Rebekah Rousi

Apperception as a multisensory process in material experience

Visual perspective has dominated experience research in human-technology interaction for decades now. The neglect of other sensory modalities is gradually being addressed by scholars and designers, who investigate user experience based on touch, smell, taste, sound and even expressive bodily interactions. In cognitive and affective processes, user experience is always multi-modal, not just regarding perceived multi-sensory information, but also while perceiving through one modality we mentally construct information relevant to the other senses. This article reports the results of an experiment, where participants (N = 52) appraised materials either only by touching them or only by seeing. The results indicate that with certain affects, the logic of the appraisal depends on the modality. These results are discussed within the theoretical framework of mental content, apperception, and appraisal. Further, we discuss the relevance of the findings for material design, especially in the context of multimodal interaction.

Evaluating the Authenticity of Virtual Environments

Immersive virtual environments VEs have the potential to provide novel cost effective ways for evaluating not only new environments and usability scenarios, but also potential user experiences. To achieve this, VEs must be adequately realistic. The level of perceived authenticity can be ascertained by measuring the levels of immersion people experience in their VE interactions. In this paper the degree of authenticity is measured via an authenticity index in relation to three different immersive virtual environment devices. These devices include 1 a headband, 2 3D glasses, and 3 a head-mounted display HMD. A quick scale for measuring immersion, feeling of control, and simulator sickness was developed and tested. The HMD proved to be the most immersive device, although the headband was demonstrated as being a more stable environment causing the least simulator sickness. The results have design implication as they provide insight into specific factors which make experience in a VE seem more authentic to users. The paper emphasizes that, in addition to the quality of the VE, focus needs to be placed on ergonomic factors such as the weight of the devices, as these may compromise the quality of results obtained when examining studying human-technology interaction in a VE.

The experience of no experience Elevator UX and the role of unconscious experience

Elevators are designed to facilitate the smooth and efficient transportation of people from one architectural floor to the next. If they work well, people should not think about the journey at all. Instead, their concentration should remain focused on the activity they were engaged in before entering the elevator usage interaction. In other words, if the design works properly, people should not consciously experience elevator interaction. This paper presents the issue of studying no (conscious) user experience. It takes a theoretical perspective to explain aspects of consciousness and embodiment. While most studies on user experience focus on remarkable and affective interaction experiences, this paper highlights the importance of understanding the user experience of unconscious experience.

Using human-values as a guide for understanding worthy design directions in augmented reality

Augmented reality is a fast developing field, which will no doubt gain strong footing in the area of social media in the near future. Recently, Google Glass placed AR towards the top of the technological hype curve in regards to interaction possibilities, information overlay, information search and recording. Questions still remain however, regarding the added-value that AR offers to already existing interaction modes and technologies. In this study four concepts were designed and tested via video scenarios. The concepts related to three main product categories: educational tools; information presentation; and x-ray vision. The results positively reflected on the application of AR for educational purposes and AR in navigation is also a perceived benefit. Participants projected distrust towards several points including: privacy, human-to-human interaction and safety. The findings indicate key areas of interest for development and raise questions to be dealt with relating to interaction outcomes and consequences.

Beyond MAYA for game-changing multisensory design

With information technology becoming ever more embedded in our surrounding everyday things, the nature of interactions and the way we experience digitalization is becoming increasingly embodied. Thus, growing effort is placed on examining the multisensory nature of interaction experience. From a design perspective, increased knowledge of how people experience materials and how to design to encourage varying material experiences opens new opportunities for the generation of rich multisensory user experience, and accomplishing game-changing results. In particular, the innovation space opened up by understanding peoples material expectations of designs is significant. An experiment (N = 78) was conducted to examine how people appraised materials via touch and sight. There were three groups: sight, touch, and touch and sight. Here, we focus on a task connecting the materials to five design contexts according to appropriate, inventive and inappropriate. Results reveal the potential in harnessing the least expected and desired connections between material and design application, for creating imaginative multisensory experiences.

Lying Cheating Robots – Robots and Infidelity

Love has been described as unpredictable, immeasurable and non-purchasable and as such, poses challenges for anyone in a relationship to both stay in love, and to not fall in love with someone else. Scientists are still discovering whether or not love follows any specific recipe. Outlooks, personality, sense of humor and talent may not perfectly guarantee an individual falls in love with another, and more importantly is able to sustain that relationship. This article portrays a futuristic scenario in which truly intelligent and emotional robots already exist. Here, the bi-directional love discussed in Lovotics is not simulated through engineering, but rather is genuine from the perspectives of both machine and human. This is a theoretical piece that draws on psychological theories of love, sex, attraction, associated emotions and behavior. The method involves reviewing previous literature on human-robot bi-directional love, and combines it with current discussions and theories of the realistic future potential of love relationships between humans and robots with full artificial intelligence and emotional capabilities. The result of the investigation is a multifaceted projection of the complexity humans will experience in love relationships with robots. Due to the incalculable nature of love, affection and sexual attraction, the development of robots with genuine capacity for emotions may not have the best outcome for a future of love and sex with robots.

Creative interpretation in web design experience

Abstract Insight into how people mentally represent, and thus, make sense of visual designs is the key to understanding how people interact with technological devices. This paper presents a study in which participants were asked to write their interpretations of two webpage design examples, based on what they thought they would say and what would remain as a thought. The data comprised 80 3E templates (N = 40), a template allowing participants to express experiences through writing and drawing. Inductive data analysis through a phenomenological lens revealed that supposed mental and verbal representations concentrated on the following design properties: colors, themes, interface layout and quality, which are further reflected in terms of visual usability, aesthetic evaluations, emotions and physical feelings. Representations of themes functioned as the unifying components of the visual experience. Involvement through curiosity and strategic operationalisation of ambiguity are identified as direct design implications of the study.

Life-based design as an extension of problem-based learning — A tool for understanding people and technology

Global conditions are changing at such a rate that foreseeing trends in technological development, economic fluctuations and climatic conditions is ever more difficult. When developing technologies, there is one constant factor that practitioners and researchers should be aware of, and that is people. This is not to say that people, culture and social conditions remain stagnant, for these too evolve with the surrounding circumstances. Rather, appropriate tools and capabilities for investigating people, their lives and life situations, are integral to understanding what people need in terms of technology, how these technologies will be used, and more importantly how they will be valued in the scheme of a persons life. This paper describes the process and outcomes of a course in Cognitive Science focused on developing the tools needed for Life-Based Service Design (LBSD). The course is implemented via problem-based learning (PBL), and students are guided through the process by charting an explanatory method adhering to the Life-Based Design (LBD) ontology. This ontology comprises: (1) Form-of-life analysis; (2) service concept and requirements; (3) fit-for-life analysis; and (4) innovation design. Results show heightened awareness and sensitivity of life conditions, values and needs, revealing design concept strengths and weaknesses in the pre-development phase.