This diploma thesis applies the theory of cultural differences in the web environment. Several dozens of selected websites from various national cultures are evaluated and analyzed. Differences in the web design and marketing communication are studied depending on the culture. The evaluation is based on cultural models of social psychologist Geert Hofstede and anthropologist Edward T. Hall. Research sites are selected from nine cultural clusters according to the Inglehart-Welzel cultural map, based on the World Values Survey data. Other site surveyed includes the world's largem producers in the industry. The authors of this study build on and developed work of Aaron Marcus and Emilie Gould in the web design of Cross-Cultural Strategies for Web Design (Armando Calabrese et al., 2012). The objective of this diploma thesis is to analyze whether cultural differences are manifested on a selected group of websites.

[pt] Esta dissertação aborda o tema da representação digital das cidades. Ela é resultado de uma pesquisa que foi motivada pelo seguinte problema: como as cidades brasileiras têm sido representadas oficialmente no meio digital? Admitimos, como premissa, que os sites oficiais das cidades são mais uma forma de representá-las e, portanto, eles devem ser compreendidos como signos e como objetos do Design. Nosso objetivo geral foi investigar a semiose do design nas cidades digitais brasileiras a fim de contribuir com reflexões capazes de auxiliar os designers na tarefa de representar oficialmente as cidades no meio digital. O objeto empírico da investigação foi constituído pelos sites oficiais das capitais do sudeste brasileiro. As leituras e análises empreendidas tiveram como referencial teórico, principalmente, as lições de Charles Sanders Peirce sobre a Semiótica e as Matrizes da linguagem e pensamento propostas por Lucia Santaella. Ao final da pesquisa, constatamos que a semiótica peirciana possui um ferramental que pode auxiliar os designers na construção e na análise das cidades digitais. Além disso, a partir das análises dos sites oficiais das capitais do sudeste do Brasil, tecemos considerações que dizem respeito às dimensões sintática, semântica e pragmática desses sites e que são extensíveis às demais cidades digitais governamentais brasileiras. / [en] This dissertation approach is concerned to cities digital representation. It is the result of a research that was motivated by the following problem: how have the Brazilian cities been officially represented in the digital world? We admit, as a premise, that cities official sites are more a representational form of cities and, thus, they must be understood as signs and as objects of Design. Our general goal was investigate the semiosis of design in Brazilian digital cities in order to build up some reflections which might be able to assist designers in the task of representing the cities officially in the digital world. The empirical object of this inquiry was constituted by the official sites of Brazilian Southeastern capital cities. The undertaken readings and analyzes have had as theoretical referential, mainly, Charles Sanders Peirce`s lessons about Semiotics and the Matrices of language and thought proposed by Lucia Santaella. At the end of the research, we have noticed that Peirce`s Semiotics is full of tools that can assist designers in the construction and in the analysis of digital cities. Moreover, from the analyzes of the official sites of Brazilian Southeastern capitals, we have developed some considerations related to some dimensions of those sites, namely Syntactic, Pragmatic and Semantics ones, which are extensible to other Governmental Brazilian digital cities.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T18:18:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Candida Almeida cap 1- 2 e 3.pdf: 71814288 bytes, checksum: 33a472d3887b2038b0ffbe403490268c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-11-03 / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / "Web Design: production and analysis guide" is a scientific research that intends to investigare the context of development and the processes of website production for the WWW (World Wide Web). In this thesis, the term production is understood as the realization of a wide range of procedures that go from the creative conception, passing through structural organization, visual development, tools implementation, to effectuation of the many kinds of relationships between online hypermedias and the interactors. Based on Peircean Semiotics concepts and the General Systems Theory, this present research has the objective of providing an oriented guide to production and analysis of online-based projects. Besides gathering an extensivetheoretical data to clarify the steps involved in these types of productions, this thesis also developed a theoretical rarionale that indicares ways and conducrs for producers to develop projecrs thar are eHecrive from rhe communicarive poinr of view. With phenomenological emphasis on rhis type of development invesrigation, we consider the web design production as a systemic process, composed of a wide range of different signs, conducred by normative ideas, and developed from specific reasonings. Throughour the rhesis, we explain the rheoretical rationale through several analysis applied ro exisring websites. This implies that the enrire rarionale promptly leads to rhe empirical demonstrarion of irs applicability and eHiciency as an importanr subsrratum for a guide to production and analysis of rhe hypermediatic forms of interpersonal communlcarlon / "Web design: guia de produção e análise" é uma pesquisa científica que tem como propósito investigar o contexto de desenvolvimento e os processos de produção de sites na WWW (World Wide Web). O termo produção é nesta tese entendido como a realização de procedimentos que vão desde a concepção criativa, passando pela organização estrutural, desenvolvimento visual, implementação de ferramentas, até a efetivação dos diversos tipos de relações que se estabelecem entre as hipermídias online e os indivíduos interatores. Fundamentada por conceitos da Semiótica Peirceana e Teoria Geral de Sistemas, a presente pesquisa tem por objetivo oferecer um guia orientado para produção e análise de projetos desenvolvidos para serem veiculados e fruídos na internet. Além de levantarmos um material teórico que torna mais claras as etapas que envolvem esses tipos de produções, cuidamos de desenvolver uma fundamentação que indica caminhos e condutàs para que produtores possam desenvolver produções eficientes do ponto de vista comunicativo. Buscando uma ênfase fenomenológica na investigação desse tipo de desenvolvimento, tratamos de considerar a produção em web design como um processo sistêmico, composto de signos de naturezas diversas, conduzido por ideais normativos e desenvolvido a partir da articulação de raciocínios específicos. Ao longo da tese, pontuamos o levantamento teórico com análises aplicadas em amostras de sites já desenvolvidos. Isso implica que toda a fundamentação conduz imediatamente à demonstração empírica- de sua aplicabilidade e eficiência, como substrato importante de um guia de produção e análise das formas hipermidiáticas de comunicação interpessoal

Frente à expansão dos ambientes digitais que seguem os princípios da web 2.0, percebe-se uma crescente abertura na participação dos usuários, vista a partir dos canais de interação social, produção e gestão compartilhada dos conteúdos digitais. A proposta dessa pesquisa é pensar como esse cenário de participação está moldando e fortalecendo uma estrutura social a web social capaz de atuar ativamente não só na produção dos conteúdos digitais, mas também na forma de apresentação desses conteúdos. Pautada nu-ma reflexão teórica e num levantamento empírico, essa pesquisa procura trazer luzes à re-lação que se estabelece entre as práticas de projeto e as práticas de uso na web, a partir da observação da emergência de uma nova estrutura de produção a criação colaborativa baseada na ação complementar entre designer e usuário para a definição da dimensão vi-sual dos ambientes digitais. / Ahead of the digital environments expansion which follows the principles of the web 2.0, one can notice a growing opening on the users participation that can be seen from the social interaction channels, production and shared management of the digital content. The proposal of this research is to reflect on how this scenario of participation is forging and strengthening a social structure the social web capable of actively acting not only in the production of digital content, but also in the form of this content presentation. Lined on a theoretical reflection and on an empiric survey, this research intends to bring lights to the relation that is established between practices of design and practices of use, from the obser-vation of an new emerging production structure the collaborative creation based on the additional action between the designer and the user to the definition of the digital environ-ments visual dimension.

Frente à expansão dos ambientes digitais que seguem os princípios da web 2.0, percebe-se uma crescente abertura na participação dos usuários, vista a partir dos canais de interação social, produção e gestão compartilhada dos conteúdos digitais. A proposta dessa pesquisa é pensar como esse cenário de participação está moldando e fortalecendo uma estrutura social a web social capaz de atuar ativamente não só na produção dos conteúdos digitais, mas também na forma de apresentação desses conteúdos. Pautada nu-ma reflexão teórica e num levantamento empírico, essa pesquisa procura trazer luzes à re-lação que se estabelece entre as práticas de projeto e as práticas de uso na web, a partir da observação da emergência de uma nova estrutura de produção a criação colaborativa baseada na ação complementar entre designer e usuário para a definição da dimensão vi-sual dos ambientes digitais. / Ahead of the digital environments expansion which follows the principles of the web 2.0, one can notice a growing opening on the users participation that can be seen from the social interaction channels, production and shared management of the digital content. The proposal of this research is to reflect on how this scenario of participation is forging and strengthening a social structure the social web capable of actively acting not only in the production of digital content, but also in the form of this content presentation. Lined on a theoretical reflection and on an empiric survey, this research intends to bring lights to the relation that is established between practices of design and practices of use, from the obser-vation of an new emerging production structure the collaborative creation based on the additional action between the designer and the user to the definition of the digital environ-ments visual dimension.

Den här rapporten förklarar tillvägagångssättet för framtagningen utav en responsiv design till webbplatsen Projects & Staff, en webbplats som tidigare hade en fixed design. Projektet består utav två leveranser, hi-fi prototyper skapade i Adobe Illustrator och Adobe Photoshop samt en färdig mobilversion utav webbplatsen, utvecklad med CSS3. Under projektets gång har jag designat för användarupplevelse och användbarhet, två områden som är viktiga inom responsiv webbdesign. Jag har utfört en förstudie i form av en webbplatsanalys, gjort en PACT-analys samt användarintervjuer. Detta för att definiera behoven som fanns för en responsiv design, samt att få en tydlig bild av användare och deras vanor. Målet med projektet har varit en responsiv webbdesign som representeras väl på olika enheter, speciellt smartphone, ett mål som jag lyckats bra med att uppnå. / This report explains the approach for the making of a responsive design to the website Projects & Staff, a website that previously had a fixed design. The project consists of two parts, hi-fi prototypes created in Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop as well as a complete mobile version of the website, created with CSS3. During the project I have designed for user experience and usability, two areas that are important to responsive web design. I have conducted a feasibility study in the form of a website analysis, made a PACT analysis and user interviews. This to define the needs that existed for a responsive design, and to get a clear picture of the users and their habits. The goal has been a responsive web design represented well on different devices, especially smartphones, a goal that I have done well with achieving.

In recent years, the web development industry has made websites more sustainable through green hosting and sustainable approaches in both back-end and front-end levels of websites. This study evaluates and aims to improve existing guidelines for designing lower-impact websites in the e-commerce sector. First, the study investigates the Internet users’ awareness of the Internet’s carbon footprint and their impressions of existing lower-impact websites. This data is then used to construct and conduct focus groups. The Internet’s impact on the environment and existing lower-impact website solutions are further analysed and dis-cussed in the grocery e-commerce context. These findings are then used as a base to build a lower-impact grocery e-commerce website prototype and test it with users and evaluate its attractiveness based on a hedonic/pragmatic model. The study reveals that users are pretty acceptive of the front-end changes to a website to make it more sustainable and willing to change their online habits. However, as current user awareness and knowledge about the Internet’s carbon footprint is very low, any changes to the User Experience (UX) of a website to make it more sustainable need to be communicated to the user.

Preparing for crisis is a challenge. To be prepared to handle a crisis, organizationshave to practice. Crisis management exercises are never performed as often theyshould, as it is expensive and takes long time to plan.The purpose of this thesis is to examine how public bodies and other organizations inAkershus plan and execute crisis management exercises. The thesis aims to evaluateinterest and survey pre-conditions and useful features for a digital tool to complementtraditional contingency exercises.A qualitative approach has been applied in form of interviews and literature review asthe objective is to achieve comprehension of the interviewed organizations routinesand practices, and the circumstances which may affect their need for a digital trainingtool.Six key factors in crisis management are identified in the literature review. Thefactors are: flexibility, communication, cooperation and coordination as well asinformation and improvisation. In addition, methods to understand how users interactwith technology as well as how to design responsive web pages were explored.The analysis is based on empirical results from five interviews from fiveorganizations. The empirical results were compared to the key factors from theliterature review.The study shows that the most of the interviewed organizations use CIM®, and thatall of them implement tabletop or scenario exercises in their training. The interviewedorganizations believe that a digital tool for contingency exercises can be acontribution to traditional exercises, but there are issues concerning how cooperationand communication can be maintained in any digital tool to be used in an area wherefunctional communication and cooperation is necessary.

<p>Denna studie undersöker hur privata vårdföretags webbplatser bör utformas för att förmedla en hög trovärdighet mot användare och potentiella kunder. Antalet privata vårdföretag blir allt fler och det blir allt viktigare att synas och framförallt att synas på rätt sätt. Därför väljer många privata vårdföretag att marknadsföra sig med hjälp av en företagswebbplats för att framhålla sig själva och sina produkter och tjänster.</p><p>Utifrån en stegvis modell för att utvärdera trovärdighet har ett antal faktorer identifierats som ligger till grund för hur användare uppfattar trovärdighet i sammanhanget. Genom att studera hur personer från målgruppen upplever trovärdighet på ett antal utvalda webbplatser har en djupare förståelse för de framkomna resultaten uppstått. Resultaten visar på att det bör läggas stor vikt på fokusering av målgrupp, bilder och bildspråk, den grafiska utformningen och informationsstrukturen vid utveckling av webbplatser för privata vårdföretag. Genom att tillämpa de faktorer som studien har resulterat i, på ett privat vårdföretags webbplats, finns det större chans till att användare från målgruppen kommer att uppleva en hög trovärdighet i samband med interaktion.</p> / <p>This study examines how a private healthcare company's website should be designed to convey a high level of credibility to users and potential customers. The number of private healthcare companies is increasing and it is important to be visible and above all to be seen properly. Many private healthcare companies promote themselves through a company website to highlight themselves and their products and services.</p><p>Based on a progressive model to evaluate the credibility have a number of factors been identified as the basis for how users perceive trust in the context. By studying how people from the target audience perceive credibility on selected sites, have a deeper understanding of the present upon the results emerged. The results show that there should be emphasis on the focus of the audience, images and imagery, graphic design and information architecture for the development of websites for private healthcare companies. By applying the factors identified in this study to the website of a private healthcare company, there is a greater chance that users from the target group will experience a high level of credibility in the context of interaction.</p>

Denna rapport redovisar arbetet med att uppdatera webbplatsen qnodd.se, en webbplats som är till för att presentera läromedlet Qnoddarnas värld, utgivet av Natur &amp; Kultur. I rapporten redovisas för tidigare studentuppsatser samt teorier rörande användarvänlighet och designprinciper som har används för att utföra användartester och utvärderingar. Webbplatsen har under tiden för projektet genomgått två uppdateringar och arbetet med webbplatsen kommer med hjälp av användartesterna fortsätta även efter projektavslutet. / This report describes the process of updating the website qnodd.se, a website that is designed to introduce the teaching material Qnoddarnas värld, published by Natur &amp; Kultur, Sweden. The report presents former student essays and theories of usafulness and design principles that have been applied when preforming user testing and evaluations. The site has during the project undergone two updates and further development of the site will through the user tests continue even after the project is finished.