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Human Work Interaction Design: Usability in Social, Cultural and Organizational Contexts

Second IFIP WG 13.6 Conference, HWID 2009, Pune, India, October 7-8, 2009, Revised Selected Papers

herausgegeben von: Dinesh Katre, Rikke Orngreen, Pradeep Yammiyavar, Torkil Clemmensen

Verlag: Springer Berlin Heidelberg

Buchreihe : IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology

Enthalten in: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

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Über dieses Buch

We are extremely pleased to present a comprehensive book comprising a collection of research papers which is basically an outcome of the Second IFIP TC 13.6 Working Group conference on Human Work Interaction Design, HWID2009. The conference was held in Pune, India during October 7–8, 2009. It was hosted by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing, India, and jointly organized with Copenhagen Business School, Denmark; Aarhus University, Denmark; and Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, India. The theme of HWID2009 was Usability in Social, C- tural and Organizational Contexts. The conference was held under the auspices of IFIP TC 13 on Human–Computer Interaction. 1 Technical Committee TC13 on Human–Computer Interaction The committees under IFIP include the Technical Committee TC13 on Human–Computer Interaction within which the work of this volume has been conducted. TC13 on Human–Computer Interaction has as its aim to encourage theoretical and empirical human science research to promote the design and evaluation of human-oriented ICT. Within TC13 there are different working groups concerned with different aspects of human– computer interaction. The flagship event of TC13 is the bi-annual international conference called INTERACT at which both invited and contributed papers are presented. Contributed papers are rigorously refereed and the rejection rate is high.

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Frontmatter

Introduction

Frontmatter

Usability in a Cultural Context: A Report on the Scope, Process and Research Results of CultUsab - The Cultural Usability Project

Abstract

This paper focuses on presenting and discussing the aim, context, challenges, results, and impact of the Cultural usability project named as CultUsab. This project was a four year international research effort from 2006 to 2009, which was supported by a grant from the Danish Research Councils for Independent Research in Culture and Communication. The project aimed at innovating processes in Information and Communication Technology development through an understanding of culturally sensitive aspects of usability evaluation methods.

Torkil Clemmensen, Pradeep Yammiyavar, Rikke Ørngreen, Dinesh Katre

Status of HCI and Usability Research in Indian Educational Institutions

Abstract

HCI is an emerging area of great potential in India. While Design schools were already advocating it as part of Design education since a decade, it has yet to consolidate itself as an independent area of specialization in a learning institution. Computer science and Information technology institutions have started taking interest in HCI. There is urgency for training more researchers in this filed. This paper traces briefly the evolution of HCI in educational institutions in India. It highlights through samples of research work done in one or two institutions such as IITG.

Pradeep Yammiyavar

Usability in Cultural Contexts

Frontmatter

A Comparison of What Is Part of Usability Testing in Three Countries

Abstract

The cultural diversity of users of technology challenges our methods for usability evaluation. In this paper we report and compare three ethnographic interview studies of what is a part of a standard (typical) usability test in a company in Mumbai, Beijing and Copenhagen. At each of these three locations, we use structural and contrast questions do a taxonomic and paradigm analysis of a how a company performs a usability test. We find similar parts across the three locations. We also find different results for each location. In Mumbai, most parts of the usability test are not related to the interactive application that is tested, but to differences in user characteristics, test preparation, method, and location. In Copenhagen, considerations about the client´s needs are part of a usability test. In Beijing, the only varying factor is the communication pattern and relation to the user. These results are then contrasted in a cross cultural matrix to identify cultural themes that can help interpret results from existing laboratory research in usability test methods.

Torkil Clemmensen

Augmenting Usability: Cultural Elicitation in HCI

Abstract

This paper offers context and culture elicitation in an inter-cultural and multi-disciplinary setting of ICT design. Localised usability evaluation (LUE) is augmented with a socio-technical evaluation tool (STEM) as a methodological approach to expose and address issues in a collaborative ICT design within the Village e-Science for Life (VeSeL) project in rural Kenya. The paper argues that designers need to locally identify context and culture in situ and further explicate their implications through the design process and at the global level. Stakeholders’ context, culture, decisions, agendas, expectations, disciplines and requirements need to be locally identified and globally evaluated to ensure a fit for purpose solution.

Souleymane Boundaouda Camara, Cecilia Oyugi, José Abdelnour-Nocera, Andy Smith

Exploring Persona-Scenarios - Using Storytelling to Create Design Ideas

Abstract

This paper explores the persona-scenario method by investigating how the method can support project participants in generating shared understandings and design ideas. As persona-scenarios are stories we draw on narrative theory to define what a persona-scenario is and which narrative elements it should consist of. Based on an empirical study a key finding is that despite our inherent human ability to construct, tell, and interpret stories it is not easy to write and present a good, coherent, and design-oriented story without methodical support. The paper therefore contributes with guidelines that delineate a) what a design-oriented persona-scenario should consist of (product) and b) how to write it (procedure) in order to generate and validate as many, new, and shared understandings and design ideas as possible (purpose). The purpose of the guidelines is to facilitate the construction of persona-scenarios as good, coherent stories, which make sense to the storytellers and to the audience – and which therefore generate many, new, and shared understandings and design ideas.

Sabine Madsen, Lene Nielsen

Usability and Culture as Two of the Value Criteria for Evaluating the Artifact

A New Perspective from the Artifact Development Analysis (ADA)

Abstract

In this paper, the conceptual framework of the Artifact Development Analysis (ADA) and its relationship to the usability engineering are outlined. The ADA analyses the significance of all artifacts including hardware, software, humanware and system. Its viewpoint extends both in temporal and spatial dimensions. In short, it deals with the diversity of the artifact and casts the questions "why it is so" and "why it is not so". In this respect, the ADA is related to the usability engineering as one of the value attitudes. The usability engineering puts emphasis on effectiveness and efficiency. The usability is not always the value criterion of highest importance and some people sometimes put more emphasis on other criteria such as the aesthetic aspect, the cost, etc. Based on the findings of ADA, we should focus on the extent where the usability can provide the core satisfaction and we should also summarize the guideline on how the artifact should be designed.

Masaaki Kurosu

Personas in Cross-Cultural Projects

Abstract

Personas are a method to communicate data about users and to aid in the perception of users. The method is supposed to create a shared perception of the users that is not built on preconceived ideas, but on field data. The paper presents an experiment where the same persona description was sent to 16 participants in 9 countries. The participants were asked to return a photo that resembled the persona and explain their choice. Analysis of the photos and the explanations show that there is a difference between the participants with professional experiences and those without. The experienced tend to interpret the text and use people in their own immediate surroundings in the explanation for choosing the photo. The second group tends to find exact words and use these as explanation. The photos they choose are of stereotypical business-persons. The different strategies might hinder engagement in the persona.

Lene Nielsen

Usability Heuristics and Qualitative Indicators for the Usability Evaluation of Touch Screen Ventilator Systems

Abstract

A ventilator system provides respiratory support to critically ill patients in the Intensive Care Unit. Increasing complexity in the user interface, features and functionalities of ventilator systems can cause medical errors and cost the life of a patient. Therefore, the usability of ventilator systems is most crucial to ensure patient safety. We have evolved a specialized set of heuristics combined with objectively defined usability indicators for the usability evaluation of touch screen based ventilator systems. Our study presents the heuristic evaluation of three touch screen based ventilator systems manufactured by three different companies. The heuristic evaluation has been performed by four different usability evaluators to ensure the reliability of heuristics proposed in this paper. The specialized set of heuristics linked with user interface components and the objectively defined usability indicators are found more reliable in identifying specific usability problems of ventilator systems.

Dinesh Katre, Ganesh Bhutkar, Shekhar Karmarkar

An Overview of a Decade of Journal Publications about Culture and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)

Abstract

In this paper, we analyze the concept of human-computer interaction in cultural and national contexts. Building and extending upon the framework for understanding research in usability and culture by Honold [3], we give an overview of publications in culture and HCI between 1998 and 2008, with a narrow focus on high-level journal publications only. The purpose is to review current practice in how cultural HCI issues are studied, and to analyse problems with the measures and interpretation of this studies. We find that Hofstede’s cultural dimensions has been the dominating model of culture, participants have been picked because they could speak English, and most studies have been large scale quantitative studies. In order to balance this situation, we recommend that more researchers and practitioners do qualitative, empirical work studies.

Torkil Clemmensen, Kerstin Roese

Internationalization and Localization of Usability

Frontmatter

Analyzing Cultural Usability of Mobile Keypad and Displays for Textual Communication in Internationalization and Localization Perspectives

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to identify the cultural usability aspects that need to be considered while internationalizing or localizing the interaction design of mobile keypads and displays for textual communication. The analysis is based primarily on heuristics tests, where: Hindi, Arabic and Danish mobile phones are evaluated based on assumptions of user needs, and in comparison to English. We have also referred the existing research on Chinese mobile phones to further complement our work. The study provides an insight into the much needed local-language centred approach in contrast with the current English centred approach of existing mobile keypad designs and display of text.

Rikke Orngreen, Dinesh Katre, Mulagapati Sandeep

Design of a Template for Handwriting Based Hindi Text Entry in Handheld Devices

Abstract

Mobile phones, in the recent times, have become affordable and accessible to a wider range of users including the hitherto technologically and economically under-represented segments. Indian users are a gigantic consumer base for mobile phones. With Hindi being one of the most widely spoken languages in the country and the primary tool of communication for about a third of its population, an effective solution for Hindi text entry in mobile devices is expected to be immensely useful to the non English speaking users. This paper proposes a mobile phone handwriting based text entry solution for Hindi language, which allows for an easy text entry method, while facilitating better recognition accuracy.

Diya Gangopadhyay, Ityam Vasal, Pradeep Yammiyavar

Development of an Intuitive User-Centric Font Selection Menu

Abstract

The font selection menu in most application software’s is arranged alphabetically; in recent years one can also see the split menu approach being used. An alphabetical arrangement presupposes that the users are aware of the font characteristics and usage scenario through its name. Unless the font name specifies it; the scheme does not in any which way indicate the morphological features or the usage scenarios of a given font. In order to address these issues, a set of systematic experiments was conducted to capture the typeface classification strategies of users with a modified card sorting technique. The collected data was subjected to hierarchical clustering algorithms to come up with a collective user-centric classification system for Devanagari fonts. The classes created by this method appears to address the problems raised by alphabetical orderings by allowing the groupings to be more intuitive (and realistic) while retaining statistical validity over large user sets.

Girish Dalvi

Usability in Social Contexts

Frontmatter

Interaction Design and Usability of Learning Spaces in 3D Multi-user Virtual Worlds

Abstract

Three-dimensional virtual worlds are multimedia, simulated environments, often managed over the Web, which users can ’inhabit’ and interact via their own graphical, self-representations known as ’avatars’. 3D virtual worlds are being used in many applications: education/training, gaming, social networking, marketing and commerce. Second Life is the most widely used 3D virtual world in education. However, problems associated with usability, navigation and way finding in 3D virtual worlds may impact on student learning and engagement. Based on empirical investigations of learning spaces in Second Life, this paper presents design guidelines to improve the usability and ease of navigation in 3D spaces. Methods of data collection include semi-structured interviews with Second Life students, educators and designers. The findings have revealed that design principles from the fields of urban planning, Human- Computer Interaction, Web usability, geography and psychology can influence the design of spaces in 3D multi-user virtual environments.

Shailey Minocha, Ahmad John Reeves

Identifying the Cognitive Needs of Visitors and Content Selection Parameters for Designing the Interactive Kiosk Software for Museums

Abstract

This research presents the findings of contextual interviews, visitor survey and behavioural study that were carried out in Indian museums. It originates from the hypothesis that the museum exhibits are unable to express their relevance, historical significance and related knowledge to satisfy the curiosity of visitors. Our objective is to identify the cognitive needs of museum visitors and the content selection parameters for designing the interactive kiosk software, which is expected to be set up in every thematic gallery of the museum. The kiosk software is intended to offer higher level of engaging and learnable experience to the museum visitors. The research involved participation of 100+ visitors in Indian museums. The access restrictions and constraints of museums cause cognitive deprivation of visitors and compromise the quality of experience. Therefore, the interactivity, animations and multimedia capabilities of kiosk software must be focused on overcoming these limitations.

Dinesh Katre, Mandar Sarnaik

Case Study of Online Banking in India: User Behaviors and Design Guidelines

Abstract

This paper documents online banking trends, behaviors and expectations of Indian consumers and banks. It is based on excerpts of a large industry case study of users from 4 leading banks. While banks view online banking essentially as a technology solution, it is a relatively new area for Indian consumers and not yet self-supporting. Being a savings based culture still, Indian consumers are cautious about their financial assets. They are also relatively recent entrants to internet based services. Design of these systems must therefore be based on an understanding of these users’ outlook and priorities through task centric, security assured and service oriented solutions minus the technological challenges. Design lessons suggest viewing online banking not just as a convenience alone anymore but beyond it, to provide service, simplicity and security. This will create satisfied online banking customers and therefore profitability for the bank.

Jhumkee Iyengar, Manisha Belvalkar

One-Handed Thumb Use on Smart Phones by Semi-literate and Illiterate Users in India

Abstract

There is a tremendous potential for developing mobile-based productivity tools and occupation specific applications for the semi-literate and illiterate users in India. One-handed thumb use on the touchscreen of smart phone or touch phone is considered as an effective alternative than the use of stylus or index finger, to free the other hand for supporting the occupational activity. In this context, usability research and experimental tests are conducted to understand the role of fine motor control, usability of thumb as the interaction apparatus and the ergonomic needs of users. The paper also touches upon cultural, racial and anthropometric aspects, which need due consideration while designing the mobile interface. Design recommendations are evolved to enhance the effectiveness of one-handed thumb use on smart phone, especially for the benefit of semi-literate and illiterate users.

Dinesh Katre

Usability in Organizational Contexts

Frontmatter

Developing a Mobile Phone Based GUI for Users in the Construction Industry: A Case Study

Abstract

This paper reports work done in conceptualizing, developing and testing of a mobile phone based graphical user interface (GUI) package targeted at users from the construction industry. System analysis and information design principles were adopted during the development processes. Starting from user requirements based on field studies the development of graphic icons and their testing has been outlined. In addition to integrating individual icons into a GUI, coding and loading the application on a mobile phone has been done to enable testing of the GUI prototype. Users from the construction trade (sample size = 29), randomly selected, were asked to evaluate the designed icons in terms of their acceptance, adaptability and learnability aspects. It was found that learnability of the new GUI was more dependent on age and education level of the user rather than on the length of prior experience they had with mobile phones in general. The length of experience of using mobiles may not be an indicator of learnability in new applications for such user segments due to rapid rise in ‘digital literacy’ levels amongst semi literate users.

Pradeep Yammiyavar, Prasanna Kate

Usability Considerations in Developing a Graphic Interface for Intra Office Communications

Abstract

This paper outlines the basis of incorporating functional features in a new GUI based software under development for addressing comprehensive communication and interaction needs within an office environment. Bench marking of features in existing communication software products such as Microsoft Outlook, IBM Lotusnotes, Office Communicator, Mozilla Thunderbird etc. was done by asking a set of questions related to the usage of these existing softwares. Usability issues were identified through a user survey involving 30 subjects of varied profiles (domain, designation, age etc.) in a corporate office. It is posited that existing software products that have been developed for a universal market may be highly underutilized or have redundant features especially for use as an intra office (within the same office) communication medium. Simultaneously they may not cater to some very contextual requirements of intra office communications. Based on the findings of the survey of feature preferences & usability of existing products, a simple ‘person to person’ communicating medium for intra office situations was visualized with a new interactive GUI. Usability issues that need to be considered for a new intra-office product have been brought out.

Pradeep Yammiyavar, Piyush Jain

Interaction Design as a Multimodal Conversation

Abstract

This paper explores the concept of design as a multimodal conversation, in the context of observed case studies within interdisciplinary collaboration. Five case studies were video recorded and the verbal and non-verbal designers’ behaviours as well as the designers’ interactions with the artefacts were analysed. The analysis revealed the designers’ experience based on dialogue which was considered a clear paradigm of interaction using words and or images.

Arminda Lopes

Backmatter

Titel: Human Work Interaction Design: Usability in Social, Cultural and Organizational Contexts
herausgegeben von: Dinesh Katre
Rikke Orngreen
Pradeep Yammiyavar
Torkil Clemmensen
Verlag: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Electronic ISBN: 978-3-642-11762-6
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-11761-9
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-11762-6