Advances in Design and Digital Communication II

This paper investigates the contribution of narrativised interface design to the overall narrative expressivity of this work. A close reading of the graphic interactive novel The Boat reveals the reliance on a narrativised interface throughout the experience. The narrativised interface increases the impact of the work, as the user’s navigation of the plot brings the story to life. The collaged visual presentation format both reinforces the story’s overall emotional tenor and focuses the user’s attention on the component micronarratives. This dynamic collage aesthetic creates a postmodernist artefact by mixing, sequencing, and superimposing media forms: illustrations, panels, text, photographs, and video. We argue that the narrativised interface elements intensify cognitive interactivity and increase immersion into the story as it unfolds. This narrative expressivity accentuates the perception of the storyworld. We also observe that the multi-mediated collage aesthetic bridges the digital and real worlds, leading to a hypermediated yet engaged experience. The work balances ambiguities and dualities - such as reality/imagination, photography/drawing, motion/still, sound/image. This unconventional and active interface design ruptures any passive reader experience. The resulting narrative texture supports an ongoing dialectic of immediacy and hypermediacy. This dialectic both draws the viewer into the ongoing story of The Boat, and highlights the work’s higher-level themes: the fragility of life and the solitary nature of survival in a threatening world.

This paper, which is part of an ongoing PhD research in design, ethics, and privacy, discusses the foundations for implementing a privacy oriented UI in digital design. Assuming that the UI is the visible layer in the relation between the user and the service provider, we denounce that the current paradigm in design is to capture users’ personal data for (commercial) surveillance reasons, irrespective of the existing legal requirements, and often through unethical tools such as dark patterns. The research presented in this paper is based on a literature review and on a qualitative survey of websites and apps accessible from the EU. The objective is to present bad and good practices, and to define a set of guidelines to design an accessible, user-friendly, and privacy oriented UI. In the last section of the paper, we introduce our current and future research aimed to set up solid grounds to establish and implement UX design for users’ privacy.

Sign language search engine interfaces in dictionaries are different from spoken languages’, as they have numerous visual elements representing its phonological parameters in the design. One of these parameters is called handshape. In this study, we address the process of designing a questionnaire to assess handshapes similarity, as the understanding of how signers perceive these similarities is an important step towards using design principles for supporting innovative ways of displaying handshapes on search engine interfaces. We start by presenting sign language handshapes and their use on search engine interfaces. Next, we describe the development of a multilanguage questionnaire to assess handshapes similarities. This process consists of designing handshapes similarity questions, running a focus group, redesigning the questions, and translating from English to four target languages (Libras, NGT, Portuguese, and Dutch). Having finished the questionnaire design, we started collecting data from Brazilian and Dutch signers. Results reveal some of the complexities involved when approximating design and sign language linguistics in the development of digital interfaces. Beyond reassuring the importance of responsive content in the questionnaire’s interface design and having the end-user participate in the process, which are already points of convergence in the research literature, our study reveals a possible influence of ‘orientation’ in handshape similarity assessment.

Now a days, augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) based user interfaces allow the consumers to buy product over the internet using browser or mobile application. A limited number of mobile application use the AR, VR, or the both technologies simultaneously. Again, usability and user experience of using AR and VR based user interfaces to buy/sell product online were not well explored. Therefore, the objectives of this research are to design and develop a mobile application using the AR and VR technologies and to explore the usability and user experience of using the basic m-commerce, AR and VR based user interfaces of mobile application for shopping product (furniture) online. To attain these objectives, a mobile application was designed and developed for selling/buying product (furniture) online that includes the facilities of interacting with both AR and VR based user interfaces. The application provides the attractive features like viewing a specific product directly in user’s own space by augmenting the 3D model and allow users to design virtual room in their own preferable way by placing the selected furniture and other products in a VR environment. The developed system was evaluated with 60 participants through the System Usability Scale (SUS) method to explore how usability and user experience vary among different options (basic m-commerce system, AR, and VR based user interfaces) of the developed application. The study results showed that better user experience and usability were observed for AR based shopping followed by using the basic m-commerce feature. The VR showed less usability and user experiences since the users were not well familiar with the uses of VR and required much training to learn how to interact using VR in mobile application.

The design practice has undergone several transformations due to technological innovations. One of the areas on which this practice is based is typography, which is responsible for studying the processes of creation and application of character and glyph systems for the visual composition of texts. With the computerization of this area, several font files have been created to enable improvements aimed at digital media. Hence, variable fonts were launched in 2016 and have presented several benefits, such as greater flexibility and use of types. Therefore, this study aims to identify specifics and elements of the variable font design process. To this end, a prospective survey was conducted based on a questionnaire applied to type designers and specialists in variable fonts. For data treatment, the content analysis method and the categorical analysis technique were used with the aid of qualitative data analysis software ATLAS.ti. The results of the research allowed the identification of elements of the variable fonts design process according to their relevance for this practice organized in main elements (tests, design space and font context of use), secondary elements (process steps and distribution) and tertiary elements (research, typographic characteristics, file preparation and disclosure).

Collaboration and relations systems have contributed to the diffusion of new places of the project by involving multidisciplinary creative teams, and local and global stakeholders’ networks.Nowadays, digital transformation and participatory design have spread the value of new relationships and synergies between disciplines making essential the use of tools that facilitate the collaboration to share communication codes and to create virtual places for interaction. The research identifies features and functionalities through the analysis of collaborative approaches and physical and digital tools used in the design process. The aim is to define a digital tool able to facilitate communication and collaboration in multidisciplinary teams and guide the different phases of the creative process.

As ageing brings harmful effects to human vision, this study’s goal was to verify, in seniors, what kind of problems could occur with humans’ visual perception of color and with their ability to distinguish between visual elements that are differentiated by color. Because in digital artifacts designed for seniors, color can be used as a means of distinction between interaction resources (for example items of a navigation menu), it is vital to be able to correctly identify and distinguish between the used colors. Therefore, a literature review of reference research in the field of digital interface design for seniors was conducted, where it was mapped what is already described about these problems in seniors. Then, starting from an iconography set that had been designed for the menu of a digital application, and that used color as an element of segmentation of the contents it displayed, a sample of seniors was recruited for testing it. Their perception and sensitivity to the colors used in the icons was tested, in order to understand if they could identify them and if they could distinguish them from each other, when displayed together. Given results that diverged from the reviewed literature, a second phase of testing was conducted that allowed to deepen the results of this study and confirm some hypotheses that had raised with the testing’s first phase. The final results confirmed partial divergences with the literature reviewed and also provided some insights that are presented and discussed in this paper.

Often, the creation of digital products tends to prioritize the Design of the interface instead of focusing on how to solve the user’s problems. In order to undertake deeper user research and build better products, the Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) methodology might be a feasible addition to the general UX toolbox. Despite that the JTBD framework has been around for a while now, it has gained popularity among UX Designers just recently. Nevertheless, at the moment of this research, there is not enough research or information available about how to combine these methodologies; but a comparative study could provide a valuable stepping stone to decide the course of action to perform further research. If successful, this study can lead to insights that would be beneficial to the Design Community, as well as the companies and institutions investing in software and app development, and most importantly, for the end user.

Emotions accompany our daily life, influence our interaction with products, and are essential to understanding human behavior through non-verbal communication. It becomes evident for designers the need to understand how products establish meaningful and emotional experiences, as well as work with tools that allow evaluating emotional responses.This article aims to evaluate the interaction of individuals with a cutlery object, through a case study. In this study, we applied Electroencephalography (EEG) – for the evaluation of qualitative and quantitative data, which allows us to obtain the physiological responses of individuals. The experiment consisted of three blocks of tasks: observing pictures of the product, observing the real product, and touching/handling the real product, based on a homogeneous sample of 11 participants. In the end, the participants answer a questionnaire.The results demonstrate that the questionnaires are an important assessment tool when correlated with other tools. It provided relevant information for the validation of the emotional response, being perceptible the typologies that evoked positive and negative effects, as well as the characteristics of the product that influenced this feeling. Regarding the EEG, the results show that there are cognitive differences between the frequency bands and the positioning of the electrodes, for the different types of product. In the statistical analysis, it was not possible to identify significant differences in the study variables, possibly derived from the protocol changes throughout the study.

Forest fires have caused devastating social and economic damage in the forest-dependent regions of Portugal. This phenomenon can accentuate in the following years due to many factors that can aggravate conditions like extreme drought, lousy forest management, or interior depopulation. On digital platforms, forest fires are a target of investigation and analysis. The results point to few varieties of applications, most of them focused on the combat phase. The ones about prevention are limited and with little interaction. This work summarizes the Portuguese situation respecting forest fires and presents a study of the country’s existing apps and prevention campaigns. Based on the analysis of interviews conducted by the orientation team, a mobile application oriented to the active participation of the community in the prevention of forest fires was conceptualized, prototyped, and tested. This app lets users add Alerts or Public Actions on a map and give them space for discussion and useful information.

LMS (Learning Management System) platforms have become relevant in the last two decades and their adoption by educational institutions around the world increased considerably, which shows the importance of developing systems with proper usability and user experience (UX). In the context of the current pandemic, in which long distance education is no longer a matter of choice, but a necessity, having LMS that meet usability standards becomes even more important. These platforms should contribute to an efficient and effective learning process. Identifying the main usability problems found in existing LMS is a key step towards improving the experience they provide to their users. This paper presents a Systematic Mapping (SM) of the existing literature on the subject, which identifies the most common approaches followed over the last decade (2010–2020) to evaluate the usability and UX in LMS. Close to 80 publications were analyzed, and our preliminary results show that the vast majority of them follow approaches that are either based exclusively on Jakob Nielsen’s heuristics or use them in combination with other methods. While there are reasons to believe Nielsen’s heuristics provide a robust approach for usability, their overwhelming use raises the question of whether there are alternative methods (including the ones that resort to automation) to guarantee that LMS and other digital products meet usability standards.

Currently, internet is the most wanted medium of communication and most used by people or entities. Unquestionably, it has transformed significantly consumer behaviour, namely in the access to information or in the way a product or service is purchased.In this context, the evaluation of the effectiveness of websites has increased over time, following the evolution of the concepts of Human Machine Interface, Usability and User Experience Design.In the context of the methods and processes of usability evaluation, different proposals have been developed, from direct observation, to interviews and questionnaires, among other techniques and tools.Thus, this article is based on a case study of descriptive type, based on the literature review concerning the models of evaluation of the quality of websites.The results of the article consist in the definition of a set of parameters to analyse the quality of the interface of websites and in the proposal of a checklist concerning content, aesthetics and navigation.

The growing climate problem has been exacerbating the importance of appropriate sustainable solutions, as well as the need for information and the sharing of scientific knowledge with the public, so as to develop a shared ecological conscience. Design is, therefore, a relevant tool in the creation of spaces and visual identities suitable for the sharing and promotion of sustainable messages, products or services.The exercise at hand aims at the exploration of reactive storytelling in the context of education in the field of eco-efficient architecture. Our work is to be applied to the website of Lugar-Zero, a company that focuses on this exact area of study. Therefore, a visual representation of the company’s core values through these same techniques of storytelling is also a relevant aspect to this paper.

In an era rooted in technological means, nowadays used as vehicles for subsistence, the world of games and gamification is one of the examples of how this evolution has been rapid and fruitful. Thus, human-computer interaction (HCI) is proving to be a preponderant theme in the scientific and business universe, considering that interactive digital systems, intended for various purposes, are globally accessible and have a considerable impact on people's daily lives. Nowadays, there are countless challenges to be faced in terms of user interface (UI) and user experience (UX), so that the needs, demands and satisfaction of the user continue to be granted, including in the universe of digital games. In this context, there has been the evolution of several technologies, such as Virtual Reality (VR), which expanded to several areas besides entertainment, including medicine. In this sense, in this paper we made a literature review on the nature of various paradigms of HCI, UI and UX used in educational practices and/or as therapeutic supplements, and we highlight the strategies that contribute to satisfactory results in motor, cognitive and emotional development of the respective users.

This article aims to demonstrate how the application of user-focused methodologies, namely through the concept of Design Thinking, within a multidisciplinary work team, were important tools for the development of the “μSmartScope” project in the field of intelligent microscopy. In particular, this article focuses on the description of the design process, techniques and tools used to obtain information, and how it was reflected in the designed solution. Carrying out this work, according to the Design Thinking methodology, had the obligation to be adapted to the pandemic context, namely through the use of digital means such as interviews and online meetings, without losing the true essence of this methodology. The results obtained were the sum of all detected needs, which are the means to justify conceptual and technical choices for the project, and thus validate the involvement of a methodology based on Human-Centred Design (HCD). This analysis served as a justification for introducing these types of concepts in learning opportunities, in order to develop projects more focused on users in a real context and their involvement within the project itself, resulting in the design of a product capable of promoting a safer, more efficient, and comfortable relationship with the target audience.

FlavourGame is a hybrid board game, from the serious games category, which aims to promote among children, discussion and awareness for taking correct choices in their nutrition. As part of this project, the design of the characters that make up the game’s narrative is being developed. This process, which is still undergoing, so far involved, in a first stage, a small literature review on the process of Character Design, in order to identify the existence of some kind of transversal methodology to follow. In a second stage, the main psychological and emotional characteristics of the characters were determined, so that, in a third stage, the visual design of these characters was studied. Finally, and in a fourth stage, different components of the Design of the characters were evaluated with three samples of the target audience. Thus, this article presents the theoretical framework connected to character design, describes the so far undergone creative and design process of FlavourGame’s characters and presents three small stages of the characters’ design assessment with children between the ages of 10 to 12. Throughout the article, we also identify and describe the iterations and changes that were made to the character design according to both the opinions expressed by the children regarding their preferences and the collaboration of a graphic designer in the character design process.

There is an increasing need to promote and disseminate cultural heritage. Tourism explores cultural heritage in many different contexts. However, in cemetery tourism, the approaches are scarce. Thus, a cemetery needs to be seen and also accepted as art, culture, and knowledge. This paper aims to present a pilot study to develop a VR-based experience, mainly considering the storytelling and storyboards as core factors for increasing user experience in cemetery tourism. Also, it aims to promote cemetery tourism as an important role in showing the history of a nation. For that, the Mausoleum of the Palmela’s Dukes, the biggest private mausoleum in Europe, in Prazeres Cemetery, Lisbon, will be used as an intervention place. Combining cultural heritage and the Palmela’s family history presented there with the creation of a virtual reality experience will give the users a unique cultural experience. Our research methodology comprises an analysis of guided visits to Prazeres Cemetery and the Mausoleum, a semi-structured interview, a qualitative analysis, and bibliographical research. All the information collected allowed us to develop a storytelling proposal that set the base for the storyboard, developed to be used for the VR experience.

Research indicates that engaging younger audiences in the creation of their own digital games for learning may increase the interest towards the addressed theme and a better understanding of the value of what is learned. Giving young creators the tools needed to develop good games emerges as a key point for the success of this kind of activity. Toolkits, due to its problem-solving features and support materials, are often seen as powerful learning and teaching tools, assisting in the production of interactive artefacts. Taking this into consideration, the Gamers4Nature project developed a Toolkit to support youngsters in the creation of mobile games. The Gamers4Nature Toolkit to Game Design includes resources developed to support younger audiences in the creation of digital games: a game construction cards set, a rapid game design document, a set of thematic cards addressing environmental awareness theme and a set of cards presenting guidelines to be followed when developing mobile games interfaces. This paper describes the Mobile Game Design Guidelines cards development and validation process. The cards were developed following a User-Centered Design approach and validated through Expert Evaluation, with industry and academic experts in game design and development (N = 9) invited to analyze and validate the Guidelines Cards. Although additional tests are still needed, namely with the target audience, preliminary results indicate that the guidelines presented in the cards can be a useful guide along the process of constructing a game while promoting the acquisition of knowledge related to the mobile interface design field.

With technological advances and the growing popularity of mobile devices, learning has been occurring frequently in environments more distant from traditional ones. Several studies have shown interest in multimedia learning through a more affective dimension, and with special interest in emotional design. The aim of this study was to review articles that research the role of emotional design in multimedia learning between 2016 and 2021. The search was conducted in the Web of Science and EBSCO databases, resulting in a total of 20 eligible documents. The articles were reviewed in terms of multimedia supports used to present learning content, emotional design features most frequently found in the development of multimedia learning media, and effects of emotional design on the learning process. The results show a clear evidence that emotional design has positive implications for learning outcomes, however it is a rather complex concept, which gives it some inconsistencies.

CJ Digital is the academic and procedural platform implemented by the Legal Aid Clinic (LAC) of a private University in Colombia. This technological platform seeks to transform the academic space where students of the School of Law continue their training process by giving legal advice to people in vulnerable situations with the support of a professor. With the dissemination of Covid-19, the LAC platform underwent an accelerated validation of its functionality, which revealed usability issues and opportunities for improvement. Among the problems was the difficulty in managing and visualizing case files and the academic management by advisors. The article presents a case study of a LAC platform based on the relation between design thinking and systems thinking approaches applied to interaction design and user experience (UX). System thinking was used to understand the dynamics related to consultations and cases of the areas and legal clinics of the LAC. Design thinking was used to understand the needs and motivations of students and advisors. Based on the findings, we developed a concept for the platform that integrates to main features a new architecture for shared folder management and the development of a procedural timeline. Also, some support functions were improved, such as auto-save, editable grading rubrics, notifications, a text editor, and space for coaching, tutorials, and FAQs. These functionalities can make CJ Digital a national and international reference in creating and deploying legal services. CJ Digital remains a platform for the management of internal processes between students and advisors.

Within the master’s course design for communication of Università degli Studi della Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, it was analyzed in a thesis project an emergency urgent contemporary: the denial of waste production.Obsolete objects which are precious only for a short time, then became waste. The waste we produce is not only tangible but is often much more difficult to weigh like the digital or the living one.For this purpose, in the context of design for emergency, it was decided to tackle a specific invisible but very cumbersome emergency: the refusal of waste.The intent is therefore to represent the rejects of our contemporaneity, through a lay dissemination, with the aim of creating a different point of view on the subject. Making visible what we refuse to look at because we consider it out of tune, dangerous, useless, now deprived of its role in society. Refusal is understood in its broadest interpretations: from solid refusal to digital refusal up to moral refusal.To address the issue, an editorial system has been created that is developed over three years. The magazine deals with three types of waste over the course of a year, related to the fourth theme, the leitmotif of the previous ones. Within each issue, specific sections collect and tell the rejection through different languages ​​and interventions by professionals from various fields. Psychiatrists, photographers, illustrators, journalists, museum directors and other figures contributed.

More and more importance is being given to the best usability and user experience that a user should have when using digital products. In this context, it is essential to recognize its importance in the design and prototyping process of user applications. As such, a Workshop was structured and developed, supported by a UX Design process, to create high-fidelity prototypes of applications for mobile devices. As a result of this Workshop, six prototypes were obtained and for each one of them the generic functionalities prototyped are indicated. One of these prototypes was selected and presented in this article as a case study. It is possible to demonstrate the use of a UX Design method for its creation, based on 5 plans: Strategy, Scope, Structure, Skeleton and Surface. Thus, it is verified that the adoption of a UX Design method can enhance the best user experience of a mobile App.

The purpose of this article is to provide a better understanding of how to effectively develop design projects that simultaneously leverage industry and academic partners, participants from various disciplinary backgrounds, and various levels of expertise to solve complex problems. The article reports a single case of an ongoing project focused on designing smart and connected devices for mobility, which integrates the dimensions of interest. Our findings highlight the importance of careful planning of the collaborative process, contemplating offline and real-time communication opportunities, identifying cross-boundary roles, and considering the development of shared expertise and knowledge within the team. By confronting these findings with key literature, we offer five recommendations to inform similar future projects.

Digital technology plays a significant role in everyday life, being increasingly integrated at home, work and leisure activities. Its pervasiveness has been changing consumption habits and social interactions. As a result, the number of digital platforms and services grew exponentially and it is expected to continue to expand in future years. In a world that offers a wide range of digital products to people, it is crucial to develop meaningful products. Taking this into account, it seems important to focus on understanding which attributes should be considered in the development process of digital platforms and services to work towards optimal solutions for society. A sentence completion task was employed to uncover the motivations, emotions and beliefs of a small sample of individuals who work for a Digital Transformation company. The results highlighted the significance of content, usability, aesthetics, customization and trust. Furthermore, a reflection on the themes suggests that usability is foundational, that content and aesthetics arouse interest and customization elicits positive reactions. Remarkably, it was found that a lack of trust causes discomfort and may negatively impact the use of digital solutions.

People who make music communicate their art through sound; whether through voice, instruments, a combination of both, or a digital composition. This is the medium they use to communicate something, to transfer a message. In addition, artists also make a great effort to be visually recognized (whether by choice or by imposition of the times) through various platforms, with music videos, album covers, social media, etc. The need to link sound and image can lead to a different quality of perception, approaching the concept of synesthesia. Recognizing the importance of synesthetic objects as an augmented way of musical expression, a research was carried out tracing a chronology of experiments that intersect music, colors and light; revealing the possible translations of this perception. Subsequently, interviews were conducted with singers and musicians about their needs and wants regarding the expression of their music. Through the interviews conducted, the artists expressed the need for having something available to accompany the music and capture the mind of the spectators (also visually), especially in more intimate venues. From these requirements, three different objects were produced, for the expressed need to communicate the various frequencies of music, combining sound, light and color. The induction of a synesthetic stimulus, via a synchronized rhythmic audio-visual signal, intended to enhance the experience of listening to live music. This paper presents “Lemon’s Pitch” a system of objects that respond to audio input by producing a color and light “show,” aimed at inducing a synesthetic experience in concert audiences. Future research is expected to test these interventions with a real audience.

While language can portray, evoke, and show fictional worlds, paradoxically, it stops showing when we turn it into logocentric data. The limitations of 2D visualization and its logocentric approach to data have given rise to the technical and conceptual concerns of the project which seeks to understand what underpins spatial imagination in literature and its translation. The paper discusses how the prototyping of 3D equivalents of culture-specific objects depicted in William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury and its translation lays the groundwork for immersive methodologies of exploring the anthropological dimensions of mental places constructed in the production of original and the translated literature.

The aim of this study was to delve into the acceptability of smart contact lenses, to understand their viability on the market. We identified that the technology is being developed but the reaction it will have on potential buyers is not yet known. To achieve this, the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model was used and adapted to an online questionnaire that was answered by 200 people, from Portugal (106) and Colombia (94). Considering that one is from Latin America and the other from Europe, two countries in opposite continents and with different cultures and contexts, the main hypothesis is that there will be a difference in the acceptance of smart contacts lenses between Portugal and Colombia. Additionally, it was hypothesized that people would be scared of using smart contact lenses and would be focused on the negative potential of the new product, like the lack of privacy. The main results did not reveal statistically relevant differences between the two countries (significant difference was found just for the Social Influence construct). Considering the whole sample, the results show that people tend to not be ready for smart contact lenses in their everyday life yet, but they are open to the idea of using them in specific situations that could help them improve their lives and work (healthcare, information), which is a great opportunity for interaction design.

Background: In the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there is a recognized need to investigate the roles of mobile social media in disseminating up-to-date information. Several attempts have been made to analyze the hot topics which have been circulated across social media platforms and public information needs during the wave of COVID-19. In addition, user engagement behaviors have been the focus of much investigation in the search to strengthen communication efforts as well. There has also been substantial research undertaken on the roles of WeChat in terms of fighting COVID-19 in China. However, no known research has focused on official accounts which deliver posts about Portuguese news to Chinese living in Portugal during the COVID-19 crisis.Methods: By employing content analysis after recruiting 895 posts published by four official accounts, the present study seeks to explore its topic categories, follower information demands and the engagement level.Conclusions: The findings show that the topical categories of local news, updated data and policies and vaccination dominate the total of COVID-19-related posts during the period of observation. These four official accounts address urgent concerns of Chinese residents in Portugal by providing the latest news and reliable information sources. This paper also represents further strategies toward driving follower engagement by increasing media richness, regular posting, interaction and media convergence.

This text supports the notion of edge as design’s power to create building’s epidermis, based on the archaeological reasoning method [1]. The first section revisits the meaning of ‘edge’ to understand how to use it in design method, namely the semantical dimension of the word between interior and exterior, qualifying the need to rationalize the orders of architecture as Benjamino Vignola stated. To understand the concept applied to design involves revisiting Vitruvius’s treaty. To recognize the concept of ‘edge’ in its real meaning involves understanding the surface as a complex organism. It implies addressing the experience of knowledge through cultural symbols and the media. The second section of the text presents a phenomenological understanding of the ‘skin’ and the ‘epidermis’ concepts. These two hypotheses propose considering new orders of architecture, in particular focusing on the new levels of architecture due to their semantic value. Elements with symbolic value, evoking historical experiences, intertwine and the creation of systems, referenced according to the context needs. To support this view, we aim to demonstrate that design enables the external surface of a building to be an image hypothesis, something ever renewable and embryonic. An efficient project, to the extent that it is productive and sustainable because it provides meaning for human life. Three case studies involving design graduate students illustrate this notion. The text ends with a reference to interpretation as a method for design that includes different types of analysis, and reflections and connotations.

By exploring the concept of image curation, this article presents a proposal for the applicability of image curation in the development of Projects of Design, exploring the role of visual curation as a contribution to the development of interfaces between academia and business. Due to the amount of data present in digital culture, content curation is an increasingly important activity in project development. In higher-education design formation, image curation allows safeguarding the project literacy on the one hand, through the definition and clarification of an organization of visual elements and defining a basis for dialogue on the projective possibilities. The proposed strategy for visual curation offers the possibility of being applied as a basis of dialogue with external stakeholders. Moreover, thus, in a context of learning in design, enabling another bridge between the Academy and the corporate fabric.

An increasing aged population is an important issue in contemporary societies. Decreased hearing, vision, strength and coordination can hamper balance and increase the risk of falling, the leading cause of death by injury and non-fatal injuries requiring hospitalization. Thus, we aimed to develop a wearable system for physical protection and fall detection focused on elderly at risk of falling. This system comprises four products: (i) microfiber platform/suit with embedded protection pads in key osteoarticular areas; (ii) non-invasive fall detection sensor; (iii) intuitive smartphone application that communicates with the sensor and alerts caregivers about falls; (iv) discrete non-intrusive unisex vest. The system provides physical protection and faster assistance to falls, increasing the elderly population autonomy and fostering an active lifestyle. Thus, several aspects of communication are paramount in this product.

In times of uncertainty regarding the viability of collaborative and face-to-face research work with the Portuguese footwear industry, due to the circumstances of physical distance such as the one we are experiencing at present, this article aims to demonstrate a two-stage methodological strategy for a co-creation process via remote, as well as its limitations and future work. In this context, two questions arise that we intend to answer: How can co-creation work be carried out remotely with participants from different organizations? What are the advantages and disadvantages of this remote co-creation work? To answer these questions, in a first phase there is a study based on the literature review, comparing studies by authors on the advantages and disadvantages of virtual meetings compared to face-to-face meetings; and, in a second phase, emphasized by the experimentation of a co-creation work for an artifact, with master’s degree students in Image Design, were used Zoom audiovisual interface and collaborative online platform Miro. It’s argued, therefore, that the virtual encounters of a co-creation process for an artifact can, on the one hand, provide geographical and temporal advantages to the participants, on the other hand, provide technical difficulties that can create expected losses of efficiency. Since this whole process is primarily motivated by the current circumstances of confinement, due to the pandemic COVID-19, it is understood that the advantages of co-creation via remote will continue in the future, even in more favorable contexts.

The use of medical drugs is common and transversal. In order to improve the quality of life, a large number of people daily take some sort of medication. However, the information contained in lots of drugs packages, does not allow either the easy identification or the function of the drug contained. This problem is more common on groups that, due to their clinical condition (such as colorblind), education level (illiterate) or even age (elderly), have greater difficulty in distinguishing.Thus, it is desired that the packages have an effective and direct form of communication, allowing those who use them, to have an easy and immediate comprehension, in order to avoid errors in its intake and consequently diseases or side effects caused by these accidents.The current investigation, based on quantitative and qualitative methodologies, aims the creation of a duly sustained and proven system, either with the existing theory and the analysis of questionnaires and tests directed to the target audience, thus assuring its concept and form of construction.The Id.Med, suggests a medical drug identification system all-inclusive to the entire population. A code of symbols is set on drug packaging, that through three identifying elements - pictograms, acronyms and colours - is easily understood by its users.This investigation contributes to the knowledge of Design in health areas. A theme that is poorly explored, since design in health areas is seen as a secondary aspect of its process. However, it’s important to keep in mind that design can also contribute to the well-being of the population.

Neurological diseases, such as Parkinson, may hinder the activity of dressing/undressing independently. Assistive Devices (ADs) are products that can improve handling performance, promoting user experience during dressing/undressing. In seeking to understand the relationship of these products, their way of use and the possible difficulties that prevent or hinder this activity, the study investigates their use and consequences for the possible independence promotion. This article presents a specific research which aims to understand In seeking to understand the aspects that make feasible, or not, the use of ADs to help dress/undress people with Parkinson's disease, through surveys and interviews with caregivers and rehabilitators in Portugal. We have discussed the typology, usability and interaction of these products, within the professionals’ perception. The results of this empirical research were processed and encoded using the Atlas.ti software. The findings revealed that the non-use of the Assistive Devices is linked to: the difficulty of recovering the movement; environmental care structure, where there is a lack of support for stimulation and training; means for acquiring when the products are presented; and the possible social stigma caused by the unfamiliarity and interface design. The interviews also related the ADs’ non-use to their design characteristics; and underlined the need to study new options for the effective promotion of independence. Despite a still limited sample, the conclusions already point out to the existence of a very expressive problem in the field of clothing design for people with Parkinson's disease, especially in the research and development of the fashion area.

This article aims to identify the traits of a Chief Design Officer, with the purpose of fostering a cultural dialogue between design and the corporate environment. In the synergy of such dialogue, it arises from reflections on the evolution of design management between 1950 and 2020 as a strategic resource and the urgency to integrate a Chief Design Officer in the organisational structure of companies.This study is the outcome of an ongoing investigation based on a systemic literature review and case studies that seek to assess the role of design as a strategic, innovative, and competitive asset for businesses. The historical lens of analysis on design management and on designers’ competences allows an evolving observation of the role of design management through the designer, from which three case studies are highlighted: Olivetti, Braun, and Apple. In this historical overview of several industrial sectors, one can find traces of individuals who played a key role in scaling up strategic design within the corporate structure, through their inclusion in top management, namely: Ettore Sottsass, Dieter Rams e Jonathan Ive.The designers that have helped to reshape these companies are undeniable figures in the historical and contemporary landscape of design, and their role in the strategic and cultural construction of companies is indisputable. These are cases that also allow the historical observation of the relevance of a managerial vision, to understand the value and the disruptive factor resulting from the introduction of strategic design models in companies.Finally, this article highlights emerging discourses that combine three different design strengths: strategy, leadership, and top management engagement.

This research work was developed withing the scope of the metared – Portugal framework which consisted in identifying and evaluating the level of proficiency of digital competencies of Higher Education professors. The study involved 701 participating professors from several Higher Education institutions and outlined five dimensions of evaluation in the scope of digital proficiency that served as the guiding parameters for the sample analysis.

This study tests the effectiveness between linear storytelling (the story has only one direction) and non-linear storytelling (the story has many directions) approaches on the social and emotional development of pre-school children in Sri Lanka. Thirty-six (36) pre-school children aged between four to five (4–5) participated in the study. The non-linear storytelling and linear storytelling sessions were administered to the children and observed them during the activity time. Qualitative data were collected by using observational notes, interviews, and recorded videos during the storytelling session and activity time. The study showed that the social and emotional skills were remarkably different among linear storytelling and non-linear storytelling approach. The linear storytelling approach had a limited effect on the social and emotional development of the child while the non-linear storytelling approach had a continued effect.

Information Visualization is a practice of visual communication that aims to make visible and understandable phenomena whose invisibility, abstraction or complexity defy human perception and knowledge. It involves a visual codification of categories and quantities, relationships and processes, embodied in artefacts such as charts, thematic maps, infographics or interactive data visualizations. This kind of devices are designed in order to enable insights and new interpretations about different subject matters, taking advantage of human perceptual and cognitive faculties. In recent years, Information Visualization has become widespread in several fields of activity, from science to the arts, through journalism and has gained significant media coverage. This growth in the use of visualizations makes it necessary to have critical tools which may allow a better understanding of these visual devices – What do they communicate? Why? For what purpose? This paper presents a set of arguments which relates Information Visualization with Design Activism, a multidisciplinary approach to design that is identified by the ethical motivation of the designer, by the sense of public intervention that underlies it and its counter-narrative or disruptive discourse. Based on the literature review, we arrive at the assumption that it may be possible to characterize an emerging sub-domain that results from the intersection between Information Visualization and Activist Design. The validation of this assumption implies the development of this research in order to identify and characterize visualization projects in which the Motivation, Purpose and Discourse factors can be compatible with those that identify Design Activism.

Happiness is the ultimate goal of living well and it is, at the same time, the principle of motivation that guides many people’s daily choices. However, there is currently an urgent need to be happy and, by taking advantage of this fragility, some companies and institutions have devalued the responsible exploration of this issue, and have made it a tradable and consumable asset. All of this has contributed to the evolution of happiness towards becoming a condition of belonging, giving rise to a way of living where this feeling must be mandatory and self-evident. It is in order to respond to this trend, and understanding that it is directly related to the lack of knowledge and deeper understanding of the theme, that the project “Happiness under Construction” emerged. It arose within the scope of an applied investigation, consisting of an interactive narrative in the form of a website, which presents itself as a proposal to act in opposition to the current model of obligatory happiness. The development of this project had two major methodological moments; one about the definition of the target audience, and another about the creation of the website—both of which got the collaboration of real people in order to support the project in a constructive way. Its result revealed that, through the intersection of the disciplines of positive psychology and positive design, the developed project contributed significantly to people’s wellbeing.

This work aims to reflect on the collective female activism in technology under the prism of human-computational interaction, the culture of participation and cyberfeminism from Geek Girls Portugal community (the first launched in the country) ethnographic case study. From the monitoring of the group’s digital platforms, information was collected to configure an organizational and communicational system, as well as allowing reflection on the autonomy of members’ decisions, using tools of non-discretionary use for the inclusion of women in technology in one of the domains in which patriarchy dominates. Conceptual paradoxes about the culture of participation and the emergence of digital platforms, from the launch of the Web in parallel to the beginning of cyberfeminism, will be presented. This article will also present preliminary results of doctoral research on how female technological communities play a catalytic role in the inclusion, education and activism of Brazilian and Portuguese women in technology.

The production of data about design is important to create new knowledge about the discipline and support the development of better public policies. In Portugal, the DesignOBS project is developing these tasks, gathering information about the ecosystem. Databases are very important instruments to understand the discipline to systematically innovate. In this paper, we want to go further and address its literacy. Starting from the assumption that design is an activity of cultural mediation, its role in data interpretation could promote more participatory discussions about the discipline, and ultimately enrich the ecosystem; but data literacy in design is still at its infancy. To address this challenge, the present paper describes a hands-on approach to infuse data literacy in an educational design context, to support novice designers navigating a database about design companies. The study adopts a longitudinal case study approach and follows fifteen students from a design master course during the period of one semester. This research is an additional step for the maturation of the process to develop a design observatory in Portugal. It resulted in a set of data-focused infographics about design companies, richer datasets and levered the transformation of the student’s perception of their potential role in the context of data. This study contributes to ongoing discussions at the intersection of data literacy and design, still in an early stage. Moreover, it advances design research by reflecting on the value of adopting designerly approaches to create new materials, diffuse information about the design ecosystem and promote more participatory reflections about the discipline.

The present paper reviews different sources from specialized literature regarding the role of Design in the construction of the club experience, focusing on clubs devoted to house and techno music. This review aims to explore Design not as the discipline in charge of the construction of objects – furniture, image, fashion, lighting devices – to be inserted within the physical space of the club, but as the discipline in charge of the creation of artificial environments capable of triggering emotions, organizing experiences, and challenging traditional notions of space. This paper reviews several works analyzing the case of the design of eight historic clubs and it is closed by a final section presenting eight Design strategies in the creation of the club experience. It also presents a critical comment and identifies some gaps in the literature. Hopefully, by sharing this literature review, other designers will be also inspired to look at clubs not only as spaces of leisure but also as a territory for design experimentation and design research.

This paper focuses on the user research phase of an ongoing MA project which aims to design and evaluate an interactive product to enhance elderly people’s self-esteem. A structured questionnaire, carried out on people with 56+ years, was created to obtain data concerning their exercise routines, cognitive and gaming activities, and overall sense of self-esteem. After analyzing the responses, we conclude that most respondents do not practice the recommended amount of exercise nor carry out cognitive activities, which will ultimately have a negative impact on their health and self-esteem. Furthermore, most respondents do not play games (digital or non-digital) which calls into question the trend of resorting to gamified solutions as a means to increase the wellbeing of adults and elderly people. In conclusion, based on the respondents’ habits, obstacles, preferences, and motivators, we argue the proposed solution should be digital but not based on gamification.

This study aims to analyze the contribution of a methodological design approach in health education, more specifically concerning indoor radon gas exposure. The work is implemented under the scope of the Project TECH - Technology, Environment, Creativity and Health and is part of a major research activity named RnHealthTech focused on the research of technologies for occupational health risk assessment in the Alto-Minho region, North of Portugal. The project is focused on communicating indoor radon gas exposure risks to young people through a design strategy where the dissemination of the results will be afterward assessed and validated. Accordingly, it is intended to investigate some specific solutions for the problem, through a literature review and on this basis to develop a method for the project implementation. The study seeks to highlight design as a human-centered methodology, to innovate solutions adopting the designer's mindset and approach the problem from the children's perspective, as well as the concept of how to create designs that evoke emotions that result in positive user experiences. It is expected to emphasize that employing design, and a visual communication strategy provides significant new benefits for children and young people in playfully and educationally environments, by using a human-centered approach.

The elderly population has been significantly increasing all over the world, causing an emerging need to create products that facilitate the day-to-day life of this population and that prolong their independence in a domestic environment. This article focuses on the first phase of an investigation project which aims at creating a device that stores and dispenses pills automatically with the integration of a virtual assistant. In this first phase it was intended to define the user experience and business model for the product based on the state of the art, that addresses topics such as the problems resulting from aging, ambient assisted living, and current solutions available in the market for domestic environments, such as virtual assistants and pill dispensers. As a result, it was possible to determine that the product will have three type of user experiences, namely in the domestic environment, in hospitals and nursing homes/day centers/continuous care units and these experiences allowed it to define the business model much more clearly. In conclusion, this article will allow to proceed to the next phase of the project.

Our research derives from the interaction between product scale and architecture. We are interested in exploring organic concepts dominated by asymmetric and modular geometrical shapes. A jewel can convey different appropriations and emotions such as architecture composed of poetic and intangible spaces. Our design methodology corresponds to an experimental process frequently based on drawings, cardboard models, 3D drawings, or prototypes, focusing on main principles such as spatiality, versatility, mutability. We had explored the relationship between shadow and light, scale variations, the opposition between empty and full spaces, the chromatic or texture contrast. Line dominates these modular structures, linking heterogeneous volumes and surfaces. In the same way, we can rehabilitate instead of constructing, we can approach the assemblage and folding techniques from pre-existing materials in the jewellery field. From wastes or mass-produced materials that are no longer useful crossed with traditional metals like silver, we proceed to the production of limited series pieces suitable for a public who values jewels by their unique design regardless of the value of its material and, at the same time, progressively conscious of negative impact derived of the extraction of raw materials and from the manufacture of the jewels themselves.

The presented study is part of a research that consists of evaluating and creating a new model of dashboards used in continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), at the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) level. The main objective is to design a solution that guarantees efficient interpretation of data glucose by users, children, youth people, their family and healthcare professionals, with mobile applications in a Portuguese context. The graphic representation in dashboards will help type 1 diabetes patients to prevent hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia that could put their health at risk, and to identify the reason for these events. This article focuses on the first phase of the study, which consisted of collecting quantitative data through two digital surveys made for parents of diabetic children. The UX benchmarking was made based on the survey’s results, which gave concrete information about the particular needs of each user. The main objective was to identify the method of recording glycemic data, electronic devices used, applications most used, and collecting information about functionalities and their importance. This analysis has the purpose of identifying and evaluating the main solutions used for these patients in order to analyze relevant solutions that contribute to this study.

The paper reports the critical-analytical investigation on topics concerning knowledge accessibility in the cultural spaces of the Information Society, with a focus on enjoyment and use within museum itineraries.Current society is characterized by a continuous flow of information that stimulate the user to moments of reflection and assimilation of knowledge. Therefore, nowadays there is an increasing need to find alternative ways for sharing knowledge in an accessible and inclusive manner to a diversified target.On-field experimentation and collaboration with museums and archaeological sites has enabled the identification of some fundamental features for designing an accessible and inclusive space. Adaptive interaction, augmented narration, inclusive fruition, and multisensory perception are aspects that have guided the definition of a dynamic and adaptive model of museum itinerary for transferring knowledge to a wide audience with the aim of becoming a reference point for future designs.

The present review sought to raise discussions about how emotions and feelings are addressed in research with users of manual wheelchairs. Although there is a small amount of specialized research in this field, it was possible to list 6 aspects to be discussed: main emotions and feelings, perception of emotions and feelings by the user, social and family influences, influences from rehabilitation and leisure programs, protocols and methods reported, relationship with the wheelchair and with their disabilities. As a conclusion of this discussion: there was an influence of external and internal factors on emotions and feelings, the time of using the wheelchair, the age and gender of the users of the technology. Indirectly, it was concluded that more robust studies are still needed on the emotions and feelings involved in the relationship between user, artifact and daily activities in the field of product design, with the aim of improving interaction with the technological physical interfaces.

The present study envisions a potential solution, through outdoor advertising, for the growing homogenization of the concept of place amid the dissemination of a global advertising culture, reinforced by the globalization of the market and the technologies of the digital age. As suggested by McClay and McAllister, the events mentioned above allow for an easy fraternization of people, products, and ideas thus, sometimes, making the world appear placeless. Nowadays, especially regarding communication in public spaces, the constant dispute between brands causes a lack in the support of a city’s identity. From the perspective discussed here, brands could adopt idiosyncratic elements of the local culture in their campaigns and – through a cooperation between brands and cities – disseminate the intrinsic characteristics that incorporate its identity. This approach is substantiated through applied research, carried out in three Japanese cities (Kyoto, Osaka and Tokyo), where sociological, cultural and aesthetic aspects were analyzed. Through a field study based on visual research, different samples were constituted for each city, composed of 180 objects each, and examined in three sequential phases: descriptive analysis, content analysis and interpretive analysis. The results corroborate the hypotheses raised regarding the existence of divergent cultural preferences in outdoor advertising in each of these three cities. It was concluded that the introduction of advertising adapted to the society and culture of different regions may bring benefits for the local identity, as well as for the brands that will thus establish a more relevant communication with a city’s inhabitants.

The climax of mass production and overexploitation of natural resources began with industrialization, and over the past decades has led to an increasingly imminent decay and degradation of the planet. Thus, the need arises to adopt sustainable modes of production and consumption, in order to reduce environmental impact and, in the case of companies, also reduce production costs, which consequently allows for an increase in profit. Green marketing is a good strategy to make consumers aware of environmental problems and to encourage the consumption of organic products and all their advantages. This article aims to explore the concepts inherent to environmental issues within brands, particularly analysing the cosmetics brand LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics. It was concluded that the adoption of green marketing and the components of corporate social responsibility greatly strengthens the image, identity and value of a brand, making the customer loyal and, therefore, also constituting a differentiation factor and a competitive advantage.

This paper addresses the role of brand design in the validation of hegemonic narratives on the identities of cities, issued by place brands and local administrations. Drawing on concepts from Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse analysis, we address place identity(ies), as floating signifiers, appropriated by global and local discourses in order to gain hegemony, through the naturalization of their narratives.We examine these mechanisms at work in the visual branding of the city of Porto, as a case study. Through a critical analysis of the brand’s rhetoric and implementation, issued and controlled by the City’s Council, we identify a set of problematic equivalences that symbolically entail the obliteration of public debate. As a counterpoint to the Council’s allegedly consensual narrative, the collection and analysis of appropriations of the “Porto.” brand offers an under-acknowledged map of local dynamics, revealing a city where antagonistic views coexist.The above evinces the need to issue alternative representations that challenge hegemonic discourses; as well as the need to promote critical thinking and public awareness, namely of the mechanisms that work to reduce them. Acknowledging the potential of design as a social tool, we issue two recommendations: that in order to cultivate a paradigm of plurality and citizen awareness, the word representation is employed instead of identity, when referring to representations of places; and that in order to produce representations that effectively reveal and enhance local singularities, the retrieval and re-creation of local aesthetics and narratives is a privileged methodological choice.

This article proposes a reflection on the visual thinking tools used in graphic design teaching as an active methodology that help the synthesis process of the expressive code and support graphic expression and semantics in design practice. It’s intended to analyze more specifically the use of mood boards as an imagery tool in the creation of a brand mark and its relationship with expressive codes. To build a relevant and meaningful brand mark, it is important to be aware of the semantic elements used. Tools like mood boards help students with the aesthetic-symbolic references of the form and make the semantic concepts more perceptible.At the end we analyze mood boards and their relationship with semantics in the creation of brand marks.

This study aims to analyse, describe and reflect on how Mathematics and Teaching Project (Pmate) history can influence the most relevant creative decisions when restructuring and redesigning it. Pmate is a 32-year-old research project based on an online platform created and coordinated by a team from the University of Aveiro. Its mission is to achieve academic success and promote scientific culture through the development of content and its application by technologies. In this article, relevant moments of Pmate’s history and the evolution of its identity are identified, defined and discussed through the collection of information, specifically through interviews with people involved in the project during its implementation and the analysis of graphic documentation produced. The result is the outline of the relevant critical factors guiding the new updated Pmate’s brand and service.

The present study results from a set of studies developed in the scope of the project and design methodologies. Through non-interventionist and interventionist methodologies with qualitative basis, a management model was developed to apply in research project in the communication design field. On this way, this study evidences the importance of using suitable methodologies, applying project management and design management concepts, and lastly demonstrates how Design Thinking and visual thinking methods can improve the outcomes of the projects when these disciplines were used together. This research has as main goals to clarify the research project management in communication design, to demonstrate the importance of an application related to a management model in a research project in a professional practice context, to contribute for scientific knowledge. The present study intends also to understand how the project management can help, whether reasoning the problem in a holistic view or within a specific framework.

Video advertising has been widespread through TV and, over the last 10 years, through social media. The creation and production of video advertisements is increasing and therefore the creation of videos that are creative and credible is relevant in communication. In tourism, the intention to visit a destination often depends on the information that is obtained, where video ads are one of those sources of information. Videos that include celebrities as main characters are common and influence tourists to visit destinations they have not visited before. Therefore, this research aimed to analyze a research model, through the SMARTPLS software, where creativity and celebrity were conceptualized as intention to visit antecedents. The data obtained from a sample of 231 individuals shows that advertising credibility has positive effects on intention to visit a destination. Additionally, we found that advertising credibility depends on creativity and celebrity trust. Thus, important contributions will be suggested.