Çiğdem Erbuğ

An interdisciplinary heuristic evaluation method for universal building design

This study highlights how heuristic evaluation as a usability evaluation method can feed into current building design practice to conform to universal design principles. It provides a definition of universal usability that is applicable to an architectural design context. It takes the seven universal design principles as a set of heuristics and applies an iterative sequence of heuristic evaluation in a shopping mall, aiming to achieve a cost-effective evaluation process. The evaluation was composed of three consecutive sessions. First, five evaluators from different professions were interviewed regarding the construction drawings in terms of universal design principles. Then, each evaluator was asked to perform the predefined task scenarios. In subsequent interviews, the evaluators were asked to re-analyze the construction drawings. The results showed that heuristic evaluation could successfully integrate universal usability into current building design practice in two ways: (i) it promoted an iterative evaluation process combined with multi-sessions rather than relying on one evaluator and on one evaluation session to find the maximum number of usability problems, and (ii) it highlighted the necessity of an interdisciplinary ad hoc committee regarding the heuristic abilities of each profession. A multi-session and interdisciplinary heuristic evaluation method can save both the project budget and the required time, while ensuring a reduced error rate for the universal usage of the built environments.

Usability problem reports for comparative studies: Consistency and inspectability

ABSTRACT This study explores issues of consistency and inspectability in usability test data analysis processes and reports. Problem reports resulting from usability tests performed by three professional usability labs in three different countries are compared. Each of the labs conducted a usability test on the same product, applying an agreed test protocol that was collaboratively developed by the labs. Each lab first analyzed their own findings as they always do in their regular professional practice. A few weeks later, they again analyzed their findings, but then everyone applied the same method (SlimDEVAN: a simplified version of DEVAN, a method developed for facilitating comparison of findings from usability tests in an academic setting). It was found that levels of agreement between labs did not improve when they all used SlimDEVAN, suggesting that there was inherent subjectivity in their analyses. It was found that consistency of single analyst teams varied considerably and that a method like SlimDEVAN can help in making the analysis process and findings more inspectable. Inspectability is helpful in comparative studies based on identified usability problems because it allows for tracing back findings to original observations as well as for laying bare the subjective parts of the data analysis.

Eliciting positive user experiences with self-service kiosks: pursuing possibilities

Although the prominent concept of the last decade – user experience – maintains its significance in diverse disciplines, especially design, its focus has changed to eliciting positive user experiences by pursuing new possibilities for consumer products rather than by solely seeking solutions to existing problems. Designers continue to aim for rich user experiences with a variety of products, but have neglected self-service (interactive) kiosks. Hence, this paper, after giving a brief overview of the positive psychology literature, demonstrates the dimensions of positive user experiences with self-service kiosks through an empirical study conducted on coffee vending machines and automated tellers.

Mobile Health Integration in Pregnancy

Healthcare is one of the primary matters in human life. It becomes a more significant period during pregnancy, as a woman’s body is resourcing for two lives. Pregnancy is a challenging period, since pregnant women not only undergo unexpected physical and psychological changes, but they also have continuous concerns, because childbirth and motherhood alter their lives in distinct ways. Hence, they are in need of a diverse support. Pregnancy experiences have started to change in parallel to the changes in the information and communication technologies. Traditional health management has been redefined with the mobile technologies, and smartphones and applications have taken the lead. Increasing numbers of pregnancy applications have entered to the market with far-reaching benefits, yet they fell short to be integrated into the daily lives of pregnant women. In order to realize the acceptance, adoption, and smooth integration of mobile health (mHealth) into the daily lives of pregnant women, pregnancy technologies should not be merely information providers, decision-makers, or problem solvers. In fact, they should go beyond that by making pregnant women feel better and enhancing their wellness holistically. In this chapter, pregnant women’s interactions with mobile pregnancy applications were reported conducting the study with 33 pregnant women in different trimesters. Results presented that needs, concerns, and expectations may change according to different pregnancy trimesters and pregnant women types. Based on the results of the study and positive psychology literature, design implications and information, communication, and interaction qualities for pregnancy applications were discussed in relation to positive user experience dimensions with mobile pregnancy technologies that can provide more satisfactory and happy user experiences.

User Orientation Maps: An Approach to Address User Diversity in Design for Sustainable Behaviour

Abstract There has been an increasing tendency among design researchers to explore the potential of design to change user behaviour in the interest of sustainability. To date, numerous techniques have been proposed, aimed at providing more guidance to design researchers and practitioners on how to encourage sustainable behaviour. Choosing a technique suitable for both the target behaviour and the target user is a critical task when designing for sustainable behaviours. The influence of individual characteristics on user compliance with different techniques makes this task more compelling for designers. To make this task easier for them, we offer a new approach, called the ‘user orientation map’, to explore and represent user diversity by showing the range of user types and techniques to promote behavioural change for each user type. We illustrate this approach with a case study on eco-friendly driving, and identify nine user types.

A proposed information systems framework for effective delivery of user research findings

Integration of user research findings into product design process is a well-received issue. There is a tremendous research on how to conduct user research and methodologies for generating user data. However delivering that information effectively is as important as the quality of data generated through user research, since if it is not delivered effectively the impact that is demanded by the product developers would not be achieved. Therefore the requirements for the deliverables should be conceptualized before designing them, in order to have an effective integration. Thus the aim of this paper is to propose an information systems framework for effective delivery of user research findings to the product development team members. In this paper, a preliminary effort to construct this framework is made by retrieving the frameworks constructs from the literature.

Ergonomics and Design: Projections for the Future

Discussions on the role of design in the post-industrial society, creates new definitions for design. In order to avoid placing a burden on the environment, designing is faced with a new context. In this context design supports long-term use, shared use, reuse, optimisation of useability and many other concepts related with environmental concerns and ethical attitude. It is evident that all these concepts require a new strategy for design where creating value and more human-centred products gain importance. This approach brings new organisations in product life cycle, because believing in these values most of the designers and manufacturers may agree on the new motto for design “less but better”. Therefore a comprehensive strategy is necessary for the communication of ergonomics experts and designers in the near future.