This report describes the process of developing a user-friendly and responsive archive website. The website is a Hi-fi prototype and was created for the company JG Communications, to serve as an archive for their customers’ style guidelines. To create this website I have used HTML5 and CSS3 to make it responsive for various computer screens. I have also used PHP and some JavaScript to make some of the functions and Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator to make design elements for the prototype. The main purpose with this project was to come up with a design and most of all to come up with how the site should function. I have done user tests combined with interviews, content analysis on JG Communications website, and applied various design methods when building and designing the website.

The goal of this Bachelor project was to develop the Sundsvall42 website,whose name originates from the conference held in week 42 and during whichall the IT-companies in Sundsvall gather and hold a number of different lectures.The website has been designed to accommodate both speakers and partipicants.All partipicants and lecturers will receive a personalized page inwhich there are a number of functions which are available for use, including ablog for each workshop and a calendar. The program used to create this isLiferay and the operating system is Linux. The entire website is encoded usingLiferay and Java, but the website is not adapted for use with the smaller screensize of the Smartphone. However, because of the Responsive Design technology,the website is able to adapt to various devices such as the Ipad and Smartphonesand the website will be able to adapt to the screen sizes of these devices.As it has all been processed using open-source, everyone has the right to accessthe source code. It is also possible for anyone to make changes to the code ifsuch changes are required. It is very important that two solutions are chosen asit is possible that one of the solutions will not prove to work adequately. Theconclusion was between the solutions given by both Liferay and HTML in ResponsiveDesign and it was determined that Liferay's version of ResponsiveDesign works better in its own environment.

The aim of this thesis is to describe in detail the current ways of optimizing websites for search engines (SEO) and to apply them in a broader marketing strategy of italian restaurant La Casa Degli Amici. The thesis presents evidence about the importance of SEO for marketing and can be used as a template for optimizing you own website. This thesis is divided into two main parts - theoretical and practical. The theoretical part explains the concepts used in the design and implementation of the practical part. The theoretical part considers 3 main subjects - search engine, users and SEO which represents website creation and optimization. This thesis describes the history of search engines and the way search engines analyze and evaluate a website. It also describes user search strategies and the way users read the search results. In the SEO section we show its advantages, brief history, SEO strategies and description of techniques and tools that can be used for SEO. In the practical part we put together a marketing strategy which consists of website creation, implementation of selected SEO techniques and social network marketing. Implementation of the marketing strategy is evaluated on data obtained during the period between 1. 8. 2016 and 31. 11. 2016. Owner of the restaurant has provided data on sales which were used for overall evaluation of implemented marketing strategy.

There are a lot of spaced repetition system based online learning services available nowadays, but none of them are popular or widely accepted as a good means for studying. The problem of these services is, instead of exploiting and utilizing the possibility of modern technology, they simply brought this old school learning method to the web as an application with exactly the same experience as one could have with textbooks and flash cards. This master’s thesis project concerns Sharplet, a spaced repetition system based web service, who is trying to stand out by offering some features that none of the other comparable services have. One of these features is the integration of YouTube video clips, so that in addition to text and pictures, study materials may now include both audio and video material. This thesis begins by reviews spaced repetition systems in general, and then focuses on some of the existing services and how to provide a better service. Next the thesis describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of a new service that includes both audio and video content. The main practical result of this master’s thesis project is a working prototype audio and video enabled spaced repetition based service. Unfortunately, the actual performance of this prototype is unacceptable, hence there is a need to improve its performance before it can be integrated with the production spaced repetition system. / Det finns en hel del repetitionssystem baserat online- lärande tjänster som finns idag, men ingen av dem är populära och allmänt accepterat som ett bra sätt för att studera. Problemet med dessa tjänster är, i stället för att utnyttja och utnyttja möjligheten till modern teknik, de helt enkelt fört din gamla inlärningsmetod för webben som ett program med exakt samma upplevelse som man kunde ha med läroböcker och flash-kort. Denna magisteruppsats projektet gäller Sharplet, ett repetitionssystem baserat webbtjänst, som försöker sticka ut genom att erbjuda vissa funktioner som ingen av de andra jämförbara tjänster har. En av dessa funktioner är att integrera YouTube- videoklipp, så att förutom text och bilder, samt ljud och video både är nu tillgänglig för läromedel. Detta examensarbete recensioner repetitionssystemi allmänhet, fokuserar sedan på några befintliga tjänster och hur man kan ge bättre service. Den största utmaningen kommer att undersöka YouTube API och studera användarbeteendeför att ge en bättre användarupplevelse. Det viktigaste resultatet av detta examensarbete är en fungerande prototyp av en ljud -och video aktiverat repetitionsbaserad tjänst. Tyvärr är det faktiska utförandet av denna prototyp oacceptabelt, därför finns det ett behov av att förbättra sina resultat innan den kan integreras med tillverkningen fördelade upprepning systemet.

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Flyovers, or grade separated bridges or roads, are a type of urban infrastructure that has been used to facilitate high-speed vehicular movement. This once-popular strategy of the west, despite being considered as a failure for sustainable urban growth, has been adopted in Bangladesh to combat traffic congestion in Dhaka that has a crippling effect on daily life of the citizens. As was anticipated by many urban planners and architects, these expensive structures did little to reduce traffic congestion, but created additional problems of noise and air pollution as well as reduced pedestrian mobility. More importantly, these flyovers created wasted void spaces underneath that are uncomfortable, devoid of human scale and act as physical and visual barriers that cause tears on the urban fabric. The objective of this thesis is to explore how architecture can unlock the potential of the unused spaces under the flyovers in Dhaka, by turning these linear leftover spaces into dignified public places that improves the daily lived experiences of the urban dwellers, by minimizing the disruptions caused by the flyover and by realizing the potential inherent in the robust structure of the flyover. This thesis examines a democratized way of building, where the role of architecture is to facilitate organic and heterogeneous growth, addition and modification to the flyover in order to bring the human scale back to the massive flyover structure through a reconciliation of top-down and bottom-up approaches. The architectural interventions respond to the site conditions, potentials and demands. The architectural outcome is based on the concepts of creating a threshold, architecture as armature and parasitic structures. / Master of Architecture / Flyovers, or grade separated bridges or roads, are a type of urban infrastructure that has been used to facilitate high-speed vehicular movement. This once-popular strategy of the west, despite being considered as a failure for sustainable urban growth, has been adopted in Bangladesh to combat traffic congestion in Dhaka that has a crippling effect on daily life of the citizens. As was anticipated by many urban planners and architects, these expensive structures did little to reduce traffic congestion, but created additional problems of noise and air pollution as well as reduced pedestrian mobility. More importantly, these flyovers created wasted empty spaces underneath that are uncomfortable and act as physical and visual barriers that cause tears on the urban fabric. The objective of this thesis is to explore how architecture can unlock the potential of the unused spaces under the flyovers in Dhaka, by turning these linear leftover spaces into dignified public places that improves the daily lived experiences of the urban dwellers, by minimizing the disruptions caused by the flyover and by realizing the potential inherent in the robust structure of the flyover. This thesis examines a democratized way of building, where the role of architecture is to facilitate organic and de-centralized growth, addition and modification to the flyover in order to bring the human scale back to the massive flyover structure through a reconciliation of top-down and bottom-up approaches. The architectural interventions respond to the site conditions, potentials and demands. The architectural outcome is based on the concepts of creating a threshold, architecture as armature and parasitic structures.

We live in a high tech era of electronic media, which is changing our lives (Giddens, 1999). Apps are examples of technologies that affect our lives. An interesting question in this context is what apps will have for significance; on one hand for the development of technology, and on other hand for humans’ relation to technology. Since the development and change process are central issues in the science of education I will explore the development of applications. The purpose of this paper is to seek knowledge about applications (apps) development from a design and user perspective. This dissertation discusses activity theory as an academic framework for understanding of apps development from two different types of operating systems or practices, to be precise design practice and user practice. To clarify my point, I have defined the following questions: why user apps are designed, how user apps are designed, and what contradictions occur between the design and the use of apps? My research is based on a qualitative approach with an abductive approach. I used multiple case studies as research approach based on three data collection techniques: interviews, observiews (interviews and observations) and observations of social media and an archived document of wireframes about apps. The result shows that apps designed and published either for their function or for promotional purposes. The design process is fast and dynamic process where applications are published before they are ready and constantly updated later. The use of apps characterized by either an active or a passive use operations. In the passive activity apps are tested through trial and error, and when they do not meet the user's expectations they are thrown away. This activity contributes in relation to previous research on technology and social change to the consumer’s throwaway culture. While in the active using, activities becomes part of the development activities where development aspects are communicated through social media – interact active users and designers to develop the app, which is both an artifact and an object of their own development. Activity theory thus contributes to theories of design by considering design not only as production but also as a fully operational system itself with the production, consumption, exchange and distribution. / Vi lever i en högmodern tid som präglas av elektroniska medier som förändrar vårt liv enligt Giddens (1999). Appar är exempel på teknik som påverkar vårt liv. En intressant fråga i detta sammanhang är vad appar får för betydelse för – å ena sidan utveckling av teknik å andra sidan människans förhållande till teknik. Eftersom utveckling och förändringsprocesser är centrala i pedagogik vill jag studera utveckling av appar. Syftet med denna uppsats är att söka kunskap om apputveckling ur ett design- och användarperspektiv. I uppsatsen används verksamhetsteori som teoretiskt ramverk för att förstå apputveckling utifrån två olika typer av verksamhetssystem eller praktiker, nämligen designpraktiken och användarpraktiken. För att närmare precisera mitt syfte har jag definierat följande frågeställningar: varför designas respektive används appar, hur designas respektive används appar, och vilka motsättningar uppstår/finns mellan design och användning av appar? Min uppsats bygger på ett kvalitativt tillvägagångssätt med en abduktiv ansats som innebär en pendling mellan teori och empiri. Jag använder flerfallsstudien som forskningsansats, med tre datasamlingstekniker: intervjuer, observjuer och observationer av sociala medier och ett arkiverat dokument med skisser över appar. Resultatet visar att appar designas och publiceras antingen för sin funktion eller i marknadsföringssyfte. Designprocessen är en snabb, dynamisk process där appar publiceras innan de är klara och därefter ständigt uppdateras. Användning av appar kännetecknas av antingen en aktiv eller en passiv användning. I den passiva användningsverksamheten prövas appar genom trial-and-error och när de inte motsvarar användarens förväntningar kastas de bort. Denna verksamhet bidrar i relation till tidigare forskning om teknik och social förändring till konsumtionssamhällets slit och slängkultur. Den aktiva användningsverksamheten blir istället en del av utvecklings­verksamheten där utvecklingsaspekter kommuniceras via sociala medier där aktiva användare och designer samverkar i att utveckla appen som blir både en artefakt och ett objekt för sin egen utveckling. Verksamhetsteori bidrar således till teorier om design genom att betrakta design inte bara som produktion utan som ett helt verksamhetssystem i sig med produktion, konsumtion, utbyte och fördelning.

abstract: This dissertation examines the conditions that foster or hinder success of university-based community design centers (CDCs) in the United States. Little is known about the normative underpinnings of CDCs, how successful these centers have been, which factors have contributed to or impeded their success, and how they have responded to the changes in social, political, professional and economic contexts. Adopting Giddens' theory of structuration as a research framework, this study examined CDCs via a mixed-methods sequential research design: a cross-sectional survey of CDCs on current definitions of success and metrics in use; and in-depth interviews to document the centers' histories of change or stasis, and how these changes influenced their successes. The findings of the first phase were utilized to develop a comprehensive success model for current CDCs that comprise measures related to organizational impacts, activities, and capacities. In the multiple case study analysis, four major rationales were identified: universities for public service, pragmatist learning theories, civic professionalism, and social change. These four rationales were evident in all of the studied cases at varying degrees. Using the concept of permeability, the study also exemplified how the processes of CDCs had transformative impacts in institutional, societal, and personal contexts. Multidisciplinarity has also emerged as a theme for the current organizational transformations of CDCs. The main argument that emerged from these findings is that it is not possible to identify a singular model or best practice for CDCs. The strengths and unique potentials of CDCs depend on the alternative rationales, involved agencies, and their social, political and spatial contexts. However, capitalizing on the distinctive attributes of the institutional context (i.e. the university), I consider some possibilities for university-based CDCs with an interdisciplinary structure, pushing the professional, curricular, and institutional boundaries, and striving for systemic change and social justice. In addition to contributing to the theoretical knowledge base, the findings provide useful information to various CDCs across the country, particularly today as they struggle with financial constraints while the community needs they provide are increasingly in demand. Since CDCs have a long history of community service and engagement, the findings can inform other university-community partnerships. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Environmental Design and Planning 2011

This report presents the development process of a mobile interface for the C2-monitor. A monitoring tool used to support the operations for the broadcasting services of Ericsson Broadcasting and Media Services (EBMS). With the support of the C2-monitor, operators can monitor hundreds of channels and services produced from EBMS. To enhance a more flexible working environment, the C2-monitor needs to be developed further to support mobile devices with a customized design to take advantage of mobile phones features and functionality. Established and well-recognized design methods and principles have been applied in the development process and user testing have been made iteratively throughout the project. The goal for the project has been to fulfil the user’s needs and preferences for the mobile interface, in order to assure a useful product for the end user. The result of this study is a recommendation and design proposal for a mobile interface of C2-moniter that can be used for further development. / Denna rapport redovisar utveckling av ett mobilt gränssnitt för C2-monitor, ett monitoreringsverktyg som används som stöd för driften på Ericsson Broadcasting and Media Services. Med hjälp av C2-monitor kan operatörer övervaka de hundratals kanaler och tjänster som produceras från EBMS. För att stödja ett flexibelt arbete behöver verktyget utvecklas och finnas tillgänglig på mobila enheter med anpassad design för att ta vara på mobilens egenskaper samt dess funktionaliteter. För utvecklingen av det mobila gränssnittet har vedertagna designmetoder tillämpats i arbetsprocessen och användartester har skett iterativt genom projektets gång. Det slutgiltiga målet för projektet har varit att produkten uppfyller användarens behov och önskemål, detta för att kvalitetssäkra en användbar och relevant produkt för slutanvändaren. Resultatet blev en rekommendation och ett designförslag för mobila gränssnittet av C2-monitor som kan användas i den fortsatta utvecklingen av verktyget.

This paper explores winter patios in Edmonton through the lens of place and climate sensitive design, then reflects upon the existing regulations that influence the design and management of winter patios in Edmonton. The City of Edmonton provides this research opportunity because it is currently pursuing the creation of a four-season patio culture in the city, and has created a strong WinterCity agenda. The introduction explores Edmonton’s local climate and its winter city strategy. This is followed by an explanation of the study’s methodology. The purpose of this thesis is to study how climate sensitive design principles can be applied to create places that attract winter activity. The research questions ask how climate sensitive design principles are currently incorporated in patios, what barriers exist to creating these spaces, and how to overcome these barriers in municipal processes. Many cities in cold climates seek ways to create vibrant, active cities through all seasons, and this study explores how climate sensitive planning principles can help create environments that invite winter activity. To answer the research question, a qualitative methodology was used to examine the case study of Edmonton winter patios using Eliasson’s (2007) concept of place and microclimate. The study identifies design weaknesses in Edmonton patios with little provision of shelter from wind, snow and rain, as well as limited consideration of snow storage and removal. Interviews and document review identify lack of interest and a lack of attention to the physical component of place as barriers to the creation of winter patios. Finally, the use of analytical tools such as urban climatic maps are suggested, as well as the introduction of microclimate standards so information about weather and microclimate can influence how physical components of place are planned and evaluated.