Mobile eye tracking applied as a tool for customer experience research in a crowded train station

Train stations have increasingly become crowded, necessitating stringent requirements in the design of stations and commuter navigation through these stations. In this study, we explored the use of mobile eye tracking in combination with observation and a survey to gain knowledge on customer experience in a crowded train station. We investigated the utilization of mobile eye tracking in ascertaining customers’ perception of the train station environment and analyzed the effect of a signalization prototype (visual pedestrian flow cues), which was intended for regulating pedestrian flow in a crowded underground passage. Gaze behavior, estimated crowd density, and comfort levels (an individual’s comfort level in a certain situation), were measured before and after the implementation of the prototype. The results revealed that the prototype was visible in conditions of low crowd density. However, in conditions of high crowd density, the prototype was less visible, and the path choice was influenced by other commuters. Hence, herd behavior appeared to have a stronger effect than the implemented signalization prototype in conditions of high crowd density. Thus, mobile eye tracking in combination with observation and the survey successfully aided in understanding customers’ perception of the train station environment on a qualitative level and supported the evaluation of the signalization prototype the crowded underground passage. However, the analysis process was laborious, which could be an obstacle for its practical use in gaining customer insights

Why Web Professionals Design for Accessibility: The Importance of User Involvement and Product Quality

Background. For people with disabilities, the fast development of services on the web and in mobile apps offers great potential for equal participation. Web accessibility enables this potential by preventing the emergence of barriers that result from sensory (e.g., vision, hearing), motor (e.g., tremor, limited use of hands), and cognitive (e.g., learning disabilities, attention deficits) impairments. Taking web accessibility into account extends the usability of web and mobile apps to as many people as possible. Web professionals in various roles – such as interaction designers, visual designers, and developers – define and shape the design of such services and hold a key responsibility for web accessibility. In four manuscripts, we examine the main contributing factors in the adoption of inclusive design practices and explore how those factors can be supported. Methods and Results. In the first manuscript, we completed a systematic literature review of recently published articles discussing contributing factors in web accessibility adoption, constructed a questionnaire, and conducted a survey of web professionals using the questionnaire. In this process, we identified three key determinants of why web professionals consider web accessibility. First, users with disabilities should have opportunities to offer their perspectives at all stages of the design process. Second, web professionals should integrate web accessibility as a part of their professional role. And third, web accessibility should be perceived as beneficial for the overall quality of a product. The factors of product quality and user involvement were then explored in depth. Product quality was addressed in randomised controlled experiments conducted in the second and third manuscripts. In both studies, the level of accessibility was manipulated to examine its effects on outcomes related to usability and user experience. Manuscript 2 focuses on the question of how reduced language complexity impacts perceived product quality. We found that a combined presentation of text in both conventional and simplified language can provide positive effects for users with cognitive disabilities while not undermining the experience of other user groups. Manuscript 3 focuses on the relation between product quality and compliance with web accessibility standards. The results show that beneficial effects on outcomes related to usability and user experience cannot be expected from compliance with web accessibility standards alone. Finally, the factor of user involvement is explored in the fourth manuscript, in which we detail a case study of a participatory-design approach for involving users with disabilities in the design process. Conclusion. Designing accessible web and mobile apps is a demanding task. We conclude that (a) involving users with a variety of abilities in the design process is a key component and has an impact on multiple levels. This is closely related to the outcome that (b) web accessibility efforts should go beyond conformance with standards to significantly enhance product quality. Further, the fast-evolving field of web and mobile apps requires (c) strengthening web accessibility at all stages of the design process. Additionally, all professionals involved in the design of inclusive products should (d) expand their personal commitment by establishing an understanding of how inclusion benefits all users and what their individual role can contribute. Based on these findings, we propose implications for research and practice

Understanding the relations between crowd density, safety perception and risk-taking behavior on train station platforms: A case study from Switzerland

Railway platforms are becoming increasingly crowded, especially at peak hours. In this observational study, we investigated how the density of people is perceived by passengers and how this perceived density correlates with safety perception and risk-taking behavior. Risk-taking behavior here means stepping into the danger zone, the area of the platform bordering the tracks where individuals are at risk to their physical integrity by a train passing through, arriving at or leaving the station. The investigation of perceived density and actual behavior on the platform poses methodological challenges. Therefore, we used a stereo sensor technology to collect anonymized behavioral data on a train station platform over two months. Data regarding passenger density and oversteps into the danger zone was collected during rush hours and analyzed for this study. Additionally, subjective data, such as estimation and perception of passenger density and safety perception were collected in a survey with 179 participants. Survey links were distributed during rush hours in three different train stations on platforms over two weeks. While distributing the links for the online survey in the field (two-hour sessions during rush hours), an observation was conducted (i.e., oversteps into the danger zone, general passenger behavior). The results indicate that increased measured passenger density is related to more oversteps. Subjective perception of crowd density, regarding how comfortable someone feels in the given situation, correlates with safety perception and also significantly predicts overstepping into the danger zone. Increased estimated density also correlates with reduced safety perception but is not a predictor of oversteps. We suggest optimizing the passenger distribution on the platform by motivating passengers to move to less crowded areas, e.g. with approaches such as “nudging” so that passengers feel more comfortable on the platform. This can both improve both safety and the customer experience on the platform

Salient beliefs influencing the intention to consider Web Accessibility

Web Accessibility aims to provide usable web information and services to as many people as possible. Despite the availability of standards and the presence of legal obligations, Web Accessibility often remains unsatisfactory. Through a multi-step approach, the present study addresses the question of how web practitioners form their intention to consider Web Accessibility in the development process. Based on a systematic literature review, twelve main salient beliefs influencing the intention to consider Web Accessibility were identified. Applying the Theory of Planned Behavior, a theoretical model integrating these main salient beliefs was compiled and a questionnaire to test the model developed. A total of 342 web practitioners in various professional roles answered the questionnaire in an online study. Path analysis revealed that intention to consider Web Accessibility is stronger when users actively promote their needs, when web practitioners see Web Accessibility as part of their professional role, and when the consideration of Web Accessibility is perceived as beneficial for the quality of a product. Hence, it is recommended to involve users with a variety of abilities in the development process, to emphasize the responsibility and specialist role of web practitioners, and to actively promote Web Accessibility as a quality feature of a product