The design of software products or services with good user experience (UX) requires a good understanding of the people the product is intended for. One of the design processes that places emphasis on the needs of the people is the user-centered design process. This study creates a serious game as a tool to learn the user-centered design process in order to create awareness of user-centered design practices among UX and non-UX practitioners. To accomplish this, design science research methodology is adopted to allow creation of the game by describing the problem, defining the game requirements, designing and developing the game and finally demonstrating and evaluating it. The evaluation of the game was conducted in three main areas, one to assess the content of the game, the second to assess the functionality of the game and the third to assess the learning potential of the game. Based on the results of the evaluation conducted it is revealed that the content presented is adequate and the participants are able gain concepts about the user-centered design activities, the roles involved in such a process and the various UX techniques employed.

Abstract The purpose of this thesis is to increase understanding and provide new knowledge on the applicability and value of the living lab approach in user-centric product and service development in public and private sector. Research has been carried out within the authentic living lab environment of the Oulu Urban Living Labs (OULLabs) and the PATIO user community and user involvement tool in 2011–2018. Empirical evidence is gathered from qualitative living lab case studies conducted in multiple contexts: public service development, commercial product and service development, business accelerating, innovation instruments, public procurement and urban planning. The primary source of information are the 70 in-depth interviews with the customer companies and organizations. Both general and context-specific value of the living lab approach for public and private sector customers are identified. The living lab approach provides an effortless process for user-centric development. Knowledge and practice of user involvement are transferred into customers. The living lab approach supports the development of usable and desirable products and services. The diverse context-specific value of the living lab approach includes, e.g., information for the development and decision making, learning and knowledge, new customer and end-user contacts, increased efficiency, improvement of organizational culture and communication, enhanced quality of products and services, gaining visibility, involvement of citizens and increased productivity. PATIO is perceived as a fast, easy and efficient digital tool to involve users regardless time and location in a living lab environment. The main contribution of the thesis is the new knowledge of less researched long-term and partly novel living lab studies in a remarkable breadth. The findings of the thesis support the adoption of the living lab approach as a natural and continuous practice in a variety of product and service development activities, especially in local innovation ecosystems but also in international environments. / Tiivistelmä Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoituksena on lisätä ymmärrystä ja tuottaa uutta tietoa living lab -toimintatavan soveltuvuudesta ja arvosta yritysten ja julkisen sektorin tuote- ja palvelukehityksessä. Tutkimus on toteutettu autenttisessa Oulu Urban Living Labs (OULLabs)- ja PATIO living lab -ympäristössä vuosina 2011‒2018. Tutkimuksen empiiriset todisteet perustuvat laadulliseen tapaustutkimukseen, jossa living lab -menetelmiä ja -työkaluja on hyödynnetty eri konteksteissa: julkisten palvelujen kehittäminen, kaupallisten tuotteiden ja palvelujen kehittäminen, yrityskiihdyttämö, innovaatioinstrumentit, julkiset hankinnat ja kaupunkisuunnittelu. Tutkimuksen pääaineisto koostuu 70:stä yritysten ja muiden sidosryhmien edustajien haastattelusta. Tutkimuksessa on tunnistettu sekä yleisiä että kontekstisidonnaisia living lab -toiminnan hyötyjä julkisen ja yksityisen sektorin asiakkaille. Living lab -toimintatapa tarjoaa vaivattoman prosessin käyttäjäkeskeiseen kehittämiseen sekä lisää uutta tietoa ja uusia käytäntöjä käyttäjien osallistamisesta. Living lab -toimintatapa tukee käytettävien ja haluttujen tuotteiden ja palveluiden kehittämistä. Living labin monet kontekstisidonnaiset hyödyt ovat esimerkiksi informaatio tuote- ja palvelukehityksen ja päätöksenteon tueksi, tiedon ja oppimisen lisääntyminen, prosessien tehostaminen, uudet asiakas- ja loppukäyttäjäkontaktit, tuottavuuden lisääntyminen ja taloudelliset hyödyt, organisaatiokulttuurin ja kommunikaation parantaminen, tuotteiden ja palveluiden parempi laatu, näkyvyyden lisääminen sekä kuntalaisosallistaminen. Digitaalinen käyttäjäyhteisö ja käyttäjien osallistamistyökalu PATIO on nopea, helppo ja tehokas tapa aktivoida käyttäjiä tuote- ja palvelukehitykseen living lab -ympäristössä. Tutkimus tuo uutta tietoa vähän tutkituista pitkän aikavälin living lab -toiminnan tuomista hyödyistä ja uudenlaisista living lab -tutkimuksista merkittävässä laajuudessa. Tulokset tukevat living lab -toiminnan omaksumista luonnolliseksi ja jatkuvaksi osaksi tuotteiden ja palveluiden kehittämistoimintoja paikallisissa innovaatioekosysteemeissä, mutta myös kansainvälisissä toimintaympäristöissä.

The topic of this thesis is usability control of smart homes. The thesis conducted user research for understanding the end-users of smart homes. It is also conducted user testing of today's mobile applications, of smart homes. Gained knowledge from testing are used to create custom user interface prototype mobile application for smart home. Created prototype is conducted user testing.

Dans ce travail de thèse, le comportement des composites stratifiés est étudié en utilisant des développements d'ordres élevés ou de type layer wise. Un modèle layer wise LS1 (et l'élément fini à huit nœuds qui lui est associé) a été développé en premier lieu pour l'analyse spécifique des contraintes entre les couches pour des problèmes de bords libres ou bien pour l'étude des liaisons entre les couches. Il est fondé sur un modèle de type layer wise qui considère le stratifié comme une superposition de plaques de Reissner couplées les unes aux autres par des efforts d'interfaces. Cet élément a 5n degrés de liberté par noeud (n étant le nombre de couches) et donne une prédiction des contraintes d'interface. Les travaux précédents se concentraient sur la précision et l'utilisation de l'estimation de ces contraintes d'interface. Mais le modèle permet aussi de calculer les déplacements et les déflexions ainsi que d'extraire les contraintes dans l'épaisseur avec ou sans post-traitement. Dans ce mémoire, la précision et la validité du calcul des déplacements et des contraintes ont été établies à partir d'un nombre important de benchmarks en flexion de composites et des plaques sandwich. Le but de cette étude est aussi de mieux positionner et de promouvoir cette approche en contraintes issue des travaux de Pagano peu utilisés et mal référencés. Ce modèle est ensuite développé et implémenté dans le code de calcul par éléments finis Abaqus via la routine utilisateur User-Element (UEL). Pour démontrer l'efficacité du modèle et du code de calcul, des exemples qui comprennent des plaques isotropes et anisotropes sont traités / In this document, the behaviour of laminated composite is investigated using several high order or layer wise finite element calculations. A layer wise model and its devoted finite element on C° eight-node layer wise finite element have been originally and specifically developed for an interlaminar stresses analysis in a free edge problem or for a bonding study. This model is the core of the present comparisons. It is based on a typical layer wise model that considers the laminate by a superposition of Reissner plates coupled by interfacial stresses. This element consists of 5n degrees of freedom per node (n is the layer number) and is able to predict interlaminar stresses. These out-of-plane stresses are deduced directly from constitutive equations without post-processing works. The previous papers dealt with the accuracy of these estimated interface stresses. However, the model not only permits to compute displacements and usual deflections but also to compute stresses through the layer thicknesses with or without postprocess. In the present paper, the accuracy and the validity of these computed displacements and stresses have also been established on a large number of important benchmarks of bending examples for composites and sandwich plates. The aim of this research is also to better positioning and promoting of this stress approach deriving from the works of Pagano, which was not generally studied in this way. This model has also been implemented into the ABAQUS finite-element program through a User-Element subroutine interface. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the model and the finite element code, examples which include isotropic and anisotropic plates, the problem of the perforated plate are calculated

designaffairs entwickelt seit 20 Jahren Strategien und Design für Produkte in den Bereichen Hardware, Software und Services. Mit weltweit mehr als 70 Experten bieten wir Leistungen in Research, Strategie, Design und Engineering an. Dabei kombinieren wir erfolgreich Kreativität mit wissenschaftlichen Methoden. [... aus dem Text]

Context: Technology in the field of health care has taken a step forward for making easy health maintenance on a daily basis. With gradual increase in the elderly population, it is important to provide this them, the facilities gained with the use of technology. But it is observed that the elderly show reluctance to the use of new technology like the mobile applications. In the thesis, an effort is made to overcome this barrier with the study of both user experience of elderly and user interface design of a m-health application and analyzing a relation among them.Objectives. In this thesis, user interface design responsible for an increase in the user experience of elderly is focused, to create a base for mobile application developers to design m-health applications that improve the usability of the application.Methods. Quasi-Experiment is conducted to measure user experience with the selected sample from the elderly population. By conducting interviews with the selected sample, data is collected for the experiment./Results. The user experience of the elderly people is analyzed with the original glucosio application and with the prototype of glucosio application. Comparison is made between the user experience in both the cases and conclusion about the relation between the user experience and user interface design of Objectives: In this thesis, user interface design responsible for an increase in the user experience of elderly is focused, to create a base for mobile application developers to design m-health applications that improve the usability of the application.Methods. Quasi-Experiment is conducted to measure user experience with the selected sample from the elderly population. By conducting interviews with the selected sample, data is collected for the experiment./Results. The user experience of the elderly people is analyzed with the original glucosio application and with the prototype of glucosio application.  Methods: Quasi-Experiment is conducted to measure user experience with the selected sample from the elderly population. By conducting interviews with the selected sample, data is collected for the experiment.Results. The user experience of the elderly people is analyzed with the original glucosio application and with the prototype of glucosio application.  Results: The user experience of the elderly people is analyzed with the original glucosio application and with the prototype of glucosio application. Comparison is made between the user experience in both the cases and conclusion about the relation between the user experience and user interface design of the m-health application is made.Conclusions. With the analysis, we can conclude that the combined user interface design of Conclusions: With the analysis, we can conclude that the combined user interface design of m-health application, when designed as per the interest of elderly people can increase the user experience of the elderly while using the application. Besides, it increases the usability of the application resulting in the elderly population gets benefited with the advanced mobile technologies for their health promotion.

Context. User Experience has become key to product development in recent years, as manyorganizations have realized its role in maintaining high user acceptance ratings. User ExperienceDevelopment and Agile Software Development are two highly iterative processes and user-centricprocesses. While both methods stack up well theoretically, there are many challenges encountered whenthey are integrated together in real-world development scenarios. Similar to Agile development, UserExperience Development, has many phases: performing user research, gathering UCD (User-CenteredDesign) requirements, iterating design activities, and performing usability evaluation through user tests.Executing both processes in parallel and mapping their corresponding phases is a major issue andapplying these principles in development environment is even more challenging. This integration bearseven more significance in the field of healthcare technology, where user-centered requirements ofpatients and medical practitioners need to handled systematically, as there are a wide range ofspecifications that cater to unique individuals. Hence, a case study was conducted in two majororganizations involved in the development of Interactive Healthcare Technology (IHT) applications. Objectives. Through a case study, the author attempts to investigate the factors that influence theintegration between UX development and Agile methodologies. These factors include the contemporarytools, processes and methods (TPMs) that are being used integration and the challenges that persistwhen it is applied in industry. The study aims to analyze the Agile-UX development approaches of twodistinct organizations, involved in the same domain, to get an understanding of the mentioned factors. Methods. The multiple case study was conducted through interviews, surveys and direct observation.The qualitative data analysis of the surveys was done through thematic analysis. Quantitative dataanalysis was performed on the data gathered from the surveys. A literature review was conducted priorto the case study to gain knowledge on this issue, which also partially answers the research questions.The case study design was kept consistent across both organizations. Results. Through the results of the case study and a literature review, current UX development practicesin the industry have been identified. The challenges encountered at both case organizations have been studied. These results are further validated and contrasted with the results of the literature review.Following, a retrospection of the methods employed at the case environments, a set of recommendationsfor better integration was generated. A detailed comparative analysis of Agile-UX integration at twoorganizations has been documented. At the end a generic framework has been proposed based on theanalysis of results acquired. Conclusions. Numerous conclusions were drawn from the results and data analysis. Several challengeswere identified through the study, in addition to those suggested by relevant literature. Some of thesewere uniquely prevalent in the field of IHT development. It was found that dynamically changing usercenteredrequirements and late integration of usability and UX development with Agile practices werethe most profound challenges. Adoption of UCD techniques such as Design Studio played a positiverole in easing integration. Usability evaluation and user research are also major factors in the integrationprocess. Lack of time to iterate design and issues in scheduling and performing usability testing had abig impact. Involving users in the design and development process from an early stage is essential toensure high usability and good user experience of the product. The framework designed to counter thesechallenges, takes into account, all these aspects to provide a meticulous Agile-UX integrationframework. Some key conclusion drawn from this framework, are that the application of the “One SprintAhead” approach diminishes many challenges, while performing usability testing in parallel withsystem testing can support integration.

A cultura da participação abre no mundo digital um leque de novos e remodelados comportamentos do mundo clássico. Tanto os formatos de participação, quanto a colaboração e cooperação se ressignificam dentro da cibercultura. O que é fundamental para entender o consumo colaborativo. Este trabalho delineia um posicionamento conceitual do consumo colaborativo entre outros conceitos semelhantes como compartilhamento, cooperação e dilemas sociais, com o objetivo de diferenciar gradientes de colaboração dentro dos modelos de consumo colaborativo. Na investigação teórica, o que se encontrou foi uma linha tênue que distingue os graus de colaboração e cooperação pelo nível de envolvimento pró-social e a interação entre consumidores. Do ponto de vista da comunicação e do design de user experience, esse trabalho realizar um estudo de recepção que compara os elementos informativos gráficos mais recorrentes nos sites de consumo colaborativo com a percepção de importância desses elementos pelos usuários. Além de contribuir com uma escala de colaboração que pode ser aplicada em iniciativas desse tipo para classificá-las desde altamente cooperativas a altamente colaborativas. Os achados auxiliarão futuras pesquisas acadêmicas nessa área. / The participatory culture in the digital world opens a range of new and refurbished behaviors of the classical world. The shades of sharing, collaboration and cooperation are resignify within cyberculture. This is critical to understand the collaborative consumption. This paper outlines a conceptual positioning of the collaborative consumption and other similar concepts such as sharing, cooperation and social dilemmas, in order to differentiate collaboration gradients inside collaborative consumption models. In theoretical research, we found a fine line that distinguishes the degrees of collaboration and cooperation by the level of prosocial involvement and interaction among consumers. From the point of view of communication and user experience design, this work conduct a study of reception that compares the most frequent graphic pieces of information on collaborative consumption websites with the perceived importance of these elements by the users. Besides contributing with a collaborative scale that can be applied in such initiatives to rank them from highly cooperative to highly collaborative. The findings will help future academic research in this area.

The main goal of this master thesis is to choose a more user-friendly e-shop option. This finding is achieved through several testing methods. As this is a user experience and user interface topic, the concepts of this topic are more closely approximated for better understanding of subsequent testing. Another approach is the testing methods used to ensure the goal of the thesis. The key part of the thesis is a practical one, which deals with the above-mentioned testing of two variants of e-shops. E-shops are tested using five-second test methods, eye-tracking measurements that become the most important test of this thesis, oral questionnaire and complementary emotional cards. Using eye-tracking measurements, visual maps are obtained that plot the visual field of each respondent. All results are processed, analyzed and subsequently interpreted to the final result.

Abstract User experience has become a popular term in research and industry. There has been a great attempt to study and design user experiences. This thesis gives a practical view to user experience studies and methods by reporting test settings and results of the ADAMOS case studies. The goal of the ADAMOS project was to investigate context- and action-sensitive services in terms of how users experience when the system can detect one’s location and actions, and then adjust according to this information. The aim of this thesis is to investigate problems and issues in studying user experiences of mobile services and to find out in which conditions the study of user experience is possible and meaningful. As a contribution this thesis provides practical information for conducting user experience studies and evaluating experiences. The first contribution is a framework (U2E-Frame), which I created and improved iteratively in each test case. The framework is method-independent and it can be used for planning and conducting tests. The second contribution of the thesis is the practical view to all methods that are created, applied, presented and evaluated in this thesis. Especially during this thesis work three novel methods (Mobile Feedback, 3E-Diary and SUE methodology) have been developed and evaluated. The evaluation of the research methods illustrates that the best practice to study user experience is to use several methods together. This enables deeper understanding of user experiences. As the third contribution of this thesis I introduce a proposal of ten user experience heuristics for design and evaluation of user experiences. The aim of these heuristics is to enable designers to understand what meaning user experience has in product design. Developers can use these heuristics for designing and evaluating user experience aspects in product design. This thesis presents the main challenges in user experience research: know what to study (comprehensive user experience), know how to study it (find appropriate methods) and know how to evaluate and design it (user experience heuristics). An answer to the research problem is that it is both possible and meaningful to study user experience when we know user experience targets, and features of the services we want to investigate, and we can use the most appropriate methods, ensure the participant’s commitment to the test and ensure analysing relationships between results collected with different methods.