Manfred Tscheligi

Joking, storytelling, artsharing, expressing affection: a field trial of how children and their social network communicate with digital images in leisure time

Increasing use of mobile phones in leisure and communication with digital images are important and current issues in the field of telecommunications. However, little is known about how images would be used in leisure related communication. According to our experience field trials are the best way of studying it. In this paper, we describe a field-trial case study of leisure related communication with digital images. Moreover, we discuss the advantages of conducting field trials as part of product concept design process.

User requirement analysis for a railway ticketing portal with emphasis on semantic accessibility for older users

In this paper, we present the results from a survey on user requirements for older users of online ticketing services of a nationwide railway ticket and travel information portal. Our survey shows that older users differentiate in their attitude towards internet according to their experience with internet services and the service provided, not only according to their age. Further, our study indicates that in contrary to common belief advertisement or interactive elements are not perceived as negative all the time. The results of a questionnaire with 1200 responses, focus groups, interviews and qualitative analysis of user feedback also indicate that in order to improve and optimize the usage of the online system for older adults, it is needed to supply the system not only with technical accessibility requirements but also with an understanding of universal accessibility requirements. Universal requirements are defined by real user and usage cases and they consider standardization on not only coding but also predictability of usage and same patterns of interaction for similar websites.

Interaction objects-A paradigm for intuitive user interfaces

An object-based intuitive user interface approach, based on a real life conceptual user model is introduced. The objects are represented graphically. A few simple concepts are applied to the whole user interface. These, together with high consistency in the interaction techniques, result in a highly user-friendly system. The design concepts are described and a design method for object-based user interfaces is proposed.<<ETX>>

The FeelMouse: making computer screens feelable

The FeelMouse supports the user by providing tactile and force feedback to the user. Depending on the object the user points to the force necessary to press the mouse button differs. With more or less resistance the user perceives harder or softer objects or objects which jut out more or less from the virtual computer surface. If the force is switched continuously a vibrating object is generated. In addition to “normal” usage the FeelMouse can be used to enable the work with GUIs also for visually impaired people.

The gear model of HCI education

Gears are used as central metaphor for the philosophy of a coordinated HCI education program. The program consists of six parts distributed over one year. The main emphasis of all parts is on active involvement with a considerable amount of feedback and reflection.

Java based user interface design and development

The objective of this tutorial is to introduce the Java platform from a design rather then from a programming perspective. It provides an exploration of key issues of the Java technology necessary to create high quality and novel web technology based application environments. Based on the experience of several Java based user interface projects the specific needs of usability engineers will be addressed. User interface potentials embedded in the Java platform will be uncovered.

Advanced Interaction in University Based Education

While individual University faculty members may be developing an appreciation for the importance of multi- and hypermedia technologies for education and training there is a lack of real integration into their education programs. They have little professional incentive for learning about and incorporating novel technologies into instruction. For most faculty the problem is too large to be solved since it is somewhat analogous to asking them to undertake learning a new discipline. What is needed is a modestly priced bit of social, organizational and technical re-engineering to create the incentives and environment in which faculty are able to participate and encouraged to participate in incorporating multi- and hypermedia tools and technologies into the teaching-learning environment. Due to the importance of user oriented strategies, HCI courses would be a first (but not the only) candidate for this re-engineering process.

Der Reisesupermarkt: Design und Entwicklung einer Interaktionsphilosophie für die Beratung in Reisebüros

Der Rationalisierungsdruck schreitet auch im Dienstleistungsgewerbe immer weiter voran. Systeme, die derartige Tatigkeiten erfolgreich automatisieren konnen, mussen, um von den Kunden auch angenommen zu werden, ganz besonderen Anforderungen genugen: Ihre Funktionsweise mus leicht verstandlich sein, sie mussen auch von Ungeubten bedienbar sein und sie mussen dem Kunden attraktiv und fur ihn von Vorteil erscheinen. Besondere softwaretechnische Mittel und Methoden mussen diese Eigenschaften schon wahrend der Entwicklung garantieren. Es wurde ein Benutzerschnittstellenprotoyp fur ein System, das die dem Verkaufsgesprach vorausgehende einfuhrende Beratungstatigkeit in Reiseburos (Travel Agency Clerk Replacement System, TACRS) automatisiert, realisiert. Der Prototyp realisiert eine auf einer Real World Metapher basierende Interaktionsumgebung — den Reisesupermarkt. Iteratives Prototyping (Papierprototyp, Videoprototyp, Softwareprototyp) war die Hauptsaule innerhalb des Entwicklungsvorganges.

Breaking the chains: how to design non-standard interaction environments

This tutorial is intended to give attendees an insight into how to face the challenges of designing non-standard interaction environments. Underlined with a lot of examples, the basic characteristics of such an interaction environment will be explained and a video of an actually implemented system will round the picture off. Basics of metaphor theory will help in explaining the step on how to transport a given problem domain into a suitable representation. After solving a problem on their own, attendees will be presented some tools apart from paper and pencil, that assist in the step of getting the idea for a representation into a visual form that can be discussed and shared with other designers. The advantages and disadvantages of the various tools will be discussed and some examples will be given.

Wizard: non-wimp oriented prototyping of direct manipulative behavior

In spite of the number of user interface design and development systems developed in the past years there is still a lack of real prototyping tools supporting the iterative development of user interface design alternatives. The behavioral part of a user interface is often neglected or has to be implemented by low level programming. The Wizard Tool supports the prototyping of interface behavior especially for Non-WIMP interfaces at a very high level of abstraction.