When Universal Access does not go to plan: Lessons to be learned

While the theory of designing for Universal Access is increasingly understood, there remain persistent issues over realising products and systems that meet the goal of being accessible and usable by the broadest possible set of users. Clearly products or service that are designed without even considering the needs of the wider user base are implicitly going to struggle to be universally accessible. However, even products that have been designed knowing that they are to be used by broad user bases frequently still struggle to achieve the ambition of being universally accessible. This paper examines a number of such products that did not achieve, at least initially, the desired level of universal accessibility. Principal recommendations from each case study are presented to provide a guide to common issues to be avoided

User experiences with flexible offices

Different office types provide the preconditions for distinct user experiences. However, research evidence on how users appraise flexible offices such as activity-based or combi offices is not as abundant as in the case of the more traditional open-plan and cell offices. Furthermore, the available literature shows discrepant results between flexible offices. The main difference between traditional and flexible offices is that the design of the latter is intended for users to switch between different shared spaces and workstations oriented to support different activities, needs and preferences. This office design may offer new opportunities and challenges for users as their experiences at work may be influenced by design qualities (or constellations of them) that are not present in traditional offices. I study the experiences of users with flexible offices because I want to understand the influences that the design qualities of office artefacts and spaces have on such experiences, as well as their design implications. In addition, I utilise the acquired knowledge to explore design opportunities for positive user experiences with flexible offices. In this regard, the research angle adopted builds on a UX theoretical background and a practical approach with multiple user studies in real office environments. The findings show that user experiences with flexible offices are influenced by interrelated design qualities of the spaces and artefacts in use, rather than isolated qualities. These (tangible and intangible) qualities define the nature of an artefact, a space, or constellations of them that users experience, for instance the qualities of an office chair vs. a meeting room. Experiences are subjective, but relate to both individual and collective experiences, for example using an ergonomic workstation vs. sharing such workstations. The findings also suggest that designing for user experiences with flexible offices is a highly complex endeavour, and that emphasis should be placed on designing for the experiences of pleasure, community, autonomy, purpose, and control over the environment. Utilising this knowledge to develop and test research prototypes allowed for a richer understanding of the experiential process and its relation to more systemic aspects such as the context of use or the temporality of experiences. Derived from these research activities and their findings, I present in this thesis the tentative SEEX (Stimuli-Evaluation-EXperiential outcome) model of how user experiences take place. This thesis contributes knowledge on theoretical and practical levels for academics and practitioners to continue studying office user experiences from a UX perspective, support informed decisions in the planning, operation, and evaluation of offices, and explore design opportunities for office environments

Practices of readiness: punctuation, poise and the contingencies of participatory design

How do we ready ourselves to intervene responsively in the contingent situations that arise in co-designing to make change? How do we attune to group dynamics and respond ethically to unpredictable developments when working with ‘community’? Participatory Design (PD) can contribute to social transitions, yet its focus is often tightly tuned to technique for designing ICT at the cost of participatory practice. We challenge PD conventions by addressing what happens as we step into a situation to alter it with others, an aspect of practice that cannot be replicated or interchanged. We do so to argue that practices of readiness are constituted by personal histories, experiences, philosophies and culture. We demonstrate this political argument by giving reflexive accounts of our dimensions of preparation. The narratives here are distinct, yet reveal complementary theories and worldviews that shape PD ontologies. We have organized these around the qualities of punctuation and poise as a way to draw out some less easily articulated aspects of PD practice

ICS Materials. Towards a re-Interpretation of material qualities through interactive, connected, and smart materials.

The domain of materials for design is changing under the influence of an increased technological advancement, miniaturization and democratization. Materials are becoming connected, augmented, computational, interactive, active, responsive, and dynamic. These are ICS Materials, an acronym that stands for Interactive, Connected and Smart. While labs around the world are experimenting with these new materials, there is the need to reflect on their potentials and impact on design. This paper is a first step in this direction: to interpret and describe the qualities of ICS materials, considering their experiential pattern, their expressive sensorial dimension, and their aesthetic of interaction. Through case studies, we analyse and classify these emerging ICS Materials and identified common characteristics, and challenges, e.g. the ability to change over time or their programmability by the designers and users. On that basis, we argue there is the need to reframe and redesign existing models to describe ICS materials, making their qualities emerge

Designing for Aesthetic Experiences from the Body and Felt-Sense

Third Wave Human Computer Interaction (HCI) has opened the door for research agendas placing the lived body in the centre of discussion. However, aspects such as the articulation of aesthetic experiences, as well as the transference of somatic values into the design practice require more systematic methods to analyse, articulate and frame those values into practical design solutions. Recognising this gap, this thesis investigates the use of bodily self-awareness and subjective experience as a material for accessing discoveries, by integrating theoretical and practical principles from Eugene Gendlin’s psychosomatic technique Focusing into the fields of design and HCI. Particularly important is Gendlin’s notion of felt sense, which can be defined as a state; a complex bodily sense of implicit knowing, consisting of an implicit source of sensations, feelings, memories, thoughts and other manifestations difficult to label through straightforward definitions. These manifestations are carefully articulated and documented by those who experience the felt-sense, becoming the material capture of aesthetic experiences used for research and practice. The research questions are developed around how aesthetic qualities emerging from the interaction with the felt-sense, objects and technology assist in the meaning-generation process, and how these outcomes can be utilised in design practice. In terms of methodology, this thesis is inspired by phenomenological research, and follows the conventions of design-oriented research towards the generation of knowledge for design. Four studies were run, dealing with the exploration of novel design methods, and the use of sensory stimuli on the body during the practice of Focusing. As a result, this thesis contributes with a set of Focusing-oriented design methods dealing with different stages of the design process, ranging from inspiration, data collection, ideation, evaluation and prototyping

Assisting Designers in the Anticipation of Future Product Use

En ligne sur le site de l'éditeur : http://www.aijstpme.kmutnb.ac.th/index.php?option=com_jdownloads&view=viewcategories&Itemid=1In this paper, we present some theories sover past decades describing interactions between designers and users, and a state of the art of methods and tools to support these interactions in user-centred design. We discuss related methodological issues as a first step toward the introduction of new methods to assist usercentred design, to avoid uses of the product which might have undesirable consequences, while leaving margins allowing users to adapt to the situation and potentially introduce further innovations within the product. Lastly, we discuss the concept of unforeseen use and introduce creativity methods to help designers anticipate these uses

Interactive tools for reproducible science

Reproducibility should be a cornerstone of science. It plays an essential role in research validation and reuse. In recent years, the scientific community and the general public became increasingly aware of the reproducibility crisis, i.e. the wide-spread inability of researchers to reproduce published work, including their own. The reproducibility crisis has been identified in most branches of data-driven science. The effort required to document, clean, preserve, and share experimental resources has been described as one of the core contributors to this irreproducibility challenge. Documentation, preservation, and sharing are key reproducible research practices that are of little perceived value for scientists, as they fall outside the traditional academic reputation economy that is focused on novelty-driven scientific contributions. Scientific research is increasingly focused on the creation, observation, processing, and analysis of large data volumes. On one hand, this transition towards computational and data-intensive science poses new challenges for research reproducibility and reuse. On the other hand, increased availability and advances in computation and web technologies offer new opportunities to address the reproducibility crisis. A prominent example is the World Wide Web (WWW), which was developed in response to researchers’ needs to quickly share research data and findings with the scientific community. The WWW was invented at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). CERN is a key laboratory in High Energy Physics (HEP), one of the most data-intensive scientific domains. This thesis reports on research connected in the context of CAP, a Research Data Management (RDM) service tailored to CERN's major experiments. We use this scientific environment to study the role and requirements of interactive tools in facilitating reproducible research. In this thesis, we build a wider understanding of researchers' interactions with tools that support research documentation, preservation, and sharing. From an HCI perspective the following aspects are fundamental: (1) Characterize and map requirements and practices around research preservation and reuse. (2) Understand the wider role and impact of RDM tools in scientific workflows. (3) Design tools and interactions that promote, motivate, and acknowledge reproducible research practices. Research reported in this thesis represents the first systematic application of HCI methods in the study and design of interactive tools for reproducible science. We have built an empirical understanding of reproducible research practices and the role of supportive tools through research in HEP and across a variety of scientific fields. We designed prototypes and implemented services that aim to create rewarding and motivating interactions. We conducted mixed-method evaluations to assess the UX of the designs, in particular related to usefulness, suitability, and persuasiveness. We report on four empirical studies in which 42 researchers and data managers participated. In the first interview study, we asked HEP data analysts about RDM practices and invited them to explore and discuss CAP. Our findings show that tailored preservation services allow for introducing and promoting meaningful rewards and incentives that benefit contributors in their research work. Here, we introduce the term secondary usage forms of RDM tools. While not part of the core mission of the tools, secondary usage forms motivate contributions through meaningful rewards. We extended this research through a cross-domain interview study with data analysts and data stewards from a diverse set of scientific fields. Based on the findings of this cross-domain study, we contribute a Stage-Based Model of Personal RDM Commitment Evolution that explains how and why scientists commit to open and reproducible science. To address the motivation challenge, we explored if and how gamification can motivate contributions and promote reproducible research practices. To this end, we designed two prototypes of a gamified preservation service that was inspired by CAP. Each gamification prototype makes use of different underlying mechanisms. HEP researchers found both implementations valuable, enjoyable, suitable, and persuasive. The gamification layer improves visibility of scientists and research work and facilitates content navigation and discovery. Based on these findings, we implemented six tailored science badges in CAP in our second gamification study. The badges promote and reward high-quality documentation and special uses of preserved research. Findings from our evaluation with HEP researchers show that tailored science badges enable novel forms of research repository navigation and content discovery that benefit users and contributors. We discuss how the use of tailored science badges as an incentivizing element paves new ways for interaction with research repositories. Finally, we describe the role of HCI in supporting reproducible research practices. We stress that tailored RDM tools can improve content navigation and discovery, which is key in the design of secondary usage forms. Moreover, we argue that incentivizing elements like gamification may not only motivate contributions, but further promote secondary uses and enable new forms of interaction with preserved research. Based on our empirical research, we describe the roles of both HCI scholars and practitioners in building interactive tools for reproducible science. Finally, we outline our vision to transform computational and data-driven research preservation through ubiquitous preservation strategies that integrate into research workflows and make use of automated knowledge recording. In conclusion, this thesis advocates the unique role of HCI in supporting, motivating, and transforming reproducible research practices through the design of tools that enable effective RDM. We present practices around research preservation and reuse in HEP and beyond. Our research paves new ways for interaction with RDM tools that support and motivate reproducible science.Reproduzierbarkeit sollte ein wissenschaftlicher Grundpfeiler sein, da sie einen essenziellen Bestandteil in der Validierung und Nachnutzung von Forschungsarbeiten darstellt. Verfügbarkeit und Vollständigkeit von Forschungsmaterialien sind wichtige Voraussetzungen für die Interaktion mit experimentellen Arbeiten. Diese Voraussetzungen sind jedoch oft nicht gegeben. Zuletzt zeigten sich die Wissenschaftsgemeinde und die Öffentlichkeit besorgt über die Reproduzierbarkeitskrise in der empirischen Forschung. Diese Krise bezieht sich auf die Feststellung, dass Forscher oftmals nicht in der Lage sind, veröffentlichte Forschungsergebnisse zu validieren oder nachzunutzen. Tatsächlich wurde die Reproduzierbarkeitskrise in den meisten Wissenschaftsfeldern beschrieben. Eine der Hauptursachen liegt in dem Aufwand, der benötigt wird, um Forschungsmaterialien zu dokumentieren, vorzubereiten und zu teilen. Wissenschaftler empfinden diese Forschungspraktiken oftmals als unattraktiv, da sie außerhalb der traditionellen wissenschaftlichen Belohnungsstruktur liegen. Diese ist zumeist ausgelegt auf das Veröffentlichen neuer Forschungsergebnisse. Wissenschaftliche Forschung basiert zunehmend auf der Verarbeitung und Analyse großer Datensätze. Dieser Übergang zur rechnergestützten und daten-intensiven Forschung stellt neue Herausforderungen an Reproduzierbarkeit und Forschungsnachnutzung. Die weite Verbreitung des Internets bietet jedoch ebenso neue Möglichkeiten, Reproduzierbarkeit in der Forschung zu ermöglichen. Die Entwicklung des World Wide Web (WWW) stellt hierfür ein sehr gutes Beispiel dar. Das WWW wurde in der Europäischen Organisation für Kernforschung (CERN) entwickelt, um Forschern den weltweiten Austausch von Daten zu ermöglichen. CERN ist eine der wichtigsten Großforschungseinrichtungen in der Teilchenphysik, welche zu den daten-intensivsten Forschungsbereichen gehört. In dieser Arbeit berichten wir über unsere Forschung, die sich auf CERN Analysis Preservation (CAP) fokussiert. CAP ist ein Forschungsdatenmanagement-Service (FDM-Service), zugeschnitten auf die größten Experimente von CERN. In dieser Arbeit entwickeln und kommunizieren wir ein erweitertes Verständnis der Interaktion von Forschern mit FDM-Infrastruktur. Aus Sicht der Mensch-Computer-Interaktion (MCI) sind folgende Aspekte fundamental: (1) Das Bestimmen von Voraussetzungen und Praktiken rund um FDM und Nachnutzung. (2) Das Entwickeln von Verständnis für die Rolle und Auswirkungen von FDM-Systemen in der wissenschaftlichen Arbeit. (3) Das Entwerfen von Systemen, die Praktiken unterstützen, motivieren und anerkennen, welche die Reproduzierbarkeit von Forschung vorantreiben. Die Forschung, die wir in dieser Arbeit beschreiben, stellt die erste systematische Anwendung von MCI-Methoden in der Entwicklung von FDM-Systemen für Forschungsreproduzierbarkeit dar. Wir entwickeln ein empirisches Verständnis von Forschungspraktiken und der Rolle von unterstützenden Systemen durch überwiegend qualitative Forschung in Teilchenphysik und darüber hinaus. Des Weiteren entwerfen und implementieren wir Prototypen und Systeme mit dem Ziel, Wissenschaftler für FDM zu motivieren und zu belohnen. Wir verfolgten einen Mixed-Method-Ansatz in der Evaluierung der Nutzererfahrung bezüglich unserer Prototypen und Implementierungen. Wir berichten von vier empirischen Studien, in denen insgesamt 42 Forscher und Forschungsdaten-Manager teilgenommen haben. In unserer ersten Interview-Studie haben wir Teilchenphysiker über FDM-Praktiken befragt und sie eingeladen, CAP zu nutzen und über den Service zu diskutieren. Unsere Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die mensch-zentrierte Studie von speziell angepassten FDM-Systemen eine besondere Blickweise auf das Entwerfen von Anreizen und bedeutungsvollen Belohnungen ermöglicht. Wir führen den Begriff secondary usage forms (Zweitnutzungsformen) in Bezug auf FDM-Infrastruktur ein. Hierbei handelt es sich um Nutzungsformen, die Forschern sinnvolle Anreize bieten, ihre Arbeiten zu dokumentieren und zu teilen. Basierend auf unseren Ergebnissen in der Teilchenphysik haben wir unseren Forschungsansatz daraufhin auf Wissenschaftler und Forschungsdatenmanager aus einer Vielzahl verschiedener und diverser Wissenschaftsfelder erweitert. In Bezug auf die Ergebnisse dieser Studie beschreiben wir ein zustandsbasiertes Modell über die Entwicklung individueller Selbstverpflichtung zu FDM. Wir erwarten, dass dieses Modell designorientierte Denk- und Methodenansätze in der künftigen Implementierung und Evaluation von FDM-Infrastruktur beeinflussen wird. Des Weiteren haben wir einen Forschungsansatz zu Spielifizierung (Gamification) verfolgt, in dem wir untersucht haben, ob und wie Spielelemente FDM-Praktiken motivieren können. Zunächst haben wir zwei Prototypen eines spielifizierten FDM-Tools entwickelt, welche sich an CAP orientieren. Obwohl die beiden Prototypen auf sehr unterschiedlichen Entwurfskonzepten beruhen, fanden Teilchenphysiker beide angemessen und motivierend. Die Studienteilnehmer diskutierten insbesondere verbesserte Sichtbarkeit individueller Forscher und wissenschaftlicher Arbeiten. Basierend auf den Ergebnissen dieser ersten Studie zu Spielifizierung in FDM haben wir im nächsten Schritt sechs speziell zugeschnittene Forschungs-Abzeichen (tailored science badges) in CAP implementiert. Die Abzeichen bewerben das ausführliche Dokumentieren sowie besondere Nutzen der auf dem Service zugänglichen Forschungsarbeiten. Die Ergebnisse unserer Evaluierung mit Teilchenphysikern zeigen, dass die speziell zugeschnittenen Forschungs-Abzeichen neue und effektivere Möglichkeiten bieten, Forschungsmaterialien systematisch zu durchsuchen und zu entdecken. Hierdurch profitieren sowohl Nutzer als auch Forschungsdaten-Beisteuernde. Basierend auf den Ergebnissen diskutieren wir, wie die Forschungs-Abzeichen neue Formen der Interaktion mit großen Forschungsrepositorien ermöglichen. Zum Schluss heben wir die besondere Rolle von MCI in der Entwicklung unterstützender FDM-Infrastruktur hervor. Wir betonen, dass speziell an Forschungspraktiken angepasste Systeme neue Ansätze in der Interaktion mit wissenschaftlichen Arbeiten ermöglichen. Wir beschreiben zwei Modelle und unsere Erwartung, wie MCI die Entwicklung künftiger FDM-Systeme nachhaltig beeinflussen kann. In diesem Zusammenhang präsentieren wir auch unsere Vision zu ubiquitären Strategien, die zum Ziel hat, Forschungsprozesse und Wissen systematisch festzuhalten