Mental models for web objects: Where do users expect to find the most frequent objects in online shops, news portals, and company web pages?

In interface development, it is crucial to reflect the users' expectations and mental models. By meeting users' expectations, errors can be prevented and the efficiency of the interaction can be enhanced. Applying these guidelines to website development reveals the need to know where users expect to find the most common web objects like the search field, home button or the navigation. In a preliminary online study with 136 participants, the most common web objects were identified for three web page types: online shops, news portals, and company web pages. These objects were used for the main study, which was conducted with 516 participants. In an online application, prototypical websites had to be constructed by the participants. Data analysis showed that Internet users have distinct mental models for different web page types (online shop, news portal, and company web page). Users generally agree about the locations of many, but not all, web objects. These mental models are robust to demographic factors like gender and web expertise. This knowledge could be used to improve the perception and usability of website

Scroll Placement and Handedness

This study explored how individuals categorized on handedness (being left or right hand dominant) reacted to having the vertical scroll bar of a web browser relocated to the left side of the screen. The relocation of the vertical scroll bar served as an alternative to the relocation of the prominent left aligned main navigation menu for most websites. Fifteen participants were recruited for the study. Each participant interacted with two versions of a web site in a modified browser to complete a set of ten short tasks. Participants completed tasks by interacting with a traditional and non-traditional vertical browser alignment. Left and right-handed participants were determined to be strikingly different in operation. Vertical scroll relocation produced some interesting results and responses

Parallax Scrolling: game over or restart?

Este projeto tem como objetivo principal explorar a influência da técnica de parallax scrolling no contexto do web design, procurando responder às seguintes questões de investigação: De que forma se distingue o parallax scrolling das restantes técnicas de apresentação de conteúdos e informação, considerando a experiência do utilizador? Qual a vantagem da técnica de parallax scrolling em detrimento de outras? Qual a influência e impacto deste efeito na área do web design? O efeito do paralaxe evidencia-se quando objetos mais próximos do olhar aparentam mover-se a uma velocidade e ângulos distintos em relação a objetos que estejam mais distantes. Foi, pela primeira vez, explorado artificialmente na área do cinema em 1926. No anos 80, a ilusão de tridimensionalidade que proporciona deu uma nova dimensão aos videojogos.. Já a partir de 2012, esta técnica começou a marcar presença também no web design. Vários estudos foram desenvolvidos para comprovar, ou não, o impacto do parallax scrolling na experiência do utilizador. Este projeto visa sintetizar as conclusões obtidas pelo diferentes autores e propor uma abordagem, aos futuros académicos e profissionais, ciente dos defeitos e virtudes do parallax scrolling, com o objetivo de otimizar este efeito, alvo de bastantes críticas

Improving the user experience of document search : case M-Files

Search is a widely used tool. It is a standard element that can be found on websites, online stores and in most software applications. Search needs to be easily accessible and answer to the users' needs for them to continue using it. This study focuses on document search and how to improve search for M-Files. M-Files is an intelligent information management system that stores data based on its content. The users can access the document based on what it is instead of where it is. This requires an effective search that the users are comfortable using. The purpose of this study is to see if setting UX goals to document search can improve its usability. The study also focuses on how to find the right UX goals and how to use them in the design. In addition, the use of artificial intelligence to enhance user experience was studied. To be able to find the UX goals the users were consulted about their use of M-Files search. Based on the responses from the user questionnaire, three UX goals were formed: clarity, ease of use and controllability. Two prototypes were created based on the literature survey on designing search and the UX goals. The prototypes were identical, except that search filters were placed in different locations. Prototype A had filters on the right side of the layout, prototype B on the left. The prototypes were tested with eight users where they tested either the A or B prototype. The participants liked the improved design. They felt it was clearer, easier to use and it gave control for the users over the system. The added AI functionality was one element in improving usability. When the two designs were compared, prototype B with filters on the left side was a bit more efficient to use and it received higher scores from the participants. The results from this study show that setting UX goals to a document search can improve its usability. It also became apparent throughout this study that the research on other forms of search than web is lacking and requires further studies