With the development of modern smartphones, mobile devices have become ubiquitous in our daily lives. With high processing capabilities and a vast number of applications, users now need them for both business and personal tasks. Unfortunately, battery technology did not scale with the same speed as computational power. Hence, modern smartphone batteries often last for less than a day before they need to be recharged. One of the most power hungry components is the central processing unit (CPU). Multiple techniques are applied to reduce CPU energy consumption. Among them is dynamic voltage and frequency scaling (DVFS). This technique reduces energy consumption by dynamically changing CPU supply voltage depending on the currently running workload. Reducing voltage, however, also makes it necessary to reduce the clock frequency, which can have a significant impact on task performance. Current DVFS algorithms deliver a good user experience, however, as experiments conducted later in this thesis will show, they do not deliver an optimal energy efficiency for an interactive mobile workload. This thesis presents methods and tools to determine where energy can be saved during mobile workload execution when using DVFS. Furthermore, an improved DVFS technique is developed that achieves a higher energy efficiency than the current standard. One important question when developing a DVFS technique is: How much can you slow down a task to save energy before the negative effect on performance becomes intolerable? The ultimate goal when optimising a mobile system is to provide a high quality of experience (QOE) to the end user. In that context, task slowdowns become intolerable when they have a perceptible effect on QOE. Experiments conducted in this thesis answer this question by identifying workload periods in which performance changes are directly perceptible by the end user and periods where they are imperceptible, namely interaction lags and interaction idle periods. Interaction lags are the time it takes the system to process a user interaction and display a corresponding response. Idle periods are the periods between interactions where the user perceives the system as idle and ready for the next input. By knowing where those periods are and how they are affected by frequency changes, a more energy efficient DVFS governor can be developed. This thesis begins by introducing a methodology that measures the duration of interaction lags as perceived by the user. It uses them as an indicator to benchmark the quality of experience for a workload execution. A representative benchmark workload is generated comprising 190 minutes of interactions collected from real users. In conjunction with this QOE benchmark, a DVFS Oracle study is conducted. It is able to find a frequency profile for an interactive mobile workload which has the maximum energy savings achievable without a perceptible performance impact on the user. The developed Oracle performance profile achieves a QOE which is indistinguishable from always running on the fastest frequency while needing 45% less energy. Furthermore, this Oracle is used as a baseline to evaluate how well current mobile frequency governors are performing. It shows that none of these governors perform particularly well and up to 32% energy savings are possible. Equipped with a benchmark and an optimisation baseline, a user perception aware DVFS technique is developed in the second part of this thesis. Initially, a runtime heuristic is introduced which is able to detect interaction lags as the user would perceive them. Using this heuristic, a reinforcement learning driven governor is developed which is able to learn good frequency settings for interaction lag and idle periods based on sample observations. It consumes up to 22% less energy than current standard governors on mobile devices, and maintains a low impact on QOE.

In an era where the customer has the power, creating not only usable but also satisfiable systems and applications is of importance. However, research shows that software development practices do not always allow user experience design to take place and gives little guidance regarding how to conduct and integrate UX work. Despite UX’ increased popularity, gained recognition and prior research efforts, organizations and companies still encounter challenges when trying to embrace this change to offer customers more than just a system that ‘works’. Much recognition has gone to the UX field of late, however organizations that lack knowledge, strategies or personnel can often feel powerless. Therefore, we set out to explore what an in-house IT-department without UX practitioners perceived as challenges when integrating UX work and practices. We conducted interviews with developers and project managers within an IT-department to get their opinions. In our study, we identified factors that seem to play a part when integrating UX – such as communication, UX maturity, prioritization and attitudes. Based on these findings, we visualized these factors in what we call a maturity map.

Arbetet genomfördes i samarbete med HJS-Vansbro OK som hade behov av en ny webbplats. Den tidigare webbplatsen var en IdrottOnline-sida som kändes omodern, oattraktiv och inte särskilt användarvänlig. De önskade därför en ny webbplats där det även skulle kunna vara enkelt för medlemmarna att skriva nyhets- och träningsinlägg. Arbetet började med ett möte tillsammans med webbansvarige i klubben och därefter gjordes en överblick av kunskapsläget och var andra klubbar i Dalarna hade sin webbplats. Två enkäter skickades ut till medlemmarna där de fick svara på frågor om dåvarande webbplats, samt om de nya designförslag som skapades utifrån svaren på den första enkäten och utifrån kunskapsläget. Ett användartest gjordes på det slutliga designförslaget och problem som uppstod åtgärdades därefter. Arbetet resulterade i en nästan färdigställd webbplats. Det saknades information på en del sidor och en del småkorrigeringar, men överlag är jag nöjd med resultatet och har som ambition att slutföra uppdraget efter föreliggande arbetes slut. / This assignment was made in cooperation with HJS-Vansbro OK, who needed a new website. The previous website was an IdrottOnline-site which appeared outdated, unattractive and not very user friendly. They wished for a new website, where the members easily could write news- and training posts. This assignment started with a meeting with the webmaster of the club and after that an overview of the current knowledge and where other teams in Dalarna had their website. Two surveys were sent to the members. In the first they answered questions about the previous website, and in the second questions about the new design suggestions, that were based on the answers from the first survey and on modern web design principles. After that a user test was performed and the problems that arose were then corrected. This assignment resulted in an almost completed website. It still lacked some information and minor adjustments, but overall, I feel pleased with the resul

The topic of this thesis is usability control of smart homes. The thesis conducted user research for understanding the end-users of smart homes. It is also conducted user testing of today's mobile applications, of smart homes. Gained knowledge from testing are used to create custom user interface prototype mobile application for smart home. Created prototype is conducted user testing.

A presente pesquisa objetiva propor uma metodologia que oriente o design de interface de ambiente virtual centrado no usuário que seja sistematizada como processo de desenvolvimento de produto, com princípios de design de interação e considerando aspectos de usabilidade e ergonomia, de modo a favorecer o trabalho do usuário, permitindo a apropriação do conteúdo e a execução das tarefas através das funcionalidades do sistema. Para consecução do trabalho foram investigados: os Elementos da Experiência do Usuário; as ferramentas de processo de desenvolvimento de produto; as técnicas da Engenharia de Software e os conceitos do Design de Interação. A combinação desses estudos deu origem à metodologia proposta nesta pesquisa. Destaca-se que essa metodologia integra a técnica do desdobramento da função qualidade (quality function deployment) a estudos usualmente adotados para o design de interface gráfica. Dessa forma, garantiu-se que as heurísticas de usabilidade encontrassem forte embasamento científico e que os requisitos técnicos refletissem as reais necessidades do usuário. O uso dessa ferramentas de projeto de produto garante, ainda, que a qualidade seja mantida em todas as etapas de design da interface. A aplicabilidade da metodologia foi verificada mediante o projeto de interface do módulo do desenvolvedor (professor/instrutor) do HyperCAL online. / This research aims to propose a methodology to guide the user-centered interface design of virtual environment that is systematized as product development process, with interaction design principles and considering aspects of usability and ergonomics, in order to promote the user's work, allowing the appropriation of content and execution of the tasks through system functionality. To achieve the study were investigated: the Elements of User Experience; the tools of product development process, the techniques of Software Engineering, and the concepts of Interaction Design. The combination of these studies gave rise to the methodology proposed in this research. It is noteworthy that this approach integrates the technique of quality function deployment for studies usually adopted for the interface graphical design. Thus, it was ensured that the usability heuristics had strong scientific basis and that the technical requirements reflect the real needs of the user. Using these tools of product design also guarantees that the quality is maintained at all stages of interface design. The applicability of the methodology was verified through the interface design of the developer's module (professor/instructor) of HyperCAL online.

Online User Experiences (UXs) act as persuasive technology that can nudge users toward making behaviour change. This makes online UX integral to marketing. The tourism industry relies on UX to attract potential customers. Made up of 80% SMEs, the competition is high, hence the SMEs must deliver robust UXs that capture, persuade and convert users into customers. Tourism, despite being an early adopter of technology lags behind in terms of delivering UXs that meet users’ expectations. Furthermore, scholarly works exploring online UX as a persuasive technology within the tourism SMEs, specifically the day-attraction SMEs segment, are lacking. Using the theoretical framework of the Persuasive Systems Design (PSD) model, this research evaluates day attraction SMEs’ online UXs as persuasive technology. The research uses three mixed-methods to present the service providers’ and the users’ perspectives. The first method is a website content analysis that reviews the persuasive architecture of 102-day attraction websites. The second method uses questionnaires to get insights on tourists’ online usage, motivations, opinions and perceptions of online UX delivered by a single day attraction SME (case study). The third method, an eye tracking experiment is an extension to the questionnaires. The outcomes show that the SMEs’ incorporate persuasive UX elements corresponding to usability, visual aesthetics and credibility, but fail at incorporating strategies to support dialogue. The tourists’ suggest that usability, visual aesthetics and credibility UX elements affect their decision to buy, however, certain strategies that enhance dialogue, such as ability to win rewards, are likely to nudge them toward behaviour change. Furthermore, there appears to be a link between visual aesthetics and perceived usability, and their combined effect on persuasiveness. A final outcome establishes tourist’s website reading patterns, emphasising the placement of call-to-actions within an F-shape region. This research contributes through a customised version of the PSD model applicable for tourism SMEs, delivers empirical evidence suggesting additions to the model and, adds to the overall body of knowledge on tourism online UXs and persuasive technology.

The e-commerce is an area that has grown considerably in recent years and continues to grow at a rapid pace. It is thereby becoming more and more important for com-panies to distinguish themselves amongst others, not least when it comes to getting customers to return for a second purchase. A good way to do this is to create a posi-tive experience for consumers. As the interaction with the customers has shifted from physical meetings to a computer screen through the spread of online retail, it is im-portant to nourish the few encounters that remain. An important point of interaction is the receiving of purchased goods. The packaging in which the goods are shipped, is thus an important source of communication to the customer, and a perfect means of displaying the company values. This thesis project aims at examining how an optimal packaging for this area can be created, and this was done in collaboration with Arcwise, a SCA business unit, who works with a special type of corrugated cardboard that allows for the production of rounded shaped packages. During the contextual work of this project, where a basic analysis of the market was made, a number of needs could be established. To be able to create a positive user experience and thus a competitive edge in the market, these needs must be fulfilled by packages made for shipping online-bought items. Following these needs, the project’s design phase was carried out with the aim of creating a packaging solution by using the corrugated board developed by Arcwise. This work was done by using creative methods such as brainstorming, workshop and prototyping. To evaluate the ideas, a weighting against criteria was done, and tests were made when the packaging concepts were shipped from Sundsvall to Luleå, to test their durability. Six concepts were narrowed down to a final package, which clearly exhibits the prop-erties of the material. It was designed with the aim for easy folding and packing, and to create a positive unboxing experience for the end customer.

Essa pesquisa é um estudo de caso sobre a interação do aluno com a interface da plataforma Moodle. Para tal, foram utilizadas técnicas consolidadas de avaliação da usabilidade de interfaces digitais. Assim, com respaldo na Semiótica do americano Charles Sanders Peirce, verificou-se e discutiu-se questões subjetivas dos processos comunicativos envolvidos nos problemas interacionais identificados. Uma vez analisado o impacto desses problemas, desenhou-se um quadro geral, denominado experiência do usuário, no qual as interfaces avaliadas são arenas das frustrações e ações que esta proposta de inspeção foi capaz de descrever. A partir desse quadro, foram fundadas as bases para compreensão do modelo mental do usuário para propor soluções. Essas soluções são baseadas, principalmente, em prescrições de usabilidade de Jakob Nielsen, Donald Norman e Steve Krug Nesse cenário, é demonstrado como o design contribui para a elaboração de uma interface que convida à ação e reflexão, de forma a proporcionar um ambiente de interação satisfatório e consonante com as novas tendências educacionais e da cibercultura. Deste modo, também demonstra-se de que forma a Semiótica pode instrumentalizar o profissional de design a resolver situações de projeto. Por meio da documentação de metodologias e resultados, esta pesquisa apoia a boa comunicação entre projetistas, ressalta a importância da subjetividade no estudo interacional, além de propor soluções para os problemas encontrados. Em virtude dos fatos supracitados, essa pesquisa tem como produto final um acervo de informações relevantes para o histórico de projetos em design. Contemplados os requisitos de usabilidade propostos por essa pesquisa, espera-se que, no futuro, tais requisitos sejam validados, para que o impacto produzido pelas mudanças implementadas possam ser avaliados. Assim, poderá ser verificado como essas mudanças impactarão no processo comunicativo da nova proposta interacional e se elas se converteram realmente em satisfação na experiência do usuário. Com isso, pretende-se que o foco da interface passe a ser a associação da satisfação do uso ao processo de aprendizagem.

Every product or service is part of an ecosystem. The analysis of ecosystems enables organizations to understand the use and potential of a product or service. The information that flows through ecosystems is not always tangible. However, it can be categorized and accessed through different gateways. In this thesis, the authors present an overview of current service design tools and compare them to a cross-channel ecosystem’s approach. The ubiquitous nature of technology permits users to interact and perform activities uninterrupted within physical and digital space. Therefore, the inclusion of external stakeholders within an ecosystem enables a richer analysis of a product or service design. Two major factors that are taken into consideration: 1. Touchpoints within the ecosystem. 2. The information channels that can be accessed through touchpoints. This thesis involves an exploratory case study that aims at mapping cross-channel experiences and ecosystems thereafter in relation to a publishing firm located in New York. Along the conceptualization process, the authors faced difficulties understanding appropriate methods of labelling and choosing of elements that assist in the construction of an ecosystem. However, the initial drawing of the firm’s ecosystem clearly differs from the results attained from the interviews outcomes on the one hand. On the other hand, the final diagram of overlapped information channels placed over a fraction of the ecosystem, provides a tangible understanding towards the presence of touchpoints in one or more information channels. By displaying such cross-channel ecosystems, organizations can increase or re-structure their activities according to their strategy. The study gives a very concrete proposition of how the ecosystems can be mapped. Further studies and guidelines to increase an ecosystems parameters and precision of execution is still to be developed and researched.

Food waste is considered to be a big problem worldwide. Different research projects have been done within this area in order to find ways that can help reduce this problem. This thesis addresses the problem of food waste in the supermarkets of Kosovo, by identifying the amounts of food waste in 3 supermarkets of this region. In addition, it explores the possibility of connection between supermarkets and charity organizations by using a developed prototype that corresponds to the field of web technologies. The prototype is implemented based on the feedback of supermarket workers. Interviews with open-ended questions were realized with supermarket workers and charity organization workers in order to identify the best medium that can be used to connect them. The prototype is realized using Wordpress, and evaluated first using the SUS questionnaire. Furthermore, it is also evaluated by performing usability test with supermarket and charity organization workers. The participants were asked to perform different tasks during the evaluation. The study shows that the use of the developed prototype reduces the amount of food waste in supermarkets. Furthermore, it successfully connects charity organizations with supermarkets. In addition, it provides a new way of controlling expiry dates of items resulting in reduction of waste inside supermarkets.