Method for evaluating the usability of interactive digital television applications

This article proposes the extent of an inspection method called RECOEXTDI (REcorrido COgnitivo EXtendido para Publicaciones de Televisión Digital Interactiva) to evaluate the usability of applications supported on Interactive DigitalTelevision (IDT) environments. The former method has three basic inputs: The original cognitive walkthrough method,the characteristics of TDI applications, and early testing performed in a TDI laboratory. To assess RECOEXTDI, it isdescribed a case study in which an evaluation of the usability of a TDI application is made, by using the traditionaland the extended method. In this way, the results obtained are compared with the implementation of the two methodsdescribed. The RECOEXTDI method allowed finding a larger number of usability problems in shorter time, comparedwith the traditional method.  En este artículo propone la extensión de un método de inspección denominado RECOEXTDI (REcorrido COgnitivo EXtendido para aplicaciones de Televisión Digital Interactiva), que evalúa la usabilidad de aplicaciones soportadas en ambientes de Televisión Digital Interactiva (TDI). El método propuesto tiene tres insumos básicos: el método original del recorrido cognitivo, las características de las aplicaciones de TDI y una experimentación inicial realizada en un laboratorio de TDI. Para la evaluación de RECOEXTDI se describe un caso de estudio en el que se hace una evaluación de usabilidad de una aplicación TDI utilizando el método tradicional y el extendido. De esta manera, se comparan los resultados obtenidos con la ejecución de los dos métodos. El método RECOEXTDI permitió encontrar una mayor cantidad de problemas de usabilidad en menor tiempo comparado con el método tradicional

Method for evaluating the usability of interactive digital television applications

This article proposes the extent of an inspection method called RECOEXTDI (REcorrido COgnitivo EXtendido para Publicaciones de Televisión Digital Interactiva) to evaluate the usability of applications supported on Interactive DigitalTelevision (IDT) environments. The former method has three basic inputs: The original cognitive walkthrough method,the characteristics of TDI applications, and early testing performed in a TDI laboratory. To assess RECOEXTDI, it isdescribed a case study in which an evaluation of the usability of a TDI application is made, by using the traditionaland the extended method. In this way, the results obtained are compared with the implementation of the two methodsdescribed. The RECOEXTDI method allowed finding a larger number of usability problems in shorter time, comparedwith the traditional method.  En este artículo propone la extensión de un método de inspección denominado RECOEXTDI (REcorrido COgnitivo EXtendido para aplicaciones de Televisión Digital Interactiva), que evalúa la usabilidad de aplicaciones soportadas en ambientes de Televisión Digital Interactiva (TDI). El método propuesto tiene tres insumos básicos: el método original del recorrido cognitivo, las características de las aplicaciones de TDI y una experimentación inicial realizada en un laboratorio de TDI. Para la evaluación de RECOEXTDI se describe un caso de estudio en el que se hace una evaluación de usabilidad de una aplicación TDI utilizando el método tradicional y el extendido. De esta manera, se comparan los resultados obtenidos con la ejecución de los dos métodos. El método RECOEXTDI permitió encontrar una mayor cantidad de problemas de usabilidad en menor tiempo comparado con el método tradicional

Establishing the design knowledge for emerging interaction platforms

While awaiting a variety of innovative interactive products and services to appear in the market in the near future such as interactive tabletops, interactive TVs, public multi-touch walls, and other embedded appliances, this paper calls for preparation for the arrival of such interactive platforms based on their interactivity. We advocate studying, understanding and establishing the foundation for interaction characteristics and affordances and design implications for these platforms which we know will soon emerge and penetrate our everyday lives. We review some of the archetypal interaction platform categories of the future and highlight the current status of the design knowledge-base accumulated to date and the current rate of growth for each of these. We use example designs illustrating design issues and considerations based on the authors’ 12-year experience in pioneering novel applications in various forms and styles

Interaction platform-orientated perspective in designing novel applications

The lack of HCI offerings in the invention of novel software applications and the bias of design knowledge towards desktop GUI make it difficult for us to design for novel scenarios and applications that leverage emerging computational technologies. These include new media platforms such as mobiles, interactive TV, tabletops and large multi-touch walls on which many of our future applications will operate. We argue that novel application design should come not from user-centred requirements engineering as in developing a conventional application, but from understanding the interaction characteristics of the new platforms. Ensuring general usability for a particular interaction platform without rigorously specifying envisaged usage contexts helps us to design an artifact that does not restrict the possible application contexts and yet is usable enough to help brainstorm its more exact place for future exploitation

Introduction : user studies for digital library development

Introductory chapter to the edited collection on user studies in digital library development. Contains a general introduction to the topic and biographical sketches of the contributors.peer-reviewe

Understanding user experience of mobile video: Framework, measurement, and optimization

Since users have become the focus of product/service design in last decade, the term User eXperience (UX) has been frequently used in the field of Human-Computer-Interaction (HCI). Research on UX facilitates a better understanding of the various aspects of the user’s interaction with the product or service. Mobile video, as a new and promising service and research field, has attracted great attention. Due to the significance of UX in the success of mobile video (Jordan, 2002), many researchers have centered on this area, examining users’ expectations, motivations, requirements, and usage context. As a result, many influencing factors have been explored (Buchinger, Kriglstein, Brandt & Hlavacs, 2011; Buchinger, Kriglstein & Hlavacs, 2009). However, a general framework for specific mobile video service is lacking for structuring such a great number of factors. To measure user experience of multimedia services such as mobile video, quality of experience (QoE) has recently become a prominent concept. In contrast to the traditionally used concept quality of service (QoS), QoE not only involves objectively measuring the delivered service but also takes into account user’s needs and desires when using the service, emphasizing the user’s overall acceptability on the service. Many QoE metrics are able to estimate the user perceived quality or acceptability of mobile video, but may be not enough accurate for the overall UX prediction due to the complexity of UX. Only a few frameworks of QoE have addressed more aspects of UX for mobile multimedia applications but need be transformed into practical measures. The challenge of optimizing UX remains adaptations to the resource constrains (e.g., network conditions, mobile device capabilities, and heterogeneous usage contexts) as well as meeting complicated user requirements (e.g., usage purposes and personal preferences). In this chapter, we investigate the existing important UX frameworks, compare their similarities and discuss some important features that fit in the mobile video service. Based on the previous research, we propose a simple UX framework for mobile video application by mapping a variety of influencing factors of UX upon a typical mobile video delivery system. Each component and its factors are explored with comprehensive literature reviews. The proposed framework may benefit in user-centred design of mobile video through taking a complete consideration of UX influences and in improvement of mobile videoservice quality by adjusting the values of certain factors to produce a positive user experience. It may also facilitate relative research in the way of locating important issues to study, clarifying research scopes, and setting up proper study procedures. We then review a great deal of research on UX measurement, including QoE metrics and QoE frameworks of mobile multimedia. Finally, we discuss how to achieve an optimal quality of user experience by focusing on the issues of various aspects of UX of mobile video. In the conclusion, we suggest some open issues for future study

Evaluando la usabilidad en aplicaciones para la TVDi

The evolution of Television as a source of information has reached the top of quality whith the Interactive Digital Television (TVDi), a technological step that allow users to become active from pasive. TVDi program is, on informatic terms, a software that give the TV viewer some specific capabilities. The recent emergence of that kind of application with all that functional and not functional specs and features; reveals an amount of new problems poorly or absolutely not approached in that knowledge area. That is, as an example, the methodologies for the developement of this applications, the quality attributes to fulfill and the techniques for proving them and so on. One of the most remarcable problems is that of the software product designs which do not fulfill some elemental requirements that ensure the app to be used in the correct manner. It has been associated with the quality attribute known as Usability. This article adresses some of the good prctice to have in mind when evaluating usability in the apps developed for TVDi.Facultad de Informátic

Spott : on-the-spot e-commerce for television using deep learning-based video analysis techniques

Spott is an innovative second screen mobile multimedia application which offers viewers relevant information on objects (e.g., clothing, furniture, food) they see and like on their television screens. The application enables interaction between TV audiences and brands, so producers and advertisers can offer potential consumers tailored promotions, e-shop items, and/or free samples. In line with the current views on innovation management, the technological excellence of the Spott application is coupled with iterative user involvement throughout the entire development process. This article discusses both of these aspects and how they impact each other. First, we focus on the technological building blocks that facilitate the (semi-) automatic interactive tagging process of objects in the video streams. The majority of these building blocks extensively make use of novel and state-of-the-art deep learning concepts and methodologies. We show how these deep learning based video analysis techniques facilitate video summarization, semantic keyframe clustering, and (similar) object retrieval. Secondly, we provide insights in user tests that have been performed to evaluate and optimize the application's user experience. The lessons learned from these open field tests have already been an essential input in the technology development and will further shape the future modifications to the Spott application