With housing in the UK responsible for over a quarter of all building related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, it is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the impact of occupant behaviour on such emissions. One area where occupant behaviour contributes largely towards emissions is space heating within domestic buildings. Despite technological improvements in the efficiency of heating systems, controls have become increasingly complex. Hence, there is a need to enable people to use their heating controls effectively in order to help reduce the associated CO2 emissions. This research found that significant numbers of people were excluded from using digital programmable thermostats, in particular people over 50 years old. The first study examined the scale of exclusion relating to digital programmable thermostats installed at a specific housing development. A second study explored in detail the reasons for exclusion from successfully programming a range of digital programmable thermostats. This was an in-depth usability study of heating controls that focused on the usability issues experienced by older people and was published in the Journal of Engineering Design. Based upon the outcomes of the first two studies a more inclusive heating control interface prototype was developed. The prototype demonstrated a reduction in both cognitive demands and associated user exclusion. Task success rates increased by 56.3% amongst older participants, and detailed energy modelling indicated that energy savings of 14.5-15.6% annually could be achievable. This work suggests that a more inclusive heating control interface could enable energy savings in the region of 15% through reducing the cognitive demands. Furthermore, this research challenges the existing paradigm and shows that inclusive design research may contribute to sustainable development in an environmental, as well as social, capacity.

The easy access to the Internet, computers and mobile devices brings new technological means of ability testing. The aim of this thesis is to investigate whether there is any difference in the results when an ability test of deductive reasoning is administered with two different platforms, computer and smartphone. In an experiment with within-subjects design the differences between platforms when it came to the level of the test score and usability were investigated. In addition, the test-retest reliability in the ability test was assessed. No significant differences between the scores from the platforms were observed. However, test-retest reliability was low and between r = .372 for smartphone and r = .526 for computer. The low reliability can explain why the score levels with different platforms could not be separated. The usability results indicate that the participants preferred to take the test with a computer, rather than with a smartphone, where even the most experienced users of smartphones disfavor test delivered on smartphone. It is recommended to replicate the experiment with more participants, and also with other handheld platforms, like tablet PC. / Den enkla tillgången till Internet, datorer och smarttelefoner innebär nya tekniska möjligheter till begåvningstestning. Syftet med detta examensarbete är att undersöka om det blir någon skillnad i resultat när ett begåvningstest för deduktiv förmåga utförs på två olika plattformar, dator och smarttelefon. I ett experiment med inompersonsdesign undersöktes skillnaderna mellan plattformarna när det gällde nivå hos testpoäng och användbarhet. Dessutom studerades begåvningstestets test-retest-reliabilitet. Inga signifikanta skillnader mellan testresultaten för det två plattformarna observerades. Test-retest-reliabiliteten var dock låg och varierade mellan r=.372 för smarttelefon och r=.526 för dator. Den låga reliabiliteten kan förklara varför poängnivåerna vid olika plattformar inte kunde skiljas åt. Gällande användbarheten indikerar resultatet att deltagarna föredrog att ta testet på dator framför smarttelefon, där även de mest mobilvana svarade till smarttelefonernas nackdel. Rekommendation för fortsatta studier är att replikera experimentet med större urval, samt att även testa med övriga handhållna datorer, som pekplattor.

An increasing number of technologies and applications have begun to focus on mobile computing and the wireless Web as a way to conduct commerce-oriented transactions. M-commerce Websites that are usability friendly must emphasize information quality, system quality, and service quality, as these are proxy measures to mobile commerce user satisfaction (MCUS). Measureable variables can help researchers to understand how satisfaction induces users to return to a Website. Although several studies on m-commerce user satisfaction focus on content quality, appearance, service quality, and ease of use, the results of these studies were inconclusive because they do not address contextual usability barriers for the mobile Web. The task context, which consist of two activities, search and transaction, is a prominent contextual factor that affects mobile usability positively or negatively in achieving MCUS. The researcher determined what end user expectations and actual usage beliefs result in disconfirmation or MCUS. An empirical field study of an online retailer and search platform was conducted using a sampling of 98 participants. The participants used a smartphone to search and complete a transaction in the participant's natural setting. The study results indicated that expectations and usability measures including efficiency, errors, and flexibility significantly influence actual usage leading to MCUS. The original Expectation Confirmation Theory (ECT) model assumed that user's expectations could lead to actual usage. However, in the modified ECT model, it is the actual usage experience itself that determines MCUS. Disconfirmation is an inconsistent measure tied to actual usage, purchase intent, or satisfaction as mobile users often make purchases from m-commerce Websites because of convenience, flexibility, efficiency, and accessibility. If the user experiences an error during the search or transaction activity, such a drawback can cost a mobile Website future traffic, the loss of a transaction, and lead to lower levels of satisfaction.

For both the CAVETM and the adaptable technology possessed by the University of New Orleans, crystal eye glasses are used to produce a stereoscopic view, and an ascension flock of birds tracking system is employed for tracking of the user's head position and position of a wand in 3D space. It is argued that with these immersive technologies along the use of gestures and hand movements should provide a more natural interface with the immersive virtual environment. This allows a more rapid and efficient set of actions to recognize geometry, interaction with a spatial environment, the ability to find errors, or navigate through an environment. The wand interface is used to provide an improved means of interaction. This study quantitatively measures the differences in interaction when compared with traditional human computer interfaces. This work uses competitive usability in four different Benchmarks: 1) navigation, 2) error detection/correction, 3) spatial awareness, and 4) a “shopping list” of error identifications. This work expands on [Butler & Satter's, 2005] work by conducting tests in the CAVETM system, rather than principally employing workbench technology. During testing, the testers are given some time to “play around” with the CAVETM environment for familiarity before undertaking a specific exercise. The testers are then instructed regarding tasks to be completed, and are asked to work quickly without sacrificing accuracy. The research team timed each task, counted errors, and recorded activity on evaluation sheets for each Benchmark test. At the completion of the testing scenarios involving Benchmarks 1, 2, 3, or 4, the subjects were given a survey document and asked to respond by checking boxes to communicate their subjective opinions.

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to observe how undergraduate students approach open-ended searching for a research assignment, specifically as it affected their use of the discovery interface Primo. Design/methodology/approach - In total, 30 undergraduate students were provided with a sample research assignment and instructed to find resources for it using web tools of their choice, followed by the Primo discovery tool. Students were observed for 30 minutes. A survey was provided at the end to solicit additional feedback. Sources students found were evaluated for relevance and utility. Findings - Students expressed a high level of satisfaction with Primo despite some difficulty navigating through more complicated tasks. Despite their interest in the tool and previous exposure to it, it was usually not the first discovery tool students used when given the research assignment. Students approached the open-ended search environment much like they would with a commercial search engine. Originality/value - This paper focused on an open-ended search environment as opposed to a known- item scenario in order to assess students' preferences for web search tools and how a library discovery layer such as Primo was a part of that situation. Evaluation of the resources students found relevant were also analyzed to determine to what degree the students understood the level of quality they exhibited and from which tool they were obtained.

Mid Sweden University staff has several different meetings around the year. Most meetings take place in Mid Sweden University's various campuses (Sundsvall and Östersund). In order for the staff to be able to participate in these meetings, rental-cars are rented from different rental companies. The rental cars are used to transport the staff between the university's campuses. The trips are mostly made by one or two people per car which can lead to unneces- sary extra costs. The goal of this project has been to provide a solution to this problem. The solution was in the form of a web application which the staff can use to register and join carpool trips. Since there are many carpool applications out there, the usability of the web application will be compared to the usability of a similar carpool application called GoMore to show if the developed appli- cation has any advantages in usability over similar applications. This was done by doing user-tests with 10 users followed by a questionnaire for each applica- tion. The usability metrics that were evaluated and compared for both applica- tions were the following: effectiveness, time based efficiency and the satisfac- tion of the user. The results showed a slightly better result in effectiveness and time based efficiency for the developed application. The results also showed a greater satisfaction for users who tested GoMore. Although the developed web application did not show a significant difference in usability over GoMore, the developed application is more specific for the university's problem and can be developed even further to suit the university's needs.

Skolverket har fått ett uppdrag från regeringen att digitalisera de nationella proven till år 2022. Dessutom så sker en stor del av undervisningen mer digitalt och det i sig medför att elever ska utveckla en god digital kompetens som de kan ha med sig i vidare studier och arbetsliv. Digitaliseringen har fått större genomslag i gymnasieskolan gentemot grundskolan och gymnasiet Älvkullen i Karlstad är en av de skolorna i Värmland som använder sig av olika digitala verktyg under sin undervisning. Problem kring de digitala verktygen har uppmärksammats men inget som vidare har utvärderats. Användartester genomförs för att utvärdera vad användarna upplever är problem med systemet, samt upptäcka om webbplatserna besitter några problem eller brister. Älvkullen i Karlstads kommun har två digitala verktyg för eleverna som de använder frekvent under sin studietid. Den ena är webbplatsen Itslearning, som är en lärplattform där elever kan komma åt undervisningsmaterial samt ladda upp sina egna arbeten och uppgifter. Den andra webbplatsen är DigiExam som är ett verktyg där eleverna kan utföra digitala prov. De problem som eleverna har uttryckt med dessa två verktyg har lett till att Karlstads kommun gymnasie- och vuxenutbildningsförvaltning utfärdat ett uppdrag där dessa två webbplatser ska utvärderas. Det som utvärderas är den upplevda användbarheten hos eleverna på Älvkullen i Karlstad. Användartester sker i form av att eleverna utför realistiska uppgifter på de båda webbplatserna som observeras och skärminspelas. Efter avslutat användartest får testpersonerna besvara en enkät om hur testet gick samt hur de upplever användbarheten på Itslearning och DigiExam. Resultaten visar främst problem med webbplatsen Itslearning kring otydlighet vid strukturen på information samt navigeringen för att hitta rätt till saker. Webbplatsen DigiExam upplevs inte ha några direkta svårigheter, dock används Itslearning mer omfattande på olika områden än vad DigiExam används. På grund av användningsområdena för de olika webbplatserna så utvärderas Itslearning i större utsträckning än DigiExam som beror på att webbplatsen Itslearning erbjuder fler funktioner och används på fler områden gentemot DigiExam som har sitt primärsyfte att agera verktyg vid digitala prov.

Smartphone usage is higher than ever and the number is steadily increasing, but not all websites on the Internet are adapted for use on smartphones. This study set out to find common and proven guidelines from the current scientific literature and create a guide on how to best adapt a desktop website to be optimized for use on smartphones. Areas of research were usability, readability and energy saving. A literature review of the body of data on the subject was reviewed and the result was put in a list of guidelines. The guidelines were used to compare the desktop version versus the smartphone version on 5 frequently visited websites.    The result was summarized with a score for each website and their respective solution for displaying components on small screens was noted. A prototype website was constructed in two versions: one responsive and one unresponsive. The prototype website’s different versions were then tested by a group of testers. The result of the tests concluded that the guidelines raised user satisfaction and readability. Sufficient energy saving metrics could not be extracted in the way design and usability was tested and had to be excluded from the testing.    The list of guidelines showed that there are solutions for solving readability, usability issues  and energy-saving issues on smartphones. The testing concluded that there was an increase in text readability and usability of the website when the guidelines were implemented. Further testing of energy saving must be conducted to test the validity of the remaining untested  guidelines.

Em essência, esta tese traz um compêndio técnico para auxiliar no projeto de cadeira de rodas de propulsão manual, visando à ampliação eficiente da ergonomia e da mobilidade dos usuários. Essas recomendações foram elaboradas a partir de uma ampla revisão da literatura e da aplicação de um teste de usabilidade com um referencial tecnológico de cadeira de rodas. Os conceitos teóricos que fundamentam esta tese abrangem o contexto histórico e técnico da deficiência, as premissas éticas para o design de produto, as recomendações de projeto já consolidadas pela literatura científica, os aspectos da facilidade de uso no âmbito do design centrado no usuário, o desenvolvimento motor da pessoa com deficiência, a biomecânica da propulsão manual e as respectivas formas de manejo desse equipamento. A sistemática metodológica da pesquisa foi fundamentada em três abordagens. Na primeira selecionamos um referencial tecnológico a partir de uma amostra de 101 modelos de cadeiras de rodas disponíveis no mercado brasileiro. Depois de escolhido o produto, aplicamos um teste de usabilidade, levando em consideração a norma ISO 20282-2:2006(E), que possibilitou verificar o grau de satisfação e comprovar que as cadeiras de rodas, são ineficientes para atender às necessidades ergonômicas e de mobilidade dos usuários. Participaram dessa pesquisa 43 sujeitos de ambos os gêneros, com idade média entre 31 e 37 anos. E, finalmente, com o uso do software Kinovea analisaram-se os diferentes padrões do movimento da propulsão manual. Nesta última abordagem, estabeleceram-se parâmetros cinemáticos, temporais, antropométricos e posturais, que serviram para enriquecer e consolidar novas recomendações de projeto. Essas recomendações abrangem os cinco sistemas que compõem uma cadeira de rodas: (a) sistema de propulsão, (b) deslocamento, (c) apoio para o corpo, (d) estrutural e (e) morfológico. Por fim, foram traçadas reflexões metodológicas de projeto, uma prospecção do futuro das cadeiras de rodas no Brasil e algumas sugestões de pesquisas no campo do design para a saúde, as quais surgiram durante o desenvolvimento dessa investigação. / In essence, this thesis brings a technical compendium to assist in the design of manual wheelchair propulsion, aiming the efficient expansion of ergonomics and user mobility. These recommendation were development from an extensive literature review and application of a usability test with a technological reference wheelchair. The theoretical concepts that underlie this thesis cover the historical and technical context of disability, the ethical assumptions for product design, the design recommendations already established in the scientific literature, the aspects of ease of use under the user-centered design, the motor development of the disabled person, the biomechanics of manual propulsion and related forms of handling such equipment. A systematic methodological research was based on three approaches. The first selected a technological reference from a sample of 101 models of wheelchairs available in the Brazilian market. After select the product, apply a usability test taking into the ISO 20282-2.2006 (E) which enabled us to verify the degree of satisfaction and demonstrate that the wheelchairs are inefficient to attend the ergonomic necessity and mobility of users. In this study 43 subjects took part of test, both genders, on average between 31 and 37 years. Finally, using the software were analyzed Kinovea different patterns of motion of manual propulsion. In the last approach, settled parameters, temporal, anthropometric and postural which served to increase and consolidate new design recommendations. These recommendations cover the five systems that set a wheelchair: (a) propulsion system, (b) displacement, (c) support for the body, (d) structural and (e) morphology. Finally, methodological reflections project, an exploration of the future of wheelchairs in Brazil and some suggestions for research in the field of design for health, which arose during the development of this research.

Como uma das consequências do crescimento populacional que atualmente ocorre em escala mundial, e possível observar um aumento significante no número de pessoas mais velhas. Com a evolução da Internet, que oferece atualmente uma ampla variedade de serviços que ultrapassam os limites do entretenimento e da comunicação, os adultos de meia-idade e os idosos podem usufruir de vários benefícios, tais como: compras, bancos on-line, serviços governamentais e informações de forma geral, de modo a preservar sua autonomia e independência funcional na realização das suas tarefas diárias. Mas, apesar de todos os benefícios que podem ser obtidos por meio da Web, existe ainda grande resistência por parte dos adultos mais velhos em utilizá-la. Muitas pessoas, com o passar dos anos, passam a conviver com dificuldades sensoriais, motoras e principalmente com declínios da capacidade cognitiva, que podem comprometer o seu acesso a Web. A acessibilidade na Web se destina a garantir, principalmente, que haja meios para que pessoas com necessidades especiais possam utilizar a Web de forma natural e independente. Os adultos de meia-idade são usuários que, de modo geral, estão propensos a sofrer com os declínios de suas capacidades ao longo do tempo. Para enriquecer a experiência dos adultos de meia-idade e idosos com a Web e essencial considerar as necessidades de diferentes perfis de usuários, bem como suas necessidades visuais, de audição, motoras e cognitivas, as quais se tornam mais evidentes a partir dos 40 anos de idade. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi identificar recursos e mecanismos de usabilidade e acessibilidade que atendam as várias dificuldades encontradas por grande parte dos adultos mais velhos que buscam utilizar a Web, de modo que possam auxiliá-los a superarem os declínios provenientes do envelhecimento e os incentivem a continuar utilizando a Web como uma fonte de informação, comunicação e serviços. Muitos avanços ja foram obtidos com a utilização da tecnologia assistiva, que busca, por meio de equipamentos e softwares, dar apoio a vários tipos de deficiências apresentadas pelos usuários durante a sua interação com aplicativos e com a Web. Esforços também têm sido realizados por meio da criação de diretrizes e normas, como forma de incentivar programadores e autores de conteúdo a produzirem material para a Web que seja acessível. Nesta dissertação, defende-se a tese de que a melhoria da qualidade na experiência de uso da Web por parte dos adultos mais velhos também contribui para a usabilidade universal. Assim, é apresentada uma pesquisa que engloba revisão da literatura, observação em campo, aplicação de questionários, levantamento de diculdades com deficientes visuais, e testes com protótipos; os resultados mostram que a utilização de mecanismos de apoio a interação de adultos com mais idade com a Web promove também a melhoria da interação das pessoas mais jovens. Finalmente, pôde-se diagnosticar barreiras que ainda permanecem e quais mecanismos de apoio foram mais bem aceitos pelos adultos de meia-idade e idosos / The current worldwide population growth has been followed by a significant increase in the number of older people. The evolution of the internet has brought an increase in the variety of services that go beyond entertainment and communication. Older adults and elderly people can benet from many such services available on the internet, such as online shopping, banking, governmental services and many other sources of information, in order to preserve their autonomy and independence to undertake their daily activities. However, despite all the benefits brought by the use of the Web, many older adults still present some resistance to use websites. As a consequence of ageing, many older adults may start to present certain difficulties that can jeopardise the way they use the Web, such as sensory, motor, and especially cognitive difficulties. Web accessibility is concerned with providing means to enable people with special needs to use the Web in a natural and independent manner. Older adults tend to be aected with decline in their abilities with time. In order to enrich the experience of older adults and elderly people with the Web, it is essential that the needs of different user proles be taken into account, particularly concerning visual, auditory, motor and cognitive aspects that become more evident from 40 years of age. The goal of the present work is to identify usability and accessibility resources and mechanisms to address the difficulties encountered by large part of older adults that use the Web, in order to help them overcome difficulties associated with ageing and help them continue using the Web as a source of information, communication and services. Much advancement have been achieved with the use of assistive technology, which consists of equipment and software that supports several types of disabilities and provides aids to the use of computer applications and the Web. Many eorts have also been targeted at creating guidelines and standards to incentivise programmers and web authors to produce more accessible Web material. In this thesis, the work developed supports the argument that improvements in the quality of the experience in the use of the Web by older adults also contributes to enhancing universal usability. The research presented involves a literature review, eld observation of users, questionnaires with users, interviews with visually impaired users about their diculties in using websites, and tests with software prototypes. The results showed that the use of mechanisms to support the interaction of older adults with the Web also promotes improvements in the interaction of younger users. Finally, it was possible to diagnose barriers that still remain and which mechanisms had best acceptance by older adults and elderly users