Författarna till detta arbete fick en förfrågan från den pedagogiska utvecklaren på Storvreta förskoleenhet om att förverkliga ett utav Uppsala kommuns sju rumskoncept. Rumskoncepten är ett led i Uppsala kommuns strävan efter att skapa så likvärdig utbildning som möjligt på alla kommunala förskolor. Denna rapport beskriver den process som författarna genomgick i skapandet av en utforskande sandmiljö inomhus på en förskola. I skapandet av den upplevelseprototyp som placerades på den aktuella förskolan utgick författarna dels ifrån Ett förståelsefördjupande dokument om lärmiljöer, men även från de tankar och idéer som Uppdragsgivare och Användare framförde. Det arbetssätt som författarna valde att använda för att utveckla prototypen var en Human-Centered design. Hela processen mynnade ut i en upplevelseprototyp som bestod av två kubformade byggkonstruktioner med tillhörande stationer, där sand var det centrala materialet. Stationerna syftade till att främja ett utforskande och undersökande arbetssätt. Det sociokulturella perspektivet på lärande samt den konstruktionistiska teoribildningen har genomsyrat hela arbetet. Den upplevelseprototyp som blev resultatet av processen utvärderades med hjälp utav intervjuer med Användarna där det framkom att lärmiljön uppfyllde de syften som var uppsatta för detta arbete. Den lärmiljö som författarna placerade på förskolan är endast ett sätt att lösa den uppgift författarna fick, men den kan förhoppningsvis inspirera andra till att utveckla lärmiljöer som främjar ett utforskade och undersökande arbetssätt.

Frequent and effective design evaluation is foundational to the success of any product development effort. Products used, installed, or otherwise handled by humans would benefit from an evaluation of the product while formally considering both the physical embodiment of the technology, termed technology, and the steps a user should take to use that technology, termed tactics. Formal and simultaneous evaluations of both technology and tactics are not widespread in the product design literature. Although informal evaluation methods have advantages, formal methods are also known to be effective. In this paper we propose a formal method for evaluating tactics and technology simultaneously. Unlike the published literature, this evaluation involves explicitly defined tactics in the form of a written description of the actor, environment, and series of steps. It also involves the use of stage-appropriate, explicitly defined tactics-dependent criteria, which include criteria from a broad range of impact categories, such as impacts on the user, environment, project, and technology.

As the population increases the demand for food also increases. It is estimated that the population will reach over 8.5 billion by the year 2050. The farming industry is pooling resources to increase food production by developing indoor farming. This practice of growing food indoors can attend to the food security issue which is a positive development in the long run. Indoor farming has been developing over the years and the purpose of the project will be an exploration of how indoor farming is affecting the people who grow these crops, i.e., the indoor farmers. The focus of the project is to understand what are the challenges and pain points of an indoor farmer, in the whole growing process. The human-centered design process is opted in this project to conduct the user studies. The user studies use methodological triangulation which includes in-depth interviews, surveys, and additional methods to gain a deeper understanding of the farmers’ perspective. Three Journey maps are created out of which one journey isused to identify the pain points in the growing process. The insights generated from the qualitative analysis are quantified to determine what the farmers’ daily activities look like, and their challenges during the growing process. On the basis of these insights, two concepts are created to offer solutions to improve the farmer’s experience. User tests determine that the solutions were desirable but should be quantified to check the validity. The research questions and future work are discussed further.

Human-building relationships impact everyone in industrialized society. We spend approximately 90% of our lives in the built environment. Buildings have a large impact on the environment; consuming 20% of worldwide energy (40% of U.S. energy) annually. Buildings are complex systems, yet architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) professionals often perform their work without considering the human factors that affect the operational performance of the building system. The AEC industry currently employs a linear design and delivery approach, lacking verified performance standards and real-time feedback once a certificate of occupancy is issued. We rely on static monthly utility bills that lag and mask occupant behavior. We rely on lawsuits and anecdotal business development trends as our feedback mechanisms for the evaluation of a complex, system-based product. The omission of human factors in the design and delivery of high performance building systems creates risk for the AEC industry. Neglecting an iterative, human-centered design approach inhibits our ability to relinquish the building industry's position as the top energy consuming sector. Therefore, this research aims to explore, identify, and propose optimizations to critical human-building relationships in the multifamily housing system. This work is grounded in Sociotechnical Systems theory (STS). STS provides the most appropriate theoretical construct for this work because 1) human-building interactions (HBI) are fundamentally, human-technology interactions, 2) understanding HBI will improve total system performance, and 3) the interrelationships among human-building subsystems and the potential for interventions to effect the dynamics of the system are not currently well understood. STS was developed in the 1940's as a result of work system design changes with coal mining in the United Kingdom. STS consists of four subsystems and provides a theoretical framework to approach the joint optimization of complex social and technical problems. In the context of this work, multidisciplinary approaches were leveraged from human factors engineering and building construction to explore relationships among the four STS subsystems. An exploratory case study transformed the work from theoretical construct toward an applied STS model. Data are gathered from each STS subsystem using a mixed-methods research design. Methods include Systematic Review (SR), a descriptive case study of zero energy housing, and the Macroergonomics Analysis and Design (MEAD) of three builder-developers. This work contributes to bridging the bodies of knowledge between human factors engineering and the AEC industry. An output of this work is a framework and work system recommendations to produce human-centered, adaptive buildings. This work specifically examined the system inputs and outputs of multifamily housing in the United States. The findings are supportive of existing scientific society, government, and industry standards and goals. Relevant standards and goals include the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) Macroergonomics and Environmental Design Technical Groups, International Energy Agency's Energy in Buildings ANNEX 79 Occupant Behavior-Centric Building Design and Operation, the U.S. Department of Energy's Building America Research to Market Plan and zero energy building goals of the American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). / Doctor of Philosophy / We spend approximately 90% of our lives in the built environment. Buildings have a large impact on the environment; consuming 20% of worldwide energy (40% of U.S. energy) annually. As we work to reduce energy use in buildings, new challenges have emerged. As buildings become more complex, the architecture, engineering, and construction industry (AEC) must adapt. The industry historically employs a linear design and delivery approach, lacking verified performance standards and real-time feedback once a certificate of occupancy is issued. We rely on static monthly utility bills that lag and mask occupant behavior. We rely on lawsuits and anecdotal business development trends as our feedback mechanisms for the evaluation of a complex, system-based product. The omission of human factors in the design and delivery of high-performance building systems creates risk for the industry and occupants. To better understand that risk, a comparative analysis of zero energy housing explores the relationship between humans and the buildings of the future. A second case study explores the work systems of builder-developers by using the Macroergonomic Analysis and Design method. The work reports risks and barriers in the system, as well as opportunities to create human-centered, adaptive housing. Specifically, this project enhances our understanding of 1) high performance housing, 2) their occupants, and 3) the builder-developers that produce high performance housing.

The purpose of this project is to improve parents experience in the NICU through design, technology, communication and storytelling. A series of shadowing appointments were conducted to gain empathy and a greater understanding of the environment the design would be in. Next 15 user interviews were conducted. The qualitative data was then analyzed and a needs analysis for the application was determined by identifying patterns in the qualitative data. The design then went through three phases of design, testing and iterating, before the final prototype was complete. This study found that design, technology and storytelling could improve communication and the experience of parents in the NICU. / Master of Fine Arts

This report outlines a project conducted in collaboration with the Communications Department of Region Sörmland. The aim of this study is to investigate whether internationally recruited employees would benefit from the opportunity to chat with staff who have previously undergone the same process. In this report, individuals who have already completed the process are referred to as ambassadors. For clarity, this work has focused on the perspectives of potential employees. The perspectives of the ambassadors themselves have not been the focus of this study. To investigate this, methods such as environmental analysis, interviews, and user testing were employed. These methods provided valuable information regarding deficiencies and the needs of the target audience. The participants in this study include three individuals who work with international recruitments within Region Sörmland and at Folkhögskolan. Additionally, there are nine students who are currently enrolled in or have completed the KLIV (Qualified Licensure Professions Introduction in Healthcare) program. The data collection resulted in a prototype created using Figma. The prototype was then evaluated through user testing and subsequently underwent an iteration. The results of this study show that it is very interesting and valuable for the target audience to be able to connect with someone who has undergone the same process. There is a need for ambassadors that the target audience can contact. During the project, "contact cards" have been designed for the ambassadors, which show their name, job title, and the hospital in Region Sörmland where they work. Additionally, there is a picture and brief information about the person and the languages they speak. The features identified as valuable for the chat forum are the ability to send images/videos and attach documents. However, the design and features of the chat forum need to be iterated and tested with more members of the target group to ensure its effectiveness and user-friendliness. This study is a bachelor thesis in the field of Information design with focus on interaction design.

Hydroponics is a method of cultivating plants without the use of soil. Soil acts as a growth medium which gives plants stability, provides nutrients and allows roots to be kept wet without drowning. In hydroponics the soil’s functions are replaced by synthesized methods. Stability comes from a substrate (i.e. LECA, rockwool perlite).The 16 essential nutrients are solved in water which are distributed to plants’ roots by different techniques. To generate photosynthesis natural light is replaced by artificial light, especially red light in the proximity of 660 nm. Hydroponics has been used as a cultivation method for at least 2000 years. During the 20th century industrial applications became common since plastics allowed for complex systems engineering. The method also makes it possible to grow the same amount of crops with approximately 10% water usage and 25% of the area compared to conventional cultivation. During the past few years systems for home use has emerged but the product genre is still in its cradle. This master thesis covers a new conceptual design of a hydroponic home system. The project was carried out at Omecon AB in Stockholm as a consulting design project. Omecon AB is an engineering consultant agency within mostly mechanical construction looking to widen the competence base. Using a design process based on Human-Centered Design the project involved the stakeholders users, extreme users, Omecon AB, plant experts, electronics engineering and service as well as plastics design engineering. Additional/supplemental economical–, ecological– and social sustainability aspects has been considered during all phases of the process. By using the Human-Centered Design process the problem range is expanded from its initial state which results in a more complete end result. Common methodology altered with some unorthodox twists has been utilized throughout the project. The final result is a conceptual hydroponic system for home environment which is designed as an interior design product as well as a high-performance cultivation system. By using natural materials such as wood and steel the users expands its life span and thus mitigates the negative environmental impact. Another aspect which prolongs the products life span is the modular usage which lets users vary and choose their preferred settings. All manufactured materials included in the final concept were flow resources and the parts were engineered to be easily separable for future replacement and recycling. A new type of pot was invented along with a new way of adjusting the height-wise position of lamps. The aeroponic technique, which was applied to this concept, is generally considered to generate the largest plants and thus comprises higher performance compared to other home systems. The use of substrate was also eliminated which decreases continous material consumption within hydroponics. / Hydroponik är en metod för att odla växter utan jord. Jord i odling agerar som ett växtmedium som ger plantor stabilitet, tillför näringsämnen och tillåter rötter att vara i väta utan att dränka dem. I hydroponik ersätts jordens funktioner med syntetiska metoder. Stabilitet ges av ett substrat (t.ex. LECA-kulor, stenull eller perlit). De 16 essentiella näringsämnena löses i vatten och distribueras till plantors rötter med hjälp av olika tekniker. For att skapa fotosyntes ersätts naturligt ljus med artificiellt ljus. Speciellt rött ljus i närheten av 660 nm. Hydroponik har använts som odlingsmetod i åtminstånde 2000 år. Under 1900-talet blev industiella applikationer vanliga eftersom plast möjliggjorde tillverkling av komplexa system. Metoden tillåter även att odla samma mängd grödor med 10% av vattenmängden och 25% av ytan jämfört med konventionell odling. Under de senaste åren har system avsedda för användning hemma blivit vanligare men produktgenren är fortfarande ung. Det här examensarbetet täcker en ny konceptuell design av ett hydroponiskt system för hemmabruk. Projektet utfördes på Omecon AB i Stockholm som ett konsultarbete inom design. Omecon AB är en konsultfirma som mestadels är verksamma inom mekanikkonstruktion men de vill vidga sin kompetens. Genom användning av en designprocess som har baserats på Human-Centered Design har projektet involverat intressenterna användare, extrema användare, Omecon AB, växtexperter, en elektronikingenjör samt plastkonstruktion. Vidare har aspekter inom ekonomisk–, ekologisk– och social hållbarhet beaktats genom alla faser av processen. Via användning av Human-Centered Design-processen har problemrummet expanderats från den initiala utgångspunkten vilket resulterar i ett mer komplett slutresultat. Vanlig metodik varvat med okonventionella anpassningar har använts genom projektet. Slutresultatet består av ett konceptuellt hydroponiskt system för hemmabruk som är designat som en inredningsprodukt samt ett odlingssystem med hög prestanda. Genom användning av naturliga material som trä och stål förlänger användarna produktens livslängd och på så sätt förmildras den negativa klimatpåverkan. En annan aspekt som förlänger produktens livslängd är moduläriteten som låter användare variera och välja deras föredragna inställningar. Alla tillverkade material inkluderade i slutkonceptet var flödesresurser och delarna konstruerades så att de går lätt att separera för framtida ersättning och återvinning. En ny typ av kruka uppfanns tillsammans med ett nytt sätt att justera höjden av lamporna. Den aeroponiska tekniken, som används is konceptet, är allmänt ansedd att generera de största plantorna och innefattar därför högre prestanda jämfört med andra hydroponiska hemmasystem. Användning av substrat eliminerades också vilket minskar kontinuerlig materialkonsumption inom hydroponik.

Studentantalet på Luleå Tekniska Universitet I Piteå har gått från hela 900 till 300 de senaste ca 12 åren. En trend som både Piteå kommun och LTU vill motarbeta, samtidigt som Piteå kommun vill öka antalet inflyttande till platsen. På uppdrag av det kommunala företaget Piteå Science Park så var därför målet med detta examensarbeteatt ta fram en lösning som både ökar intresset för de musikutbildningar som erbjuds på LTU i Piteå och Framnäs Folkhögskola samt uppmuntrar de studerande till att vilja bo kvar i staden efter avklarade studier. Examensarbetet ingår i utbildningen Teknisk design högskoleingenjör vid Luleå Tekniska Universitet. I projektet användes IDEOs Human-Centered design-process bestående av de tre faser inspiration, ideation och implementation. I varje fas användes ett antal metoder för att, på ett metodiskt och produktivt vis, utveckla ett koncept som uppfyllde de krav och önskemål som satts av uppdragsgivaren och målgruppen. Här genomfördes bland annat, en mängd intervjuer med både användare och experter, olika workshops för att ta fram och vidareutveckla idéer, insamling av inspiration med hjälp av metoden benchmarking och slutligen prototypande av konceptet. Under intervjuerna med användarna kom en hel del intressanta behov och önskemål fram, till exempel att de tyckte att det måste finnas fler och prisvärda aktiviteter i Piteå och att de inte besöker centrum oftare än 1 gång per vecka i snitt. Arbetet resulterade i slutkonceptet Pitepuls som är en eventhemsida där alla Piteås evenemang är samlade under ett och samma tak. Sidan innehåller event kopplade till kultur, sport, religion, och friluftsaktiviteter och skall vara tillgänglig för både studerande, fastboende och turister. Projektet genererade ett koncept som har potential att lyfta fram Piteå som eventstad och därmed öka dess attraktivitet, både bland unga vuxna men också bland fastboende och turister, samt att det därmed hjälper Framnäs och LTU Piteå att sticka ut bland mängden folkhögskolor och musikhögskolor.

Today, 27 out of 1000 individuals suffer from neck pain, affecting both individuals and society (Kazeminasab et al., 2022). These problems are most prevalent in the Scandinavian countries, with Sweden being one of the countries experiencing the greatest increase (Safiri et al., 2020). Non-invasive treatments for neck pain, such as low-level laser therapy, yoga, massage, aquatic therapy, and acupuncture, are already available in the market and have shown positive results (Kazeminasab et al., 2022). In this project, a handheld product with low-level laser therapy has been developed to reduce neck pain. The goal was to create a high-quality, safe, and reliable product that was aesthetically pleasing and could cover a premium market for home-use products. This thesis is produced at Luleå University of Technology in the spring semester of 2023 as a part of the Industrial Design Civil Engineering program. The project was conducted in collaboration with Ozoneair, a local company based in Luleå that specializes in producing air purifiers. The design process drew inspiration from IDEO's human-centered approach (2015) and incorporated various design methodologies to comprehend user requirements and develop a dependable product. The process encompassed three distinct phases, namely inspiration, ideation, and implementation, all of which centered around the target users. During the inspiration phase, user information was collected through contextual investigations, observations, interviews with experts, focus groups, and user testing of existing products in order to compile a comprehensive needs analysis. In the ideation phase, multiple concepts were generated and refined through iterative cycles of user testing, ultimately leading to the selection of a final concept. The chosen concept was realized in the implementation phase by creating of a digital prototype using Blender as a program, followed by the development of a full-scale physical prototype. The result is a clean and sleek product with a distinctive aesthetic that sets it apart in the market, diverging from the conventional sterile appearance often associated with medical devices. / Idag lider 27 av 1000 individer av nacksmärtor, vilket påverkar både individer och samhället i stort (Kazeminasab et al., 2022). Dessa problem är vanligast i de skandinaviska länderna, där Sverige är ett av de länder som upplever störst ökning (Safiri et al., 2020). Icke-invasiva behandlingar för nacksmärtor, såsom lågnivå laserterapi, yoga, massage, vattenterapi och akupunktur, finns redan på marknaden och har visat positiva resultat (Kazeminasab et al., 2022). I detta projekt har en handhållen produkt med low level laser thearpy utvecklats för att minska nacksmärtor. Målet var att skapa en högkvalitativ, säker och pålitlig produkt som är estetiskt tilltalande och som kan täcka en marknad för premiumprodukter för hemmabruk.  Detta examensarbete är framtaget vid Luleå tekniska universitet vårterminen 2023, som en del av civilingenjörsprogrammet Teknisk design. Projektet genomfördes i samarbete med Ozoneair, ett Luleåbaserat företag specialiserat på luftrenare. Designprocessen inspirerades av IDEOs (2015) människocentrerade process och inkluderade flera designmetoder för att förstå användarnas behov och skapa en pålitlig produkt. Processen bestod av tre faser: inspiration, idé och implementering, som alla fokuserade på potentiella användare. Inspirationsfasen gick ut på att samla information om användare genom kontextuella undersökningar, observationer, expertintervjuer, fokusgrupper och användartester av befintliga produkter, för att sedan sammanställa en behovsanalys. I idéfasen skapades och itererades olika koncept utifrån mindre användartester, vilket ledde fram till valet av ett slutgiltigt koncept. I implementeringsfasen väcktes konceptet till liv genom en digital prototyp i programmet Blender och en fullskalig fysisk prototyp. Slutprodukten är minimalistisk och avskalad, med ett unikt utseende som sticker ut på marknaden och utmärker sig från det klassiska sterila uttryck som medicintekniska produkter förknippas med.

This thesis is the final assignment for a bachelor degree in Industrial Design Engineering via Luleå University of Technology. The project comprises 15hp and has been carried out in collaboration with MECON AB in Luleå, which works with construction, among other things. This report contains the development process of a touch guard for the power rails that runs along a traverse path. The task of the touch guard is to protect the staff at SSAB from risks that may arise if something falls on the power rails. Objects such as a wrench could create short circuits and be pushed off by the current in the electrical rails with high speed causing a hazard. The work is based on IDEO- the field guide to human-centered design, which is a human-centered process with three phases. In this case, the installer is the user. It is the installer who is affected by how easily mounted the touch guard is. Therefore, in order to design a user-friendly touch protection, an understanding of the user and its needs is required. By collecting information using interviews, observations, study visits and a literature study, a design specification could be created. This was then the basis for the remaining work that led to a bracket and three versions of the protection plates. Together with the users and the stakeholders, a final concept was chosen that fulfills the design specification. The report presents the process and its steps leading to a final concept. Later, the results are discussed and how well the work fulfilled the purpose and goals, and whether the work answered the research questions. / Detta examensarbete är utförts som den avslutande uppgiften för programmet högskoleingenjör Teknisk Design på Luleå Tekniska Universitet. Examensarbetet omfattar 15 högskolepoäng och har utförts i samarbete med MECON AB i Luleå som arbetar med bland annat konstruktion. Rapporten behandlar utvecklingen av ett beröringsskydd för en elskena som löper längs en traversbana. Beröringsskyddets uppgift är att skydda personalen på SSAB från risker som kan uppstå om någonting faller ned på elskenorna. Föremål som till exempel en skiftnyckel skulle kunna skapa kortslutning och skjutas iväg av strömmen i elskenorna. Arbetet utgår från IDEO-the field guide to human-centered design, som är en användarcentrerad process med tre faser. I detta arbete är det montören som är användaren. Det är montören som är berörd av hur lättmonterat beröringsskyddet är. För att kunna utforma ett användarvänligt beröringsskydd krävs därför en förståelse för användaren och dess behov. Genom att samla in information med hjälp av intervjuer, observationer, studiebesök och en litteraturstudie kunde en designspecifikation skapas. Denna låg då till grund till resterande arbete som ledde till ett fäste och tre stycken skyddsplåtar. Tillsammans med användarna och intressenterna valdes ett slutgiltigt koncept som uppfyller designspecifikationen. Rapporten redovisar processen och dess moment som leder till ett slutligt koncept. Senare diskuteras resultatet och hur väl arbetet uppfyllde syfte och mål, samt om arbetet besvarade frågeställningen.