Igor Garnik

Creative sprints: an unplanned broad agile evaluation and redesign process

We report how a request for routine usability work rapidly evolved into a novel agile process for evaluation and redesign. This process is described and then analysed to identify reasons for success. This analysis supports realistic knowledge transfer between User Experience professionals by outlining how similar future processes could succeed. Realistically, professionals must work to get approaches to work. Uncritical copying of concrete details is unrealistic.

Exploring an Ontological Approach for User Requirements Elicitation in the Design of Online Virtual Agents

Effective user requirements elicitation is a key factor for the success of software development projects. There are many qualitative and quantitative research studies that promulgate particular methods and show the application of user requirements elicitation in particular domains. However, few try to eliminate the burden of ambiguity in gathered data, naturally occurring in different groups of stakeholders. This paper deals with this problem by introducing an ontology-based approach which by design provides a shared and common understanding of a domain. On the other hand, the developed ontology is a feasible communication facility for the stakeholders involved, acknowledged and controlled by a group of experts.

Can Evaluation Patterns Enable End Users to Evaluate the Quality of an e-learning System? An Exploratory Study

This paper presents the results of an exploratory study whose main aim is to verify if the Pattern-Based (PB) inspection technique enables end users to perform reliable evaluation of e-learning systems in real work-related settings. The study involved 13 Polish and Italian participants, who did not have an HCI background, but used e-learning platforms for didactic and/or administrative purposes. The study revealed that the participants were able to effectively and efficiently apply the PB inspection technique with minimum effort. However, in some cases, participants complained that, in some cases, the technique appeared time demanding. This work provides some valuable suggestions to redesign the evaluation tools of the PB technique, in order to improve the focus on specific elements of the e-learning system and to streamline better the evaluation process.

Knowledge management challenges in collaborative design of a virtual call centre

This paper presents an analysis of knowledge management issues for a user interface consulting project relevant during the development of a Virtual Call Centre. The experiences gathered by a team of designers and a team of usability consultants have been described and evaluated from the knowledge management viewpoint. A concept of a knowledge-based system, potentially supporting usability consulting in subsequent IT projects has been presented, as well as constraints for its possible use in real settings.

Eye-tracking web usability research

In this paper we present the results of a study that aims to evaluate the usability of three selected web services, based on eye-tracking and thinking aloud techniques. The gathered comments and observations, recapitulated and supported by particular measures, allow us to discover and describe typical user behavior pertaining to given tasks to solve.

Vendor credibility in e-shops design in Poland: an empirical study

A survey, preformed by the author with the use of electronic questionnaires, was aimed to identify factors affecting user-perceived credibility of vendors (e-shops) in the Polish market. The survey identified specific features of e-shops, which affect credibility of Polish vendors perceived by local consumers, with declared impact of these features on the user willingness to make a final purchase. As a result of the authors research a descriptive model of vendors credibility was worked out and then verified in an experimental study.

Building website credibility: a prospective solution to e-Commerce in Poland

The paper presents main problems concerning e-commerce development in Poland and other countries in Eastern Europe, in particular links between consumers trust and cultural background in the region. The paper presents also a model proposal, describing relations and factors affecting creation of consumers trust toward an on-line supplier.

Just Let Me Think: Designing Against Acquired Illiteracy

This article concerns the relatively new problem of illiteracy relating to persons previously being literate, which is caused by too intensive using of so-called digital media (TV, computers, tablets, smartphones, e-book readers, portable media players, etc.). The problem has been observed for several years mainly in countries with high economic and technological development. The widespread use of digital media and the ease of their use as well as access to many functions and features, lead their users to performing even simple mental tasks with help of digital media. As many studies show, it affects the condition of human mind. Apart from so strongly detrimental effects such as digital dementia and digital addiction, ceding the easy tasks, so far performed by people themselves, to the digital media causes a loss of basic mental skills. Probably, the most common example would be the use of a calculator for making the basic arithmetical operations on integer numbers in the range to one hundred. In most of countries children master this skill usually at the beginning of primary school. This kind of illiteracy can be described as secondary, returning or acquired illiteracy. To counteract this negative phenomenon it is necessary to design the user interface in a such way that supports and strongly activates mental processes inside the human mind. This article contains a few recommendations for the design of user interfaces and sample proposals for changes in existing interfaces.