Joyram Chakraborty

Trading off usability and security in user interface design through mental models

ABSTRACT The aim of this paper is to establish the foundations for developing a mental model that bridges the gap between usability and security in user-centred designs. To this purpose, a meta-model has been developed to align design features with the users’ requirements through tacit knowledge elicitation. The meta-model describes the combinatorial relationships of Security, Usability and Mental (SUM) and how these components can be used to design a usable and secure system. The SUM meta-model led to the conclusion that there is no antagonism between usability and security. However, the degree of usable security depends on the ability of the designer to capture and implement the user’s tacit knowledge. In fact, the SUM meta-model seeks the dilution of the trading-off effects between security and usability through compensating synergism of the tacit knowledge. A usability security cognitive map has been developed for the major constituents of usability and security to clarify the interactions and their influences on the meta-model stipulations. The three intersecting areas of the three components’ relationships are manipulated to expand the Optimal Equilibrium Solution (OES) (δ) expanse. To put the SUM meta-model into practice, knowledge management principles have been proposed for implementing user-centred security and user-centred design. This is accomplished by using collaborative brainpower from various knowledge constellations to design a system within the user’s current and future perception boundaries. Therefore, different knowledge groups, processes, techniques, tactics and practices have been proposed for knowledge transfer and transformation during the mental model development.

A comparative pilot study of historical artifacts in a CAVE automatic virtual reality environment versus paper-based artifacts

The purpose of this research is to synthesize and transform real world physical environments (PE) into a CAVE automatic virtual reality system (CAVE) by using three-dimensional (3D) models of cultural and historical artifacts. 3D models are often used in many applications including visualizations and digital preservation. Virtual reality is used to improve perception and sensation and to better understand products and environments for studying human factors and behaviors. As a pilot study, we developed and prototyped a customizable 3D physical environment using historical data and archives into an interactive CAVE virtual reality (VR) system. We then conducted a study of user preferences using pretest and post-test questionnaires of the CAVE versus paper-based artifacts.

Preliminary Results in the Understanding of Accessibility Challenges in Computer Gaming for the Visually Impaired

Today’s gamers are confronted by a plethora of game choices ranging from simple, two-dimensional board games to highly sophisticated and visually intensive video games. The gaming industry is experiencing a period of growth and innovation through content delivery (e.g. mobile devices, social media platforms, etc.) and user interface/interaction modes (e.g. motion capture/detection, haptic feedback, online game play, etc.).

The Human-Computer Interaction of Cross-Cultural Gaming Strategy.

This article explores the cultural dimensions of the human–computer interaction that underlies gaming strategies. The article is a desktop study of existing literature and is organized into five sections. The first examines the cultural aspects of knowledge processing. The social constructs technology interaction is discussed. Following this, the effects of a gamers experience level and game preferences are examined. Game conditions, scripting, and design principles are discussed. Finally, ideas and concepts for the future of these areas are presented.

Cross Cultural Design Considerations in HealthCare

Increasing number of health care providers are leveraging the power of technology to provide access to medical practitioners and patients on a global scale. However, there is limited research in the area of cross cultural design of the tools being used. This paper presents a work-in-progress in the area of cross cultural design of health care tools. The main interest is to outline some of the cross cultural challenges of designing and implementing healthcare tools on a global scale and some possible solutions.

Using Pinterest to Improve the Big Data User Experience - A Comparative Analysis in Healthcare

Technology has improved rapidly since cloud computing and Big Data was first designed. However, research has found the user experience in the information retrieval process to be lacking. To this end, we carried out a comparative study of a single portal design versus existing data search tools to determine if it could potentially increase knowledge gathered from Big Data using healthcare to illustrate our example. Comparisons of user experiences of search results against other Big Data sources such as Google, WebMD and the CDC showed that customizing Pinterest to provide a single portal for search results lead to improvements for the users’ knowledge and experience, concerning their healthcare issues.

Understanding Cross-Cultural Requirements in mHealth Design: Findings of a Usability Study of Indian Health Professionals

Mobile health (m-health) applications are an increasingly important, cost-effective solution for recording, managing, and disseminating medical information. However, m-health applications designed without feedback from the intended user community may create significant usability challenges. A critical factor in the success of m-health applications rests on the design of user-friendly, cross-cultural interfaces to enable the usability, accessibility, perception, and acceptance of m-health applications. This is particularly true in international markets, where stakeholders may be from a variety of cultural and linguistic backgrounds. To assuage this point, this chapter presents the results of an initial usability study conducted over 6 months of eight Indian public health professionals’ user preferences in their interactions with an m-health application developed in the United States. Specifically, we use a qualitative analysis approach as a requirements analysis tool to identify cross-cultural factors that might influence usability, accessibility, and interaction challenges and affect m-health acceptance. Results indicate that technology familiarity, navigation, language, feedback mechanisms, cognitive overload, and background preferences are the key factors affecting performance and, ultimately, user acceptance.

The Role of Mental Model in Graphical Password Selection and Design

The aim of this paper is to present conceptual foundations for an ongoing comprehensive study on the effects of Mental Model and culture on the selection and the design of the Recognition-Based Graphical Password (RBG-P). A flexible Security, Usability, Mental (SUM) meta-model has been proposed to provide better insights on designing a usable RBG-P through manipulating the optimal equilibrium solution expanse (δ) without compromising security. This manipulation results in the design requirements, which is a consequence of the combinative effects of both the user and the designer mental models as constituted by the culture. A cognitive map has been produced to explicate the relationship between constituents of usability and security provided by the RBG-P. The development of the mental model process necessitates the building of new mindset and culture. This multifaceted relationship of the Shared Mental Model (SMM) development is represented by extrapolating of Metcalfe’s law to social networks.

Designing video games for the blind: results of an empirical study

Understanding non-functional software requirements and developing realizable operationalizations of them are critical to the success of any information system. Non-functional requirements dealing with accessibility and usability are especially important considerations when developing information systems for visually impaired stakeholders; however, this is not, yet, an area well understood in information systems development. This work aims to better understand the non-functional software requirements and realizable operationalizations needed to address the accessibility and usability challenges in computer gaming for the visually impaired. Building on previous work, this paper provides the analysis, results, and recommendations stemming from a systematic qualitative analysis of elicited qualitative text using adaptations of the grounded theory method. To do so, the authors developed a PC version of a 1980’s, 2D, Arcade style video game incorporating joystick controls and sound effects and gathered user experience data from six visually impaired users through a closed, pre-game and post-game interviews. The contribution of this work is part of a larger effort to develop systematic requirements engineering approaches, utilizing qualitative methods, to elicit, analyze, and operationalize non-functional software requirements within the information systems development process, to provide equal access to information systems for visually impaired users.

Usability Testing Results for a Mobile Medical Transition Application

The use of mobile applications to assist with healthcare management is becoming increasingly present today. Healthcare consumers are demanding technologies that promote self-directed healthcare management; additionally, healthcare practitioners are utilizing these technologies to share ownership of healthcare responsibility. One aspect of healthcare that is common is the process of medical transition. Medical transition is when an individual shifts from a pediatric to adult healthcare team. As an individual’s medical history becomes more complex, often due to a chronic medical condition, the medical transition process is often complicated. To address this, a mobile application was designed and developed to assist patients undergoing medical transition. This paper extends previous work by presenting the results of the first round of usability testing on the mobile application.