A maturidade da área de Interação Humano-Computador (IHC) pode ser atestada pela grande quantidade de conjuntos formados por regras, diretrizes e normas (aqui designados como diretivas) que têm sido formulados por dezenas de autores como guias para o estudo, criação e melhoria de interfaces de usuário. No entanto, esses conjuntos apresentam diferenças significativas entre si: muitas dessas diretivas, incluindo algumas já consagradas no universo da IHC, não pertencem ao mesmo nível de abstração nem formam um conjunto homogêneo de enunciados. Essa falta de unidade, aliada à acelerada evolução das tecnologias digitais, tem contribuído para manter essas diretivas (e a própria disciplina de IHC, segundo alguns) em um estado constante de fragmentação e permanente modificação. Mesmo assim, podem ser encontrados princípios — ou leis essenciais, universais e imutáveis — que são subjacentes às diretivas e que podem delas ser extraídos através de uma metodologia adequada. Para contribuir com esse processo, a presente pesquisa apresenta uma revisão dos critérios utilizados para a compilação de conjuntos de diretivas de usabilidade, além de um método de três etapas para a redução progressiva de um número significativo de diretivas a uma lista simples de princípios de usabilidade. Os resultados deste trabalho incluem um modelo metodológico e um conjunto de sete princípios que podem ser utilizados para a pesquisa a e prática da Interação Humano-Computador. / The maturity of the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) field can be attested by the large number of existing sets of rules, guidelines and standards (called directives herein) that have been formulated by dozens of authors as guidelines for the study, design and improvement of user interfaces. Still, these sets present significant differences among themselves: many of these directives, including some already established in the realm of HCI, do not belong to the same level of abstraction and do not constitute a homogeneous set of statements. This lack of unity, coupled with the rapid evolution of digital technologies, has contributed to maintain these directives (and, according to some, the very discipline of HCI) in a constant state of fragmentation and perpetual change. Even so, it is possible to find among them certain principles — i.e., essential laws that are universal and immutable — which underlie these directives and can be extracted from them using an appropriate methodology. To contribute to this process, this research presents a review of the criteria used to compile these sets of usability directives and a three-step method for the progressive reduction of a significant number of directives to a simple list of usability principles. The results include a methodological framework and seven principles that can be used for the research and practice of Human-Computer Interaction.

A maturidade da área de Interação Humano-Computador (IHC) pode ser atestada pela grande quantidade de conjuntos formados por regras, diretrizes e normas (aqui designados como diretivas) que têm sido formulados por dezenas de autores como guias para o estudo, criação e melhoria de interfaces de usuário. No entanto, esses conjuntos apresentam diferenças significativas entre si: muitas dessas diretivas, incluindo algumas já consagradas no universo da IHC, não pertencem ao mesmo nível de abstração nem formam um conjunto homogêneo de enunciados. Essa falta de unidade, aliada à acelerada evolução das tecnologias digitais, tem contribuído para manter essas diretivas (e a própria disciplina de IHC, segundo alguns) em um estado constante de fragmentação e permanente modificação. Mesmo assim, podem ser encontrados princípios — ou leis essenciais, universais e imutáveis — que são subjacentes às diretivas e que podem delas ser extraídos através de uma metodologia adequada. Para contribuir com esse processo, a presente pesquisa apresenta uma revisão dos critérios utilizados para a compilação de conjuntos de diretivas de usabilidade, além de um método de três etapas para a redução progressiva de um número significativo de diretivas a uma lista simples de princípios de usabilidade. Os resultados deste trabalho incluem um modelo metodológico e um conjunto de sete princípios que podem ser utilizados para a pesquisa a e prática da Interação Humano-Computador. / The maturity of the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) field can be attested by the large number of existing sets of rules, guidelines and standards (called directives herein) that have been formulated by dozens of authors as guidelines for the study, design and improvement of user interfaces. Still, these sets present significant differences among themselves: many of these directives, including some already established in the realm of HCI, do not belong to the same level of abstraction and do not constitute a homogeneous set of statements. This lack of unity, coupled with the rapid evolution of digital technologies, has contributed to maintain these directives (and, according to some, the very discipline of HCI) in a constant state of fragmentation and perpetual change. Even so, it is possible to find among them certain principles — i.e., essential laws that are universal and immutable — which underlie these directives and can be extracted from them using an appropriate methodology. To contribute to this process, this research presents a review of the criteria used to compile these sets of usability directives and a three-step method for the progressive reduction of a significant number of directives to a simple list of usability principles. The results include a methodological framework and seven principles that can be used for the research and practice of Human-Computer Interaction.

National Programme on Micro and Smart Materials and Systems (NPMASS) / A computer-aided technique is developed in this thesis to systematically generate concepts for sensors of a wide variety. A database of building blocks, based on physical laws and effects that capture the transduction rules underlying the working principles of sensors, has been developed to synthesize concepts. The proposed method uses the database to first create a concept-space graph and then selects concepts that correspond to paths in the graph. This is in contrast to and more efficient than existing methods, such as, compositional synthesis and graph-grammar synthesis, where solution paths are laid out first and then a concept-space graph is generated. The research also explores an approach for synthesis of concepts for closed-loop sensors, where a quantity is sensed indirectly after nullifying its effect by using negative feedback. These sensors use negative feedback to increase the dynamic range of operation without compromising the sensitivity and resolution. According to the literature, generation of un-interesting solutions is a major drawback of the building block-based synthesis approaches. In the proposed approach, this shortcoming is mitigated substantially by using some rules. For a number of the concepts generated, in the sensor problems attempted, we found that those concepts were already implemented in existing patents; thus emphasising the usefulness of the concepts produced. The synthesis approach proposed new, feasible sensor concepts, thereby indicating its potential as a stimulator for enhancing creativity of designers. Another important problem is to improve the robustness of designs. Robustness can be achieved by minimizing the side effects. Side effects are defined as unwanted effects that affect the intended working of the sensor. The research presents an algorithm that (a) predicts the potential side effects for the synthesized concepts of sensors; (b) aids in quantifying the magnitude of the side effects, thus helping the designer to predict the significant side effects; and (c) suggests ways to improve the robustness of the design.

The text of the thesis deals with the purchase of public transport fares in terms of user- friendliness and usability. The aim is to map the area of fare purchase theoretically and practically, including the user perspective. The theoretical ground is the concepts of User Experience, User Interface, Human-computer Interaction, smart city, the theory of the city as an interface. Important parts are also the theoretical aspects of the User Experience in the city environment. Literature review of current research in public transport ticketing systems with user-friendliness perspective presents current topics in the field of public transport ticketing. The practical part of the thesis describes the public transport ticketing systems in Prague and Copenhagen in detail, their possibilities, rules, and specifics. Primary research in the form of semi-structured interviews provides insight into the User Experience and reveals the perceived advantages and disadvantages of local systems.

Aim of this work is to design and create a software tool, which will allow visual specification of laboratory experiments flow on device called GOLEM. This device was created by research group from Department of Chemical Drugs, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno. This software was based on modern web technologies, tools for their design and implementation. The software created in this work offers ergonomic and the highly modular user interface which can be easily extended in case of upgrade. Main benefit of this work is providing research group with a new software tool which will help them perform experiments more effectively.

This master thesis focuses on enhancing the user interface experience for Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) system operators in a military context. Collaborating with Saab, a defense sector company, the study employs the research through design and a user-centered design approach to investigate user needs and how they interact with the interface. The research reveals that despite the unique nature of the defense industry, operators respond poorly to a difficult-to-use interface, leading to frustration and underutilization of functionalities. The study identifies contextual factors such as information overload, user interface design and personalization, task difficulty and lack of help systems, stress, and cognitive load. Through the development and testing of a new interface prototype, incorporating design feedback sessions and iterations, the thesis addresses these contextual demands. The findings highlight the significance of introducing user experience in military environments, where complex system engineering and functionality have been traditionally preferred over simplicity and usability.

Active learning has been suggested to be more effective than traditional learning in terms of exam results and time spent on the course material, making it an attractive alternative to the traditional lectures. One way of practicing active learning is through active learnersourcing, a method of learning that also generates material that contributes to further learning. Learnersourcing can be practiced by generating multiple choice questions (MCQs) related to the course material. However, generating useful and high-quality MCQs is challenging for students, especially since the available digital systems developed for this purpose have great issues in terms of user-friendliness and their outdated visual design. Two of these systems are RiPPLE and PeerWise. When developing a platform designed for generating MCQs for learning, there are general and specific guidelines that can be followed: Nielsen’s 10 heuristics for a good user interface/user experience, and 10 principles for a good MCQ. In this thesis, a new system was developed where these guidelines were applied, as an attempt to investigate if the user experience can be improved compared to the currently available interfaces RiPPLE and PeerWise. The project was named MyCleverQuestion. A user test was conducted, in which the three systems’ interfaces for creating and submitting a question were compared and graded. The results shows that the users had the best experience when using MyCleverQuestion. 83.3% of the users said they would use MyCleverQuestion again, stressing the importance of both a good user interface and user experience. / Aktivt lärande har visat sig vara effektivare än traditionellt lärande i avseende till tentamensresultat och tid studenter spenderar på kursmaterialet, och är således ett attraktivt alternativ till de traditionella föreläsningarna. Ett sätt att utöva aktivt lärande är genom att skapa flervalsfrågor kopplade till kursmaterialet. Denna metod kallas aktiv learnersourcing och gör att man genom lärandet även bidrar med material som kan användas för vidare lärande. Det är dock svårt för studenter att skapa högkvalitativa och användbara flervalsfrågor med hjälp av de digitala system som utvecklats för detta syfte, då deras användarvänlighet är bristande och visuella utformning är föråldrade. RiPPLE och PeerWise är två system utvecklade för att skapa flervalsfrågor i utbildningssyfte, och har båda användarvänlighetsproblem. Det finns särskilda riktlinjer som kan följas för att utveckla ett system där studenter kan generera flervalsfrågor för att utöva aktivt lärande. I denna uppsats har både generella och specifika riktlinjer använts: 10 generella heuristiska principer för att skapa en bra användarupplevelse och användargränssnitt, samt 10 principer för att skapa en bra flervalsfrågas, för att slutligen undersöka om användarupplevelsen kan förbättras jämfört med RiPPLE och PeerWise. Namnet som valdes för projektet var MyCleverQuestion. En användarundersökning genomfördes, där gränssnittet för att skapa en fråga för varje system utvärderades. Resultatet visar att gränssnittet med bäst användarupplevelse är MyCleverQuestion. 83,3% av användarna angav att de skulle använda MyCleverQuestion igen, vilket bevisar vikten av ett bra gränssnitt.

Workplace safety, particularly in manual handling tasks, is a critical concern that hasbeen increasingly addressed using advanced risk assessment tools. However, pre-senting the complex results of these assessments in an easily digestible format re-mains a challenge. This thesis focused on designing and developing a user-friendlyweb application to visualise risk assessment data effectively. Grounded in a robusttheoretical framework that combines user experience principles, and data visualisa-tion techniques. The study employed an iterative, user-centric design process to de-velop the web application. Multiple visualisation methods, such as pie charts for vis-ualising risk distribution, bar chart, and line chart for time-based analysis, were eval-uated for their effectiveness through usability testing. The application's primary con-tribution lies in its efficient data visualisation techniques, aimed at simplifying com-plex datasets into actionable insights. This work lays the groundwork enabling futuredevelopment by pinpointing areas for improvement like enhanced interactivity andaccessibility. / Belastningsergonomiska risker i arbetsmiljön, särskilt i uppgifter som involverarmanuell hantering, är en kritisk fråga som alltmer har adresserats med hjälp av avan-cerade riskhanteringsverktyg. Men att presentera de komplexa resultaten av dessabedömningar i ett lättillgängligt format kvarstår som en utmaning. Denna avhand-ling fokuserade på att designa och utveckla en användarvänlig webbapplikation föratt effektivt visualisera riskbedömningsdata. Studien bygger på en robust teoretiskram och kombinerar principer för användarupplevelse med datavisualiseringstekni-ker. Webbapplikationen har utvecklats med hjälp av en iterativ och användarcentre-rad designprocess. Flera visualiseringsmetoder, såsom cirkeldiagram för att visuali-sera riskfördelning, stapeldiagram och linjediagram för tidsbaserad analys, utvärde-rades för deras effektivitet genom användningstester och utvärderingsformulär. Ap-plikationens primära bidrag ligger i dess effektiva datavisualiseringstekniker, somsyftar till att förenkla komplex information till handlingsbara insikter. Detta arbetelägger grunden och möjliggör framtida utveckling genom att peka ut områden förförbättring, som förbättrad interaktivitet och tillgänglighet.

This study aimed to understand the relationship between mobile device screen display size (laptops and smartphones) and text segmentation (continuous text, medium text segments, and small text segments) on learning outcomes, cognitive load, and user perception. This quantitative study occurred during the spring semester of 2015. Seven hundred and seventy-one chemistry students from a higher education university completed one of nine treatments in this 3x3 research design. Data collection took place over four class periods. The study revealed that learning outcomes were not affected by the mobile screen display size or orientation, nor was working memory. However, user perception was affected by the screen display size of the device, and results indicated that participants in the sample felt laptop screens were more acceptable for accessing the digital chemistry text than smartphone screens by a small margin. The study also found that neither learning outcomes, nor working memory was affected by the text segmentation viewed. Though user perception was generally not affected by text segmentation, the study found that for perceived ease of use, participants felt medium text segments were easier to learn from than either continuous or small test segments by a small margin. No interaction affects were found between mobile devices and text segmentation. These findings challenge the findings of some earlier studies that laptops may be better for learning than smartphones because of screen size, landscape orientation is better for learning than portrait orientation in small screen mobile devices, and meaningful text segments may be better for learning than non-meaningful, non-segmented, or overly segmented text. The results of this study suggest that customizing the design to the smartphone screen (as opposed to a one-size-fits-all approach) improves learning from smartphones, making them equal to learning from laptops in terms of learning outcomes and cognitive load, and in some cases, user perspective. / text

Age-related physical and cognitive changes hinder the ability of older adults to operate smartphones. While many user interface (UI) heuristics exist today, there is a need for an updated set designed specifically to assess the usability of mobile devices for an older audience. Smartphone evaluation heuristics for older adults based on age-related changes in vision, hearing, attention, memory and motor control were developed in this thesis by analyzing literature on age-related physical and cognitive changes impacting smartphone usability. Support for heuristics was found by gathering information on how older adults use cell phones through interviews and an online survey. It was demonstrated that strength of support for some heuristics increases with age. The evaluated heuristics provide usability practitioners and designers with a framework for evaluating the usability of smartphones for older adults.