Reinhard Sefelin

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.

Paper prototyping - what is it good for?: a comparison of paper- and computer-based low-fidelity prototyping

This study investigated the differences between computer-based and paper-based low-fidelity prototypes. It researched whether subjects confronted with these two kinds of prototypes differ in their willingness to criticize a system and to give suggestions for its improvement. The chosen approach was an empirical study including test sessions using both kinds of prototypes. Quantitative and qualitative methods were applied to measure and to explain possible differences.

Depth and breadth away from the desktop: the optimal information hierarchy for mobile use

The optimal way to structure information in hierarchies has occupied researchers for at least two decades. In the last few years, mobile devices added new challenges to this research: the limited screen size, navigation methods and data transfer rates make the search for the optimal information structure even more complex. In this paper an experiment is presented that investigates the usability of 4 different information hierarchies (46, 84, 163 and 642) on three mobile devices. It turns out that the narrow hierarchies (46 and 84) perform better than the broader hierarchies on the three devices. The experiment was repeated on two more occasions with the same participants to test expertise effects; the preference for narrow hierarchies did not change over the three occasions.

Probing an agile usability process

In this paper we describe adaptations to the classical Extreme Programming (XP) process. The approach described integrates HCI (human computer interaction) instruments. The implemented HCI instruments are: user studies, extreme personas (a variation of the personas approach), usability expert evaluations, usability tests, and automated usability evaluations. By combining XP and UCD (user centered development) processes we take advantages of both approaches.

Landmarks: yes; but which?: five methods to select optimal landmarks for a landmark- and speech-based guiding system

Navigation aids based on landmarks have been successfully investigated over the last years. There seems to be little doubt that navigation systems using landmarks clearly outperform those systems, relying only on distance specifications. Little, however, is known about the optimal selection of landmarks that are used to lead the user through an environment. This paper presents five methods to select landmarks that are visually and semantically distinguishable and which are suited to lead the user to his/her goal. The paper also discusses the lessons learned from the application of these methods. It shows the results that can be expected and it highlights also their possible traps and drawbacks.

Usability evaluations for multi-device application development three example studies

This paper discusses three example studies, that informed user interface guidelines, developed for a set of different classes of mobile devices. The results of these studies show answers to typical design problems arising during the development of mobile applications. Furthermore the studies are meant to be examples showing which kind of studies are required in order to develop a sufficient pool of user interface guidelines covering almost all sorts of mobile devices.

Xaudio: Results from a Field Trial Study on a Technology Enhancing Radio Listeners’ User Experience

This paper discusses a field trial of a technology (Xaudio), which connects two different types of media: The mobile internet and the radio. Inaudible signals (watermarks) are broadcasted via the sound of the radio, are received by a mobile device and decoded. This information then is used to take the listener directly to a mobile application (Xaudio application) that is relevant to the radio content currently broadcasted. Ten persons participated in a field trial study on this technology. The paper presents the results of this field trial. In particular it compares different kinds of applications and analyses the reasons for their success or failure. Furthermore proposals to improve the service of Xaudio for future uses are discussed briefly.

The Digital Hug: Enhancing Emotional Communication by Creative Scenarios

Informal communication – sharing jokes, expressing feelings and catching up what has happened during a day – is an important part of family life. The MAYPOLE project explored this kind of family communication and developed new product concepts and devices to facilitate such communications. The projects highlights were the developed concepts on the one hand, but equally innovative and worth reporting were the methods that were developed to identify and evaluate the product requirements and specifications. Also worth mentioning is the multidimensional project team, consisting of sociologists, psychologists, designers and engineers from both the academic and industrial world. In this chapter we will tell the story of the project. But we will not go into detail about product concepts; we will rather tell you about the approach we chose, the puzzle of (game-like) methods that we developed and applied in order to find out more about kids’ communications in their social network. Get the impression of our innovative, multidisciplinary journey!