Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Wollongong, 2003. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references: leaf 225-248.

Thesis (M. App. Sc.)--Carleton University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 181-186). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Tez (Yüksek Lisans) - Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi, Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Elektronik Bilgisayar Eğitimi Anabilim Dalı, 2007. / Bibliyografya var.

Thesis (MIT(Informatics))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Abstract in English and Afrikaans. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Aberdeen University, 2009. / Title from web page (viewed on Feb. 23, 2010). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Universität des Saarlands, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 253-268) and index.

Thesis (MTech (Information Technology))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2005. / This thesis explores the design and implementation of an intelligent semantic machine control system with specific reference to human-machine interface design. The term "intelligent" refers to machines that can execute some level of decision taking in context. The term "semantic" refers to a structured language that allows user and machine to communicate. This study will explore all the key concepts about an intelligent semantic machine control system with human-machine interface. The key concepts to be investigated will include Artificial Intelligence, Intelligent Control, Semantics, Intelligent Machine Architecture, Human-Machine Interaction, Information systems and Graphical User Interface. The primary purpose of this study is to develop a methodology for designing a machine control system and its related human-machine interface.

The purpose of this research is to propose metrics to evaluate the user interface factors that impact on the user experience of Software Accounting Applications (SAAs) used to support the accounting business activities in Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) operating in developing countries. The research commences by outlining the conceptual background that introduces the study. In the introductory chapter, the problems together with the objectives that motivate the significance of the study are presented. In the same chapter, the overall research focus and how each of the research questions are treated to accomplish the intended goals are defined. In Chapter 2, the typical accounting business activities for SMMEs operating in developing countries are investigated. Findings from the preliminary survey revealed that Pastel accounting is the commonly used SMME accounting application used in developing countries. Inventory management, cash book processing, preparation of financial statements, customer and supplier documents processing are revealed as the most prevalent SMME accounting activities. This chapter highlights the problems that inhibit the implementation and the delivery of full benefits of using these SAAs. After indentifying the SAA problems, user experience aspects of the SAA are addressed in Chapter 3. User experience (UX) is defined and existing UX evaluation criteria are discussed. The findings form the basis for choosing the applicable criteria for evaluating the User Interface (UI) factors impacting on the UX of Pastel accounting. The proposed user experience evaluation metrics are described in Chapter 4. A discussion on how the metrics are implemented and what UI aspect they measure is presented. The research design and methodology followed is discussed in Chapter 5. The chapter outlines the possible research philosophy, strategy, methods and data collecting methods. A choice is made about the appropriate approach to answer the stated research questions to satisfy the intended overall research objective. A phenomenologist, qualitative inductive approach is adopted in the study. A contextual inquiry case-study strategy is chosen as applicable to this research. Data is collected using expert reviews, user observation and subjective questionnaires. After the choice of the research techniques, the case study results are presented and analysed in Chapter 6. It is found that Pastel UI is attractive and the users are happy with the visual design of the application. The major factors that impact on Pastel accounting are its lack of 4 feedback and its complexity which makes it difficult for first time users to use the application and the paucity of the help function. After the observed findings, the conclusions and recommendations of the research are presented in Chapter 7. It has been concluded that Pastel accounting UI fails to captivate a positive user experience for first-time users; the users do not find the expected help from the Help function and are often left wondering about the status of the system and the outcome of their actions on a task. Recommendations on how designers would make Pastel user interface more helpful, easy to use, and provide adequate feedback are presented in Chapter 7.

The number of citizens, who access e-Government websites, is growing significantly and their expectations for additional services are increasing. The Internet has become an essential instrument to distribute information to citizens. Poorly designed websites, however, can divide governments and its citizens. Consensus amongst researchers is that user experience (UX) is an important factor in designing websites specifically e-Government websites. Problems, experienced with website usability, prevent people from accessing and eventually adopting technology, such as e-Government. Countries, such as the United States, United Kingdom and Canada, have shown increased support for UX in e-Government websites. At present, a number of guidelines and design principles exists for e-Government website UX design; however, the effectiveness of the implementation of these guidelines and principles depends on the profiles of the individuals on a website development team and on an organisation’s understanding of UX. Despite the highlighted importance of UX, guidelines and principles are rarely adopted in South African e-Government websites. Usability and UX guidelines cannot be implemented; if there is no executive support; an inadequately trained staff; no routine UX practice; insufficient budget; inefficient use of usability methodologies and user-centred design (UCD) processes. The challenge at present in the UX design field is the institutionalisation of UX, specifically at government level. The goal of this research was to propose and evaluate a methodology to institutionalise UX in South African Provincial Governments (PGs), named the “Institutionalise UX in Government (IUXG) methodology”. The research used the Western Cape Government (WCG) in South Africa as a case study to evaluate the proposed methodology to institutionalise UX in a South African PG. The IUXG methodology (1.0) was proposed from five UX methodologies, as well as from best practices found in literature. The IUXG methodology (1.1) was updated, based on results of a survey to South African PGs, a survey to WCG employees, as well as literature from the WCG. The IUXG methodology (2.0) was updated a final time, based on the case study results and on a confirmation survey with WCG employees after the implementation of the case study. The research study made use of three surveys during this research. The first survey, incorporating UX maturity models, confirmed that understanding and buy-in of UX are limited and that UX maturity levels are low at South African PG level. The second and third surveys were administered to WCG e-Government website officials before and after the implementation of the IUXG methodology. The surveys measured the UX maturity level of the WCG in the component, e-Government for Citizens (e-G4C), responsible for the WCG e-Government website. The final survey results demonstrated that, after the implementation of the IUXG methodology, the WCG improved its level of UX maturity on the identified UX maturity models. Implementation of the IUXG methodology institutionalised UX in the WCG. UX activities became standard practice in the e-Government website environment after the systems development lifecycle (SDLC) incorporated UCD. UX policy, strategy and guidelines were documented for the WCG e-Government website. The WCG constructed the first usability testing facility for a South African PG and improvements to the WCG e-Government website were implemented. The proposed IUXG methodology institutionalised UX in the WCG e-Government website environment. This research is a major contribution, to addressing the current lack of UX practices in South African PGs. South African PGs can use the proposed IUXG methodology to institutionalise UX and it will assist PG officials to develop increased UX maturity levels. The advantage of the IUXG methodology is that it provides PG officials with a step-by-step method how to institutionalise UX in a PG by following the six phases of the IUXG methodology: startup, setup, organisation, method, standards and long-term. The IUXG methodology will assist South African PGs to establish UX practice as a norm. The IUXG methodology will assist PGs with the resources, methods and tools to enable them to implement UX guidelines, which will result in an improved, more usable and more user-centric PG e-Government website.

Today's mobile computing devices provide a convenient means to search for points-of-interest (POIs) such as restaurants and accommodation. Mobile Preference-Based Search Tools (PBSTs) allow users to identify POIs such as restaurants or accommodation most suited to their needs and constraints using a mobile device. These devices however, have several design constraints including limited screen space and hardware capabilities. Adaptive User Interfaces (AUIs) have been proposed to address these issues but have not been extensively applied to mobile PBSTs such as mobile tourist guides. In addition, AUIs possess several benefits and advantages over static (traditional) interfaces, which do not take a user's preferences, skill set and experience into account. Little research, however, has been conducted into identifying the potential benefits of AUIs for mobile preference-based searching (PBS). The aim of this research was to determine the extent to which an AUI could improve the effectiveness and user satisfaction of mobile PBS. A literature study was conducted to determine the benefits and limitations of existing mobile PBSTs and determine how these could be improved. The potential benefits of AUIs for mobile PBSTs and a mobile map-based visualisation system were identified. A suitable model for incorporating an AUI into a mobile PBST was identified. The requirements for a mobile PBST were combined with the potentially adaptable objects of a Mobile Map-based Visualisation (MMV) system to provide adaptation suggestions for POInter, an existing mobile tourist guide. A field study using POInter was conducted in order to measure the extent to which participants agreed with suggestions provided for adapting the information, interaction and visualisation aspects of the system. These results were used to derive adaptation requirements for A-POInter, an adaptive version of POInter. Using a model-based design approach, an AUI was designed and implemented for A-POInter. An extensive field study was then conducted to evaluate the usability of the adaptations provided by A-POInter. The quantitative and qualitative data collected from the evaluations allowed the usability of A-POInter to be determined. The results of the field study showed that the participants were highly satisfied with the usability and the usefulness of the adaptations provided by A-POInter. Conclusions and recommendations for future work based on the results of the research were then outlined to conclude the dissertation.