Alexandre Fleury

Evaluating user preferences for video transfer methods from a mobile device to a TV screen

This article reports on the evaluation of four methods for transferring video content from a mobile device to a fixed television. The methods have been investigated in a Wizard-of-Oz approach through two consecutive studies. The first experiment aimed at collecting general opinions toward such a feature as well as preferences in terms of usability. In general, participants preferred methods that resemble already known interaction paradigms, and argued against the need of moving physically. From the comments collected in the first study, six potential indicators of preference were generated and investigated in a second experiment. The results indicate that familiarity, convenience and annoyance are strong predictors of the preference level of methods for transferring video content from a mobile- to a fixed device. A discussion and potential design guidelines are finally proposed.

Drawing and acting as user experience research tools

This paper discusses the use of participant-generated drawings and drama workshops as user experience research methods. In spite of the lack of background literature on how drawings can generate useful insights on HCI issues, drawings have been successfully used in other research fields. On the contrary, drama workshops seem to be increasingly popular in recent participatory design research. After briefly introducing such previous work, three case studies are presented, illustrating the use of drawing and drama workshops when investigating the relationship between media technology users and two specific devices, namely televisions and mobile phones. The paper focuses on the methods and discusses their benefits and the challenges associated with their application. In particular, the findings are compared to those collected through a quantitative cross-cultural survey. The experience gathered during the three case studies is very encouraging and calls for additional reports of UX evaluations involving drawing- and theatre-based exercises.

Evaluating Ubiquitous Media Usability Challenges: Content Transfer and Channel Switching Delays

As ubiquitous media is developing rapidly, new HCI challenges emerge. In this paper, we address usability issues related to the transfer of con- tent between fixed and mobile devices, as well as channel switching delays on mobile devices. We first provide an extensive review of the field. We then evaluate four relatively novel approaches for initiating a transfer of video con- tent from a mobile phone to a TV screen. Seen from a users point of view, fa- miliarity and comfort are found to be important decision factors when selecting a preference among the proposed methods. Furthermore, we identify a threshold level above which people appear to be annoyed when switching between TV channels on a mobile device, and investigate factors that may influence the perceived acceptability of such delay.

Acceptable channel switching delays for mobile TV

This paper presents a user study investigating the acceptability of channel switching delays on mobile television systems. The authors first review the previous work in the area, then propose a study design and present results from its implementation, focusing on the overall acceptability threshold as well as three potential effect factors: the transition type, the test environment and the audiovisual content. The results show that delays longer than 5.7 seconds annoyed test participants, and that the transition type had a significant impact on the rating of channel switching delays. However, neither the test environment nor the audiovisual content influenced the ratings significantly. Finally, a discussion of these results and directions for future research are proposed.

User Perspectives on Media Convergence: Results from Quantitative and Qualitative Studies

This chapter investigates the user perspective on new media, and especially on how the convergence between television and mobile technologies is experienced in highly connected societies. It relies on three user studies aiming at exploring current and future practices with televisions and mobile phones in Denmark and Japan, two countries with high technology penetration rates. First, an online survey conducted in the spring of 2012 explored mobile phone and television usage separately as well as jointly, as in mobile television and in a second screen setup. In addition to this quantitative study, four panel discussions took place in Denmark, during which media consumers of all ages were introduced to and discussed issues specific to second screens. They manipulated a number of high-fidelity prototypes and debated on issues of separation of content and control as well as on prompting for interaction. Finally, the personal relationship between TV and mobile phone owners and their devices was explored in Denmark and Japan through participant-generated drawings. These drawings revealed how media is used at home, what mobile devices their owner carries around, and personal memories related to television and mobile phones. Based on these studies, the proposed chapter identifies a number of trends concerning the near future of converging media solutions as seen by their future users.