The increase in the use of online banking and other alternative banking channels has led to improved flexibility for customers but also an increase in the amount of fraud across these channels. The industry recommendation for banks and other financial institutions is to use multi-factor customer authentication to reduce the risk of identity theft and fraud for those choosing to use such banking channels. There are few multi-factor authentication solutions available for banks to use that offer a convenient security procedure across all banking channels. The CodeSure card presented in this research is such a device offering a convenient, multi-channel, two-factor code-based security solution based on the ubiquitous Chip-and-PIN bank card. In order for the CodeSure card to find acceptance as a usable security solution, it must be shown to be easy to use and it must also be easy for customers to understand what they are being asked to do, and how they can achieve it. This need for a usability study forms the basis of the research reported here. The CodeSure card is also shown to play a role in combating identity theft. With the growing popularity of online channels, this research also looks at the threat of phishing and malware, and awareness of users about these threats. Many banks have ceased the use of email as a means to communicate with their customers as a result of the phishing threat, and an investigation into using the CodeSure card's reverse (sender) authentication mode is explored as a potential solution in regaining trust in the email channel and reintroducing it as a means for the bank to communicate with its customers. In the 8 experiments presented in this study the CodeSure card was rated acceptably high in terms of mean usability. Overall, the research reported here is offered in support of the thesis that a usable security solution predicated on code-based multi-factor authentication will result in tangible improvements to actual security levels in banking and eCommerce services, and that the CodeSure card as described here can form the basis of such a usable security solution.

There are very few software packages for model-building and visualization in electromagnetic geophysics, particularly when compared to other geophysical disciplines, such as seismology. The purpose of this thesis is to design, develop, and test a geophysical model-building interface that allows users to parameterize the 2D magnetotellurics problem. Through the evaluation of this interface, feedback was collected from a usability specialist and a group of geophysics graduate students to study the steps users take to work through the 2D forward-modeling problem, and to analyze usability errors encountered while working with the interface to gain a better understanding of how to build a more effective interface. Similar work has been conducted on interface design in other fields, such as medicine and consumer websites. Usability Engineering is the application of a systematic set of methods to the design and development of software with the goal of making the software more learnable, easy to use, and accessible. Two different Usability Engineering techniques — Heuristic Evaluation and Thinking Aloud Protocol — were involved in the evaluation of the interface designed in this study (FEM2DGUI). Heuristic Evaluation is a usability inspection method that employs a usability specialist to detect errors based on a known set of guidelines and personal experience. Thinking Aloud Protocol is a usability evaluation method where potential end-users are observed as they verbalize their every step as they work through specific scenarios with an interface. These Usability Engineering methods were combined in a effort to understand how the first prototype of FEM2DGUI could be refined to make it more usable and to understand how end-users work through the forward-modeling problem. The Usability Engineering methods employed in this project uncovered multiple usability errors that were corrected through a refinement of the interface. Discovery of these errors helped with refining the system to become more robust and usable, which is believed to aid users in more efficient model-building. Because geophysical model-building is inherently a difficult task, it is possible that other model-building graphical user interfaces could benefit from the application of Usability Engineering methods, such as those presented in this research.â / Master of Science

Responding to the need within the human-computer interaction field to address ubiquitous and multitasking systems more scientifically, this research extends the usefulness of a new research framework for a particular class of systems. Notification systems are interfaces used in a divided-attention, multitasking situation, attempting to deliver current, valued information through a variety of platforms and modes in an efficient and effective manner. Through review of literature and experiences with empirical dual-task perceptual studies, we recognize a lack of unifying framework for understanding, classifying, analyzing, developing, evaluating, and discussing notification systems--fundamentally inhibiting scientific growth and knowledge reuse that should help designers advance the state-of-the-art. To this end, we developed a framework (referred to as the IRC framework) for notification systems research based on a core taxonomy of critical parameters describing user goals. Next, we extend the framework, focusing on three key aspects: 1) a system description process, allowing articulation of abstract design objectives that focus on critical user requirements; 2) interface usability evaluation tools, enabling comparison of the design and user's models, while supporting generalizability of research and early identification of usability concerns; and 3) design comparison and reuse mechanisms, saving time and effort in requirements analysis and early design stages by enabling design reuse and appreciation of design progress. Results from this research include the development of tools to express IRC design models (IRCspec) and user's models (IRCresults), and the extension of the critical parameters concept. Validation studies with novice designers show sufficient assessment accuracy and consistency. Leveraging these tools that help designers express abstract, yet critical, design intentions and effects as classification and retrieval indices, we develop a repository for reusable design knowledge (a claims library). Responding to challenges of design knowledge access that we observed through initial user testing, we introduce a vision for an integrated design environment (LINK-UP) to operationalize the IRC framework and notification systems claims library in a computer-aided design support system. Proof-of-concept testing results encourage the thought that when valuable design tools embody critical parameters and are coupled with readily accessible reusable design knowledge, interface development will improve as a scientific endeavor. / Ph. D.

The usability of an application often plays an important role in determining its success. Accordingly, organizations that develop software have realized the need to integrate usability engineering into their development lifecycles. Although usability practitioners have successfully applied usability engineering processes to increase the usability of user-interaction designs, the literature suggests that usability practitioners experience a number of difficulties that negatively impact their effectiveness. These difficulties include identifying and recording critical usability data, understanding and relating usability data, and communicating usability information. These difficulties are particularly pronounced for novice usability practitioners. With this dissertation, I explored approaches to address these difficulties through tool support for novice usability practitioners. Through an analysis of features provided by existing tools with respect to documented difficulties, I determined a set of desirable tool features including usability problem instance records, usability problem diagnosis, and a structured process for combining and associating usability problem data. I developed a usability engineering tool, the Data Collection, Analysis, and Reporting Tool (DCART), which contains these desirable tool features, and used it as a platform for studies of how these desirable features address the documented difficulties. The results of the studies suggest that appropriate tool support can improve the effectiveness with which novice usability practitioners perform usability evaluations. More specifically, tool support for usability problem instance records helped novice usability practitioners more reliably identify and better describe instances of usability problems experienced by participants. Additionally, tool support for a structured process for combining and associating usability data helped novice usability practitioners create usability evaluation reports that were of higher quality as rated by usability practitioners and developers. The results highlight key contributions of this dissertation, showing how tools can support usability practitioners. They demonstrate the value of a structured process for transforming raw usability data into usability information based on usability problem instances. Additionally, they show that appropriate tool support is a mechanism for further integrating usability engineering into the overall software development lifecycle; tool support addresses the documented need for more usability practitioners by helping novices perform more like experts. / Ph. D.

<p>Företaget Ritkonsult är ett företag på Västkusten som utför diverse konsulttjänster, främst rituppdrag inom brandskydd. De har den senaste tiden sett ett uppsving för främst prisjämförelser på Internet. Detta arbete har därför gått ut på att utveckla en prisjämförelsetjänst för lokala företag på Internet. Tanken är att företag själva ska kunna lägga till uppgifter och administrera dessa. Informationen ska kunna gå att söka efter och jämföras med annan liknande information. För att användare med olika Internetvana ska kunna använda tjänsten har webbsidan gjorts så användbar som möjligt med Usability Engineering metoden. Ett antal tester har utförts med riktiga företag för att upptäcka användbarhetsproblem och rätta till dem till den slutgiltiga webbsidan. </p><p>Resultatet har blivit en dynamisk webbsida med fokus på användbarhet och flexibilitet; den kan användas av olika företag och av olika personer som vill söka efter information. En hel del hade kunnat göras annorlunda under arbetets gång, till exempel hade flera metoder för att skapa användbarhet kunnat studeras. Trots de brister som finns är beställarna och jag nöjda med resultatet.</p>

Abstract The main difficulty in the usability evaluation of a product concept or a prototype is that it is very difficult to take reliably into account many different characteristics or attributes, which cannot be measured with the same unit, scale or instrument. Secondly, evaluation always involves some uncertainty. One can never be really sure that all the essential aspects that affect the final user emphasis are taken into consideration. This uncertainty can be decreased by involving diverse people in the evaluation process during R&amp;D or, before the final decision, by elaborating the best ideas to a level at which they can be really used on a pilot scale in the field. Most often, though, the latter takes too much time and would result in many other problems. Evaluation can possibly be best enhanced by using enough involved people, i.e. various experts and especially end-users, who need or use the product in question. A key ingredient to the success of product development, in addition to ergonomic knowledge, is often thought to be active involvement of the intended product users by (1) measuring user-product interaction and (2) participation in design decisions. When a potential end-user experiments with the product, both quantitative and qualitative evaluation methods can be used. This thesis shows some methodological possibilities of evaluation, especially through simulation. It also describes in detail the practical phases of the experiments. For example, a lot of development was needed to find out how to communicate product alternatives and their concepts to (elderly) users. And most importantly, this thesis aims to give evidence of how the procedure called experimental ergonomic evaluation (EEE) should be feasibly implemented and statistically confirmed for significance and consistency. A special focus in the experiments was placed on elderly end-users. Since the number of elderly citizens is increasing, there is a need for products to help the elderly live independently at their homes. Studying and understanding how users accomplish their tasks helps to identify their needs and to formulate implications for the design of technology to satisfy those needs. Thus, user studies conducted before beginning to design a new technology provide a proactive way of involving users in the design process. The first prototypes then enable usability studies, such as user trials. With an emphasis on usability engineering, trials can be developed into more feasible EEE procedures for industrial companies. All the developed and applied EEE procedures were based on a user-centred approach with different user trial types (N = 15). The users as subjects (N = 264) performed as real tasks as possible and, based on their perceptions during the trials, gave their preferences or scored certain variables. The subjects were also observed and measured by the researcher. The products or other technologies in the trials comprised a total of 9 cases, ranging from "low-tech" steps and chairs to "high-tech" information and communication technology (ICT) applications. The perceived preference and observed performance measures were then combined. Different methods are needed simultaneously to make the results more accurate. The present EEE procedures proved to be cost-effective, efficient and sufficiently valid at least in a research context. The EEE procedures ranged from subjective estimations, such as rating and ranking, to more complex multi-criteria methods that can be used to facilitate decision-making, such as conjoint analysis, Mitchell's paired comparison and use-value analysis. Objective evaluation was also used, including measurement of products and users as well various observations. Both experts and end-users (subjects) had their own important roles in the experiment. Based on this study, EEE procedures are easy to implement in industry for routine usability testing in the course of product development. EEE with its wide coverage yields more universal and absolute usability values, not only ones based on direct benchmarking.

Developing economical yet effective methods of incorporating usability engineering as an integral part of software engineering is a primary focus of human-computer interaction (HCI) research. However, much HCI research has focused primarily on inspecting and evaluating applications supporting command-line or graphical user interface (GUI) interaction styles. With the dramatic increase in virtual environment (VE) research in recent years, the HCI community is beginning to place an added emphasis on creating methodologies to ensure usability in VE development. While the demand for VE-specific usability engineering methods and criteria is dire as the amount of money invested by military, government, commercial, and industrial organizations continues to grow, widely accepted methodologies for assessing VE usability are, at this point in time, minimal. There has been a recent increase in research discussing the need of VE-specific usability engineering methodologies, but few research projects have concentrated their efforts on providing such methodologies. Therefore, application developers attempting to apply a user-centered design approach in constructing VEs must often perform largely ad-hoc assessments or in-house evaluations using existing non-VE-specific usability engineering methodologies. The primary focus of this research was to develop a method to guide usability engineering of VEs. The strategy used to develop this usability evaluation method was to modify existing usability evaluation methodologies to support VE development by leveraging the results of previous VE usability research performed at Virginia Tech and elsewhere. The result was a VE-specific usability evaluation methodology that encompasses two existing usability assessment techniques: usability inspections and formative evaluations. We applied this methodology to Crumbs, an immersive visualization VE developed at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA). A multi-dimensional framework of VE usability characteristics was a topic of research at Virginia Tech. This framework provided the backbone for VE-specific modifications to the existing usability evaluation techniques proposed in this research. Framework design guidelines permitted usability specialists to perform guidelines-based usability inspections of Crumbs. Results gathered from the guidelines-based usability inspections were used not only to redesign the Crumbs user interface but also drive creation of a formative evaluation plan. Application of the methodology not only uncovered usability issues with Crumbs, but also provided invaluable information regarding the effectiveness of the methodology itself. We conclude this thesis by describing a usability evaluation methodology, called the Modified Concept Book Usability Evaluation Methodology, proposed to improve the usability evaluation methodology performed on Crumbs and other VEs. Our methodology was adapted from an established methodology for performing content analysis on a large volume of qualitative data. Because the realm of VEs is so vast and diverse in application domains and devices, we do not claim that our methodology supports an exhaustive usability evaluation of all VEs. However, the proposed technique is a first attempt at modifying existing usability evaluation methods, and therefore can be used as a launching pad for methodologies to evaluate other aspects of specific VE applications. / Master of Science

Various methods exist for performing usability evaluations, but there is no systematic framework for guiding and structuring assessment and reporting activities (Andre et al., 2000). Researchers at Virginia Tech have developed a theoretical foundation called the User Action Framework (UAF), which is an adaptation and extension of Norman's action model (1986). The main objective of developing the User Action Framework was to provide usability practitioners with a reliable and structured tool set for usability engineering support activities like classifying and reporting usability problems. In practice, the tool set has a web-based interface, with the User Action Framework serving as an underlying foundation. To be an effective classification and reporting tool, the UAF should be usable and reliable. This work addressed two important research activities to help determine the usability and reliability of the User Action Framework. First, we conducted a formative evaluation of the UAF Explorer, a component of the UAF, and its content. This led a re-design effort to fix these problems and to provide an interface that resulted in a more efficient and satisfying user experience. Another purpose of this research was to conduct a reliability study to determine if the User Action Framework showed significantly better than chance agreement when usability practitioners classified a given set of usability problem descriptions according to the structure of the UAF. The User Action Framework showed higher agreement scores compared to previous work using the tool. / Master of Science

In recent years, interactive systems developers have increasingly included usability engineering and interaction design as an integral part of software development. With recognition of the importance of usability come attempts to structure this new aspect of system design, leading to a variety of processes and methodologies. Unfortunately, these processes have often lacked flexibility, completeness and breadth of coverage, customizability, and tool support. This thesis shows the development of a process model, that we call LUCID/Star*, which addresses and overcomes the characteristics lacking in existing methodologies and an evaluation of its application in a real-world development environment. To demonstrate the goal of this thesis, we have used a combination of empirical and analytical evidence. The (LUCID/Star)* process model for usability engineering grew out of the examination, adaptation, and extension of several existing usability and software methodologies. The methods that most greatly impacted the creation of (LUCID/Star)*were the LUCID Framework of interaction design, the Star Life Cycle of usability engineering, and the Waterfall and Spiral models of Software engineering. Unlike most of these, we have found that a sequence of cycles (each of which produces a product evolution) is a more effective analogy for the interaction development process. A sequence of cycles is more modular and makes it easier to focus on each cycle separately. Working with Optim Systems, Inc. in Falls Church, VA we instantiated the process model and introduced it as a process to develop a web-based device management system. (LUCID/Star)* performed remarkably in the Optim case, overcoming the tight constraints of budget and schedule cuts to produce an excellent prototype of the system. / Master of Science

Increasing the usability of software by integrating usability engineering into the development cycle has become common practice. Although usability engineering is effective, it can be expensive, and organizations want to receive the best possible returns on their investments. Oftentimes, however, organizations spend large sums of money collecting usability problem data through activities such as usability testing, but do not receive acceptable returns on those investments during redesign. The primary reason is that there is an almost complete lack of methods and tools for usability problem data analysis to transform raw usability data into effective inputs for developers. In this thesis, we develop an infrastructure for usability problem data analysis to address the need for better returns on usability engineering investments. The infrastructure consists of four main components: a framework, a process, tools, and semantic analysis technology. Embedded within the infrastructure is the User Action Framework, a conceptual framework of usability concepts, which is used to organize usability data. The process addresses extraction of usability problems from raw usability data, diagnosis of problems according to usability concepts, and reporting of problems in a form that is usable by developers. The tools leverage the framework and guide practitioners through the process, while the semantic analysis technology supplements the capabilities of the tools to automate parts of the process. / Master of Science