Anthropomorphism as a Strategy to Engage End-Users in Health Data Ideation

Recent innovations in data technology hold great promise for new products or applications. However, creating meaningful data applications can be challenging. This is especially the case in a user-centered design or participatory design approach as most end-users find it difficult to grasp the essence and opportunities of an abstract concept such as data technology. This paper presents method to engage end-users in data ideation that draws on people's tendency to anthropomorphize technology. It uses a metaphor for health data by introducing the imaginary concept of omniscient, benign little people residing in one's body. Participants are facilitated in a step-by-step process to formulate questions they would like to ask these little people and the answers they expect to receive. This approach, illustrated with a study on personal health information, resulted in insights for developing meaningful data applications.status: publishe

FinTracker: uma aplicação móvel para envolver o público geral com a migração de cetáceos

Os cetáceos são das principais espécies responsáveis por manter o equilíbrio do oceano, sendo fundamental que o público geral compreenda os seus hábitos e padrões de migração para ajudar a promover a sensibilização para melhores práticas de preservação destas espécies. Têm sido realizados diversos esforços que visam a recolha de dados de monitorização destas espécies, nomeadamente a colocação de etiquetas de registo. Estes dados raramente são disponibilizados ao público geral por apresentarem dados complexos para um público inexperiente no tema. No entanto, estes dados podem ser uma fonte poderosa de conhecimento das espécies e podem ser usados para promover a literacia do oceano. Assim sendo, pretende-se com este trabalho desenvolver uma aplicação móvel que promova a criação de laços de empatia entre os utilizadores e os cetáceos monitorizados ao longo da costa da ilha da Madeira. De forma a cumprir esse objetivo, pretende-se desenhar e implementar a aplicação móvel, para que apresente um conjunto variado de informações acerca dos cetáceos, tendo como base as informações em tempo real recolhidas pelas etiquetas de registo, mas que apresente a informação de forma mais cativante, através de mecanismos de empatia e gamificação, de modo a manter o envolvimento do público geral nos dados de monitorização dos cetáceos. A aplicação foi testada com doze participantes, para avaliar a experiência do utilizador. Os resultados obtidos mostram que os utilizadores tiveram uma experiência positiva e potencial na aplicação para fomentar uma ligação entre os utilizadores e os cetáceos. No entanto, no curto contexto do estudo não foi possível verificar um aumento do conhecimento sobre estas espécies.Cetaceans play a crucial role in maintaining the delicate balance of the ocean ecosystem. It is of paramount importance for the public to grasp their behavioral patterns and migratory habits, in order to foster awareness and promote effective preservation practices for these magnificent species. Extensive efforts have been undertaken to gather monitoring data on cetaceans, including the deployment of tagging devices. However, due to the complexity of the collected data, it is seldom made accessible to the public, particularly to those lacking expertise in the field. Nonetheless, this data represents a powerful source of knowledge about these species and can serve as a catalyst for enhancing ocean literacy. Hence, the present research aims to develop a mobile application that facilitates the establishment of empathic connections between users and the monitored cetaceans along the coast of Madeira Island. To achieve this objective, an intricately designed and implemented mobile application will be devised, offering users a diverse range of cetacean-related information. Drawing on data acquired through the tagging devices, this information will be presented in a captivating manner, leveraging mechanisms of empathy and gamification, thereby ensuring sustained engagement of the public with cetacean monitoring data. The application was tested with twelve participants to evaluate the user’s experience. The results obtained show that users had a positive experience and potential in the application to foster a connection between users and cetaceans. However, in the short context of this study, it was not possible to verify an increase in knowledge about these species

Participating in Energy Systems through Everyday Designs – Exploring roles for households in a more sustainable energy future

As households we participate in energy systems when, in the course of our everyday energy-reliant activities, we create a demand for energy and when we engage in energy-managing activities such as choosing an energy provider and deciding to support a specific source of energy. In this way, everyday life has an impact on the energy sector, and vice versa. To mitigate climate change, the energy sector will have to reduce its negative environmental impact, and everyday life will have to change with it. This thesis aims at contributing to development of artefacts that, as they are embedded into energy-reliant and energy-managing activities in everyday life, support such changes. Four empirical studies were carried out in a research through design process with a ‘mixed methods’ approach. Two studies described which energy-reliant and energy-managing activities to design for by identifying what roles households could play in energy systems (RQ 1a). Two studies explored how artefacts shape those roles (RQ 1a) and prescribed ways to design to support reduced negative environmental impact (RQ 2).\ua0The findings showed that the roles households considered playing in energy systems were framed by (i) roles performed by peers, (ii) available and accessible energy-reliant and energy-managing artefacts, (iii) existing business models, (iv) available infrastructure, and (v) policy and regulation. The roles were framed into three so-called meta-roles named Reception, Interplay, and Balance.Within Reception, households receive standardised amounts and variants of services from the energy system, such as a pre-set indoor temperature.Within Interplay, the households’ meta-role is to use some kind of interplay with the energy system to optimise energy services for their individual preferences, for example low cost. Finally, within Balance, the households’ meta-role is to balance their individual preferences with what is preferable from an energy system perspective, for instance without benefits to be part of time-shifting energy use to cut peaks in demand.In Reception and Interplay, the reduction in environmental impact is restricted to either what can be achieved without households’ active contribution or when reductions in environmental impact align with personal preferences, respectively. Balance, although uncommon and therefore unvalidated, was therefore considered most promising to mitigate climate change.Evaluations of two prototypes intended to support reduced negative energy-related environmental impact showed such possibilities, and additionally that Reception and Interplay could be challenged by designing artefacts that:\ua0- encourage households to make compromises and ask for efforts;- make the connection between energy supply and demand explicit (reconnecting supply and demand);- provide a possibility to feel like active participants (instead of discouraging active participation through automation);- provide a possibility for influencing energy-related decisions made by energy companies or (local) authorities; and- focus on energy-reliant activities and not (only) on energy-managing activities.\ua0Artefacts are however just one of the five aspects found to frame meta-roles. In order to not only challenge but also change a prevailing meta-role, the other aspects would need to align