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The objectives and goals of this study is to analyze different styles of viewing information on mobile platforms and to find out what each different view brings to the table by creating and testing them with varied users. The study takes into account List View, Scroll View, and Grid View and compares them while viewing three different data formats. For this study, plain text, tabulated text, and interactive text will be analyzed. Smart mobile devices are the most used platform to view data in today's information rich world according to a survey conducted by Forrester Research. When designing for them, a lot must be considered but not knowing what is best suited for each application can be daunting for developers and designers, especially in the user experience context. This study aims to explore each mobile interface and give a better understanding about the different user interface designs features. Information visualization on cross-media information spaces and platforms is an important part of how information is disseminated today. Considering nowadays people get their information through multiple different media platforms like tablets, mobile phones, and web browsers, how to visualize data across all these platforms is a study to focus on in itself. The study showed that users performed better with certain views paired with different data types over others. Certain features of each view helped users understand the data types better over others while others improved users speed in reading data. Users showed certain preferences when interacting with each view on mobile devices when viewing cross media information which is mentioned in the study. / Målet för den här studien är att analysera olika sätt att visa information på mobila enheter och jämföra dessa genom att testa med olika användare. Studien undersöker de olika vyerna List View, Scroll View och Grid View och jämför dem med tre olika dataformat: vanlig text, tabellerad text och interaktiv text. Smarta mobila enheter är den mest använda plattformen för att synliggöra i dagens informationsrika samhälle enligt en undersökning av Forrester Research. När man utformar designlösningar för smarta mobila enheter är det mycket man behöver ta hänsyn till. Att inte veta vad som är bäst för varje applikation kan vara en svår uppgift för utvecklare och designers, särskilt ur användarperspektiv. Den här studiens syfte är att utforska varje mobilt gränssnitt och ge en bättre förståelse för de olika designlösningarna. Att visualisera information på olika mediers informationsytor och plattformar är en viktig del av hur information sprids idag.Om man tar i beaktan att människor numera får information via flertalet medieplattformar som tex läsplattor, mobiltelefoner, och webbläsare så inser man att visualisering av data på alla dessa medieplattformar är en studie i sig. Studien visade att användare lyckades bättre med vissa vyer och datatyper i kombination jämfört med andra. Specifika funktioner i varje vy hjälpte användare att förstå vissa datatyper bättre än andra, medan andra förbättrade användarnas snabbhet att läsa data. Användare tycktes föredra att interagera med vyer på mobila enheter när de tittade på information på olika medieplattformar, vilket nämns i studien.

This dissertation is based upon the work within a number of research projects, five of which are presented in detail. The work follows the direction of research laid out by the Ubiquitous Computing and Augmented Reality research programs and concerns the broad question of where to go as we seek to take digital technology, and human interactions with this technology, beyond the traditional desktop computer. The work presented takes a design-oriented approach to Human Computer Interaction research. Five prototype systems are presented: Ambient displays for remote awareness, a navigation device providing guidance through tactile cues, a personal device for wastewater plant operators, paper cards enabling control of video playback, and a cell phone that enables you to ‘talk silent’. It is discussed how these prototypes, despite obvious differences, all reflect the same overall attitude towards the role of digital technology. It is an attitude emphasizing that integration of digital technology with everyday human activities means making computational power manifest as part of a larger patchwork of resources. Furthermore, it is an attitude promoting the design of digital technology that leaves the control and initiative with people and their earned ability to take appropriate action when faced with the particularities of the social and physical settings encountered in everyday life beyond the computer screen. In other words, this dissertation brings forward, by using five prototypes as examples, an attitude that encourages us to recognize, embrace, and take advantage of, the fact that human interaction with digital technology takes place, not in a vacuum, but in a rich and diverse world full of many resources for human action other than the digital technology we bring about. / <p>In collaboration with School of Arts and Communication, Malmö University, Sweden.</p>

<p>The older population is increasing, as is life expectancy. Technical devices are becoming more widespread and used for many everyday tasks. Knowledge about new technology is important to remain as an active and independent part of the society. However, if an old user group should have equal access to this technology, new demands will be placed on the design of interfaces and devices. With respect to old users it is and will be important to develop technical devices and interfaces that take the age-related decline in physical and cognitive abilities into account. The aim of this work was to investigate to what extent the age-related cognitive decline affects performance on different computer-related tasks and the use of different interfaces. With respect to the use of computer interfaces, two studies were conducted. In the first study, the information was presented with a hierarchical structure. In the second study the information was presented as a 3D-environment, and it was also investigated how an overview map could support navigation. The third study examined the age-related cognitive decline in the use of a small mobile phone display with a hierarchical information structure. The results from the studies showed that the most pronounced age-related difference was found in the use of the 3D-environment. Within this environment, prior experience was found to have the largest impact on performance. Regarding the hierarchical information structures, prior experience seemed to have a larger impact on performance of easy tasks, while age and cognitive abilities had a larger impact on performance of more complex tasks. With respect to navigation aids, the overview map in the 3D-environment did not reduce the age-differences; however, it contributed to a better perceived orientation and reduced the feeling of being lost.</p>

The aim of this project was to develop and evaluate an interactive Augmented Reality interface for teaching children aged 8 to 15 about biological systems present in the human body. The interface was de- signed as one component of a “human body scanner” exhibit, which is to be featured at the ScienceAlive! Science Centre. In the exhibit, the interface allows visualization and interaction with the body systems while being moved across a human male mannequin named BRET. Prior research has shown that Augmented Reality, Visualization applications, and games are viable methods to teach biology to university aged users, and Augmented Reality and interactive systems have been used with children and learning biology as well. BRET went through three iteration phases, in the first phase, prototypes were evaluated by ScienceAlive! and designs and interactions were implemented, while the use of Augmented Reality through a transparent display was rejected. Iteration two included integration of the non-transparent touch display screen and observational evaluation of six children from 9 to 15 years old. This evaluation resulted in design and interaction changes. Iteration three was the last iteration where final interface and interaction modifications were made and re- search was conducted with 48 children from the ages 8 to 15. This was to determine whether learning, fun, and retention rates were higher for children who interacted with BRET versus those who watched video clips, or read text. Each child used one learning method to learn the three different body systems: skeletal, circulatory, and digestion. The results of the final evaluation showed that overall there was no significant difference in the children’s rating of fun or the amount of information they retained between the different learning methods. There was a positive significant difference between some of the expected fun scores and the actual fun scores. It was also found that learning with text was higher than the interactive condition but there was no differences between learning with video and interaction, or with text and video.

[pt] Através desta dissertação, foi possível avaliar e definir recursos ergonômicos de áudio com análises de sites corporativos da Internet, para posteriormente verificar a aceitação destes recursos pelo usuário. Inicialmente, foram apresentados conceitos relativos à utilização de áudio em sites da Internet para melhor compreender os processos relacionados. Depois, foram realizados procedimentos para delimitar amostras e avaliar os efeitos dos recursos ergonômicos de áudio na experiência do usuário. Verificou- se que a adequação dos recursos ergonômicos de áudio é um fator primordial em sites que utilizam áudio na Internet e a falta de testes com o usuário no processo de desenvolvimento de sites compromete o uso do áudio. Sem conhecer o modelo- mental do usuário, não há como definir os quesitos mais importantes relacionados ao áudio. Percebeu-se também a importância de organizar resultados para auxiliar no desenvolvimento de projetos que envolvam aspectos ergonômicos ou de usabilidade. Assim, conclusões sobre os principais recursos ergonômicos de áudio foram apresentadas em seções distintas para facilitar sua aplicação. / [en] This thesis evaluated and defined audio ergonomic resources through the analysis of corporative sites from Internet, verifying the acceptance of these resources with the user. Initially, related concepts to audio application in sites of the Internet were presented to better understanding envolved processes. Later, procedures had been carried through to establish scopes and audio ergonomic resourses effects in the user experience were evaluated. It was noted that the adequacy of audio ergonomic resources is a primordial factor in sites that use audio in the Internet and the lack of tests with the user in the process of development of sites compromises the audio applications. Without knowing the mental-model of the user, it is impossible to define the most important itens related to audio. The importance of organizing research data results to assist in the development of projects that involve ergonomic or usability aspects was also noted. Thus, conclusions on the main audio ergonomic resources had been presented in distinct sections to facilitate its applications.

Thesis advisor: James Gips / This paper examines the impact of a multicultural approach on the usability of web and software interface designs. Through the use of an eye-tracking system, the study compares the ability of American users to navigate traditional American and Japanese websites. The ASL R6 eye-tracking system recorded user search latency and the visual scan path in locating specific items on the American and Japanese pages. Experimental results found statistically significant latency values when searching for left- or right-oriented navigation menus. Among the participants, visual observations of scan paths indicated a strong preference for initial movements toward the left. These results demonstrate the importance of manipulating web layouts and navigation menus for American and Japanese users. This paper further discusses the potential strengths resulting from modifications of interface designs to correspond with such cultural search tendencies, and suggestions for further research. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2005. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Computer Science. / Discipline: College Honors Program.

The evolution of Patient Reported Outcomes (PROs), has made an essential impact on patient-centered symptom management. PROs enable us to measure the patient‘s feels about their symptoms during treatment. ePROs (electronic PROs) are interfaces that allow a patient or health care provider to manage symptoms using an application such as mobile computing applications. The growth of mobile technologies in the healthcare sector has enabled us to take advantage of features like data manipulation, portability and standardization enable a better patient-driven symptom management. The Pan-Canadian Oncology Symptom Triage and Remote Support (COSTaRS) is a paper-based symptom management guideline designated for nurses. The objective of COSTaRS is to help and improve the decision-making process and create a consistent symptom management reporting system. Although this tool introduces numerous advantages in cancer symptom management, it also induces a number of issues for patients due to being overwhelming. Moreover, a noticeable portion of drawbacks originates from the paper-based nature of COSTaRS. In addition, cancer care symptom management mobile applications do not offer proper evidence-based centered symptom management system to the users. The purpose of this study is to design and developed the mobile version of COSTaRS for patients and caregivers. We identify problems with the current paper-based structure and related academic and non-academic works and then, we design and evaluate a mobile version of COSTaRS that takes advantage of advances in mobile technology. We leverage COSTaRS knowledge to create a mobile application for symptom management. We create an evidence-based platform for cancer treatment-related symptom management. A usability testing has been conducted for evaluation of the COSTaRS mobile application. The results of this study verify the usability of COSTaRS mobile application.

Coleções digitais de mídias, tanto pessoais como online, crescem rapidamente. Para que grandes quantidades de músicas sejam acessíveis à usuários, serviços populares como iTunes, Last.fm e Pandora oferecem recomendações. Essa abordagem livra usuários de lembrarem de músicas, e permite a descoberta de canções novas ou esquecidas. Mas recomendações apresentam problemas com usuários, como credibilidade e falta de controle. A motivação deste trabalho é melhorar a experiência de usuários com recomendações de música através do uso de explicações. Ao usar um sistema de recomendação, a satisfação e aprovação de usuários não depende só da eficácia do algoritmo, mas também de explicações. Pesquisas mostram que estas podem beneficiar sistemas de recomendação, aumentando a credibilidade e satisfação de usuários, ao oferecer mais transparência e formas de correção. O objetivo deste trabalho é projetar e desenvolver uma nova forma de visualização de tags, e testar sua viabilidade para explicar e filtrar recomendações de músicas. Mais precisamente, investigamos se esta visualização pode favorecer as metas de inspeção (scrutability), eficiência, eficácia e satisfação. A partir da pesquisa em necessidades de usuários para recomendações e música, a visualização Tag Strings foi projetada e desenvolvida. Tag Strings inclui tanto a interface da visualização, quanto o processo de coleta e cálculo de relevância de tags e músicas. Para a avaliação da visualização Tag Strings, dois tipos de experimentos foram construídos: a comparação entre uma lista de recomendações com Tag Strings, e a comparação entre o design de referência (baseado nos serviços Last.fm e Pandora) e Tag Strings. A construção desses dois experimentos permitiu a avaliação de Tag Strings como uma forma de explicação para recomendações de música. Os resultados dos experimentos evidenciam que a nova forma de visualização Tag Strings favorece as metas de inspeção (scrutability), eficiência, eficácia e satisfação, melhorando a usabilidade e experiência de usuários com recomendações de música. / Digital media collections, both personal and online, grow rapidly. To make large music collections available to users, popular services such as iTunes, Last.fm and Pandora offer recommendations. This approach frees users from searching for music, and allows for the discovery of new or forgotten items. But recommendations present issues such as user trust and lack of control. The motivation for this project is to improve user experience with music recommendations through explanations. While using a recommendation system, user acceptance and satisfaction depends not only on the algorithm effectiveness, but also on explanations. Research shows that recommendations benefit from explanations, increasing user trust and satisfaction by offering more transparency and scrutability. The goal of this project is to design and develop a new form of tag visualization, and test its feasibility to explain and filter music recommendations. We specifically investigate if the visualization can support the aims of scrutability, efficiency, effectiveness and satisfaction. Based on the user research and needs for music recommendation, the visualization Tag Strings was designed and developed. Tag Strings includes both the visualization interface and the process of collecting and calculation of tag and track relevancy. To evaluate the visualization Tag String, we designed two types of experiments: comparing Tag Strings with a recommendation list, and comparing Tag Strings with a design reference (based on the services Last.fm and Pandora). The design of these two experiments allowed the evaluation of Tag Strings as a form of explanation to music recommendation. The experiment results highlight that the new visualization Tag Strings favors the aims of scrutability, efficiency, effectiveness and satisfaction, improving the user experience with music recommendations.

O principal objetivo do desenvolvimento de aplicações multimodais é possibilitar uma maneira mais natural dos seres humanos se comunicarem com as máquinas, por meio de interfaces mais eficientes, intuitivas, fáceis de usar e, de certa forma, mais inteligentes. No entanto, a literatura da área mostra que a reutilização, tanto de conhecimento como de código fonte, ainda apresenta problemas, dados a complexidade do código em sistemas multimodais, a falta de mecanismos eficientes de testes de usabilidade e a dificuldade em se gerenciar a captura, o armazenamento e a recuperação de conhecimento de projeto. Nesta tese argumenta-se que a utilização de uma abordagem sistemática, centrada no usuário, apoiada por uma ferramenta computacional e com um modelo bem definido que permita o desenvolvimento de interfaces multimodais com a reutilização de Design Rationale, aumenta e melhora os níveis de usabilidade, promove a identificação e utilização de padrões de projeto e o reúso de componentes. Para demonstrar esta tese, apresenta-se neste texto a abordagem para o desenvolvimento de interfaces multimodais Web, MMWA, e o seu ambiente de autoria, o MMWA-ae, ambos compostos por atividades que auxiliam a equipe de projeto durante as fases de projeto, desenvolvimento e avaliações de usabilidade. São discutidos também os resultados obtidos com a execução de três estudos de caso, realizados no ambiente acadêmico, nos quais se buscou determinar a viabilidade da abordagem e os benefícios que podem ser alcançados com a combinação de diferentes técnicas, a saber: design rationale, padrões de projeto, modelagem de tarefas, componentes de software, princípios de usabilidade, avaliações heurísticas, testes com usuários, regras de associação, entre outras. Os resultados evidenciam que a abordagem e seu ambiente de autoria podem proporcionar diferentes benefícios para organizações que desenvolvem sistemas multimodais, incluindo o aumento da usabilidade e consequentemente da qualidade do produto, bem como a diminuição de custos e da complexidade do desenvolvimento com a reutilização de código e de conhecimento capturado em projetos anteriores / The main goal of developing multimodal applications is to enable a more natural way of communication between human beings and machines through interfaces that are more efficient, intuitive, easier to use and, in a certain way, more intelligent. However, the literature shows that the reuse of both knowledge and source code still presents problems, given the complexity of the code in multimodal systems, the lack of efficient mechanisms to test the usability and the difficulty in managing the capture, the storage and the recovery of design knowledge. In this thesis it is discussed that the use of a systematic approach, usercentered, supported by a computer tool and with a well defined model that allows the development of multimodal interfaces with the reuse of DR, increases and improves the usability levels, promotes the identification and the use of design patterns and the reuse of components. To demonstrate this thesis, it is shown in this text an approach to develop Web multimodal interfaces (MMWA) and its authoring environment (MMWA-ae), both composed of activities that help the design team during the different project phases: design, development and usability evaluation. We also discuss in this thesis the results obtained with the execution of three case studies, executed in the academic environment, which aimed to determine the feasibility of the approach and the benefits that can be achieved with the combination of different techniques, such as: design rationale, design patterns, tasks model, software components, usability principles, heuristic evaluations, user testing, association rules, among others. The results show clearly that the approach and its author environment can provide different benefits to organizations that develop multimodal systems, including the usability improvement and, consequently, the quality of the product, as well as the decrease of costs and complexity since it encompasses the development with reused code and design knowledge captured in previous projects