Even though Computer Aided Design (CAD) tools have changed the way designers work in most parts of the design process, designers still mostly use pen-and-paper sketching when generating design ideas. Previous studies exploring the use of CAD tools for design ideation have concluded that the tools available at the time did not support reflective conversation, serendipitous interpretation and creativity, making them unsuited for design ideation. However, many of these studies used tools now considered obsolete, implying that the conclusions might no longer be valid. With the variety and capabilities of current CAD tools, there is an opportunity for a new exploration of CAD tools in design ideation. The aim of this licentiate thesis was to explore the use of CAD tools as externalization media in design ideation, what effect this has on the ideation process and how CAD tools might support design ideation. To this end, the thesis explored the use of CAD tools in design ideation in four studies. The first study consisted of a literature review on the strengths and weaknesses of sketches and CAD tools and a focus group discussion with three design experts. The second study compared master theses to explore how design representations used in the design process affect the breadth of design space exploration. The third study was a case study with two cases featuring the use of game engines and Virtual Reality for automotive lighting design and the fourth study compared the workflow in VR-sketching and pen-and- paper sketching. The results of the studies in this thesis suggest that the notion that CAD tools are not useful for design ideation is no longer true. Based on expert evaluations and case studies, this thesis concludes that there are several opportunities for the use of CAD tools in design ideation. This is certainly true in design fields where it is difficult to make sketches. The potential strengths of using CAD tools for design ideation includes the ability to design in full scale and the ability to perform instantaneous transform operations, such as scaling and deforming. However, the ability to instantly undo in CAD tools has been identified as both a potential strength and potential a weakness for design ideation. While being able to rapidly undo mistakes could be beneficial to the ideation process, achieving a faster workflow with less time redoing and more time working on creating, this might also result in fewer opportunities for reinterpretation. The conclusions in this thesis provide arguments for the use of CAD tools in design ideation, which could lead to new ways of generating, working with and thinking about design ideas. The findings also act as a stepping stone for further studies in the area of Computer Aided Ideation.

The aim of this thesis was to investigate the user experience when watching different formats of video, specifically at the occurrence of a stall from the perspective of workload and stress. The three research questions narrowed the scope down to a comparison between linear and branched video and the presence, or absence, of a playback bar in the user interface (UI). The measurements used were Nasa-TLX, Short stress state questionnaire as well as thematic analysis of participants free text answers. No significant differences in workload or stress was found between branched and linear video, as well as between the presence and absence of a playback bar. However, due to high number of non-completion participants the results were of questionable validity. The thematic analysis of the free text answers indicated a contrary story to the results from the statistical analysis. Further investigation of the effects of workload and stress on stalls in video experience is therefore recommended. Finally, the thesis provide guidelines based on the lessons learned so to best address the remaining research questions.

Understanding user perception has been always a point of interest for researchers and designers in the field of HCI. This study takes a qualitative approach into exploring user perception of 360° views provided by vision technology. With the help of mediator i.e. YouTube, the user gets a secondhand experience of vision technology. Receiving simulated embodiment experience, the findings from the interviews are categorized into themes such as understanding, feeling, opinion on usage and user perception. The study looked at user perception and tried to convey that such systems are comprehensible with the help of mediation. This paper focuses on simulated embodiment and its usefulness as perceived with the help of selected YouTube videos which showcase different “views”.

The purpose of this study was to examine the importance of usability to enhance perceived consumer trust in a web application selling snus. This was done by answering the research question “Does usability affect Swedish snus consumers trust in snus e-commerce applications?”. The concept of trust is especially important in an e-commerce environment where consumers have to rely heavily on the seller to follow through on the transactions, and the web application is the main way of interacting with the seller. In order to do so, a web application, “Dosan”, was developed and tested to collect data about usability and the users perceived trust. The development was split into three iterations. Each iteration was composed of a development phase and a testing phase where five users tested and evaluated the web application. To approximate the level of usability and trust, the users’ task efficiency and effectiveness was recorded. After completing the test the participant was asked to fill out a questionnaire containing Likert scale questions measuring satisfaction and trust. In addition, participant comments were recorded and used as a basis for further development. Each iteration showed an increase in trust and usability, which led to the conclusion that there is a positive correlation between usability and trust, and indicates a causal relationship between the two. / Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka vikten av användbarhet för att förbättra uppfattat konsumentförtroende för en webbapplikation som säljer snus. Detta gjordes genom att besvara frågeställningen “Påverkar användbarhet svenska konsumenters förtroende för en e-butik för snus?”. Konceptet förtroende är i synnerhet viktigt i en e-butiksmiljö där konsumenter måste förlita sig kraftigt på att företagen fullföljer transaktionerna, och webbapplikationen är det huvudsakliga sättet att interagera med säljaren. För att genomföra detta utvecklades och testades en webbapplikation, “Dosan”, för att samla in data om användbarhet och användarnas uppfattade förtroende. Utvecklingen var uppdelad i tre iterationer. Varje iteration bestod av en utvecklingsfas och en testfas där fem användare testade och utvärderade applikationen. För att uppskatta nivån av användbarhet och förtroende registrerades användarnas prestationsförmåga och verkställighetsförmåga under testuppgifterna. Efter testet ombads deltagaren att fylla i ett formulär innehållande frågor med Likert-skalor för att mäta belåtenhet och förtroende. Tilläggningsvis spelades deltagarnas kommentarer in och användes som bas för vidare utveckling. Varje iteration visade förhöjd användbarhet samt förtroende, vilket ledde till slutsatsen att det finns en positiv korrelation mellan användbarhet och förtroende och indikerar ett kausalt förhållande mellan dessa två.

This thesis had the purpose of measuring shared understanding using Shared Priorities (SP) and mental workload using the DATMA-questionnaire within prehospital management teams. This was done during training session that uses the Emergo Train System (ETS), at the Centre of Teaching and Research in Disaster Medicine and Traumatology. Three instructors that work and manage the courses at KMC were also interviewed as a part of the study to get their point of view on SP. A mix-method was used to analyze the data. To calculate SP Kendall’s W was used, and a thematic analysis was used to analyze the interviews. The result of this study found three significant correlations: Overall Team Workload and Team Performance, SP and the indicators from ETS, and Team Performance and the performance indicators from the ETS. The thematic analysis resulted in three themes (Perks and Cons, Approaches, and Educational Initiative) with eight sub-themes.  The conclusion of this study is based on the fact that SP is suitable for measuring and has measured the shared understanding within teams in this specific domain but also that the instructors, that are the possible users of SP, have a positive attitude towards it.

Heuristic evaluation is a significant method used to evaluate the performance and usability of any web application. This research focuses on the usability evaluation of the Uppsala University student portal using the heuristic evaluation method. A survey was conducted to identify the usability problems in the student portal. The conducted survey determined that most of the participants agreed that the student portal is reliable, but more navigations and shortcuts need to be included so that the users can perform operations effectively. Nielsen’s ten heuristic principles are added in the survey for evaluating the usability of the student portal. For the effectiveness and flexibility of the utilization of the student portal, it is suggested that significant icons and menus are added that can enable the users to select options in less time. It is significant for the student portal to alert the students if any error occurs and provide notification about the errors and problems.

Barn får färre möjligheter att skapa och utforma sina egna platser att leka på då samhället urbaniseras. Samtidigt förväntar samhället att de ska lära sig att programmera tidigare i livet. Barn leker oftare i designade lekplatser där man har färre möjlighet att bygga sina egna kojor och gömställen. Detta arbete utforskar hur programmeringsbara artefakter i lekplatser kan approprieras av barn i ett försök att ge barnen mer makt över lekplatserna. En prototyp bestående av tre insektsformade artefakter, ett programmeringsspråk, och en utvecklingsmiljö designades och utvecklades specifikt för denna studie. Den utvärderades av 20 barn i åldrarna 8–10 år indelade i fem grupper. Studien tog plats utomhus i närheten till platser där deltagarna ofta lekte. Utifrån observationer av när prototypen utforskas och intervjuer med deltagarna gjordes en tematisk analys. Analysen resulterade i fem teman; kontroll över prototyper, fokus på sig själv, fokus på att stödja andra, social hierarki kring enheten, och användning av prototyper. Studiens resultat indikerar att programmeringsspråk och dess utvecklingsmiljöer inte bara är ett verktyg i approprieringen av lekutrymmet, utan även en del av kontexten som ramar in lek och kan där igenom approprieras i sig själv. Genom detta kan programmeringen bli en del av leken. Dessutom, designarbetet och utvärderingen av designen genererade insikter i hur man kan arbeta med och studera programmeringsbara lekplatser. / Children get fewer opportunities to create and shape the places they play in due to the urbanization of society. Meanwhile, society has begun expecting them to begin learning to code at earlier ages. As more children play in designed playgrounds, they have fewer chances to build their own treehouses and hideouts. This study attempts to explore how programmable props in playgrounds afford appropriation by children, in an attempt to give them more power over the playgrounds and their play. A set of programmable playground props were designed and developed into a prototype. A prototype consisting of three artefacts shaped like insects, a programming language, and a development environment was designed. The prototype was tested and evaluated by 20 children in the ages eight to ten divided into five groups. The study took place outside close to where the participants normally played. A thematic analysis was done on the observations of the prototype being used and the recorded conversations from group interviews with the participants. The analysis resulted in five themes; control over the prototype, focus on self, focus on supporting others, social hierarchy around the device, and usages of the prototype. The result of the study suggests that programming languages and development tools are not just tools in the appropriation of play spaces, but also structures that can frame play. Through this, the programming becomes part of the play. Additionally, the design process and study generated insights on how you can work with and study programmable playgrounds.

Since the introduction of smartphones in 2007, mobile phones have become a significant part of our daily lives. More specifically, the usage of mobile applications have increased vastly, since thousands of new mobile applications are released every month and people spend more hours on their mobile phones every day. Research has shown that a person spends over six hours online daily, of which almost four hours are spent on mobile phones. This study aims to determine the deciding factors behind mobile application usage and more specifically to study the determining factors behind the decision to download and use a mobile application and the decision to remove and stop using a mobile application. The research was done using a explorative method. Throughout the research; surveys and interviews were carried out, where the results were analyzed using the theory framework called textit{Technology Integration Model}. The study also aims to contribute to the research community through giving a basis for future research within the same field and to strengthen the theory of the Technology Integration Model, using the results of this study. Analysis of the responses from the survey and the interviews, showed that some of the main deciding factors behind mobile application usage were the price of the application, whether the functions fulfill a purpose or not and situational factors. The study concludes that the price is a determining factor behind the decision of using a mobile application and that the functions of the applications need to be good enough in order to fulfill a purpose within its situational context.

Ett intranät utgör en stor plattform för den interna kommunikationen och samarbetet mellan medarbetare inom företag. Detta projekt genomfördes i samarbete med företaget Combitech. Combitech står idag inför ett skifte gällande intranät, från intranätet SaabNet till det nya intranätet CombiNet. Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur användarna uppfattar möjligheten till samarbete och kommunikation genom CombiNet i jämförelse med SaabNet. Detta undersöktes genom en kvalitativ ansats bestående av en enkätundersökning, intervjuer samt en tematisk analysmetod. Analys av enkätundersökningen gjordes först, vilket resulterade i huvudteman som utformandet av intervjufrågor och analys av intervjuerna utgick från. Resultatet visade att intranäten uppfattades som två vitt skilda forum. SaabNet sågs som en källa till information och CombiNet sågs som en källa till kommunikation.

The aim of this report is to examine the link between usability and trust as well as give an answer to how a e-commerce website that sells second hand furniture to students can be designed in order to instill trust. The project started with surveying intended user’s habits with e-commerce, producing related material and based on this, implement a web application. The finished website was tested by users belonging to the target group of the service, who then got to assess the platform in regards to usability and perceived trust. The results from the SUS-test and the trust-index indicate a clear connection between these two properties. The report deals with the project’s method of operations and discusses the outcome of the results, what implications the results have in a wider context and whether the method of operations could have been structured differently in order to better answer the issue. The conclusion of this report is that for a web application needs to be usable to be perceived as trust instilling as well as that the information content is important for instilling trust. / Denna rapport ämnar att undersöka kopplingen mellan användbarhet och förtroendeintryck samt besvara hur en webbapplikation som säljer begagnade möbler till studenter kan utformas för att inge förtroende. Projektet inleddes med att undersöka tänkta användares vanor om e-handel, ta fram relaterad teori och baserat på detta implementera en webbapplikation. Den färdiga webbapplikationen testades av användare som tillhör målgruppen för tjänsten, som sedan fick utvärdera webbapplikationen med avseende på användbarhet och upplevt förtroende. Resultaten från SUS-testet och förtroende-värdet tyder på ett tydligt samband mellan dessa egenskaper. Rapporten avhandlar projektets arbetssätt och diskussion förs kring resultatets utfall, vilka implikationer resultatet har för ett vidare sammanhang, samt huruvida arbetet kunde ha lagts upp på annorlunda sätt för att bättre besvara frågeställningen. Rapportens slutsats är att en webbapplikation behöver vara användbar för att den ska upplevas som förtroendeingivande samt att informationsinnehållet är viktigt för förtroendeingivande.