Precedent Study 2

In-depth Analysis & Critique of Interactive Floor plans Part 2

Precedent Property Pix Interactive Floor Plans

http://www.propertypixtas.com.au/interactive-floor-plans.htm

Overall in comparison to the layout and format of the previous precedent study I completed on the company "Total View", PropertyPIX, is more similar to what I would like to accomplish for my Graduation Project in comparison to Totalview.

Introduction

Similar to Totalview, PropertyPIX is a real estate and photography company. That specialises in the presentation and marketing strategies for already built houses. One of their functions is guiding potential buyers through a virtual tour around their property of interest.

Floor Plan Presentation

Similar to the previous precedent study, PropertyPIX, uses the typical style of, black and white presentation drawings. The floor plan and hotspot outputs are presented side by side. By leaving the floor plan and image side by side makes, it easier for the client to guide their way through and gives them the easier option of going back and fourth to different sections of the house, also creating a sense of space and an awareness of what view and position the client is viewing the image from. Unlike Totalview, where once you click on a hotspot on the floor plan the, the image will appear and the floor plan would be hidden, loosing the user’s sense of space and where they are located in, on the floor plan.

By adapting this idea of leaving the floor plan beside the hotspot output, it will create a clearer understanding for the user, and further develops a relationship between the image and the floor plan.

Hotspots and User Interface

In PropertyPIX the hotspots are also presented as turquoise arrows. Each arrow points in a direction that corresponds to the same view that links to the presented to the image. This is a similar, if anything exact type of presentation style I would like to go forward with. 

There is more interaction when it comes to the process of viewing an image on PropertyPIX. There are colour changes in the mouse over settings and also another slight effect, where once you hover your mouse of the hotspot, no only does the arrow changes colour, but also circular radar styled animations extend from the arrow outwards. This simple effect is very eye-catching and effective as it gives the client a sense of where and what they about to click onto.

The Interface design used on PropertyPIX is much more user friendly and at the same time slightly intricate, as its images correspond with the floor plan much easily than Totalview.

There are more buttons, tabs and options to move onto, in comparison to Totalview. There is a sidebar to the right hand side of the interface, which guides the user to the different levels of the building. Making this easier for the user to guide their own way through the house without having to exit and continually going back to the homepage in order to get to other levels of the building.

Also on the right side bar is an option for ‘Fullscreen’ a ‘Show help/advice button’ to once triggered a list of steps on how to use their project. Also on the side bar is a button that gives the user to hide or show the hotspot arrows. Although this system is very efficient, I would rather place the bar on the left hand side, as per usual when reading, you start from the left to right.

On the bottom of the interface is another set of tabs, which play as an automatic slideshow, if the user decides to play the slideshow the hotspots will automatically light up each playing one image for at least 5 seconds then moving on to the next one. The order of which they play in is in correspondence to the floor plan, although this function is suitable for this project, the arrows play and light up in a random order, which I found confusing.

Both of the elements of interface design from PropertyPIX are well designed and easy for the user to work their way through the plans. I plan on sourcing inspiration from this process and plan to adapt these processes to my own project. Especially the use of side tabs and bars to assist in way finding through the project.

Overall, the projects by PropertyPIX are much more feasible than Totalview, as it has more features and has developed easier ways to guide the user through the plans of the building. I would adapt the uses of the mouse overs and sidebars, which include fast access to the other floors of the building. As for the floor plans, which were the presentation styled floor plans, I will not be adapting that style into my own project, as stated before it is simple and restricts me to the amount information I can place on them, mainly visually, as black and white floor plans only has the ability to present information such as tiled and timber flooring.