As large displays become more affordable, researchers investigate their productivity impacts and try to develop techniques for making the large display user experience more effective. Studies show that large displays enable users to create and manage more windows and engage in more complex multitasking behavior. Although recent work demonstrates significant productivity benefits of large shared displays, it shows numerous usability issues because current software design is not scaling well. Therefore, we took steps towards developing two user interface design guidelines for large shared displays. Specifically, empirical studies have been conducted to compare the effects of large shared display and personal display use. When each of them is used as a secondary display, large shared displays impose increased interruption and comprehension. Empirical and qualitative studies are designed to develop two user interface design guidelines for large shared displays. We designed a system called SuperTrack that uses a large shared display and the proposed guidelines to further enhance team efficiency and productivity in collaborative software development environments. Finally, an in-situ evaluation assesses the benefits of SuperTrack. Results show that exposing software development team members to a large shared display through SuperTrack leads to more communication among the members and improved group awareness — leading to increased productivity and efficiency. / Master of Science

As large displays become more affordable, researchers investigate their effects on productivity and try to develop techniques for making the large display user experience more effective. Recent work has demonstrated significant productivity benefits, but has also identified numerous usability issues with current software design not scaling well. Studies show that large displays enable users to create and manage more windows, as well as to engage in more complex multitasking behavior. In this thesis, we developed some user interface design guidelines for large shared displays. Specifically, empirical studies to compare the effects of using large shared displays against personal displays when each of them is used as a secondary display are presented, showing that large shared display impose higher interruption and comprehension to the user. Empirical and qualitative studies are designed to develop two user interface design guidelines for large shared displays. We designed a system called SuperTrack that uses LSD along with the guidelines to further enhance and improve team efficiency and productivity in collaborative software development environments. Finally, an in-situ evaluation assesses the benefits of SuperTrack based on our developed design guidelines in terms of improving software development efficiency and productivity. Results show that by exposing software development team members to a large shared display, a system that follows our developed user interface guidelines leads to higher communication among the team members and improved group awareness, leading to higher productivity and efficiency. / Master of Science

This research began by addressing the question: can effective interface design guidelines be produced for use in the design of future consumer product technologies (CPT)? A literature review explored published studies evaluating existing Human- Computer Interaction guidelines to establish their effectiveness in relation to CPT. Through this review, effectiveness was found to be limited but potentially could be improved using user-centred design methods. In response, six short studies were undertaken to produce user-centred CPT guidelines and to evaluate them using two sets of effectiveness criteria: specificity and applicability. These studies supported findings from the HCI literature. Despite improving the specificity and applicability of the CPT guidelines, passive, non-bespoke design guidelines have still been shown to have little impact on interaction design activity. Other links between research and practice needed to be identified. Two further field investigations indicated that, whilst the use of ergonomics methods was limited in commercial design consultancies, certain types of participative methods considering 'situated design in context' might be helpful. A second literature review was conducted to explore the importance of context-based design activity. As an outcome, design tools were proposed using participative design techniques involving games and role playing. Through a second series of five laboratory and field studies, the proposed design tools were developed and iteratively evaluated. It was demonstrated that the design tools could affect interaction design activity, but further work is still required on improving one of the applicability criteria - 'organisational survival'. These findings demonstrated that interaction designers can effectively produce their own design data using the design tools provided that this design activity is situated within the context of an interaction design problem. It has also been shown that if interaction design tools are to be effective they should satisfy all specificity and applicability criteria established in this inquiry.