A Toolkit for Practice-Based Learning of Mechanisms in Industrial Design Education: An Application of a Method Combining Deductive and Inductive Learning

Industrial design education is focused on teaching a combination of various interdisciplinary competencies. One of these projected learning outcomes is to be able to design mechanisms in order to fulfil certain mechanical constraints in products. Studies show that theoretical knowledge supported by practice helps to teach industrial design students the mechanisms. In the current situation in Turkey, practice-based courses are designed in a similar purpose. However, graduates severely lack mechanical design skills. In this study, a two-staged toolkit of a holistic flow is introduced to prevent the deficiency mentioned above. In the toolkit, mechanisms are taught by combining deductive and inductive approaches, instead of a directly inductive conventional approach. The toolkit is applied to 36 sophomore year students. Assessments of the students and their self-evaluations are collected and analysed. Findings show that the toolkit can be beneficial for teaching of mechanisms to ID students through some revisions

Modelling the underlying principles of human aesthetic preference in evolutionary art

Our understanding of creativity is limited, yet there is substantial research trying to mimic human creativity in artificial systems and in particular to produce systems that automatically evolve art appreciated by humans. We propose here to study human visual preference through observation of nearly 500 user sessions with a simple evolutionary art system. The progress of a set of aesthetic measures throughout each interactive user session is monitored and subsequently mimicked by automatic evolution in an attempt to produce an image to the liking of the human user

Measures in Visualization Space

Postponed access: the file will be available after 2021-08-12Measurement is an integral part of modern science, providing the fundamental means for evaluation, comparison, and prediction. In the context of visualization, several different types of measures have been proposed, ranging from approaches that evaluate particular aspects of visualization techniques, their perceptual characteristics, and even economic factors. Furthermore, there are approaches that attempt to provide means for measuring general properties of the visualization process as a whole. Measures can be quantitative or qualitative, and one of the primary goals is to provide objective means for reasoning about visualizations and their effectiveness. As such, they play a central role in the development of scientific theories for visualization. In this chapter, we provide an overview of the current state of the art, survey and classify different types of visualization measures, characterize their strengths and drawbacks, and provide an outline of open challenges for future research.acceptedVersio

An Evaluation Framework for Business Intelligence Visualization

Nowadays, data visualization is becoming an essential part of data analysis. Business Intelligence Visualization (BIV) is a powerful tool that helps modern business flows faster and smoother than ever before. However, studies on BIV evaluation are severely lacking; most evaluation studies for BIV is guided by general principles of usability, which have limited aspects covered for customers? needs. The purpose of this research is to develop a framework that evaluates BIV, including decision-making experience. First, we did a literature review for good understanding of research progress on related fields, and established a conceptual framework. Second, we performed a user study that implemented this framework with a set of questionnaires to demonstrate how our framework can be used in real business. Our result proved that this framework can catch differences among different designs of BIV from the users? standpoints. This can help design BIV and promote better decision-makings on business affairs

Toward Measuring Network Aesthetics Based on Symmetry

In this exploratory paper, we discuss quantitative graph-theoretical measures of network aesthetics. Related work in this area has typically focused on geometrical features (e.g., line crossings or edge bendiness) of drawings or visual representations of graphs which purportedly affect an observer’s perception. Here we take a very different approach, abandoning reliance on geometrical properties, and apply information-theoretic measures to abstract graphs and networks directly (rather than to their visual representaions) as a means of capturing classical appreciation of structural symmetry. Examples are used solely to motivate the approach to measurement, and to elucidate our symmetry-based mathematical theory of network aesthetics

A Bounded Measure for Estimating the Benefit of Visualization: Case Studies and Empirical Evaluation

Many visual representations, such as volume-rendered images and metro maps, feature a noticeable amount of information loss. At a glance, there seem to be numerous opportunities for viewers to misinterpret the data being visualized, hence undermining the benefits of these visual representations. In practice, there is little doubt that these visual representations are useful. The recently-proposed information-theoretic measure for analyzing the cost-benefit ratio of visualization processes can explain such usefulness experienced in practice, and postulate that the viewers' knowledge can reduce the potential distortion (e.g., misinterpretation) due to information loss. This suggests that viewers' knowledge can be estimated by comparing the potential distortion without any knowledge and the actual distortion with some knowledge. In this paper, we describe several case studies for collecting instances that can (i) support the evaluation of several candidate measures for estimating the potential distortion distortion in visualization, and (ii) demonstrate their applicability in practical scenarios. Because the theoretical discourse on choosing an appropriate bounded measure for estimating the potential distortion is yet conclusive, it is the real world data about visualization further informs the selection of a bounded measure, providing practical evidence to aid a theoretical conclusion. Meanwhile, once we can measure the potential distortion in a bounded manner, we can interpret the numerical values characterizing the benefit of visualization more intuitively.Comment: Following the SciVis 2020 reviewers' request for more explanation and clarification, the origianl article, "A Bounded Measure for Estimating the Benefit of Visualization, arxiv:2002.05282", has been split into two articles, on "Theoretical Discourse and Conceptual Evaluation" and "Case Studies and Empirical Evaluation" respectively. This is the second articl

Measuring Effective Highlight Colors In Color-Coded Scatterplots

Visualization designers commonly use multiple visual channels to draw a user&rsquo;s attention to important information in a visualization. Color is a frequently used channel to highlight important data points. However, recent work shows guidelines for selecting colors to highlight data are based on heuristic design intuitions and offer little insight into effective highlight colors for color-coded visualizations. I present a crowdsourced study measuring the effects of highlight color in color-coded scatterplots. My findings indicate shortcomings in conventional approaches to selecting highlight colors. Empirical measures derived from the study results provide data-driven recommendations for effective highlight colors through preference scores and predictive models.</p

Re- imaging visual information complexity : a creative approach to information entropy, perception, identification and understanding

The author considers the material nature and aesthetic role of information complexity in creative production. Outlining the context of computer based artworks within the visual/fine arts and the relationship of dematerialised media to digital code, computer science techniques are redefined as both artwork, and method of creative investigation. A discussion of several of the author’s artworks illustrates these themes

Attitudes Towards the Usability and Aesthetics of a Web Application

Magistritöös keskendutakse inimese-arvuti interaktsiooni (Human-Computer Interaction, HCI) valdkonnale. Vaadeldakse kasutajate hinnanguid veebirakenduse kasutatavusele ja esteetilisusele. Esimeses töö osas antakse ülevaade sellealasest kirjandusest (põgusalt ka eestikeelsest) ning uurimismeetoditest. Teine osa käsitleb magistritöö osana koostatud veebirakendust, mis koosnes lühikestest mängulistest osadest ehk klippidest. Uurimuse jaoks muudeti süstemaatiliselt kasutatavust ja esteetilisust puudutavaid muutujaid ning iga klipp sisaldas ühte kombinatsiooni nendest muutujatest. Täpsemalt muudeti kahte esteetilisust puudutavat muutujat – objektide värvi kombinatsioonid (punane-sinine (kromaatiline), roheline-kollane (kromaatiline) või hall-must (akromaatiline) valgel taustal) ja sisupaigutuse ruumiline perspektiiv (2-dimensionaalne ruum või 3-dimensionaalne ruum) ning kasutatavuse muutujat vigade esinemine (funktsionaalsete vigade mitteesinemine, hiireklikkide osaline mittetoimimine või viivitusvead klikkimisel). Hinnanguid koguti eelnevates uuringutes kasutust leidnud meetodi – semantilise diferentsiaali üheksa hinnanguskaala (Hassenzahl, 2004) abil, millest seitse puudutasid kasutatavust ja kaks esteetilisust. Eksperimendis osales 169 üliõpilast ja kokku koguti hinnangud 2382 klipi mängukorrale. Üldiselt hinnati kogu veebirakendust tehniliseks, lihtsaks ja ebapraktiliseks, mida võib lugeda ootuspäraseks, kuna tegemist oli autori poolt spetsiaalselt hinnangute kogumiseks arendatud mängulise Flash veebirakendusega. Eksperimendis muudeti veebirakenduse kasutatavust. Kui polnud esitatud funktsionaalseid vigu, siis üldjuhul hinnati selliseid veebirakenduse klippe kasutatavust puudutavatel skaaladel kõrgemalt kui vigadega klippide puhul. Hiirekliki mittetoimimise vead kaldusid mõjutama kasutajate hinnanguid kasutatavusele rohkem kui ajalise viivituse vead. Teiseks muudeti eksperimendis klippide esteetilisust. Erinevatest värvustest sai eraldi välja tuua hinnangud kromaatilistele ja akromaatilistele värvikombinatsioonidele. Üldiselt hinnati akromaatiliste värvikombinatsioonidega klippe esteetilisuse skaaladel madalamalt kui kromaatiliste värvikombinatsioonidega klippe. Erinevate kromaatiliste värvikombinatsioonide kohta erinevaid hinnanguid seoses esteetilisusega välja tuua ei saanud. Veebirakenduse esteetilisust muudeti ka teise muutuja abil – klippe esitleti kas kahemõõtmelistena või perspektiivis kolmemõõtmelistena. Esteetilisust mõõtvatel skaaladel hinnati üldiselt positiivsemalt kolmemõõtmelisi klipikombinatsioone ja negatiivsemalt kahemõõtmelisi. Vaadeldes kasutatavust puudutavaid hinnanguskaalasid, leiti, et kõigil neil oli ootuspäraselt hinnangud mõjutatud vigade olemasolust – ilma vigadeta klipikombinatsioone hinnati üldiselt paremini kasutatavateks. Samamoodi oli esteetilisust puudutavatele hinnanguskaaladele antud hinnangud seotud eksperimendi muutujatega värvus ja ruum. Uurimusest ilmnes tendentsina, et kolmemõõtmelisi kromaatilisi klippe hinnati esteetilisuselt kõrgemaks kui kahemõõtmelisi akromaatilisi klippe. Kirjeldatud ootuspärasustele lisaks andis skaalade eraldi vaatlemine olulisi lisatulemusi. Näiteks võib välja tuua kasutatavust puudutavatel hinnanguskaaladel avaldunud tendentsid, et hinnanguskaaladele ebapraktiline-praktiline, keerukas-lihtne ja tehniline-inimlik antud vastustest nähtus, et nendel skaaladel on hinnangud lisaks vigade olemasolule klipis mõjutatud ka ruumilisusest (esteetilisuse muutuja). Sama kehtib ka esteetilisust puudutavate hinnangute kohta – esteetilisuse kahe skaala headuse (hea-halb) ja ilu (ilus-inetu) hinnangud on erinevad, sõltudes ilu skaalal vaid esteetilisust puudutavatest eksperimendi muutujatest, kuid headuse skaalal nii esteetilisust kui kasutatavust puudutavatest muutujatest. Uurimustulemuste interpreteerimisel juureldakse selle üle, kuidas võiksid olla omavahel seotud hinnangud kasutatavusele ja esteetilisusele. Tuues paralleele eelnevate sellealaste teoreetiliste käsitlustega, tõdetakse, et esteetilisuse hinnangutes tuleks eraldi vaadelda hinnanguid ilule ja headusele. Arutelus leitakse sarnasusi eelnevate uurimustega, mille kohaselt hinnangud kasutatavusele ja ilule võiksid olla omavahel kaudselt seotud ning see seos olla vahendatud hinnangutest headusele. Kogu eksperimendi sessioon koosnes 18 juhujärjekorras esitatud klipi läbimängimisest ja hindamisest. Sellest asjaolust tulenevalt leiti, et kasutajate hinnangud erinesid teataval määral olenevalt sellest, kas klippide hindamine toimus eksperimendi alguses või lõpus. Eelnev teemakohane raamistik pakub lähtekohti selle interpreteerimiseks. Nii käesolevas uurimuses püstitatud hüpoteeside kinnitamine kui ka lisaks sellele leitud uurimistulemused täiendavad HCI teemavaldkonda ja kokkuvõtlikult rõhutatakse, et kasutajate hinnang tootele ei kujune vaid sellest lähtuvalt, kui kasutatavaks veebirakendust peetakse, vaid olulised on ka esteetilised aspektid.The master thesis focuses on the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). The aim of this thesis was to study the attitudes towards the usability and aesthetics of a web application. The first chapter of this thesis focuses on the overview studies and research methods involving the field at issue. Secondly an experiment was conducted to gather the opinions about the aesthetics and usability of a web application. Therefore an Adobe Flash based web application was developed that consisted of 18 playful interactive clips that differed from each other by the combination of three variables each involving aesthetics or usability. The usability was modified by introducing controlled functional errors to the application (no errors, mouse click delays or random mouse clicks malfunctioning). The aesthetics factor was modified by two variables: colour combinations (two chromatic (red-blue and green-yellow) or one achromatic colour combination) and spatial visual display of the whole clip (two-dimensional (2D) or three-dimensional (3D)). Each clip was evaluated by the users using semantic differential research method consisting of nine 7-point scales of usability and aesthetics. The experiment was carried out amongst 169 students, gathering the opinions of 2382 clips. The results show that the clips with no functional errors were evaluated higher on the scales involving usability than the clips including functional errors. The errors of mouse clicks malfunctioning were found to influence the user’s attitudes towards usability more than the delaying of mouse clicks functionality. There was a tendency that the clips having achromatic colour combinations were evaluated lower on the aesthetic scales than the clips containing chromatic colours. Though no statistical differences were found between the evaluations of the two chromatic colour combinations introduced on the aesthetics scales. It was also found that on the aesthetics scales the 3D clips were generally rated higher than 2D clips. Additionally when looking at the relation of the attitudes towards usability and aesthetics it is proposed that, considering the evaluations of aesthetics, the beauty and goodness scales should be viewed at separately. It is speculated based on previous research that the attitudes towards usability and beauty are related indirectly in such a way that it’s mediated by goodness. On the other hand it is found that the participants changed some of their opinions over the time of participating in the experiment which arises some new fields for research. In general it is emphasised that the overall evaluation is not solely based on the opinions of usability but also the attitudes towards aesthetics play an important role