In this thesis a discursive examination of backpacker attitudes towards and use of a New Zealand tourism website, based on their own accounts of their experiences of using the web for travel, offers a contribution to existing knowledge about human computer interaction. The study enhances current understandings of the processes through which backpackers interact with travel websites by including the social and personal context of their experience. Analysing interview data on user attitudes and behaviour, it argues the importance of taking into account the use-context of human computer interactions. Placing participants’ interaction with the newzealand.com website within themes of imagination, emotional engagement, and authenticity in experience allows an exploration of such context. It demonstrates that backpackers’ engagement with websites is shaped not only by their material circumstances but by their attitudes to travel in general, their assumptions and feelings about New Zealand as a place, and as a site for their own experiences. The research applies usability techniques and methods to observe and inquire into tourists’ experiential interaction with a destination website. The emotional, affective, reflective and behavioural aspects of tourists’ decision making processes are studied in order to show how websites, as a medium of communication, evoke users’ travel imaginings. In this way the study contributes to research into tourists’ web-related motivation and behaviour. In addition, by applying discursive, performative, and experiential lenses drawn from travel research to human-computer interaction, it augments current research techniques for studying the social effects of virtual technology and web related human behaviour. The thesis explores themes of representation of place and self in relation to backpacker experiences and frames them in terms of authenticity and trust. It argues that in navigating places, backpackers seek authentic experiences and that this notion of authenticity is mediated by their encounters with other travellers, locals, tourism providers, as well as books, television and the Internet. Websites as travel information sources shape how backpackers think about their tourist experiences; to do this effectively, what the site presents must resonate with the backpacker’s views on how they think those experiences should be.

This research project focussed on discarded clothing and textiles, as signifiers for the lowest exchange value in the fashion system, and sought methods to add value by up-cycling1 into one of a kind fashion garments. Opportunities to add value were investigated with three main ideas emerging which include up-cycling the visual appearance of the garment or textiles through restyling, user interaction, and creating a narrative for the garment. The practice focussed on developing methods to incorporate these concepts as a way of extending the life of low value textiles into items that could be re-introduced into the fashion cycle2. Walker (2008) suggests that by conveying the story of a product to the consumer, the perception of value increased, and opportunities to explore this concept were investigated during the project. Experimentation with a variety of materials and techniques resulted in developing a method to re-fabricate3 threadbare and stained garments into a new material. User participation4 was investigated as a way to ‘add value,’ as it was hoped that by enabling the user to interact with the design they would value the item more. Exploring this concept led to the development of a range of garments and garment kits that enabled the user to learn techniques and make garments using discarded textiles and clothing. The garments and kits were developed using methods and techniques that could be easily mastered and used materials that would be readily available to the user. The development of the garment kits reframed the user as a designer/maker, which is sometimes referred to as participatory design,5 and Followed Fletcher’s (2008) directive that for practical reasons, the methods need to be low tech and inexpensive. A group of research participants trialled the garment kits, made their own garment and provided feedback, which informed the final phase of the project and the development of revised kits and garments. The project suggests potential opportunities for the fashion designer may exist by focussing on the use of existing resources and heightened user connectivity in the design of garments.

Zugl.: München, Techn. Universiẗat, Diss.

Thesis (Ph.D )--Tufts University, 2000. / Adviser: Robert J. K. Jacob. Submitted to the Dept. of Computer Science. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 297-316). Access restricted to members of the Tufts University community. Also available via the World Wide Web;

Thesis(M.S.)--Auburn University, 2006. / Abstract. Includes bibliographic references.

Thesis (doctoral)--University of Tampere, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (DDes) - Faculty of Design, Swinburne University of Technology, 2007. / [Submitted in total fulfillment of the requirements of the degree] Doctorate in Design, Swinburne University of Technology - 2007. Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (p. 63-74).

Thesis (M.S. in Computer Science)--Naval Postgraduate School, September 1992. / Thesis Advisors: Rowe, Neil C. ; Wu, C. Thomas. "September 1992." Description based on title screen as viewed on April 16, 2009. Includes bibliographical references (p. 46-47). Also available in print.

Thesis (M.A.)--Texas State University--San Marcos, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 69-74). Also available on microfilm.

Thesis (M.S.E.)--University of Washington, 1993. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [60]-62). Issued also electronically via World Wide Web in PDF and PostScript formats.