One of Husqvarna AB's largest customer segments is Green Space Professionals (GSP). Being aGSP means taking care of a large variety of green areas such as golf courses, parks, and footballpitches. The diversity within the GSP profession makes it very important to adapt the productsto many types of people by involving the end user as much as possible in the productdevelopment process.The first part during the study has been to define usability based on theory and how this can beapplied to the current fastening device. The end user was involved in order to obtain a deeperunderstanding of areas of potential improvement that exist within the current fastening deviceand the consequences of these. A literature study was conducted with the aim of setting up atheoretical framework on human interaction with products. It became clear that the currentfastening device lacks features that satisfies certain aspects of usability. The connectionbetween the user and the theoretical framework contributed to a set of functional requirementswhich could be compiled into two important factors.The second part of the study was to apply these factors in a concept. The development of theconcept was carried out with classic tools for development of concepts and prototypes, whichinclude elements such as idea generation, screening, and prototype development.The third part was to evaluate how well the factors were applied through the concept andwhether these factors increased the usability of the concept.After the interview results were linked to the theory, it could be concluded that the twoimportant factors that needed to be improved, Time consumption and Response. A conceptwhich involves the developed factors and is based on the principle "quick release" wasdeveloped. With a complete concept and with the factors in mind, a user study was designedwith the intention of evaluating these factors and the usability in general based on thetheoretical framework. The user study consisted of four sub-parts, a visual test, a blind test, atime test, and a questionnaire. The results from the tests showed that a significant differencewas achieved regarding the two factors. This was further confirmed by the results from thesurvey, where it was clear that the participants also experienced the new concept as faster,smoother, and easier to understand.With the documentation presented, it can be stated that a change in line with what has beenproduced in this work, would with most certainty improve the usability of the fastening device.Keywords: Usability, UX-design, User experience, User study, User involvement, DoubleDiamond, Triangulation

This study has examined what design principles help make more understandable UI icons and what aspects are most important when understanding the functionality of UI elements. Prior to this study, 15 UI icons representing items and actions were drawn asstudy subjects together with a prototype game to provide game context to the testers.Through applying surveys, think-aloud, playtesting, and interviews, 10 participantswere included to see how their unique backgrounds impact their understanding ofvideo game icons. Their age; country of origin; gaming habits, genre, platform, andgame preferences; and game development experience were considered to see if therewas a connection between cultural backgrounds and icon understanding. The results showed that the group was fairly homogenous, yet still had a unique set of expectations, preferences, and understandings of the icons which indicates that background impacts how people understand UI icons in games. However, with a small sample, this was merely the beginning of a discussion on how interpretation and cultural differences can be used as a lens to study how people understand video game icons that are relevant to video games. Further, this could help UI/UX designers better understand universal and culture-specific references in order to understand how their users make assumptions about symbols which in turn could help improve the user experience.

I ett snabbt växande konsultföretag, som Consid, kan det vara bra att ha en översikt över de anställda och vilka kompetenser de besitter. Därav kan det vara behjälpligt med ett system som tillhandahåller funktionaliteter som gör det möjligt att söka efter anställda baserat på deras namn, kompetens eller söka efter projekt kopplade till Consid. Syftet med arbetet var att skapa och utvärdera en prototyp av ett system som ökar samhörigheten mellan de anställda på företaget Consid och underlätta informationssökningen kring ens medarbetare och projekt. Arbetet inleddes med en förstudie och i denna sattes en kravanalys. Utöver kravanalysen skapades en enkät samt att djupintervjuer hölls med anställda från Consid för att undersöka deras behov och önskemål rörande systemet. Men hjälp av detta skapades en effektkarta för systemet. I effektkartan sattes mätpunkter upp för att undersöka om systemet upplevdes som lättnavigerat, förståeligt, lättillgängligt och om det skapade en ökad känsla av samhörighet. En prototyp skapades med hjälp av resultaten från förstudien. Prototypen användes som underlag för användartester som hölls och de var i form av djupintervjuer tillsammans med scenarion. I slutet av djupintervjuerna fick respondenterna även svara på en System Usability Scale-enkät för att ge återkoppling på systemet. Resultatet för mätpunkterna undersöktes både för en första och andra prototyp och jämfördes sedan. Den generella slutsatsen från detta arbete är att det krävs tydlig rubricering och indikation på vad som sker för respektive fält. Dessutom är det väsentligt att vara konsekvent för liknande element både för deras benämning, funktionalitet och utseende. En känsla av samhörighet är något som ökar då en person anser att den tillhör ett större sammanhang. Genom att visualisera en användares plats i företaget kan denna känsla ökas. En ökad känsla av samhörighet kan också uppnås genom att användaren har möjlighet att se andra med liknande kompetenser eller som ingår i samma projekt. / In a fast-growing consulting company, like Consid, it can be a benefit to be able to have an overview over the employees and what competencies they possess. It can therefore be a benefit to have a system that provides the functionalities that make it possible to search for employees based on their names, competencies or search for projects that are connected to Consid. The purpose of this work was to create and evaluate a prototype of a system that has the purpose to increase the sense of belonging for the employees at the company Consid and simplify the search for information related to co-workers and projects. To be able to create a system like this an understanding and knowledge regarding Competence Management Systems, the sense of belonging, design principles and user experience was needed. The project was initiated with a feasibility study and in it a requirements analysis was developed together with the external mentors from Consid. In addition to the requirements analysis a survey was created, and in-depth interviews was held with employees from Consid in order to determine their needs and wants regarding the system. With the result from this an impact map was created for the system. The goals for the system were defined in the impact map to be able to determine if the system was perceived as easy to navigate, understand, access and if it increased the sense of belonging for the users. With the help of the feasibility study a prototype was created. This prototype was used as a basis for user tests which was held in form of in-depth interviews that consisted of scenarios. The respondents of the in-depth interviews also had to answer a System Usability Scale-survey to give feedback for the system. Adjustments was made to the prototype with the help of the feedback collected from the in-depth interviews and this resulted in the final prototype. In-depth interviews were held, using the same structure as before, to determine how the target group perceived the final prototype. The results for both the first and the final prototype regarding the goals that was set up in the impact map was then compared to each other. The project resulted in that all goals set for the system was met. In the end of the project an evaluation of the requirements analysis was held, with the external mentors from Consid, in order to evaluate which requirements, the system fulfilled and which it did not. The conclusion of this work is that it requires clear naming of the headings and indication of the purpose for each heading. It is also important to be consistent regarding elements that are the same, both for the naming of them, its functionality, and its appearance. A sense of belonging is something that increases when a person considers him- or herself to belong to a larger context. This feeling can be increased by visualizing an employee’s place in the company. An increased sense of belonging can also be achieved if the user has the possibility to see other employees that possesses the same competencies or are involved in the same projects. / <p>Examensarbetet är utfört vid Institutionen för teknik och naturvetenskap (ITN) vid Tekniska fakulteten, Linköpings universitet</p>

This study aims to gain a deeper understanding of how microanimations contribute to enhancing user experiences in mobile interfaces. By examining how microanimations influence how users perceive mobile application interfaces, it is possible to comprehend the significance of dynamic visual feedback from interactions. Feedback can be animated in various ways and is present in multiple parts of an interface; therefore, we intend [JB1] to investigate how all microanimations affect the overall user experience. The methodology employed in this study is qualitative and based on triangulation, combining three different types of data to enhance result validity. The eight participants in the study engaged in A/B-testing of four applications. Version A included an interface with microanimations, while B lacked microanimations. All user tests were observed and documented. After each tested application, respondents completed a survey, resulting in a total of 64 surveys collected. After completing the tests and surveys, semi-structured interviews were conducted in forms of focus groups. The results imply that microanimations can enhance user experiences by providing user feedback, which for instance contributes to increased understanding and engagement among users. In some cases, the results suggest that microanimations can cognitively overload users if they are excessive and not sufficiently discreet.

The objective of this thesis is to investigate the incorporation of work engagement theory into the design process of an IT system. This is accomplished through the development of a web interface that facilitates data visualization and analysis for radar surveillance operations at Saab. The incorporation of work engagement in the design process is rare in previous research but holds the potential to enhance employee engagement, promoting greater enthusiasm for their daily tasks and alleviating stress and burnout. This, in turn, can foster a workforce that is both more productive and successful. The thesis has been divided into two core parts; the development of a design framework used for theoretical analysis of work engagement, and the practical implementation of the framework in the development and evaluation process. The design framework, crafted through an extensive literature review, integrates work engagement theory complemented by other relevant theories, all supported by a user-centered design methodology, thus ensuring a comprehensive and consistent approach to capturing engagement. The practical implementation of the framework consisted of developing and evaluating the web interface in three iterations. In each iteration the users' needs were defined as functional requirements, a prototype was developed and a user evaluation was conducted. Following these interviews, modifications were made to the functional requirements, guiding the subsequent iteration.  The final evaluation revealed that users saw potential in the proof-of-concept tool, praising its innovative design process, ease of use, and visualization techniques. They believed these aspects could inspire future development of existing tools and enhance engagement. After the iterations, it became evident that adhering to the proposed design framework, based on user-centered design principles and UX theory, especially emphasizing UX goals, allows for effective integration of work engagement within an IT system in a highly technological context. It holds the potential for creating engaging interfaces and thus capturing quiet quitters, amplifying well-being and increasing organizational success.

The mechanism of heat transfer augmentation due to freestream turbulence in classic Hiemenz stagnation flow was studied experimentally for the first time using time-resolved digital particle image velocimetry (TRDPIV) and a new thin film heat flux sensor called the Heat Flux Array (HFA). Unique measurements of simultaneous, time-resolved velocity and surface heat flux data were obtained along the stagnation line on a simple, rectangular flat plate model mounted in a water tunnel facility. Identification and tracking of coherent structures in the stagnation region lends support to the theory that coherent structures experience stretching and amplification of vorticity by the mean flow strain rate upon approaching the stagnation surface. The resulting flow field in the near-wall region is comprised primarily of high strength, counter-rotating vortex pairs with decreased integral length scale relative to the imposed freestream turbulence. It is hypothesized that the primary mechanism of heat transfer augmentation is the movement of cooler freestream fluid into the heated near-wall region by these coherent structures. Furthermore, the level of heat transfer augmentation is dictated by the integral length scale, circulation strength, and core-to-surface distance of the coherent structures. To test this hypothesis, these properties were incorporated into a mechanistic model for predicting the transient, turbulent heat transfer coefficient. The model was successful in predicting the shape and magnitude of the measured heat transfer coefficient over much of the experimental measurement time. In a separate yet related set of studies, heat flux sensors and calibration methods were examined. The High Temperature Heat Flux Sensor (HTHFS) was designed and developed to become one of the most durable heat flux sensors ever devised for long duration use in high temperature, extreme environments. Extensive calibrations in both conduction and convection were performed to validate the performance of the sensor near room temperature. The measured sensitivities in conduction and convection were both very close to the predicted sensitivity using a thermal resistance model of the HTHFS. The sensor performance was unaffected by repeated thermal cycling using kiln and torch firing. Finally, the performance of Schmidt-Boelter heat flux sensors were examined in both shear and stagnation flow using two custom designed convection calibration facilities. Calibration results were evaluated using an analytical sensitivity model based on an overall sensor thermal resistance from the sensor to the heat sink or mounting surface. In the case of convection the model included a term for surface temperature differences along the boundary layer. In stagnation flow the apparent sensitivity of the Schmidt-Boelter sensors decreased non-linearly with increasing heat transfer coefficient. Estimations of the sensor's internal thermal resistance were obtained by fitting the model to the stagnation calibration data. This resistance was then used with the model to evaluate the effects of non-uniform surface temperature on the shear flow sensitivity. A more pronounced non-linear sensitivity dependence on heat transfer coefficient was observed. In both cases the main result is that convection sensitivity varies a great deal from standard radiation calibrations. / Ph. D.

In Virginia Tech's Digital Library Research Laboratory, we support subject-matter-experts (SMEs) in their pursuit of research goals. Their goals include everything from data collection to analysis to reporting. Their research commonly involves an analysis of an extensive collection of data such as tweets or web pages. Without support -- such as by our lab, developers, or data analysts/scientists -- they would undertake the data analysis themselves, using available analytical tools, frameworks, and languages. Then, to extract and produce the information needed to achieve their goals, the researchers/users would need to know what sequences of functions or algorithms to run using such tools, after considering all of their extensive functionality. Our research addresses these problems directly by designing a system that lowers the information barriers. Our approach is broken down into three parts. In the first two parts, we introduce a system that supports discovery of both information and supporting services. In the first part, we describe the methodology that incorporates User eXperience (UX) research into the process of workflow design. Through the methodology, we capture (a) what are the different user roles and goals, (b) how we break down the user goals into tasks and sub-tasks, and (c) what functions and services are required to solve each (sub-)task. In the second part, we identify and describe key components of the infrastructure implementation. This implementation captures the various goals/tasks/services associations in a manner that supports information inquiry of two types: (1) Given an information goal as query, what is the workflow to derive this information? and (2) Given a data resource, what information can we derive using this data resource as input? We demonstrate both parts of the approach, describing how we teach and apply the methodology, with three case studies. In the third part of this research, we rely on formalisms used in describing digital libraries to explain the components that make up the information system. The formal description serves as a guide to support the development of information systems that generate workflows to support SME information needs. We also specifically describe an information system meant to support information goals that relate to Twitter data. / Doctor of Philosophy / In Virginia Tech's Digital Library Research Laboratory, we support subject-matter-experts (SMEs) in their pursuit of research goals. This includes everything from data collection to analysis to reporting. Their research commonly involves an analysis of an extensive collection of data such as tweets or web pages. Without support -- such as by our lab, developers, or data analysts/scientists -- they would undertake the data analysis themselves, using available analytical tools, frameworks, and languages. Then, to extract and produce the information needed to achieve their goals, the researchers/users would need to know what sequences of functions or algorithms to run using such tools, after considering all of their extensive functionality. Further, as more algorithms are being discovered and datasets are getting larger, the information processing effort is getting more and more complicated. Our research aims to address these problems directly by attempting to lower the barriers, through a methodology that integrates the full life cycle, including the activities carried out by User eXperience (UX), analysis, development, and implementation experts. We devise a three part approach to this research. The first two parts concern building a system that supports discovery of both information and supporting services. First, we describe the methodology that introduces UX research into the process of workflow design. Second, we identify and describe key components of the infrastructure implementation. We demonstrate both parts of the approach, describing how we teach and apply the methodology, with three case studies. In the third part of this research, we extend formalisms used in describing digital libraries to encompass the components that make up our new type of extensible information system.

Fokus på arbetet ligger på hållbar tillgänglighet för personer med funktionsnedsättning. Arbetet görs i samarbete med en organisation vars medlemmar är familjer där en eller flera familjemedlemmar har en funktionsnedsättning. Syftet med arbetet är att undersöka unga vuxna med funktionsnedsättning och deras användarupplevelsen av hjälpmedelsteknologier och teknologier genom hållbar tillgänglighet och genom en aktivitetsteoretisk lins. Datainsamlingen bestod av en enkät, fyra semistrukturerade intervjuer och tre research in the wild observationer, varav två inspelade och en ute på fältet. Data analyserades genom en aktivitetsteoretisk lins varefter resultatet påvisade tre större teman: • Skillnad i användarupplevelse mellan unga vuxna och föräldrar i användningen av hjälpmedelsteknologier och teknologier. • Skillnad i användarupplevelsen för unga vuxna jämfört med hur många användbarhetsproblem som uppstår vid interaktion med hjälpmedelsteknologier och teknologier. • Brister i hållbar tillgänglighet. Resultatet användes för att påvisa brister på både mikronivå; inom användarupplevelen av hjälpmedelsteknologi och teknologi, samt på en makronivå; hur samhälleligt stöd brister från skola och habilitering ända upp till tillämpning av lagar, regler och rättigheter för personer med funktionsnedsättning. Slutsatsen av resultatet är att det är sämre än vad man kunnat ana vad gäller att lagar, regler och rättigheter för personer med funktionsnedsättning inte tillämpas fullt ut i praktiken i Sverige idag. Detta medför att användargruppen inte får ta del av de möjligheter som står till buds för att bli fullvärdiga aktörer i samhället, vilket dels är ett slöseri med resurser samtidigt som det hindrar deras personliga och yrkesmässiga utveckling och potential. / Focus in this work lies in sustainable accessibility for people with psychical disabilities. This work is made in cooperation with an organization which members are families where one or more family members has a disability. The purpose of this work is to investigate young people with disabilities and their user experience of assistive technology and technology, through an activity theory lens. The data collection consisted by an inquiry, four semi structured interviews and three research in the wild observations, whereas two were recorded and one were out on the field. Data was analyzed through an activity theory lens whereas the result demonstrated three larger themes:' • The difference in user experience between young adults and parents in the use of assistive technology and technology. • The difference in user experience by young adults compared to the amount of usability problems that occurs in the interaction with assistive technology and technology. • Deficiency in sustainable accessibility. The result was used to show deficiencies at both micro level; in the user experience of assistive technology and technology, and through a macro level; how society support fails from school and rehabilitation all the way up to laws, rules and rights for people with disabilities. The final result is that it is worse than what you could possibly imagine in terms of laws, rules and rights for people with disabilities in Sweden today. This causes that this user group can’t take part of the possibilities that stands a head to be full worthy actors in society, which on one hand is a waste of resources and on the other hand stops their personal and professional development and potential.

The emergence of generative AI and platforms like ChatGPT has revolutionized the industry, triggering a widespread shift towards integrating AI models into various software applications. The Swedish Defence Research Agency is exploring the development of AI assistants for military planning. This thesis investigates the graphical user interface aspects of generative AI assistants. Following initial focus groups, a prototype was developed and assessed through user testing. The findings highlight several crucial elements to consider when designing a user interface for an AI assistant in military planning: user-friendliness, the ability to summarize documents and mission orders, an interactive map accessible to the AI assistant, and an interface to gather data and responses from the AI assistant. Implementing features crucial to the specification is essential when addressing complex tasks involving sensitive and precise data. The broader context of using generative AI represents a rapidly advancing research area that warrants close examination.

Artificial intelligence (AI) in mobile applications has grown in popularity, changing the way people engage with technology. AI improves functionality, personalization, and efficiency across a wide range of mobile applications. One specific group of apps powered by AI is period-tracking applications, which is the focus of this master thesis. These apps utilize AI for features such as cycle predictions, fertility windows, symptom predictions, health insights, and chatbots. The aim of this project was to evaluate the performance of these advanced features, leading to the research question: “How do users perceive and experience the AI features in period-tracking applications?” To address this question, an observational mixed-method approach was employed. The research began with a survey, shared via social media platforms from February 19th, 2024, to April 2nd, 2024. The questionnaire included 20 open-ended and multiple-choice questions centered on AI features. By the end of the survey period, 61 responses were collected and analyzed. During the survey period, four participants were chosen for follow-up interviews, but three users’ responses were used in the analysis. The survey results underwent statistical tests to explore the relationship between monthly app usage, duration of app use, and satisfaction with cycle predictions. Later, interview results analyzed by using thematic analysis were integrated to the walkthrough method while assessing the functionality, interface, and user experience of AI features. The mixed-method study offered comprehensive insights into users' practices and experiences with AI features in period-tracking apps, revealing the need for future work to enhance the performance of these AI features for better user satisfaction.