Users evaluate and assign value to products regarding several factors, one of which is design attributes. The attributes can provide certain consequences, which can, in turn, serve to users&rsquo / desires or ultimate goals in life. Value is attributed regarding the desirability of the sequential chain of attributes, consequences and goals. Considering value creation for the users as designers&rsquo / main responsibility / they should focus on how these chains are shaped while designing products. This study mainly concentrates on this relation between design attributes, the consequences these attributes provide, and the ultimate goals of users these consequences satisfy. Three main types of consequence and user goals, which are together called as value types, are identified in the literature: pragmatic, experiential and symbolic. How these value types can be provided by design attributes is examined both with literature review and a research on users&rsquo / pre-purchase value assignment to portable digital audio players. The research on portable digital audio players is conducted using laddering technique. After the interviews with 30 respondents, the value types identified in the literature review as pragmatic, experiential and symbolic value are supported by the data / and and an extension is suggested within the subgroups of experiential value. The salient design attributes that are valued at pre-purchase, and outstanding relations between designed attributes, consequences and user goals are identified.

Compared to the use of a traditional mobile phone, a smartphone user may experience advanced computing capability and connectivity. Internet connection along with advanced technology allows users to access the web, GPS navigation system, WIFI hotspot, etc. Today it is considerably easier for smartphone users to benefit from the global Internet connection with its extended range. A service that has expanded enormously and shaped a whole new industry in a short period of time, is location-based services (LBS). The service shows location information using coordinates providing the geographical position of a mobile device. Depending on the user’s location and preferences, mobile service providers may introduce context-related information to the user. However, LBS does not only involve opportunities, improvements, and benefits for societies. The use of digital technologies, with such spread as location-based services has obtained, may result in major integrity issues.   The aim of this qualitative investigation is to explain and describe location-based services. The purpose is to, through structured interviews, create an understanding of the users’ perception of LBS and investigate their attitudes, behavior and privacy concerns. The following understanding might be of value to application development companies regarding the comprehension of user behavior and attitudes. In turn, it could be of assistance for these companies in reaching the users in order to maximize the use of their applications.   The analysis showed that the respondents of this study are receptive to location-based services as long as it provides them with value. However, privacy concerns might intervene but are in most cases overlooked. The user’s perceived value is by the informants considered to be more important than the minor obstacles of LBS. In terms of LBS usage behavior, the respondents willingness to share location information differs among them and is based on different reasonings. The indication of user acceptance also differs. However, the informants’ perception of LBS purpose was discussed from both user and business perspective. It was concluded that it might be an indication of user acceptance since the respondents were able to recognize value deriving from location-based services. Additional LBS behavior is recognized in the process of allowing LBS access to apps.

Although there is research about the use of enterprise resource planning (ERP) from a management perspective, the research is not clear as to whether the ERP benefits justify the costs, not only in dollars, but also in effort, from the end user's perspective. Using the theory of diffusion of innovation (DOI), the purpose of this quantitative research was to identify the set of postimplementation sustainability factors that maximized ERP user value, which are major issues for management, and measured their relative significance. The study's structural model incorporated the technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework, which is a conceptualization of the theory of diffusion of innovation, to predict the postimplementation sustainability factors from the ERP user's point of view. The partial least squares structure equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach provided the needed explanatory analysis to test the predictive power of the structural model. The target population was organizational employees who had used an operational ERP system for at least 4 years in the state of Colorado. A convenience sample of 163 cases responded to the online questionnaire. Hypotheses testing indicated that the independent variables of ERP information quality, ERP system quality, ERP knowledge and learning, shared beliefs, job relevance, and coordination significantly impacted the dependent variable ERP user value. The positive social change implications of this study include a better understanding of ERP postimplementation sustainability factors from the users' perspectives and their social impact on organizational performance, which could lead to increased employee effectiveness, productivity, efficiency, and individual satisfaction due to ERP usage.

Mobile e-commerce is an increasing trend. Still, many sales sites are not adapted to mobile interfaces. Important factors in the design of successful e-commerce applications are trust, high quality graphics, and easy navigation. However, a typical design approach is to strip down functionality and this can have a negative impact on the user experience. The goal of this thesis was to create a style guide that can be used to develop responsive e-commerce sites through a mobile first implementation strategy. A style guide was created by applying modern design theory and by investigating existing e-commerce solutions. Moreover, a prototype of an e- commerce solution was developed using the style guide. This prototype was evaluated by an expert group of usability professionals. The study indicates that the style guide is a useful and effective tool in the design and development of e-commerce systems. We conclude that a mobile first strategy needs to be combined with subsequent traditional desktop design.

This research investigates what rural villagers perceive as important and develops recommendations for improved electrification project implementation centring on user-perceived values (UPVs). UPVs capture more than the basic definition of value in the sense that they include benefits, concerns, feelings and underlying drivers that vary in importance and act as the main motivators in the lives of project beneficiaries as perceived at a given time. Low access to energy continues in rural sub-Saharan Africa despite significant investment by the development community. One fundamental reason is that energy infrastructure adoption remains low, as evidenced by the lack of project sustainability. To counter this, the challenge for energy project developers is to achieve sustainable long-term interventions through the creation of value for beneficiaries, rather than the traditional approach of focusing on short-term project outputs. The question of what is valuable to people in rural communities has historically not played into the design and diffusion of energy infrastructure development projects. This research drew on design and marketing approaches from the commercial sector to investigate the UPVs of rural Ugandans. To better understand the UPVs of rural villagers a new method, consisting of a UPV game and UPV framework, was developed. This method is suitable for capturing, understanding and mapping what rural populations perceive as important. Case study analyses were carried out in seven villages across rural Uganda. The case studies included the UPV game supplemented by non-energy-specific and energy-specific interviews with villagers. Additionally, interviews with experts were conducted to verify the UPV framework and to identify the gap between experts’ opinion and villagers’ perception of what is important. The research demonstrates the effectiveness of the UPV game in deducing the values of rural villagers. The findings demonstrate a disconnect in the ability to accurately capture and design projects which resonate with and respond to the UPVs of recipients of rural electrification projects. A comparison between the villagers’ statements and experts’ opinion regarding what is most valuable to rural communities reveals striking differences that point to a fundamental misunderstanding of rural community UPVs which are likely to be contributing to widespread electrification project failure.

Att identifiera vad användare värderar är nyckeln till att företag kan skapa konkurrenskraftiga fördelar. Trots detta använder designers inom området för service design flera visualiseringstekniker som stöd för att visualisera olika aspekter av en service men ingen av visualiseringsteknikerna stödjer en servicedesigner att identifiera vad användare värderar. Utifrån en explorativ metodansats triangulerar studien en enkätundersökning och intervju med en sammanställning av de viktigaste ”ingredienserna” som bör finnas i en visualiseringsteknik som stödjer servicedesigners att identifiera potentiellt användarvärde innan en service är skapad. Resultatet av studien presenteras i form av visualiseringstekniken ”Värdeprofilens resa” som syftar till att stödja designers och företag att uppnå konkurrenskraftiga fördelar genom att identifiera potentiellt användarvärde genom service design. Genom att besvara frågeställningen kan studien möta den problematik som relaterar till avsaknaden av ett visualiseringsstöd som stödjer företags behov av att samla in kunskap om vilken typ av service som kan skapa värde hos användare utan att utgå från en befintlig service. Resultatet av examensarbetet är tänkt att kunna användas av servicedesigners för att identifiera aktiviteter i använ­dares liv där företag, genom sina resurser, kan skapa service som stödjer användares behov och på så sätt skapar användarvärde. / To identify what users value, is the key to business for creating competitive advantages. Despite this, designers in the field of service design using several visualization techniques for support when visualizing different aspects of a service. But none of the visualization techniques support the servicedesigner to identify what the user values. The study is based on a exploratory methodology which triangulates, a questionnaire and interview with a summary of the most important "ingredients" that should be included in visualization technology wich supports servicedesigners to identify potential user value before a service is created. The results of the study are presented in the form of the visualization technique "Value Profile Journey" that aimes to support servicedesigners and companies to whom want to achieve competitive advantage by identifying potential user value through service design. By answering the question the study can face the problems related to the lack of visual aid that supports the company's need to gather knowledge about the type of service that can create user without having to source that from an existing service. The result of this study is meant to be used by servicedesigners to identify activities in the users life in which companies, through their resources, can create services that support users needs and thereby create more value for the users.

Do residents find value in smart home functions? How should these functions be designed to offer user benefit? These were the governing questions of this study that involved nearly 200 families in three different housing projects during five years of occupancy. The housing units were equipped with advanced smart homes solutions, electronic and digital devices to control them, and a set of functions to increase comfort, safety and security in the homes. The evaluations of the residents' use and benefits were accomplished in two different phases, i) evaluation of the user expectations' before and direct after occupancy and ii) long-term experiences after 3-5 years. A third phase of the study represents a radical shift in view. Issues related to innovation and organisation of service delivery were brought into the fore. The research is founded on the multiple case-based methodology. Literature studies were effected. Data acquisition was based on interviews and questionnaires. Theoretical models from different research areas were used in order to analyse observations and to arrive to grounded conclusions. Important conclusions include the fact that smart home functionalities must be developed as close as possible out of the users' genuine needs as experienced in their daily lives. Failure to attain accessibility to a certain function will cause disappointment and will be forsaken. To gain and over time preserve the user's trust in smart home functions or in a system as a whole is conclusive for the their use. Another conclusion is that a viable business model for smart homes must include the occupancy phase. Surveillance and maintenance of smart home systems must be secured over time. It is argued that the failure of establishing a viable long-term service to homes to the benefit to the user depends highly on the market’s ability to supply the homes with appropriate services over time. Possible ways to mediate revealed shortcomings are outlined and what role and responsibility the housing construction industry has to consider with the further development of smart homes. / QC 20100809