When developing a new system, it is a good idea to involve the end users from the start to prevent usability issues. This thesis has evaluated how one can develop a data visualisation system for the sawmill industry with a focus on user experience.  Semi-structured interviews with a snowball sample approach were used to acquire the demands of the end users. From these demands, paper prototypes were developed and then evaluated. Data on these prototypes were collected iteratively with the help of usability tests. This was done to understand how pleased users were when using the product but also to evaluate how efficiently they used it. Metrics have been used to measure the user experience of the product with both the paper prototypes and a hi-fi prototype, also described as the alpha prototype.  The conclusion answers the two research questions asked in this thesis. It concludes that the interview technique used in this thesis gave a good understanding of what information the users were interested in. Regarding measuring user experience, usability issues have been detected and reduced for each iteration, which indirectly results in a higher efficiency since the number of confusions are reduced. Something that can be seen from the system usability scale tests is that the high scores (about 89) they generated indicate that the users are pleased. With the different metrics used in this thesis, the conclusions are that the fewer the obstacles are for the user, the less annoyed they are when using the product and in turn perform their goals faster.

Research and development on vehicle safety has lately started to direct its focus towards how to actively support the driver and make it easier for her to drive safely through letting Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) have effect on how the driver interacts with the vehicle and the surrounding traffic. This requires research on both how the driver and vehicle perform in different situations, in terms of psychology, cognition and individual differences. In addition, physical limitations and requirements of the driver and the vehicle must be taken into account. Therefore scenarios for evaluation of these systems are required. In the area of user-centered design a rather new method, Personas, is being adopted. This thesis tries to explore if the Persona method is a viable tool for creating scenarios for such evaluations. Experiences after completing this work imply that personas indeed is a viable way to include aspects and raise issues concerning individual variability and situational context in ADAS scenarios.

La prise en compte des enjeux environnementaux est un sujet très présent dans notre société actuelle. Dans le domaine du développement de produits, l'Eco-conception est une démarche qui permet la considération de ces enjeux en proposant de réduire les impacts environnementaux des produits tout au long de leur cycle de vie. La phase d'utilisation du cycle de vie est une étape cruciale puisque le mode d'utilisation des produits peut avoir des conséquences non négligeables sur leur performance environnementale. Nous proposons dans cette thèse d'enrichir la compréhension de cette phase d'utilisation en mettant en évidence les composantes Kansei qui jouent un rôle dans l'interaction de l'utilisateur avec le produit et qui peuvent être intégrées en amont de la conception de produits à faible impact environnemental. Notre démarche permet de mieux renseigner la phase d'utilisation, contribuant ainsi à la maitrise de la performance environnementale des produits. Nous démontrons à travers notre recherche que l'utilisateur peut être défini, non seulement par des informations basiques que nous retrouvons communément dans la Conception Centrée Utilisateur, mais également à partir d'informations subjectives apportées par la dimension Kansei. A travers nos expérimentations, nous mettons en application deux attributs EcoKansei correspondants aux valeurs et aux émotions afin d'illustrer la modélisation utilisateur pour la conception de produits à faible impact environnemental. L'approche que nous proposons vient en complément au projet EcoUse qui vise à développer une méthodologie d'Eco-conception centrée utilisateur. Les apports de notre démarche sont multiples. Du point de vue de la recherche, une mise en relation de l'Eco-conception et du Kansei, qui sont à la base complètement déconnectées entraine un enrichissement mutuel entre ces deux approches. Du point de vue industriel, une démarche d'Eco-conception appuyée par les études Kansei doit permettre la conception de nouveaux produits qui auront l'avantage d'être à la fois mieux acceptés par les utilisateurs car en adéquation avec leur sensibilité environnementale et en même temps moins impactants pour l'environnement. / The consideration of environmental issues is a very strong topic in our society nowadays. In the field of Product Development, Ecodesign is a methodology that allows the consideration of these issues by proposing to reduce the environmental impacts of products throughout their life cycle. The use phase of the life cycle is a critical step as the way how the products are managed can have significant impact on their environmental performance. We propose in this thesis to enrich the understanding of the use phase by highlighting the Kansei Information that can play a major role in the interaction between the user and the product and thus can be integrated in the early phase of the Ecodesign process. Our approach provides a better understanding the use phase, by contributing to the mastery of the environmental performance of products. Our research points out that the user can be defined not only from basic information commonly used in the User Centered Design, but also from subjective information brought by the Kansei dimension. We carry out experiments in which we implement two EcoKansei attributes corresponding to the values and emotions in order to illustrate user modeling for Ecodesign. The approach we propose is a part of EcoUse project that aims to develop a methodology for user-centered Ecodesign. Various contributions of our approach can be pointed out. For the Research, linking Ecodesign with the Kansei studies, which are basically unconnected leads to mutual enrichment between these two approaches. For Industry, an Eco-design approach supported by Kansei Information enables the design of new products which will have the benefits of both providing less impacts to the environment, and at the same time being more accepted by users as these products match with their environmental sensitivity.

Capitalization table (cap table) is a public ledger that tracks the equity ownership of a company’s shareholders. For start-up and non-public companies this information is usually stored in a spreadsheet but even after just a couple of investment rounds the cap table can become highly complex. A factor that further increases the complexity is the need for entrepreneurs and investors to use the data for analysis and calculations for future decision making. The purpose of the thesis has been to create a design hypotheses of a usable graphical user interface that allows shareholders to more clearly understand the ownership situation of the company and future scenario. To answer the research question a user-centered design approach along with a case study was applied. The case study was chosen and performed on a start-up that already offers a web service for better management of corporation documents so that real users could be part of the design process and so that their needs could be analysed. After three iterations, an end result (implemented in AngularJS and TypeScript) was obtained, which can be split into two equal parts. Firstly, a view containing a timeline of the company and its current ownership. The view can also be used to get a snapshot of the company’s ownership in a specific point in time and to simulate how future investment rounds could dilute the current shareholder’s ownership. Secondly, a view where users can simulate future exit scenarios and how much each shareholder will earn in an exit.

This thesis explores a concept by Sonvox AB called VoiceUp. The concept is that of a mobile application that communicates with a wearable voice measuring device and visualizes voice information in a way that helps singers. Sonvox current main product is VoxLog—a system for long-term voice monitoring, mostly used for research purposes. Sonvox believes that their voice analysis technology could be relevant to a larger audience. The main goal for the thesis is to explore if a wearable voice measuring device could be relevant to singers, and in what ways. To do this, a needs analysis was conducted where song teachers and singers were interviewed. In order to draw statistical conclusions about the occurrence of needs, a survey was conducted where people with an interest for singing were the targeted respondents. Based on the result from the needs analysis, the VoiceUp concept was refined, resulting in an idea of a product that measures and visualizes how much the user sings and speaks with the aim to increase singers motivation to practice singing more regularly. Based on theory related to self-tracking, a design proving the concept was created, resulting in a mockup and a simple prototype. The mockup and the prototype can together be seen as one example of how self-tracking technology could be relevant to singers.

This study aimed to develop a help system for a communication app, identify usability issues regarding that help system and develop redesigns to improve it. The focus was to maximize perceived usefulness and minimize perceived annoyance of the help system. During the study two design proposals were developed and two user tests, which used low-fidelity prototypes. were performed to evaluate the design proposals. The first design proposal was evaluated in the first user test, thereafter an iteration of that design was developed based on the usability issues found in the user test. This iteration of the design was the second design proposal which were evaluated in the second user tests. Both design proposals and data from both user tests were analysed to- gether which resulted in seven recommendation that aimed to maximize perceived usefulness and minimize perceived annoyance when developing a help system for a communication app. Due to a lack of generalizability these recommendations should however be used with caution since they are mainly applicable to the system evaluated in this study. They can however be used as an inspi- ration and a starting point for someone designing a help system for an other communication app.

This thesis investigates the potential of User-Centered Design (UCD) and Agile to support Strategic Sustainable Development (SSD) practice in product and product-service system (PSS) design. UCD tools and concepts are used to support stakeholder and needs research. Agile provides process support for collaboration and resilience. SSD tools and concepts are used to define and work within the system boundaries for sustainability. All three practices are combined in an innovation approach that supports collaborative and cross-functional design teams as they develop products and PSS. Design teams using this approach will work to satisfy the needs of customers while considering the needs of all non-customer stakeholders and the ecosphere. The full-systems context emphasized in the approach will support innovation and encourage design teams to consider services as complements to, or substitutes for, physical products.

L’évaluation des capacités motrices est une activité essentielle de l’analyse de mouvement. Cette activité permet de quantifier la performance d’un patient et ainsi d’être capable de suivre et de contrôler son évolution pour assurer un traitement adapté. Les kinésithérapeutes ont donc besoin d’outils précis leurs permettant de mesurer cette performance. Pour cela, ils ont développé leurs propres outils basés sur l’observation et des exercices normés. Pourtant, cette activité pourrait être supportée et augmentée par l’utilisation de technologies avancées. Il existe une catégorie d’outils technologiques permettant le suivi et la capture de ces mouvements. Leur utilisation dans des systèmes d’aide à l’évaluation pourrait affiner l’évaluation des thérapeutes et également augmenter sa reproductibilité. Pour assurer l’utilisation dans la durée de ce type d’outils, il est nécessaire de répondre à la question suivante : « quels sont les enjeux et les critères de développement spécifiques aux systèmes d’évaluation des capacités motrices ? ». Dans ce travail de thèse, cette question a été restructurée suivant 3 axes : « comment mesurer les capacités motrices ? », « comment analyser et communiquer le résultat ? » et enfin « comment intégrer ce système dans la pratique médicale ? ». Pour chacun de ces axes, les critères clés de développement ont été investigués et des contributions sont présentées. Afin d’illustrer ces critères, une étude de cas a été menée : l’instrumentation, à l’aide de nouvelles technologies de capture de mouvements, d’un protocole de mesure de capacités motrices (aussi appelé MFM ou Mesure de la Fonction Motrice). / The motor capacities (motor skills)’ evaluation is an essential activity for movement analysis. This activity aims is to quantify the human’s motor performance to be able to follow-up and control the evolution of the patient’s pathology thus allowing an adapted treatment. The physiotherapists need accurate tools able to measure this performance. They developed their own tools based on observations and normalized exercises. This activity can be supported and enhanced by the technological advances. A category of motion tracking tools exists to track and record those movements. Their use in motor evaluation system could refine the therapist’s evaluations and increase their reproducibility. To insure the correct development and use of such tools it is necessary to answer the following question: “what are the development stakes and criteria related to a system for measure and evaluation of motor capacities?” This thesis work refined this question into the 3 following research axis: “how to measure motor capacities?”, “how to analyze and communicate the result?”, “how to integrate this system in the medical practice?” For each of those axis the key criteria for development were investigated and contributions are presented. To illustrate those criteria a case study was conducted: the instrumentation, with new motion capture technologies, of an assessment protocol for motor capacities also called MFM (The Motor Function Measure).

Abstract This research provides a glimpse into the fast-evolving world of mobile technology and maybe even faster evolving world of communities. The communities of this research are about voluntary activities, centered around an interest or hobby, and are technologically mediated. Traditionally they have used computers for their communication and collaborative activities, but the advances of mobile technology as well as its availability are seen to offer novel opportunities for them. The premise of this research is seeing technology as basis for supporting new ways of interactions, through responding to user needs, hence leaning on the tradition of human-computer interaction and user-centered design. The research comprised of an extensive literature review geared toward understanding of these new forms of communities and their technology, as well as toward understanding how to design for them. Both supported case-study approach of this study, which addressed the designing for virtual stable community and birdwatcher community, and resulted in a concept of a dedicated mobile device (for the virtual stable community), and understanding of the importance of integrated technologies (for the bird watcher community). These results were further developed into new propositions for design criteria, overall providing a fresh perspective toward designing mobile technology. Within this research, design was seen as a social activity, where participants communicate and share their knowledge. Getting relevant, appropriate and useful knowledge from users was therefore imperative for this research. Towards this end, a new online method for user involvement called web based storytelling was developed. Furthermore, emphasis was placed on understanding the concept design process with concepts and theories from knowledge management. The nature of knowledge (tacit/explicit and context-specific) as well as knowledge processes of users and designers and their linkages were introduced and systematically used and interpreted toward improving the concept design process. / Tiivistelmä Tämä tutkimus tarjoaa katsauksen mobiiliteknologian nopeasti kehittyvään maailmaan ja ehkä vielä nopeammin kehittyvään yhteisöjen maailmaan. Tutkimuskohteena ovat vapaaehtoiset harrasteyhteisöt. Perinteisesti nämä yhteisöt ovat käyttäneet tietokoneita ja Internettiä toimintaansa, mutta uudet mobiilit laitteet ja niihin liittyvät teknologiat tarjoavat heille mielenkiintoisia mahdollisuuksia. Tutkimuksen lähtökohtana ovatkin uuden teknologian tarjoamat mahdollisuudet yhteisöjen jäsenille ja näiden käyttäjälähtöinen suunnittelu. Tutkimuksessa esitetään laaja kirjallisuuskatsaus sekä uusien yhteisöjen ja niiden teknologioiden ymmärtämiseen, että konseptisuunnitteluprosessin käyttäjälähtöisyyteen. Niiden avulla suoritettiin case-tutkimus, jonka tuloksena syntyi mobiililaitteen konseptiversio virtuaalitalliyhteisölle ja kuvaus kommunikointiteknologioiden integroinnista lintubongariyhteisölle. Nämä jalostuivat mobiiliteknologian konseptisuunnittelua ohjaaviksi kriteereiksi, mitkä tuovat uutta, yhteisöllisyyttä korostavaa näkökulmaa suunnitteluprosessiin. Suunnitteluprosessi käsitettiin tässä tutkimuksessa sosiaalisena toimintona, missä osallistujat kommunikoivat ja jakavat sekä tietojaan että tietämystään. Tarvittavan, oikean ja hyödyllisen käyttäjätiedon merkityksellisyys tutkimuksessa tuotti yhtenä tutkimuksen tuloksena uuden käyttäjätutkimusmenetelmän (verkkopohjainen tarinankerronta). Kaikenkaikkiaan tutkimuksen kantavana voimana oli tietopohjainen lähestymistapa suunnitteluprosessiin, mikä tarkoitti suunnitteluprosessin ymmärtämistä tietojohtamisprosessina ja tulkitsemista tietojohtamisen käsitteiden kautta. Tiedon ominaisuuksien (hiljainen/eksplisiittinen ja kontekstisidonnaisuus) sekä käyttäjien ja suunnittelijoiden tietoprosessien yhteyksien systemaattisen käytön nähtiin parantavan konseptisuunnitteluprosessia.

In Sweden there are around 400 service dogs and dog handlers within the police (Polisen,2016). The service dogs are used in 25 000 to 30 000 interventions every year. According to the Swedish Police Service (2016), the most common breed within the police in Sweden is German shepherds and Malinois. The service dogs are used to track down people, substances and objects. They can also be used for surveillance and defense (Polisen, 2016). According to Eneström (2015-06-18), the transportation cages for service dogs used within the Swedish police today are designed with smaller measurements than the ones required by the Swedish Board of Agriculture (2015). The reason why the smaller cages are used is that with the measurements stated in the regulations from the Swedish Board of Agriculture, two cages cannot fit into the luggage compartment of the currently used police patrol vehicles (Eneström,2015-06-18). Fortunately, the vehicle Volvo XC70, which is the most commonly used police patrol vehicle, will not be manufactured anymore. This means that a new vehicle have to be chosen touse both for regular patrol vehicles and for dog transportation patrol vehicles. The need of a new solution for transporting service dogs initiated this master thesis, which was initiated by the design company Dacat AB. The aim was to develop a solution for the cages and storage of equipment integrated in a new vehicle of suggestion for the police. The objective was that this new solution should be developed with the user in center, meet the regulations and legislations from stakeholders, obtain high usability, enhance the user experience and provide a healthy, comfortable working environment for both police dogs and the police officers. The outcome of the thesis is visualizations and animations made from 3D models describing the conceptual solution. A user centered design approach was used in this thesis since the target group is narrow and itwas important to understand the context and the target group well. The user centered approach was adapted to fit the design challenge of this thesis, especially to make it work with the fact that the target group consists of both a human and a dog. This lead to an approach and a process, in this thesis called Design for multi-species partnerships. The result consists of a vehicle recommendation with a technical solution for the interior design. It is constructed to fit the recommended vehicle, but also to be adapted to other vehicles, depending on which vehicle the police decide to choose. The interior design is beneficial for both the dogs and the dog handlers as well as for the complete police operations, since it creates a more viable and versatile vehicle for the police. It was important to fulfill the needs and desires of both parts of the target group as well as creating a well functioning solution that works efficiently. The police patrol vehicle is in fact a working place for the target group, which means that aspects not that important to other vehicle users, was shown to be important in this thesis. This because the working place environment is directly connected to health and the ability to perform well. The profession of the target group is important for the society and is filled with a lot of expectations and demands, therefore it is important that the working place environment offer them the possibility to perform well without interference. The master thesis is carried out during the last semester of the Industrial Design Engineerprogram at Luleå University of Technology. The course D7014A is 30 university credits which equals 20 weeks of fulltime work. The thesis was conducted in Gothenburg in the spring of 2017.