Christiane Moser

Connecting TV & PC: an in-situ field evaluation of an unified electronic program guide concept

In-situ studies and evaluations are increasingly appreciated and requested by companies and developers. Direct feedback from the users is seen as important source to further improve a system, to make it usable, acceptable and useful to the users in a final stage. In this paper, we report the results from a conducted in-situ field study for a newly developed EPG (Electronic Program Guide) system. One of the main challenges of our research was to find the right methodological set up in order to gather direct and fast user feedback by bringing developers and users together in a real live setting. Thereby, it was important that the users could easily express their first impressions of the system in an engaging way. Based on our previous work, a creative and playful approach was selected and combined with a variation of the walkthrough method. In this paper we provide a description of the methods used, their combinations, and lessons learned throughout the one-week field study involving different stakeholders.

Revisiting personas: the making-of for special user groups

The diversity of special user groups, i.e. elderly from 50 to 90 years and children from 6 to 14 years, is huge. Assessing their requirements is challenging, as it requires sensitivity in terms of choosing an appropriate approach to collect data. Furthermore, the illustration of the data for the subsequent design process can be difficult, if different partners are involved in a project. In order to overcome these difficulties, we are exploring a decision diagram for the creation of personas. It aims at identifying the most appropriate approach (i.e. qualitative and/or quantitative data collection), taking into account the characteristics of the special user groups among other aspects. In this case study we present how we applied the decision diagram in three different projects to create personas for elderly and children.

Using probes to create child personas for games

This paper describes the integration of children into the analysis phase of a User-Centered Design approach for game development. We used the probes approach to collect qualitative and quantitative data effectively with the help of children. Our approach aimed at investigating gaming behaviors and requirements from children. Therefore, children did not only take part in the probes study, but also assisted in the development and design of the probes material. Additionally, we demonstrate the possibility of using the collected data of the probes material as a basis to create child personas.

Elderly's Social Presence Supported by ICTs: Investigating User Requirements for Social Presence

This paper investigates the user requirements for ICTs to support elderlys social inclusion. We aim to illustrate the potential of social presence for fostering elderlys social interaction. Therefore, we present results of requirements analyses and define implications for the design of ICTs enabling social presence. Social presence is important, as it supports gaining a feeling of belonging to somebody. The more elderly get involved in a common activity, and get aware of the emotions, attitudes or thoughts of another person, the more they will experience social presence, which in turn has a positive effect on social interaction. Due to the extremely heterogeneous target group in terms of technology affinity and acceptance as well as individual needs, it is time to reconsider current ICTs on their potential for designing new social interactions for elderly in order to achieve positive user experiences regarding social presence.

Robotic systems in health care

This paper reflects on a novel concept of robotization in the health care sector. The idea is to design a robotic system capable of performing remote physical examination with palpation (i.e., pressing a patients stomach to identify pain regions and stiffness of organs) and ultrasonography. The medical robotic system will consist of a remote haptic interface for the doctor and a robot located at the patients side supported by an assistant. In two countries (Austria and Poland), we conducted first focus groups with doctors in order to identify how the remote medical diagnostician system is assessed and conceptualized regarding the examination procedures (activities), communication issues, and the visualization of needed information. Based on the findings, we will reflect on the technology assessment, i.e., if remote medical services can be a suitable possibility for rural areas where the availability of doctors with various specializations is often a problem, as well as necessities for this novel type of medical treatment from a doctors point of view (i.e., identified aspects increasing acceptance and adoption by users of the system).

Around the world in 8 workshops: investigating anticipated player experiences of children

Player experience describes the qualities of player-game interaction and is typically evaluated during or after the game has been developed. Different approaches exist to improve and optimize player experience during the design process (e.g., design guidelines). However, the anticipated or expected player experience of users can also guide game developers and researcher in order to develop better games. A series of game ideation workshops with children aged 8 to 15 years was conducted in eight different locations around the world. The workshops produced video snippets, in which children explain their thoughts on possible game play scenarios of a game idea (i.e., anticipations and expectations). An initial content analysis of the videos highlights the game elements and playful experiences that contribute to the anticipated player experience of the children that should guide game developers and researchers.

Now you need to laugh!: investigating fun in games with children

Up to now interaction in desktop games is mostly limited to keyboard and mouse input. This paper describes a desktop game, which uses emotional facial expressions as an additional input channel for creating a virtual flower in a digital universe. The game is being developed for children between 8 and 14 years old and was evaluated in a three-day field study with almost 300 children in the context of a shopping mall. The results show that more than two-thirds of the participants had fun playing the game. This was also confirmed by the high willingness to replay the game. Moreover, the study showed that the game provides the right amount of challenge to the players; it is approximately equally difficult for younger and older children.

Children Ideation Workshop

Players enjoyment is one of the most important goals for games. Without this, children will not repeatedly play them. In order to meet childrens needs, it is important to consider them in the development process, for example, by enabling them to participate actively in the process. Therefore, children will be enabled to participate in ideation workshops to create creative low-fidelity prototypes of game ideas that inspire game designers.

Values in action (ViA): combining usability, user experience and user acceptance

The shift in HCI towards emotions, values, needs etc., (third-wave HCI) reflects the new understanding of interactions between users and technology. However, the focus on usability in the first-wave slightly got out of sight in the second-wave, which mainly addressed the user in working environments, and even more in the third-wave HCI. This wave holds a focus on emotions, experiences and values, not only at work but also during leisure time. We have identified a lack of suitable frameworks and concepts, which provide an integrated view on values on the one hand and usability, user experience and user acceptance on the other hand. For evaluating a prototype in an Ambient Assisted Living project we developed an approach for combining value- and user-centered design with factors related to usability, user experience and user acceptance.

Opportunities and challenges when designing and developing with kids @ school

The school context provides a fruitful and at the same challenging environment to get children engaged in creative development activities. Within this paper we highlight the opportunities and challenges when involving children in the design and development process of interactive technologies with a special focus on this educational context. A summary of the contributions to this IDC 2011 workshop is provided pointing out the main highlights from the position papers. We conclude by discussing future research challenges and opportunities when working with children in the school context.