges in accessing these demonstrations without traveling to the UK.

Project Background

Currently, IBM faces a significant challenge with their Innovation Centre: international clients cannot experience the centre's offerings without physically traveling to the UK. This limitation restricts IBM's ability to showcase their innovations to a global audience efficiently.

For example, a potential client in the UAE interested in IBM's quantum computing solutions would need to arrange international travel to visit the Innovation Centre in Waterloo. This creates barriers in terms of time, cost, and logistics, potentially impacting business opportunities.

Our project addresses this challenge by creating an augmented reality (AR) application that enables remote visitors to virtually experience the Innovation Centre. This solution will leverage the UBIQ online environment to create an immersive, interactive experience that captures the essence of being physically present at the centre.

The application will allow multiple participants from different locations to simultaneously visit the virtual Innovation Centre, interact with 3D models of IBM's products (such as their quantum computer), and engage with both IBM representatives and an AI-powered chatbot for information.

Additionally, the solution is designed to be adaptable for other contexts, such as NHS environments where medical students could remotely learn about specific organs or procedures with guidance from professors.

Project Goals

Our primary aim is to develop an innovative augmented reality solution that breaks down geographical barriers for IBM's Innovation Centre, enabling global access to their cutting-edge technologies while creating a template that can be adapted for various industries. The project will focus on creating an immersive, interactive experience that closely mimics physical presence while leveraging AI to enhance user interactions.

Requirement Gathering

User Interviews and Personas

As part of our requirements gathering process, we conducted a series of semi-structured interviews and created detailed user personas to better understand user needs and expectations for the AR experience.

End User

VR/AR Experience Visitor

Goals

Experience virtual tours with engaging, interactive content. Easily navigate and access information.

Challenges

May have varying levels of technical expertise and comfort with VR/AR technology.

Preferences

Prioritizes intuitive navigation, clear information presentation, and immersive experiences.

Persona Sketch

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Interview Responses

How familiar are you with AR or VR technology? Have you used anything similar before?

"Not really. I've seen videos of people using VR for gaming, but I've never tried it myself. I'm curious, though! It looks cool, and I'd like to see how it can help me understand complex topics."

During the workshop, would you prefer more guidance or a chance to explore on your own with some direction?

"A bit of both, I think. I like to start with some guidance, so I know what I'm looking at. But after that, it would be fun to explore on my own. I think I'd learn more if I could go at my own pace and check things out without too much pressure."

What aspects of AR/VR technology are you most excited about or interested in exploring?

"A bit of both, I think. I like to start with some guidance, so I know what I'm looking at. But after that, it would be fun to explore on my own. I think I'd learn more if I could go at my own pace and check things out without too much pressure."

Lastly, what would make this experience memorable and enjoyable for you?

"For me, it's about being able to understand something really complex in a simple way. If I can come away feeling like I 'get' Quantum Computing, even just a little, I'd be happy. Also, if there's a way to share what I've learned, like a summary I can take away, that would be great."

Admin User

Tech-Savvy Professional

Goals

Create and customize virtual tours for their organization or clients. Manage content and user access.

Challenges

Needs an intuitive interface to efficiently create professional-looking tours without extensive technical knowledge.

Preferences

Values customization options, ease of use, and the ability to update content regularly.

Persona Sketch

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Interview Responses

To start, could you describe the current setup at the Innovation Centre? What kinds of displays or technology are used to engage visitors, and how effective do you feel they are?

"Right now, we have several large screens with videos and presentations showcasing IBM's history and innovations. We also have some basic interactive kiosks for visitors to explore different projects. While these are helpful, I think they're a bit limited in immersiveness—visitors can only learn so much from passive displays, and I feel like we could engage them on a deeper level with something more interactive."

What kind of customization would you like to see for the specific content shown in each experience? For example, would you want control over which 3D models, infographics, or key landmarks are featured?

"Yes, definitely. It would be great to have a library of content, like 3D models and infographics, where I could pick and choose what's relevant for each tour. If I could arrange these into a sequence, like a timeline or a specific path, that would make it easy to tell a story or highlight key points depending on the group."

How important is branding customization for you? Would you want options to adjust IBM branding or incorporate specific visuals to match different themes?

"It's important—since we might have visiting partners or special events where we need to tailor the branding a bit. If could adjust logos, colours, or even add certain slides or images relevant to specific clients, that would make the experience feel much more professional and personalized."

From your perspective, how would you use this AR software as part of your role? Do you imagine it would be helpful for guided tours, special events, or even specific visitor groups?

"Definitely. For guided tours, it would make the experience much richer if I could activate different scenarios based on the audience. For instance, when hosting a group of students, I could highlight IBM's contributions to education and present the information in a fun, interactive way. For client-focused events, I could tailor it to show how IBM tech fits into different industries. If the app could easily save and load different themes, that would make presentations more impactful."

Key Conclusions from User Research

Based on our interviews and persona development, we identified these critical insights about what users value most:

1. Intuitive Navigation with Flexible Guidance

   Users prioritize an interface that's easy to navigate with optional guidance. They prefer starting with basic orientation then exploring independently at their own pace.
2. Content Customization and Flexibility

   Administrators need straightforward tools to customize content for different audiences, with the ability to select relevant models and information based on specific visitor groups or events.
3. Complex Information Made Accessible

   Users value experiences that simplify complex technical concepts through visualization and interaction, with takeaway summaries for later reference.
4. Professional Presentation with Adaptable Branding

   The solution must support professional-level presentation with adaptable branding options that can be tailored to different clients, partners, or special events.

Use Case Diagrams

MoSCoW Requirements

Functional Requirements

Non-Functional Requirements