This doctoral level study aims to advance research in the visualization of Spontaneous Interactive Gestures produced by students in online learning environments, and how they can best be used as interfaces in compute-mediated communications. Visual channels, both gestural and graphical (Visual Co-Activations), will be evaluated in the performance of demonstrating participation and facilitating feedback (interaction) for online synchronous communication, more specifically multi-videoconferencing. The goal is to give a more naturalistic, integrative and interactive means of synchronous computer-mediated communication for use in future applications of distance education, based on the role of Visual Co-Activations of Spontaneous Interactive Gestures with the use of vision-based interfaces. A multidisciplinary approach within design, social and computer sciences is used in order to widen implications of the importance of design research for education and human development within computer technologies. This study employs multiple data collection procedures, a two-phase developmental design, in which qualitative and quantitative methods are employed sequentially to understand and determine the role of gestures in distance education application methods. Data suggests that joining both gestural and graphical nonverbal information is better visualized in group communication at a distance, but also demonstrates participation and facilitates interaction in online learning environments.

Small scale and home-like long term care environments were generally associated with increased activity and positive outcomes. This study aims to test the hypothesis that plan types with different spatial configurations lead to differences in the use of spaces and the social interaction between residents that may affect well-being. The context of the study is 12-bed adult care homes with cognitively intact residents. Nine cases from four different sites, which contained 80 residents in total, were selected to be studied. Caregivers were asked to complete a survey for each resident to report about each resident?s background, competence in activities and instrumental activities of daily living, participation in social events, mood, and use of the outdoors. The corresponding distances between each resident?s bedroom and the common spaces and syntax variables (depth, local, and global integration) were also considered. Behavior maps (n=308) were collected during observations in order to have three days of observation from each studied case. The use of spaces and conversations between residents were noted as an indicator of the residents? activeness and social interaction. The hypothesis that there were at least two plan types with significantly different outcomes (survey outcomes, use, and social interaction) was accepted at p < 0.05 level. Shorter walking distances were found to be an indicator of an increase in the number of conversation groups formed only by residents. The numbers of spaces that resident needed to walk through to reach any of the common areas were also found to be a factor for social interaction. The distance was not found to be a factor for use in the studied context. The isolation of bedrooms from the surrounding spaces was found to be necessary to provide privacy for residents. The results were independent from the bedroom sharing status of residents, which was shown to be a factor of use in at larger scales. Depression levels of residents were found to be independent from the considered spatial variables.

The Swedish social insurance agency provides financial support for families and children, but also for people with work injury, illness and at old age. During 2012 they saw the amount of notifications of insurance increasing in Sweden, which is a development that cost our society a great deal of money. With the aim to pursue a sustainable development I have therefore devoted this project to wellness and stress management within preschool. The employees of preschool are often dealing with a lot of stress, due to the big groups of children that causes high noise and sound levels. The high noise and sound levels is a contributor to stress which additionally can damage the health and cause impaired hearing loss. About half of the people around their forties until the age of retirement have difficulties understanding speech in large groups. The purpose of this project has been to investigate the causes of negative stress for my target group, women between 30-60 years old who works in preschool. The concept was to design a light luminaire that contributes to awareness and stress reduction for my target group in their daily working routines. The reason I have chosen to work with a target group of women is mainly because the majority consist of women that work in preschool, but also due to previous investigations that proves that woman are exposed to more stress than men. Women´s social role in society has in immemorial times been to nurture their relationships and to create a pleasant working environment. This is an issue that contributes to the stress that women are experiencing. These gender roles become the reason to why women feel a conflict between work and family life. To manage the negative stress, the Western world has implemented an Eastern stress reduction method, named mindfulness. Mindfulness is a practice of awareness, a condition in which you pay attention to the present. Training in mindfulness is applied today with the purpose to reduce stress at hospitals, education institutions and childcare.

Travelling by subway between work or study and home is quite usual. But the experience of metro-riding is not fun and always puts a lot of stress on the commuters. People feel very stressed when they are on the way to catch the train. Bad phenomenon often occurs at boarding. My project is about giving those commuters an easier and more interesting metro-riding experience. The concept is to communicate information better with the commuters. I prototype a core system based on a rhythm pacing idea by designing an App for easier and interesting time management and a digital signage gate for showing crowd levels of each carriage to help split the crowd and keep the waiting queue in good order on the platform.

Thesis--Letters--University of Oxford, 1954. / Bibliogr. p. 158-164.

Thesis--PlanB (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Stout, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references.

Mitt mål har varit att tillsammans med möbelföretaget Lammhults Möbel AB, ta fram en serie produkter till deras produktområde accessoarer. Jag har fördjupat mig i accessoarprodukter för offentliga miljöer och vilka behov det finns av dessa produkter i dagens offentliga rum. Jag har också fördjupat mig i Lammhults Möbel AB som företag och har studerat deras behov av fler produkter i sitt sortiment. Jag har velat tillföra nya produkter som inte konkurrerar med deras befintliga utan istället tillför något nytt och utvecklande till företaget. Jag har också velat tillför min egen estetik och arbetsätt samtidigt som jag anpassar mig efter Lammhults Möbel AB ramar inom estetik och produktframtagning. Mitt fokus har legat i att ta fram möbler för offentliga miljöer som inte bara är tydliga och effektiva utan också har ett mervärde i det dekorativa. Genom omvärldsanalyser, fältanalyser och intervjuer har jag utstuderat de främsta behoven av accessoarprodukter i offentliga miljöer och utifrån mina researchresultat skapat en serie produkter som uppfyller både kraven av ett användningsområde men också där fokuset har legat på formen och i det dekorativa. Resultatet blev två olika produktfamiljer som ska passa in i flera offentliga miljötyper. Den första är en kombinations möbel som fungerar som både avskärmare och markör men också som avhängare för kläder och annat. Den andra är en serie garderobsstakar där jag har hämtat inspiration från ett förgående samarbete med företaget Lammhults Möbel AB / X-works 2.0

<p> This thesis, <i>Designing Children&rsquo;s Interactive Pop-up Books: Creating enhanced experiences through the incorporation of animation principles and interactive design,</i> created by Michael Begay, explores how interactive design and computer graphics can be used to create enhanced user experiences in children&rsquo;s book design. Key factors taken into consideration during the creation of this thesis include children&rsquo;s book design, typography, storytelling, animation principles, and interactive design principles. </p><p> In order to explore the effect computer graphic design has on creating an enhanced user experience in pop-up book design, this project starts with research on writing a compelling, age appropriate story for children between the ages of three and six. After the story is complete, the next step of this project is the creation of a traditional printed pop-up book. This printed pop-up book is then used to inform design decisions around the creation of the interactive pop-up book, such as the types of interactions to use (e.g., pull tabs, drag and drops, and simple clicks) as well as how the pages animate. The interactive pop-up book uses full-screen display and sound to help further create an immersive environment and enhanced reading experience. </p><p> After finishing the creation of the traditional printed pop-up book and the interactive pop-up book, both books are tested with a group of participants (consisting of parents, caretakers, older siblings, and teachers) who interact with children between the ages of three and six. The tests contain questions related to the story&rsquo;s comprehensiveness, the overall aesthetic of the illustration style, ease of use, and format preference&mdash;printed versus digital. While the findings from these tests suggest that there is a still a wonderment for watching folder paper come to life in three-dimensional forms, the interactive pop-up book has more potential in creating an enhanced reading experience.</p>

<p> <i>Subtropolis</i> is a proposed exhibition for the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center that explores the idea of what life could be like underground. Aimed at children, ages 6&ndash;14 who live in city environments, the exhibit will be a new take on incorporating immersive environments and technological interactives to create a strong sense of theme that engages on every level. The development of the exhibition is discussed, considering the various challenges posed and the solutions that led to the ultimate design and narrative choices. Precedents examined include Coney Island&rsquo;s Luna Park and the use of elemental spectacle to convert fear into awe. There is also an in depth analysis regarding the human psyche and where the fear of the underground originates from, and how those factors contributed to the overall feel and message of the exhibit. Guided by the narrative and a sense of discovery, visitors will learn about living underground in the natural world, both animals and ancient civilizations, how underground life is imagined in the media, and lastly what a realistic underground city might look like and how it could operate. <i>Subtropolis</i> will serve as a possible model for conveying ideas that have not yet happened into a physical form designed to keep people interested, entertained, and aware in order for them to leave feeling open to new possibilities, namely, that one day and entire city could exist under our feet.</p>

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