Digitaliseringens framfart tillsammans människors allt högre förväntningar på teknisk utveckling, kvalitet och effektivitet ställer större krav på företag att skapa tillfredsställande användarupplevelser av produkter och tjänster. Applikationen IKEA Place är framtagen för att möta konsumenterna på deras villkor och genom tillfredsställande användarupplevelser påverka deras köpbeslut. För att ta reda på om och hur användarupplevelsen av IKEA Place påverkar användarnas intentioner att köpa produkter från IKEA har en enkätundersökning och två fokusgruppsdiskussioner genomförts. Som en del av fokusgruppmetoden genomfördes användartester där de nio deltagarna fick interagera med applikationen på ett ändamålsenligt sätt. För att en applikation ska accepteras och användas krävs det att olika kvaliteter tillfredsställer användaren och hjälper denne att nå sitt mål med användandet. Enkätundersökningen, fokusgruppdiskussionerna och användartesterna tyder på att användarupplevelsen av IKEA Place är otillfredsställande och att den i nästan obetydligt liten utsträckning påverkar användarnas köpintentioner. / The expansion of digitalization and people’s increased expectations for technical development, qualities and efficiency puts higher demand on companies to create satisfying user experiences of products and services. The application IKEA Place is produced to meet the consumers on their terms and assist with good user experience to affect their intentions to buy. To find out if and how the user experience of IKEA Place affects users' intentions to buy products from IKEA, one survey and two focus groups were conducted. User tests, where all of the nine participants interacted with the application in an appropriate way, were executed as a part of the focus group method. For an application to be accepted and used, several different qualities needs to satisfy the user and help him or her to reach the goal of the usage. The survey, the focus group discussions and the user tests indicates that the user experience of IKEA Place is unsatisfying. Additionally, the application barley affects the users’ intentions to buy at all.

Antagning.se and universityadmissions.se are two websites that enables people to apply for higher education. These websites are developed and maintained by ITS, which is a department at Umeå University. Antagning.se and universityadmissions.se allows applicants to add documents such as grades through a document upload function. Recently, There has been some experimentation with machine learning as a way to read documents that are uploaded. This study explores the possibility to use machine-learning in the user interface of the document upload function in a way that assists the users to upload the documents correctly. The objective is to determine whether doing this affects the users confidence that they uploaded a document successfully. The Double diamond method was used to design a lo-fi, a mid-fi and a hi-fi prototype. The lo-fi prototype were developed during an innovation sprint at ITS, with the purpose to develop a user interface for a Swedish folk high school validation system. The mid-fi prototype were tested using a qualitative user test to find issues that had to be addressed in the hi-fi prototype. A quantitative user test were conducted in order to determine if it affected the users confidence that they completed a task successfully versus if the same task were performed on the current system in use by Antagning and University Admissions. The results from the user testing of the hi-fi prototype were analyzed. Using hypothesis testing, it could not be determined that there were a significant difference in user confidence between the hi-fi prototype and the current system. / Antagning.se och universityadmissions.se är två webbplatser vars syften är att möjliggöra ansökan till högre utbildning i Sverige. ITS, som är en del av Umeå Universitet, är ansvariga för att driva och utveckla dessa webbplatser. Som en del av ansökningsprocessen så krävs det i vissa fall kompletterande information, exempelvis betyg eller andra typer av dokument. Personen som söker kan då scanna in dessa dokument och ladda upp den genom antagning.se eller universityadmissions.se. ITS har experimenterat med maskinlärning för att läsa in dessa inscannade dokument. Detta arbete utforskar möjligheten att använda maskinlärning i användargränssnittet till denna dokumentuppladdningsfunktion. Detta som ett sätt att assistera användaren i att se till att dokumenten laddas upp korrekt. Syftet med detta avgöra om detta har någon inverkan på hur säker användaren är att hen har genomfört uppladningen av dokumentet på ett korrekt sätt. Double diamond-metoden användes för att utveckla en lo-fi, en mid-fi och en hi-fi-prototyp. Lo-fi-prototypen togs fram under en innovationssprint på ITS, där syftet var att utveckla ett användargränssnitt till ett valideringssystem för folkhögskoledokument som maskinlärning. Mid-fi-prototypen testades med en kvalitativ metod för att hitta problem med gränssnittets design. Dessa problem togs i åtanke när hi-fi-prototypen togs fram. En kvantitativ användarstudie genomfördes för att avgöra om användaren upplevde någon skillnad i hur säkra de var att de laddat upp ett dokument korrekt. Detta jämfört med det befintliga systemet som antagning.se idag använder för att ladda upp dokument. Resultatet av studien var att det inte gick att påvisa någon skillnad mellan det befintliga systemet och hi-fi-prototypen gällande hur säker användaren var att dokumentet laddats upp korrekt.

Increasing socio-technological complexity and ongoing environmental and social changes make it difficult to choose suitable approaches in today's innovation endeavors. Explorative and agile methods are increasingly used to reach out for disruptive innovations under uncertainty. However, feasibility of pioneering projects in business-critical contexts faces limitations in regulated branches. This doctoral thesis aims at contributing to service innovation research using a mixed-methods approach, being applied to several domains. Strategic Service Innovation (SSI) aspires to create novel digital service concepts ranging from radical technical innovations to business model pivoting.

Companies face several challenges when it comes to promoting green consumption and designing effective communication strategies for sustainable products.The framing effect, which refers to the presentation of messages, can significantly influence customer perceptions and purchasing intentions. This researchexplores the impact of information framing through visuals and terms specificityon consumers’ purchasing decisions for sustainable fashion products in the online context. The method of data collection was a survey (online experiment) andinterviews were also conducted for supporting the data. The findings reveal asignificant relationship between sustainable choices and visual framing, indicating that the visual presentation of information positively influences sustainabilitydecisions. However, no significant relationship was found between the specificityof terms and sustainability. Future research is needed to examine the correlationbetween the importance of sustainability and the desirability of visual framing inproducts, as well as the relationship between the specificity of terms and sustainability since our study could only answer the relationship between visual framing and sustainability.

Healthcare systems need to adjust services and methods to accommodate the needs, desires, and capabilities of people. Experience-Based Co-Design (EBCD) is the state of the art in participatory service design within the UK National Health Service (NHS), that draws upon design tools and ways of thinking in order to bring healthcare staff and patients together to improve the quality of care. The Co-design process that is integral to the EBCD approach is powerful but also challenging, as it requires active collaboration among multidisciplinary teams, including organizational stakeholders (e.g., investors, managers, advocates, etc.), end-users (e.g., staff, patients, carers, etc.), designers/researchers, and developers. Over the last decade, given the evaluation of the EBCD approach, there has been a gap between theory and practice resulting in limited outcomes in healthcare service improvements. Systematic reviews suggest this low success results from the lack of a systematic elaboration of Co-Design methods, limited tools and insufficient guidance on the ideation process, the tendency to develop a solution without enough divergent thinking, and a poor structure of participation. In order to improve health care services and address the gaps mentioned, we propose a methodology called Double Hexagon, that includes principles of Co-Design, Human-Centred Design, and Design Thinking. This framework is a Human-Centred Design framework that seeks to assist designers and non-designers in moving from designing “product” categories to designing for “people” by providing a concrete and step-by-step realization for “Designing for People”. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

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The research investigates the feasibility of applying 2D accessibility guidelines to enhance a 3D digital planning tool's accessibility for individuals with visual impairments. Three primary research questions guide this study. It incorporated a mixed-method data collection approach to comprehensively investigate these questions. The study began with a designer interview to understand the current state of accessibility within a 3D planning tool, how designers ensure compliance with guidelines, guideline adherence, and implementation strategies.Subsequently, empirical user testing was conducted involving six participants with visual impairments. This methods aimed to obtain diverse user perspectives, emphasizing the user-centered nature of the study. The designer interview highlighted four critical accessibility issues: keyboard accessibility, information clarity, clear labeling, and focus visibility. Addressing these issues aligned the 3D planning tool with WCAG 2.1 guidelines and resulted in significant enhancements in it's accessibility.Empirical user testing revealed varying degrees of success among different users with visual impairments, highlighting both the successes and challenges of implementing accessibility features, and emphasizing the complexity of designing for individuals with visual impairments. The study identified key features that contributed to an enhanced user experience, including accessibility through assistive technology, effective scanning navigation strategies, and challenges for improvements in areas such as clear descriptions and interaction feedback. This research has broader implications, impacting both the practical and scientific fields of accessibility. It offers practical significance for companies like IKEA, emphasizing the importance of a user-centered approach to empower users and gather unique insights from individuals with disabilities. Contributing inclusivity and user-friendliness in 3D planning tools.The findings highlight the significance of accessible user interface elements and the importance of compatibility with assistive technologies. A need for inclusive design methods in the development of 3D planning tools and the creation of specific accessibility guidelines designed for 3D environments. In conclusion, this research demonstrates the feasibility of applying 2D accessibility guidelines to enhance the accessibility of 3D digital planning tools. The research contributes to both practical design considerations and the scientific understanding of accessibility challenges in 3D environments.It holds the potential to improve the industry, empower users, and enhance overall accessibility standards. The findings underscore the importance of user-centered design, the complexity of designing in 3D context and to diverse user needs, the interplay between accessibility and usability, and the ongoing need for improvements to enhance the user experience, to create more inclusive and user-friendly 3D digital planning solutions for everyone.

In an era dominated by digital media, this research investigates the shifting landscape of news consumption among Gen Z, the first "digital natives," and Millennials, often referred to as "digital immigrants." The study explored their unique relationships with the digital world and their distinct motivations for engaging with news, focusing on mobile platforms. Generational differences in news consumption motivations emerged as a pivotal factor, with younger individuals seeking causes, personal growth, and self-actualization through the information they consumed, while older generations leaned toward traditional news sources and institutional politics. The advent of mobile devices, particularly smartphones, further accentuated the generational gap, with Gen Z and Millennials primarily using smartphones to access news via social media platforms. Their news consumption was characterised by intermittent and serendipitous engagement, emphasising the need for visually engaging news formats and easily digestible content. The study culminated in the design of the Tidings app’s key features, including Tidings Home, Category Feeds, and Newsboard, tailored to meet the evolving needs and preferences of these generational cohorts in mobile news consumption. Design solutions aimed to streamline news consumption, simplify daily routines, and keep users informed without overwhelming them. Valuable feedback from a design critique session in regards to news values, news delivery and presentation and user agency validated these proposed design solutions. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of how generational disparities influence news consumption habits and attitudes, particularly in the context of mobile news experiences. As the digital media landscape continues to evolve, comprehending the unique preferences of Gen Z and Millennials is indispensable for news organisations seeking effective audience engagement. The application with its user-centric design approach, is well-positioned to address the distinctive needs of these generations in the dynamic world of news consumption. / I en tid som domineras av digitala medier undersöker denna forskning det föränderliga landskapet för nyhetskonsumtion bland Gen Z, de första "digitala infödingarna", och Millennials, ofta kallade "digitala invandrare." Vi utforskade deras unika relationer med den digitala världen och deras distinkta motiv för att engagera sig i nyheter, med fokus på mobila plattformar. Generationsskillnader i nyhetskonsumtionsmotiveringar dök upp som en avgörande faktor, där yngre individer sökte orsaker, personlig tillväxt och självförverkligande genom informationen de konsumerade, medan äldre generationer lutade sig mot traditionella nyhetskällor och institutionell politik. Tillkomsten av mobila enheter, särskilt smartphones, accentuerade ytterligare generationsklyftan, där Gen Z och Millennials främst använde smartphones för att komma åt nyheter via sociala medieplattformar. Deras nyhetskonsumtion kännetecknades av intermittent och slumpmässigt engagemang, vilket betonade behovet av visuellt engagerande nyhetsformat och lättsmält innehåll. Studien kulminerade i utformningen av Tidings-appens nyckelfunktioner, inklusive Tidings Home, Category Feeds och Newsboard, skräddarsydda för att möta de växande behoven och preferenserna hos dessa generationskohorter inom mobil nyhetskonsumtion. Designlösningar syftade till att effektivisera nyhetskonsumtionen, förenkla dagliga rutiner och hålla användarna informerade utan att överväldiga dem. Värdefull feedback från en designkritiksession validerade dessa föreslagna designlösningar. Denna forskning bidrar till en djupare förståelse av hur generationsskillnader påverkar nyhetskonsumtionsvanor och attityder, särskilt i samband med mobila nyhetsupplevelser. När det digitala medielandskapet fortsätter att utvecklas är det oumbärligt att förstå de unika preferenserna hos Gen Z och Millennials för nyhetsorganisationer som söker effektivt engagemang hos publiken. Applikationen med sin användarcentrerade designmetod är väl positionerad för att möta dessa generationers distinkta behov i den dynamiska världen av nyhetskonsumtion.

UX resources are often allocated to customer-facing products and services rather than internal systems within organizations. However, the lack of good user experience (UX) of internal systems, particularly administration portals, could impact efficiency, satisfaction and productivity of the employees. Despite this importance these systems may not get the same level of attention and investment in UX design along with organizations' lack of understanding human-machine interaction. Therefore this study investigates which design aspects organizations without UX resources should consider when implementing the UX design in their administration portals. To explore this a review of existing literature was made along with a pre-study to collect opinions from the users. By that a prototype was created followed by an iterative design process. The prototype went through three iterations as each iteration consisted of 1) interview and observation, 2) ideation, 3) prototyping, and 4) testing. Each iteration had five users that performed a task and the possibility to explore on their own. Followed by a semi-structured interview with questions based on the seven stages of action model, also including open questions and likert scale questions.  The study’s results align with previous studies regarding that implementing design principles will improve the user experience and balancing functionality with visual presentation is enhancing for user-friendly visualizations. The most important findings concluded in using visual hierarchy, transparent error handling, customizable interface, layered information and signaling what will happen when interacting with an element. However, the conclusion conveys that the findings may differ in other contexts and with different participants or an increased amount, as it is also suggested as future work.

As digital interactions become increasingly integral to our daily routines, ensuring web accessibility for all users is crucial. User experience designers play a big role in creating online environments that are not only usable, but also informative and enjoyable. The European Accessibility Act is a new directive from the European Union, stating that certain products and services must be accessible by 2025, benefiting an estimated 87 million Europeans who have disabilities or temporary impairments. Previous research on Swedish websites has found that requirements are often not fulfilled when it comes to accessibility. This thesis investigated current accessibility practices among Swedish user experience (UX) designers and evaluated their preparedness for compliance with the European Accessibility Act. The results of the interviews show that the Act provides several motivating factors for improving accessibility measures in organizations. Through expert evaluations of the design practices, a set of guidelines is presented, aimed at providing guidance for companies and designers in creating an inclusive design culture while complying with the Act.