Design Process Of Interactive Systems Research Articles

Engineering Annotations: A Generic Framework for Gluing Design Artefacts of Interactive Systems

Along the design process of interactive system multiple intermediate artefacts (such as user interface prototypes, task models, dialog models?) are created, tested, revised, and improved until the development team produces a full-fledged system. However, relevant information for describing the design solution and/or supporting design decisions (such as rational about the design, decisions made, recommendations, etc.) are not explicitly captured in the models/artefacts, hence the need for annotations. Many approaches argue against information duplication to increase maintainability of the artefacts. Nonetheless, annotations created on one artefact are usually relevant to other artefacts/models. So that, there is a need for tools and techniques to coordinate annotations across artefacts/models which is the contribution of the present work. In this paper, we propose a model-based approach that was conceived to handle annotations in a systematic way along the development process of interactive systems. As part of the solution, we propose an annotation model built upon the W3C's Web Annotation Data Model. The feasibility of the approach is demonstrated by means of a tool suite featuring a plugin, which has been deployed and tested over the multi-artefacts. The overall approach is illustrated on the design of an interactive cockpit application performing two design iterations. The contribution brings two main benefits for interactive systems engineering: i) it presents a generic pattern for integrating information in multiple usually heterogenous artefacts throughout the design process of interactive systems; and ii) it highlights the need for tools helping to rationalize and to document the various artefacts and the related decisions made during interactive systems design.

An empirical study stepping towards ethnographic research for e-commerce websites: A perspective of user-centred design

User-centred design denotes human-centred design processes for interactive systems that intend to meet consumers’ demand for web interface design and usability in human–computer interactions. Perceptions of user interface quality, security, trust, and loyalty were examined in this study. Cross-sectional data were collected from a convenience sample of online consumers in South Africa. A total of 200 self-administered questionnaires were distributed, yielding a 75.5% response rate. Data were analyzed using the multivariate technique. The findings indicate that user interface quality affects perceived security and trust. Perceived security influences trust and customer loyalty, while concern about a perceived low level of security moderates the significant effect of trust on customer loyalty. This implies that reducing perceptions of low security and increasing user interface quality instil trust and develop customer loyalty towards the website. Reducing perceptions of low security contributes in the relationship between trust and customer loyalty in online shopping.

Pulling Back the Curtain on the Wizards of Oz

The Wizard of Oz method is an increasingly common practice in HCI and CSCW studies as part of iterative design processes for interactive systems. Instead of designing a fully-fledged system, the 'technical work' of key system components is completed by human operators yet presented to study participants as if computed by a machine. However, little is known about how Wizard of Oz studies are interactionally and collaboratively achieved in situ by researchers and participants. By adopting an ethnomethodological perspective, we analyse our use of the method in studies with a voice-controlled vacuum robot and two researchers present. We present data that reveals how such studies are organised and presented to participants and unpack the coordinated orchestration work that unfolds 'behind the scenes' to complete the study. We examine how the researchers attend to participant requests and technical breakdowns, and discuss the performative, collaborative, and methodological nature of their work. We conclude by offering insights from our application of the approach to others in the HCI and CSCW communities for using the method.

Universal Methodology for Iterative User Centered HMI Development and Testing

Large scale research projects often follow a holistic approach and investigate on solutions for a variety of stakeholders. Many times the holistic system includes interfaces for different users. This paper presents a universal development and testing methodology that guides the common development and testing of very different interfaces within a universal framework. The methodology is based on the systems engineering v-model and the international norm for a human-centred design processes for interactive systems (EN ISO 13407).The development process following this universal methodology is described by using as an example the interfaces developed within the EC funded SAFEWAY2SCHOOL project. The development included interfaces for in-vehicle information, pedestrian information on smartphones and a web-based inventory tool interface for data collection.

Increasing the expressive power of task analysis: Systematic comparison and empirical assessment of tool-supported task models

Task analysis is a critical step in the design process of interactive systems. The large set of task models available today may lead to the assumption that this step is well supported. However, very few task models are tool-supported. And in this latter category, few of them are based on a clear semantics (in this article, the word semantics is used with the following definition: “the meaning of a word, phrase, sentence, or text” from Compact Oxford English Dictionary®). This paper focuses on tool-supported task models and provides an assessment of the features that have been considered as essential in task modelling. It compares the different tool-supported methods, and evaluates the actual use of these features in K-MADe, a tool aimed at contributing to the incorporation of ergonomics into the design process of interactive systems through activity and task analysis. The originality of the K-MADe tool is to be based on a model whose expressive power lies on computable syntax while trying to be usable by every modelling knowledge designer. This facilitates task description and analysis, but also model query and the migration within software engineering models and software lifecycle steps. Evaluation results demonstrate the usefulness of an increased expressive power for task models, and their acceptance by users. They also enlighten some weaknesses in the K-MAD method and suggest further improvements.

Re-viewing reality: human factors of synthetic training environments

Computer-based training (CBT) has become an important training tool and is used effectively in providing part-task activities. In the military domain virtual environments (VEs) have long been exploited, mainly through virtual reality (VR), to create realistic working environments. More recently, augmented reality (AR) and advanced embedded training (AET) concepts have also emerged and the development of “AR-AET” and “VR-CBT” concepts promise to become essential tools within military training. Whilst the advantages of both AR and VR are attractive, the challenges for delivering such applications are, generally, technology led. Equally as important, however, is the incorporation of human factors design and implementation techniques and this has been recognized by the development and publication of International Standard ISO 13407, Human-Centred Design Processes for Interactive Systems. Examples described in this paper serve to review Human Factors issues associated with the use of both AR and VR training systems. Whilst there are common issues between AR and VR applications in considering the potential of synthetic training environments, it is also necessary to address particular human-centred design issues within each application domain.

The improvement of human-centred processes—facing the challenge and reaping the benefit of ISO 13407

Human-centred design processes for interactive systems are defined in ISO 13407 and the associated ISO TR 18529. The publication of these standards represents a maturing of the discipline of user-centred design. The systems development community see that (at last) Human Factors has processes which can be managed and integrated with existing project processes. This internationally agreed set of human-centred design processes provides a definition of the capability that an organization must possess in order to implement user-centred design effectively. It can also be used to assess the extent to which a particular development project employs user-centred design. As such, it presents a challenge to the Human Factors community, and indeed a definition of good practice may even be regarded by some as an unwelcome constraint. This paper presents the background to the process-level definition of user-centred design and describes how it relates to current practice. The challenges, benefits and use of a defined human-centred design process are presented. The implications for Human Factors and other disciplines are discussed. In Appendices A–D, the process terminology and the contents of ISO 13407 and ISO TR 18529 are described in more detail, and three examples are given (in Appendix D) of using this process improvement approach to improve the actual design methods in three organizations.

HITEXS: A CONTEXT-SENSITIVE INTERFACE FOR COOPERATIVE HUMAN-MACHINE FAULT DIAGNOSIS; BUILDING OPERATOR TOOLS FOR NASA'S SPACE STATION THERMAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

With the increasing use of modern, dialogue-based systems, a systematic and efficient software development has become more and more important. This abstract deals with a number of tools that have been developed at our department to support the design process of interactive systems.