Developing interactive web application systems requires a large amount of effort on designing database, system logic and user interface. These tasks are expensive and error-prone. Web application systems are accessed and used by many different sets of people with different backgrounds and numerous demands. Meeting these demands requires frequent updating for Web application systems which results in a very high cost process. Thus, many attempts have been made to automate, to some degree, the construction of Web user interfaces. Three main directions have been cited for this purpose. The first direction suggested of generating user interfaces from the application¿s data model. This path was able to generate the static layout of user interfaces with dynamic behaviour specified programmatically. The second tendency suggested deployment of the domain model to generate both, the layout of a user interface and its dynamic behaviour. Web applications built based on this approach are most useful for domain-specific interfaces with a relatively fixed user dialogue. The last direction adopted the notion of deploying database metadata to developing dynamic user interfaces. Although the notion was quite valuable, its deployment did not present a generic solution for generating a variety of types of dynamic Web user interface targeting several platforms and electronic devices. This thesis has inherited the latter direction and presented significant improvements on the current deployment of this tendency. This thesis aims to contribute towards the development of an abstract framework to generate abstract and dynamic Web user interfaces not targeted to any particular domain or platform. To achieve this target, the thesis proposed and evaluates a general notion for implementing a prototype system that uses an internal model (i.e. database metadata) in conjunction with XML technology. Database metadata is richer than any external model and provides the information needed to build dynamic user interfaces. In addition, XML technology became the mainstream of presenting and storing data in an abstract structure. It is widely adopted in Web development society because of its ability to be transformed into many different formats with a little bit of effort. This thesis finds that only Java can provide us with a generalised database metadata based framework. Other programming languages apply some restrictions on accessing and extracting database metadata from numerous database management systems. Consequently, JavaServlets and relational database were used to implement the proposed framework. In addition, Java Data Base Connectivity was used to bridge the two mentioned technologies. The implementation of our proposed approach shows that it is possible and very straightforward to produce different automatic and dynamic Web entry forms that not targeted at any platform. In addition, this approach can be applied to a particular domain without affecting the main notion or framework architecture. The implemented approach demonstrates a number of advantages over the other approaches based on external or internal models.

This thesis investigates the use of static, adaptive, adaptable and mixed-initiative approaches to the personalisation of content and graphical user interfaces (GUIs). This empirical study consisted of three experimental phases. The first examined the use of static, adaptive, adaptable and mixed-initiative approaches to web content. More specifically, it measured the usability (efficiency, frequency of error occurrence, effectiveness and satisfaction) of an e-commerce website. The experiment was conducted with 60 subjects and was tested empirically by four independent groups (15 subjects each). The second experiment examined the use of adaptive, adaptable and mixed-initiative approaches to GUIs. More specifically, it measured the usability (efficiency, frequency of error occurrence, effectiveness and satisfaction) in GUI control structures (menus). In addition, it investigated empirically the effects of content size on five different personalised menu types. In order to carry out this comparative investigation, two independent experiments were conducted, on small menus (17 items) and large ones (29 items) respectively. The experiment was conducted with 60 subjects and was tested empirically by four independent groups (15 subjects each). The third experiment was conducted with 40 subjects and was tested empirically by four dependent groups (5 subjects each). The aim of the third experiment was to mitigate the drawbacks of the adaptive, adaptable and mixedinitiative approaches, to improve their performance and to increase their usability by using multimodal auditory solutions (speech, earcons and auditory icons). The results indicate that the size of content affects the usability of personalised approaches. In other words, as the size of content increases, so does the need of the adaptive and mixed-initiative approaches, whereas that of the adaptable approach decreases. A set of empirically derived guidelines were also produced to assist designers with the use of adaptive, adaptable and mixed-initiative approaches to web content and GUI control structure.

The Web has come a long way. It started as a distributed document repository and quickly became the spring board for a new type of application. Propped on top of the original HTML+HTTP architecture, this new application platform shifted the way the architecture was used so that commands and functionality were embedded in the form data of Web requests rather than in the HTTP command conveying the request. This approach enabled Web requests to convey any type of data, not just document operations. This is occurring because the Web provides such a powerful platform on which to create applications. This is occurring because web development methods are still evolving toward the structure and stability required taking on this enormous new role. As the needs of developers change, certain themes that arise more frequently than others become embedded into new environments to support those needs. Until recently, Web application programming has largely been done with a set of keywords and metaphors developed long before the Web became a popular place to program. APIs have been developed to support Web specific features, but they are no replacement for fundamental changes in the programming environment itself. The growth of Web applications requires a new type of programming designed specifically for the needs of the Web. This thesis aims to contribute towards the development of an abstract framework to generate abstract and dynamic Web user interfaces that are not developed to a specific platform. To meet this aim, this thesis suggests a general implementation of a prototype system that uses the information in database metadata in conjunction with PHP. Database metadata is richer in providing the information needed to build dynamic user interfaces. This thesis uses PHP and the abstract library ADOdb to provide us with a generalised database metadata based prototype. PHP does not have any restrictions on accessing and extracting database metadata from numerous database management systems. As a result, PHP and relational database were used to build the proposed framework. Additionally, ADOdb was used to link the two mentioned technologies. The implemented framework in this thesis demonstrates that it is possible to generate different automatic Web entry forms that are not specific at any platform.

Navigering i virtuella 3D-miljöer har varit möjligt i många år och sker vanligtvis i samband med till exempel spel och 3D-modellering. Till en persondator används nästan alltid en datormus och ett tangentbord. Musen har visats vara lätthanterlig vid rotering av vyn och kommer inte att vara fokuset i studien. Tangentbordet däremot, som styr vyns position, skulle möjligtvis kunna bytas ut mot något bättre. Vanligtvis används tangenterna W, A, S, och D för förflyttningar, och sedan behövs två tangenter till om det ska vara möjligt att ”flyga” upp och ner. Sex olika tangenter för att styra förflyttningen i tre dimensioner kan vara svårt att lära sig. Trots att vana användare kan hantera det bra, skulle ett mer naturligt sätt att styra på kunna vara enklare för nybörjare, och kanske också för de erfarna. Det begränsade antalet tangenter som används tillåter inte heller finjustering av riktningen. Studien föreslår en alternativ form av 3D-navigering där användaren styr med sitt finger. En Leap Motion kamera ligger på bordet under för att mäta fingrets position, och översätter det till en vektor som kontrollerar vyns hastighet och riktning. Detta är tänkt att vara ett mer naturligt sätt att styra på, då människor har så bra kontroll över sin egen kropp. Utöver det kan även hastigheten justeras genom att dra fingret längre eller kortare sträckor. Vid styrning med tangentbord är justering av hastigheten inte möjligt; undantaget är om användaren kan hålla ner en tangent för att springa, vilket gör att det finns två val av hastigheter. Fingerstyrningen testades och jämfördes direkt mot tangentbordet i ett antal olika experiment. Testerna visar att det går snabbare när tangentbordet används, och ge-nerellt sker färre misstag. När fingerstyrningen används så blir färdsträckorna ofta kortare, speciellt när det krävs mer precision, dock kan detta bero på den lägre has-tigheten som deltagarna hade när de använde fingret. En inmatningsmetod testades bara sju gånger. Under denna period blev fingerstyrningen betydligt snabbare mellan varje försök jämfört med tangentbordet, därför finns anledning att tro att fingerstyr-ningen kommer att förbättras med mer träning. För att få pålitliga resultat skulle en längre studie behöva utföras där deltagarna verkligen hinner lära sig att styra med fingret. Författaren har under utvecklingen av fingerstyrningen blivit snabbare med den än med tangentbordet. Detta är en ytterligare indikation på att det finns potential hos fingerstyrningen som deltagarna aldrig hann uppnå i denna preliminära studie, och att ytterligare experiment krävs.

This thesis investigates the role of affective design in online help systems. The thesis begins with a discussion of the current research related to online help systems and the rhetorical nature of technical communication. The thesis then provides a heuristic evaluation of two versions of procedural discourse for Microsoft Word 2000. Based on an analysis of the heuristic evaluation, five recommendations are given for improving the affective design of online help systems. The thesis concludes with a proposed usability test and consideration of a related area of study.

In recent years a type of Conversational User Interface (CUI) called chatbots has been more common, these are integrated and used on various platforms such as Slack, Facebook and Skype. Chatbots are based on Artificial intelligence and are a written conversation between a human and an intelligent system. One example is Microsoft‘s chatbot Zo, a social chatbot aimed to entertain. As chatbots are becoming more commonly occurring, the need to study peoples expectations and demands is important in order to improve the user experience and usages of chatbots. In this paper, a study is presented, looking at the requirements and expectations of a chatbot by novice users. The study showed that onboarding is important in order for users to perform tasks successfully. Onboarding is the process for new users to become successful when adopting a product. In the study, eight participants were exposed to two different chatbots, a human-like and a robot-like, and interviewed about their thoughts and experiences from using it. The chatbots is applied to the case of customer support for insurance. The participants received the tasks; sign a new insurance, cancel an old one, get a recommendation for an pregnancy insurance and react on a notification. The results from the study also illustrate the importance of giving the user feedback in form of summaries, give system status of what is going on, sentences from the chatbot should be with concise information, and being able to handle input independent of the formulation. Regardless of which of the chatbots the participants tried first, they favored the second chatbot because they perceived it as easier to talk to with less misunderstandings. This might indicate a learning curve among the users and hint towards the need to design for onboarding. / Under de senaste åren har en typ av konversations användargränssnitt, så kallade chatbots, blivit mer vanligt förekommande, dessa är integrerade och använda på diverse plattformar t.ex Slack, Facebook och Skype. Chatbots är en baserat på artificiell intelligens och är skriftlig kommunikation mellan en människa och ett intelligent system. Ett exempel är chatboten Zo från Microsoft, det är en social chatbot med syftet att vara underhållande. I takt med att chatbots börjar blir mer vanligt förekommande så ökar även behovet av att studera vilka förväntningar och krav som användare har, för att i sin tur kunna förbättra användandet samt användarupplevelsen av chatbots. I denna artikel presenteras en studie vilken har undersökt vilka krav och förväntningar som nya användare har på chatbots. Studien visade att introduktionsprocessen är viktig för att användare ska kunna utföra uppgifter korrekt. Introduktionsprocessen menar på den process som nya användare går igenom för att bli framgångsrika i användandet när de interagerar med en produkt. I studien, deltog 8st personer som fick testa två stycken olika chatbots, en som var mer människolik och en som var mer robotlik, sedan svara på frågor rörande deras tankar och uppfattningar från att interagera med dessa. Chatbottarna är applicerade inom kundsupport på ett försäkringsbolag. Deltagarna fick uppgifterna; teckna en försäkring, avsluta en gammal försäkring, be om en rekommendation för en gravidförsäkring samt uttrycka vad användaren ansåg om en notifikation. Resultatet från studien visade även på vikten av att ge användare återkoppling i form av summeringar, ge system status av vad som händer, meningar från chatboten ska vara med koncis information samt att systemet ska kunna hantera alla typer av svar oavsett formulering. Oberoende på vilken av de två chatbottarna som användarna interagerade med först, så visade resultatet att deltagarna föredrog den chatbot de interagerade med sist pga att den uppfattades som lättare att prata med samt att det blev färre missförstånd. Detta tycks tyda på en inlärningskurva hos användarna vilket visar på behovet av att designa för inlärningsprocessen.

The purpose of this thesis is to investigate how Digital Signage systems such as public info kiosks can be designed to better fulfill its main use; to enlighten, encourage and influence the public with information. The challenges presented from earlier studies shows that the public interests and goals, together with proper and relevant content displayed in info kiosks have impact on the attention the public have towards public displays. Qualitative methods such as interviews, usability testing and observations were conducted to further examine how a public info kiosk can be designed to draw attention and grow interest amongst students at K3, Malmo University. Usability testing were used on the digital prototypes that were developed to ensure that the gestural user interface meet the requirements of a proper interaction from the users. Important insights were made concerning; the attention and interest to relevant content, the aspects of the gestural user interface along with the placement of the info kiosk in terms of context. These key factors need to be properly investigated and developed to ensure a better deployment of a public info kiosk. It is suggested that using the principles of interaction design by doing research and studies of public interest and needs, and optimizing it by taking the specific context of place and time in account when a designing content. The results from this thesis suggests that an installation of a public info kiosk will successfully earn the attention and interest from the public if the content is relevant and interesting to the specific public. It is also important that the systems perform well in terms of software and hardware to allow a fluid and intuitive interaction with the gestural user interface.

This paper investigates how physical prototyping modules can be designed to facilitate for interactiondesigners to visualize their ideas early on in a design process. As technology is getting cheaper andeasier to use, it has opened up the possibility for others than just engineers to build with technology.We see technology being more and more used by designers for building prototypes and testing ideas.A setback with using technology is that it is time consuming and error occurs easily. By testing a set ofthree prototypes I will investigate the problems at hand for interaction designers and come up with adesign solution to facilitate their design process. I will come to conclusion about making the modulesflexible, functional and user friendly to meet the user’s demands.

No / This report summarizes results of the first EC/NSF joint Advanced Research Workshop, which identified key research challenges and opportunities in information technology. The group agreed that the first joint research workshop should concentrate on the themes of human-centered computing and VEs. Human-centered computing is perceived as an area of strategic importance because of the move towards greater decentralization and decomposition in the location and provision of computation. The area of VEs is one where increased collaboration should speed progress in solving some of the more intractable problems in building effective applications

The widespread emergence of computing devices that go beyond the capabilities of traditional desktop computers has created a challenge for user interface (UI) developers who face the problem of a lack of a unified development process for building these UIs. This dissertation research focuses on creating a simplified development process for building UIs for multiple platforms. As part of this, the necessary building blocks (and their relationships) that can be used in a process to develop multi-platform UIs (MPUIs) are identified and specified. A task model, which is an abstract representation of the tasks that users perform with a system, is used as a high-level platform-independent specification for representing UIs for multiple platforms. The task model is supplemented with additional navigation attributes and containment operators for each target platform to facilitate the UI development process. This contribution is based on the insight that an uncontaminated task model, in conjunction with additional operators, allows different styles of UIs to be derived for different platforms. This development process is evaluated by functional comparison with a few other multi-platform development processes, based on a set of criteria. In particular, a detailed comparison of this approach is performed with the approach used in the TERESA development environment. The process is also evaluated by demonstrating how the new features of this approach allow different styles of UIs to be built not only for a single platform, but also for different platforms. The two underlying notations that are used in this work include the Concurrent Task Tree (CTT) modeling notation for the task model and an intermediate language for UIs, the User Interface Markup Language (UIML). This research associates a new vocabulary with the UIML language to facilitate a multi-step transformation-based MPUI development process. / Ph. D.