Günther Schreder

A User-Centered Design Approach to Self-Service Ticket Vending Machines

Since their introduction, self-service ticket vending machines (TVMs) have become an increasingly important distribution channel in the public transport sector, progressively replacing the traditional ticket counter. In a public transport setting, where ticket counter closures have left different groups of people dependent on TVM to meet their mobility needs, a single, effective system is required. Research questions: (1) Which barriers do currently hinder the usage of TVM? (2) Which requirements should a barrier-free TVM fulfill? (3) How can we design a new self-service TVM for a nationwide public railway company? (4) How can we ensure that the usability and user experience (UX) is high for all users, especially for those with low levels of technological affinity? Situating the case: Most other studies on the use and usability of TVMs were conducted as post-hoc evaluations. In contrast, our case study presents a user-centered design (UCD) approach that takes the needs of the different target groups into account throughout the whole development process. Theories and concepts that guided the case included UCD, which involves alternating test and evaluation loops that actively involve users to create a usable product and UX, which describes the quality of the experience a person has when interacting with a specific computer system using a specific interaction technique. Methodology: More than 250 participants were involved in focus groups, observations, interviews, and experiments from the very first stages of development. Interface designs were presented to the future end users to obtain their feedback, with the results fed back into the design process. About the case: A prototype for a novel generation of TVM was developed in three phases: First, the context of use was analyzed. In the second phase, we conducted a requirements analysis. Third, different hardware and software interaction designs were iteratively tested and evaluated. The resulting prototype met the requirements of most user groups, though further adjustments are necessary. Conclusions: The UCD approach proved to be a valuable framework for the development and design of self-service systems.

E-Inclusion in Public Transport: The Role of Self-efficacy

Many subgroups in todays society are not skilled in using novel technologies. Even everyday technologies pose a barrier to technically non-skilled people and --- if they fail to use them --- exclude them from important parts of daily life. In this paper we discuss the relevance of self-efficacy for the use of one specific kind of everyday technology: the ticket vending machine. Results from observations and interviews within the research project InnoMat are presented to answer the question how self-efficacy influences the ticket buying behavior and show that this motivational factor leads to an active avoidance of ticket machines. Negative experiences seem to be one of the strongest influences, which indicate that the group of technically non-skilled users should be given special attention when developing a new generation of ticket vending machines.

Looking at the Representations in our Mind: Measuring Mental Models of Information Visualizations

Users of information visualization systems build up internal representations of the displayed information and the system --mental models -- and constantly update them during interaction with the system. Though this theoretical approach was postulated as promising for information visualization, measures for empirical studies are missing. In this paper, we present different measures and evaluation procedures that have been developed for the assessment of mental models in other domains and discuss their suitability for the evaluation of internal and external representations in information visualization.

Rediscovering Isotype from a Cognitive Perspective

Almost 100 years ago, Otto Neurath developed the Isotype (International System of Typographic Picture Education) method to communicate statistical information to the broad public in an intuitive, pictorial way. It translates numerical data into arrangements of repeated pictograms. This method is still well-used in information design and data journalism. Neurath’s original publications contained a lot of assumptions on how Isotype diagrams are processed by recipients: e.g. they can be understood easily, because pictograms are processed in the same way as everyday observations of the same concepts. But documented empirical proof was entirely missing. We present a model for the reception of Isotype-like diagrams from a cognitive perspective. This model includes Isotype’s positive effects of countability, iconicity and ancillary semantic information on graph comprehension. Positive effects on engagement and perceived attractiveness are included as additional factors commonly attributed to Isotype. We discuss existing empirical studies, point out research gaps and propose a roadmap for further research.

Erzählungen und soziale Systeme. Narration in der Internen Kommunikation

Narrationen in Form sogenannten Storytellings haben in den letzten Jahrzehnten vermehrt Einzug in die Organisationskommunikation gehalten. Nicht zuletzt wird damit das Ziel verfolgt, ansonsten vielleicht nuchterne Inhalte in lustige und belehrende Geschichten zu verpacken, um sie den MitarbeiterInnen schmackhaft zu machen und einen nachhaltigen Effekt daraus zu erzielen. Dabei wird gleichzeitig gehofft, so manches Werkzeug der Internen Kommunikation, wie zum Beispiel das Intranet, von Daten- und Formularfriedhofen in bluhende Kommunikationswiesen zu verwandeln.

Von Helden und Schurken - Ein sozio-kognitives Modell zu Wirkungen von Narrationen in Organisationen

Uber die letzten Jahre ist Storytelling zu einem Trend in der Organisations- und Kommunikationsberatung geworden. Zahllose Beratungsfirmen haben begonnen, Storytelling anzubieten: Die Arbeit mit Geschichten und ebenso zahllose Anwendungs- und Praxisbucher zeugen von der Wirksamkeit bzw. der gewunschten Wirksamkeit von Geschichten im organisationalen Kontext. Viele dieser Bucher sind aus praktischen Erfahrungen heraus entstanden, geben Beobachtungen von gewichtigen Beispielen preis und bieten Anleitungen fur die Entwicklung „richtig gemachter“ Geschichten an, die einmal verbreitet, ihre Wirkungen im Unternehmen entfalten konnen und zu allerlei Anderungen anstosen konnten.