Hanna Koskinen

Defining user experience goals to guide the design of industrial systems

The key prerequisite for experience-driven design is to define what experience to design for. User experience (UX) goals concretise the intended experience. Based on our own case studies from industrial environments and a literature study, we propose five different approaches to acquiring insight and inspiration for UX goal setting: Brand, Theory, Empathy, Technology, and Vision. Each approach brings in a different viewpoint, thus supporting the multidisciplinary character of UX. The Brand approach ensures that the UX goals are in line with the companys brand promise. The Theory approach utilises the available scientific knowledge of human behaviour. The Empathy approach focuses on knowing the actual users and stepping into their shoes. The Technology approach considers the new technologies that are being introduced and their positive or negative influence on UX. Finally, the Vision approach focuses on renewal, introducing new kinds of UXs. In the design of industrial systems, several stakeholders are involved and they should share common design goals. Using the different UX goal-setting approaches together brings in the viewpoints of different stakeholders, thus committing them to UX goal setting and emphasising UX as a strategic design decision.

User experience: does it matter in complex systems?

This paper explores the concept of user experience (UX) within complex systems in the domain of nuclear power production. The specific context is the development of main control room solutions. As UX has become a prevalent concept in human–computer interaction and related research fields, it is a valid question, whether the concept could bring something new to the research concerning complex safety–critical systems also. In this paper, we introduce the concept of UX as an indicator of the users’ subjective feeling of the appropriateness of the proposed tool for the activity. Based on activity theoretical contemplation, we presume that UX is grounded in the feelings and emotions evoked in the usage of the systems and which concern the status of the whole activity. In the paper, a theory-based characterization of UXs in the particular domain is developed based on three general functions of a tool: instrument, psychological, and communicative. We present the operationalization of UX and three studies in which UXs concerning different control room systems during a control room transformation process were followed. Based on the results of the three studies, we find that the significance of UX as an indicator of quality in use lies in the ability to bring the professional users’ experiences, which are embedded in the inner characteristics of the work and not always observable by external evaluators, to the process of designing new systems. Evidence to support the initial background assumption that UXs may concern instrumental aspects of tools was identified in the studies.

User experience targets as design drivers: a case study on the development of a remote crane operator station

In recent years, the notion of user experience, or UX, as an essential aspect to be addressed in the design and development of technologies has been increasingly discussed. In this paper, we present a case study in which we have used UX targets as the main design drivers and focus areas in developing a new remote operator station user interface for container cranes. UX targets describe the experiential qualities to which the product design should aim at. However, taking UX targets into consideration during product design is challenging, because only little is known about how they would be best operationalized to serve the different phases of the design process. Through our case study, we describe how we identified relevant UX targets, how their content was defined, and how they were implemented into a new remote operator station concept that was then tested and evaluated by expert users.

Core-Task Design:A Practice-Theory Approach to Human Factors

This book focuses on design of work from the human-factors (HF) perspective. In the approach referred to as Core-Task Design (CTD), work is considered practice, composed of human actors, the physical and social environment, and the tools used for reaching the actors’ objectives. This book begins with consideration of an industrial case, the modernization of a nuclear power plant automation system, and the related human-system interfaces in the control room. This case illustrates generic design dilemmas that invite one to revisit human-factors research methodology: Human factors should adopt practice as a new unit of analysis and should accept intervention as an inherent feature of its methodology. These suggestions are put into practice in the CTD approach, according to which three general design functions are performed, those being: -understand-to-generalize—empirical analysis of the work at hand, -foresee-the-promise—creation of concepts for future work, and -in ervene-to-develop—participatory development and design of work. For fulfillment fulfillment of each of the design functions, several CTD methods are introduced. The methods are aimed at modeling the core task and analyzing how the actors actually take the core task features into account in order to achieve balance between potentially conflicting demands in action. Thereby, new understanding of the core task is acquired. Further methods focus on projecting the roles and functionality of technologies in the future work and on implementing changes to the work. Specific studies of the nuclear power plant’s control-room renewal constitute an example demonstrating a core task and the associated methods. We argue that the CTD approach offers clear utility for the design of future technology, work, and everyday services and environments. CTD utilizes achievements of practice theory in the social sciences to generate a creative synthesis of Cognitive Work Analysis, semiotic analy is of practice, and the cultural-historical theory of activity. Core-Task Design facilitates dialogue among human-factors experts, design engineers, and end users in their joint development of work. The intended audience of this book is students, researchers, and practitioners of human factors, industrial art and design, and instrumentation and control-system design.

Enhancing the user experience of the crane operator: comparing work demands in two operational settings

Motivation -- To understand the different crane operation experiences by analysing the work demands in both conventional and remote operation settings. On the basis of this analysis, we aim to find out ways to enhance the operators experience of sense of control and feeling of presence when operating remotely. Research approach -- We conducted qualitative field studies in two different operating environments. The studies were based on the Core-Task Analysis method and included altogether 12 operator interviews and observations. Findings -- The results suggest that remote operation brings more uncertainty factors to the operators work, whereas in the conventional cabin operation setting there is a stronger emphasis on dynamism. Based on the field studies, two user experience targets -- sense of control and feeling of presence -- were chosen and the design implications of these user experience targets for the development of a new remote operation station were elaborated. We suggest that in the design of remote crane operation solutions special attention should be paid for example to the creation of a comprehensive and coherent operating view as well as the development of a rich and realistic feel of operation. Take away message -- Remote crane operation system should provide the operator with an enriched hands-on experience to the crane on the field.

Outage on the table: the design of interactive surfaces for collaborative operation in outage control centres

Motivation Outage in an industrial plant is an activity that takes place at regular intervals and demands the effort and commitment of the whole operating organization. The main objective is to carry out this collaborative activity in an efficient and safe manner. Therefore, the development of centralized coordination and management unit for outages, outage control centre (OCC), has gained a lot interest in recent years. This paper presents an on-going work, in which the aim is to explore the potential usefulness and applications of interactive surface technologies in an OCC. In particular, the focus is on multi-touch technology. Research approach The project started with a literature review on interactive surfaces. Then two sets of interviews were conducted with experienced outage personnel in order to better understand the nature of the outage activity and form requirements for OCC. Interviews were followed by an exploratory concept phase in which the known and future challenges of outage work were addressed in the light of new technological possibilities. Different prototyping techniques were used for illustrating the functioning of an imagined touch-table concept and to facilitate end user involvement. Findings/Design The results suggest that the touch-table has the potential to support collaborative problem solving situations. Video-prototyping materializes these benefits and makes them accessible for user evaluations. Next, the aim is to involve users to give concrete feedback and develop tabletop concept further. Take away message Interactive surface technologies seem a promising tool for establishing a collaborative problem-solving platform to support efficient and safe operation of outages.

Radical Innovation by Theoretical Abstraction – A Challenge for The User-centred Designer

Abstract It is generally accepted that scientific disciplines such as psychology, sociology, and anthropology contribute beneficially to design by providing understanding of users’ needs, experiences, and desires. Arguably, however, these disciplines have more to contribute, because they include theories and models that can be applied as design frames and principles. More specifically, goal-setting, visualization, thematization, and conceptual reconfiguration are general mechanisms through which theories translate into design contributions. Actualizing radical design solutions via these mechanisms is discussed: theories provide appropriate means of abstraction, which allows ‘distance’ from user data; departure from the existing design and user paradigms toward ‘what has not yet been imagined’ is thereby possible. These suggestions draw from and are exemplified by a ship bridge design case.

Evaluation of User Experience Goal Fulfillment: Case Remote Operator Station

In this paper, the results of a user experience UX goal evaluation study are reported. The study was carried out as a part of a research and development project of a novel remote operator station ROS for container gantry crane operation in port yards. The objectives of the study were both to compare the UXs of two different user interface concepts and to give feedback on how well the UX goals experience of safe operation, sense of control, and feeling of presence are fulfilled with the developed ROS prototype. According to the results, the experience of safe operation and feeling of presence were not supported with the current version of the system. However, there was much better support for the fulfilment of the sense of control UX goal in the results. Methodologically, further work is needed in adapting the utilized Usability Case method to suit UX goal evaluation better.

Utilizing Experience Goals in Design of Industrial Systems

The core idea of experience-driven design is to define the intended experience before functionality and technology. This is a radical idea for companies that have built their competences around specific technologies. Although many technology companies are willing to shift their focus towards experience-driven design, reports on real-life cases about the utilization of this design approach are rare. As part of an industry-led research program, we introduced experience-driven design to metal industry companies with experience goals as the key technique. Four design cases in three companies showed that the goals are useful in keeping the focus on user experience, but several challenges are still left for future research to tackle. This exploratory research lays ground for future research by providing initial criteria for assessing experience design tools. The results shed light on utilizing experience goals in industrial design projects and help practitioners in planning and managing the product design process with user experience in mind.

Uncovering the user experience with critical experience interviews

User experience (UX) design relies on comprehensive understanding about the experiential aspects of users and their tasks. Gathering the understanding is difficult and there is a need for cost-efficient ways to build the UX knowledge. This paper describes a study where the critical decision-making method (CDM) was adapted to user experience research and tried-out in process industry context. CDM is a retrospective interview strategy, which aims to elicit the insights of decision-making of professionals through a walkthrough of non-routine decision-making events. Our adapted version of the CDM, critical experience interview, utilizes the structure and core logic of CDM but focuses on experiential and emotional factors instead of reasoning and decision making ones. The strengths of the critical experience interview lie in the multiple viewpoints and iterative interview strategy. In the study, the critical experience interview was able to produce useful and rich descriptions of work related experiences of the interviewees.