This dissertation investigates aesthetics of engagement in -interaction. Aesthetic refers to the aesthetic experience, based on a phenomenological and pragmatist understanding: dynamic and personal, appealing mutually to - and formed inseparably by - our bodily, emotional, as well as intellectual faculties. Engagement signifies this experience as forming a deeply involved relationship between people and an artefact in interaction. The theoretical background upon which this work is based, asserts that we perceive the world in terms of how we can act in it. Action, through the body, is how we make sense of the world around us. To be congruent with these foundations and the topic at hand means that the research program was investigated through a constructive design research process. The research program anchors and outlines the goal of this investigation: to contribute shareable knowledge of how to design for aesthetic engagement in interaction by leveraging a first-person -perspective. The findings of this research form two contributions to the overlapping fields of Human-Computer Interaction and (Interaction) Design Research. The main contribution is methodological and is concerned with generating knowledge through design. The methodological structure of this dissertation builds on a programmatic approach that centres on the first-person perspective of the designer, who learns from experience by reflecting on design action. Such an approach is fundamental to the design tradition, but its dependency on subjectivity is also a source of epistemological conflict since design, as mode of inquiry, matures and comes in contact with more established disciplines that have their own academic traditions. For design research, to develop its own intellectual culture, alternative and bidirectional relationships between theory and practice need to be further shaped, articulated, and debated in the field. This dissertation contributes to this discussion around designerly ways of knowing by exposing how skillful coping and intuition, through mechanisms of reflection-on-action, generate a multitude of perspectives on a complex design space. These perspectives reveal parts of the complexity of designing for aesthetic engagement, while leaving it intact. Exposing and consolidating the first-person (design) knowledge embedded in these perspectives allows this knowledge to be articulated as a shareable academic knowledge contribution. This shareable knowledge forms the second contribution of this dissertation. Reflections on the process and results of eight constructive design research projects describe a design space around aesthetic engagement. Individual reflections are consolidated into themes that describe how a design may elicit aesthetic engagement in interaction. These themes are experiential qualities: conceptual values that can be leveraged for a design to appeal to both mind and body in ways that are rich, open-ended and ambiguous. The findings propose strategies for interactions with digital technologies to open up the complexity of relations in the world between artefacts and people. Designing for aesthetics of engagement proposes ways to respect people’ skills in making sense of the complexity of the lived world. In respecting the uniqueness of their body and the subjectivity of their experiences, to design for aesthetic engagement is to support the expression of personal points of view in interaction. This points to ways in which designers can open up interactions with digital technologies to be more beautiful, respectful, and liveable, as it touches what makes us human: our personal being in the world.

Environmental problems such as pollution and overconsumption is something that is mentioned often in the news as this thesis is written. Food waste is a problem that causes valuable resources to be lost, as on average one third of all food globally is being wasted. The food chain is complicated, from the farm to the table, and innovations in all parts of the chain could help reduce the waste. We have aimed our scope to the end of the chain, when food is made at a restaurants to be served to customers. Figures say that about 23% of food in the restaurant business in Sweden is being wasted. To try to solve this problem, we have turned to service design and the methodologies presented there, to find a potential solution that could help reduce food waste. An extensive service design process was made with many interviews with restaurants to find where a solution could be made. The whole design process is presented in the report, and the final concept resolves around a sustainable lunch dish that can be made out of ingredients that would otherwise be thrown out. The dish would be sold at lunch restaurants for a reduced price since it is cheap to make, and would make more people act sustainable. A concept test was made to evaluate the the sustainable dish concept with the help from the public. The main question was: Is this concept something that could be adopted by people who buy lunch on a regular basis in Sweden? The concept test resulted in 165 respondents that were asked what they would choose to eat from a given menu. 32% chose the sustainable dish, and although biases were believed to have played a role in the decision, the concept was deemed successful. A website was then designed, aimed towards restaurants that wanted to adopt the concept and to get started in an easy way.

Hoje a tecnologia digital se aplica de forma maior e mais variada em diversos aspectos do cotidiano. Com esteio nisso objetiva-se identificar aspectos projetuais relevantes no sentido da mediação de conteúdo e potencialização do aprendizado de visitantes em museus por meio da interação com artefatos tecnológicos digitais interativos. Busca-se tal entendimento mediante um estudo de ações projetuais nesta natureza associado a observação do usuário em atividade. Contribuições e influxos para o visitante foram estudados partindo, primeiramente, de uma reunião de padrões e classificações realizadas por alguns autores sobre o tema, para, com amparo nisso, realizar as análises, as quais foram divididas em duas fases. A primeira estruturou-se num estudo de reconhecimento de estratégias projetuais relevantes aplicadas em exemplos notáveis de artefatos estudados, pelo qual foi obtida uma visão geral do estado da arte de aplicações, nacionais e internacionais de designs desta natureza, ensejando a identificação de estratégias projetuais de cunho estrutural e conceitual. Tais análises foram articuladas a um aprofundamento na observação do usuário em interação, por meio de dois estudos de caso selecionados dentre os projetos anteriormente elencados. O primeiro foi o projeto A Voz da Arte, fruto da parceria entre Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo e a IBM. Já o segundo se concentra na instalação Relevos da Terra em 3D, situada no Museu Catavento Cultural. A coleta de dados se deu por levantamento de áudio e vídeo da interação de 15 visitantes no primeiro, e 12 no segundo artefato, seguida por entrevistas semiestruturadas com cada usuário, tratando de questões relativas a suas experiências individuais na atividade de interação com interface e conteúdo propostos. Por fim realizou-se uma categorização dos pontos relevantes observados, produzindo um diagrama que sintetiza as estratégias projetuais elencadas em três dimensões de estímulos da interação, divididas em aspectos: materiais; racionais e emocionais. / Today digital technology is applied in a larger and more varied way in different aspects of daily life. Based on this, this research aims to identify relevant design aspects in the sense of content mediation and enhancement of the visitor`s learning in museums through interaction with interactive digital technological artifacts. Such understanding is sought through a study of this nature of designs associated with observation of the user in activity. theoretical contributions and impacts for the visitor were studied, starting from a meeting of standards and classifications carried out by some authors on the subject, in order to carry out the analyzes, which were divided into two phases. The first one was structured in a recognition study of relevant design strategies applied in notable examples of artifacts selected, for which an overview of the state of the art of national and international applications of designs of this nature was obtained, leading to the identification of structural and conceptual design strategies. Such analyzes were articulated to a deepening in the observation of the user in interaction, through two case studies selected among the projects previously listed. The first is the A Voz da Arte project, the result of the partnership between Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo and IBM. The second one focuses on the Relevos da Terra em 3D installation, located in the Catavento Cultural Science Museum. The data collection was done by audio and video survey of the interaction of 15 visitors in the first, and 12 in the second artifact, followed by semi-structured interviews with each user, dealing with questions related to their individual experiences in interaction activity with interface and content proposed. Finally, a categorization of the relevant points was carried out, producing a diagram that synthesizes the projected strategies in three dimensions of stimuli, divided into: material; rational and emotional aspects.

Ubiquitous computing aims to make human-computer interaction as naturalistic and functionally invisible as possible through embedding computing potential within a particular context to support human activity. However, much of ubiquitous computing research is focussed on technical innovation due to the challenges involved with deploying embedded computing, thereby reducing the commitment to the philosophical ideals of ubiquitous computing in research. This dissertation describes the investigation of a participatory approach to technically-complex research in order to understand how our view of the engineering and human challenges changes when the two are approached hand-in-hand. The domain chosen for this system was a dental surgery. Dentistry involves a complex workspace with computer interaction constrained by surgery hygiene. Ubiquitous computing offers a compelling interaction alternative to the keyboard and mouse paradigm in such an environment. A multi-method approach that employed ethnographic research and design prototyping was undertaken with dentists from several different private practices. A series of field studies used ethnographic methods such as observation and interview. Design events explored prototypes with activities such as design games, contextual interviews, role-playing and contextual prototyping. Activities were devised with the aim of providing a level playing field, whereby both designers and participants feel they can contribute equally, with their respective disciplinary knowledge. It was found that methods needed to be carefully chosen, devised and managed, in order to communicate complex concepts with participants and to constrain the design to technically feasible options. The thesis examines the design problem from the perspectives of a variety of different stakeholders within a participatory design framework, reflected upon by means of human-centred action research. Data was gathered through design speculations and observation, and explored using methods such as the Video Card Game and Video Interaction Analysis. Fieldwork was analysed using a multi-stage qualitative analysis process which informed further design collaboration with participants. The analysis of data gathered during design studies with dentists also contributed to the development of a prototype system to validate methodological contributions. The resulting prototype utilised off-the-shelf hardware and software which allowed for innovative customisation and development. In-situ prototyping (defined by the author as “participatory bootstrapping”) and a comprehensive knowledge of the domain afforded the creative application of technology. In addition to contributing to the prototype design, the interpretive understandings drawn from analysis identified how technical ideas were presented and utilised by participants of the studies, and how best to engage busy professionals. The final outcomes of the research were a multimodal ubiquitous computing system for interacting within a dental surgery; the development and implementation of a variety of methods aimed at communicating technical concepts and eliciting user motivations, practices and concerns; and a set of design principles for engineers engaging in design of systems for human use. The research presented within this thesis is primarily part of the field of human-computer interaction, but provides evidence of how engineering development can be influenced by a user-centred participatory approach. The benefits that derive from inclusive methods of design are demonstrated by the evaluation of a prototype that employed such methods. The contribution of this thesis is to demonstrate and delineate methods for developing ubiquitous computing technologies for the context of human use. This led to a set of design principles for the engineering of systems for human use: 1. Technology needs to be robust and simple to appropriate. This allows users to give insights on technology developments and also to allow users to discover for themselves how they would use the technology. 2. An evolving and carefully considered set of methods are needed to elicit communication between practitioners and across disciplines. The gaps in understandings and the different representations that arise across the disciplines provide essential clues to next steps in design. These gaps and differences form tensions that can be exploited productively. 3. Context is important for determining which design steps to take. Rather than abstracting a problem in order to solve it, as is usual in engineering design, the problem should remain grounded in the context of use. It reveals what the real problems are that need to be solved rather than the imagined ones. This requires an appreciation of the situated nature of action and of the variability of work. In turn it also requires an appreciation of what the human can and does do and what the machine should support. 4. Accountability in design is required. There is a fundamental tension between trying to make something work and seeing what really does work; specifically it is necessary to understand when automation is worth it in human machine systems. While engaged in the design process, engineers should ask how much technology should reconfigure human practices because of a useful outcome, rather than attempting to automate and converge devices for its own sake. A clear understanding of the constraints and workings of the work space needs to be balanced with the understandings of the limitations of the technology in order to design a system that improves work practice and empowers the practitioner.

<p>This thesis explores new approaches to making and playing with programming materials, especially the forms provided with screen-based digital media. Designing with these media expressions can be very attractive to children, but they are usually not made available to them in the same degree as are physical materials.</p><p>Inspired by children's play with physical materials, this work includes design explorations of how different resources alter, scaffold and support children in activities of making dynamic, screen-based systems. How tangibles turn the activity of programming into a more physical, social and collaborative activity is emphasised. A specific outcome concerns the importance of considering 'offline' and socially oriented action when designing tangible technologies. The work includes the design of a tangible programming system, Patcher, with which groups of children can program systems displayed on a large screen surface.</p><p>The character of children's programming is conceptualised through the notion of a digital patchwork, emphasising (1) children's programming as media-sensitive design, (2) making programming more concrete by combining and reusing readily available programming constructs, and (3) the use of tangibles for social interaction.</p>

<p>This thesis explores the problems and possibilities concerning the interaction between players physically located in different cars during temporary meetings in a gaming situation. The thesis is part of a study set out to investigate how traffic encounters can be used as a resource in a mobile, multiplayer game intended as entertainment for children travelling in the backseat of cars. The multiplayer capabilities are realised by using wireless networks in ad hoc peer- to-peer mode, GPS positioning and a digital compass. </p><p>Designing the interaction for an ad hoc, mobile multiplayer experience introduces several design challenges, such as how to adapt to the temporality of traffic encounters and how to establish a connection between the digital game and the physical context. The nature of traffic encounters inspired us to take a newapproach to the interaction. The interaction is accomplished using a device, which enables direct interaction between players physically located in different cars. A prototype game was constructed within the frames of the project, which this thesis was part of, to test the functionality of the game concept. The prototype has been tested in its real setting, i.e. inside a car. The study and the work on this thesis was initialised and supervised by Liselott Brunnberg and the work was carried out at the Mobility Studio at the Interactive Institute in Stockholm during late spring and summer 2003.</p>

<p>This thesis explores object based design team communication. It is assumed that boundary objects in design teams serve as an important communication aid and are considered to have a crucial role in the conducting of multidisciplinary teamwork. Objects, such as design specifications and prototypes, can for example help bridging knowledge gaps between the different interests involved and offer guidance and support in their design work. The aim was to identify the possible problems that might occur connected to the different objects used in a design team. In order to study this, an ethnographical inspired study was carried out. Overall results were that the design team needed to extend their use of objects, in order to be fully supported by them in their work. Further, the existing objects needed to be changed or used differently. A “communication resource hub” was suggested, where all the new and old objects could be gathered. In this “resource hub” there should be room for different models that could be applied as a support for deciding on the right objects for the right purpose.</p>

<p>There is a gap between low-fidelity prototyping using paper and high-fidelity prototyping using computers in web design. Both serve well in different stages of web design, but are not well integrated. Prior studies have examined the practice of web designers. The studies resulted in a number of alternative prototyping tools, which focus on informal representation and try to prolong sketching in the design process.</p><p>The thesis proposes a design of a prototyping tool that makes use of existing paper sketches. In paper prototyping, a human who acts as the “computer” makes the sketches interactive. In the prototyping tool put forward in the thesis, the interactivity of the sketches is instead created on the computer. The novel prototyping tool needs to support the interactions and behaviours used in web design, and it must be easy to use so that the web designers do not have to invest too much time learning it.</p><p>The prototype of the tool is a sketch-and-scan interface, thus allowing the use of paper the way it is. The functionality supports both documentation and computer interactivity. Usability tests and expert reviews were conducted, involving students, lecturers and researchers in human-computer interaction.</p><p>The results elaborate previous research on prototyping practice, and a designers’ wish list was formulated. A prototyping tool is expected to support communication between users, designers and developers; as well as to reduce a designer’s need to change his work practice when using the tool.</p>

<p>As the internet has become an increasingly growing market for companies, it has also subsequently revolutionized shopping. There are countless different options on the internet for individuals. If a website does not live up to the expectations, there is always another one just a few clicks away. This raises the demands on the retailers, in terms of development and maintenance of their e-commerce websites. In order to succeed, there are many things that have to be considered and addressed. This thesis research discusses some of the most essential questions that may arise during the development of an e-commerce website. The process has been divided into four different sections; graphical design, information design, interaction design, and online trust. Each one of these sectors is important and every website developer should be familiar with them.</p>

<p>It is difficult for designers to explain what they do. In addition,those unfamiliar with design do not understand the rigor and logic of design thinking and process .We can’t formulate pre defined model for design process because every design situation is unique and new situation. But I tried to formulate my own model for design process as common with Inspirations from my supervisors/Lectures. I tried to describe what is design? And what is design process? In this paper.This personal position paper explores the personal improvement throughout the course work and what I learnt though out the course work.</p>