[R U X] Corner
................................................................................ We are graduate and undergraduate students in the Research in User eXperience (RUX) Lab in the Department of Human Factors and Behavioral Neurobiology. RUX investigates the usability and user experience of technology in our everyday world. This is a regular column that explores different technologies typically used by Embry-Riddle students. ................................................................................
Kilter Boards: A Rocky Experience? Matthew Bivens, Jessyca Derby, Carmen Van Ommen Graduate Researchers The Kilter Board is a modern take on a system board, a tool used by many rock climbers to make and climb routes (a predesignated pattern of holds, or “rocks”, that climbers use to climb the wall). System boards have standardized holds that climbers can use to create routes and share with their friends, who would also have a board with the same hold layout. The Kilter Board is connected to a digital app that gives climbers access to a bank of routes created by people all over the world at almost every grade. Since Embry-Riddle is adding rock climbing to their new fitness center, our group wanted to look into that experience. We evaluated the experiences of climbers new to the Kilter Board and depicted their experiences using a journey map. A journey map is a visual representation of the emotions a participant has during the experience, and lists the positives and negatives of those experiences. We asked about these climbers’ first impressions of the board, their experience of choosing and climbing a route, and their overall experience with the board.
experienced climbers, however, were excited rather than intimidated and felt this board could give flexibility to climbers at all levels without taking up a lot of space. Choosing a Route to Climb Routes are chosen through either a downloadable app or interactive iPad next to the Kilter Board. Our climbers chose to use the iPad, either because they did not want to download another app onto a personal device or because they did not know an app existed. The app confused even the most experienced of climbers. Settings are not “reset” after each climb, so filters a previous climber used would remain the same. If the last climber set filters for a “V7 or V8”, a more experienced climb, the next climber had to search to find the settings to change to an easier route.
First Impressions For those who had never used a system board before, it seemed to be intimidating. Novice climbers were unsure of where to begin and felt it was geared towards more experienced climbers. The number of holds on the wall also caused concern. Climbers thought they may have difficulties seeing which holds were included in the route because there were so many close together. Lights around the hold indicated which holds were incorporated in a route. When climbing a traditional route, all holds for that route are the same color or marked with tape. The Kilter Board hold lights were green, blue, yellow, and purple. Climbers thought it was pretty, but were unsure what each color meant. More Page 14
Interactive iPad station Photo Courtesy / Jessyca Derby
As one climber said, “it is not intuitive at all.” Instructions were included on a chalkboard behind the iPad but the information was only relevant to downloading the app, rather than navigating the app. After some exploration, everyone eventually chose a route they felt comfortable climbing.