A hierarchical model of organizational control for the analysis of information systems requirements

The organizational control systems model (OCSM) is presented and its value as a tool for the analysis of user-defined information needs discussed. The model is based on the view of goal-oriented organizations as adaptive systems with a hierarchical control structure. With the use of this model, the structure of an organization's control system is characterized in terms of functional and control hierarchies. The logical information processing network (LIPN) model is then used in the identification and specification of the information processing structure underlying the organization's control system. The interplay of these two models in the analysis and specification of information system requirements is also discussed in the context of the abstraction-synthesis methodology of information systems development. This methodology aims at the development of information systems that support the organization's control system with due regard to the modes of interaction required by the information system users. The approach presented here is also discussed in relation to current methodologies of information systems development.     

Experience to understand: a methodology for integrating users into the design for kitchen interactions

The kitchen is a place where many interactions happen every day. It is a place where new technologies and tradition meet. What makes a place a smart kitchen? This article describes our research over 29 months with a group representing typical users—we will call them the kitchen heroes. We involved them in a process of interaction design (IxD) for the kitchen following the tradition of participatory design (PD), to find out the potential of such a collaboration. We asked ourselves how could we, together with the intended users design for better, seamless interaction in the kitchen? Our research showed that designing for kitchen demands a high and consistent level of engagement of all the stakeholders if we are to design a truly smart and human-centred kitchen. How then, could we integrate them into the interaction design process? As an answer we developed a methodology for the integration of all the stakeholders into the whole design process. We focused on the early design phases and the ways to trigger engagement. The methodology we developed is named EPUI and consists of four parts: exploration, participation, understanding and integration. This article illustrates the EPUI methodology for successfully integrating kitchen users into the kitchen interaction design and fruitful participatory design. It is based on and combines benefits from methodologies such as PD, ADR, PADR, while in the article we explain how it also contributes to their flaws. Additionally, we present our lessons learned while implementing the EPUI methodology and offer tools to both seasoned and less-experienced researchers.     

A case study in systematic hypermedia design

Hypermedia structuring and navigation requires design methodologies different from those developed for standard information systems. This case study details our successful application of relationship management methodology (RMM), a hypermedia systems analysis and design methodology, to ACM SIGLINK's LINKBase. LINKBase is a World Wide Web (WWW) application, which dynamically generates WWW pages from a relational database containing information about hypermedia-related events such as conferences, publications, authors, and sponsoring organizations. We describe our experience applying RMM in this case study, summarize design lessons we learned in the process, present extensions to RMM, discuss human–computer interaction (HCI) aspects of RMM, and ground our work in the hypermedia design and HCI literature. Our experiences should encourage hypermedia and WWW developers to utilize systematic design techniques to build highly usable and useful WWW applications.     

User preferences for adaptive user interfaces in health information systems

An adaptive user interface requires identification of user requirements. Interface designers and engineers must understand end-user interaction with the system to improve user interface design. A combination of interviews and observations is applied for user requirement analysis in health information systems (HIS). Then, user preferences are categorized in this paper as either data entry, language and vocabulary, information presentation, or help, warning and feedback. The user preferences in these categories were evaluated using the focus group method. Focus group sessions with different types of HIS users comprising medical staff (with and without computer skills) and system administrators identified each user group’s preference for the initial adaptation of the HIS user interface. User needs and requirements must be identified to adapt the interface to users during data entry into the system. System designers must understand user interactions with the system to identify their needs and preferences. Without this, interface design cannot be adapted to users and users will not be comfortable using the system and eventually abandon its use.     

基于互联网情感特征的 Web 界面设计新思略

网络技术以及硬件设备的飞速发展,带来互联网用户阅读与思维习惯的转变,呈 现出越来越明显的女性化思维特征,即互联网的感性化、体验化、去中心化的思维特征。互联 网女性化思维特征实际上是用户在视觉感知、情感交互以及多元架构上的诉求,创新性 Web 界 面设计的研究主要目标是为了给用户提供更好的沉浸式的体验与服务。因此,以用户行为核心 流程的研究为切入点,通过分析互联网女性化思维现象;研究互联网用户的需求特性,结合案 例从提升信息感召力;促进用户情感共鸣;建立面向未来的智能多元服务系统三方面,探讨创 新性 Web 界面设计策略与实现方法。     

面向大众智能化管线统计功能设计与实现

在地下管线系统建设项目中,为了提高地下管线管理系统的适用性和满足该领域非专业用户的实际管理需求,针对传统管线统计功能对使用人员专业要求门槛高和用户体验感差等方面的不足,设计和实现了一种面向大众智能化管线统计功能及方法。用户充分依据实际业务需求在界面上进行简便操作,系统后台会智能化地识别用户的操作步骤,经过内嵌的模块解析用户的操作意图,再将其合理组合,编译成数据库引擎能够识别的查询统计命令,以获得用户所需要的统计结果并予以展示。系统功能界面提供了通俗易懂的操作模式,以所见即所得的方式,全程操作无须用户编写SQL查询语句即可进行自由组合的统计,系统设计的内嵌智能化识别模块消除了人机交互之间的语言障碍,解决了用户对管线统计功能的低门槛操作、高自由度统计的需求,系统功能的简便操作进一步提升了管线系统中人机交互的体验感,为管线系统的推广提供技术支持。     

Evaluating the Robot Personality and Verbal Behavior of Domestic Robots Using Video-Based Studies

Robots are increasingly being used in domestic environments and should be able to interact with inexperienced users. Human–human interaction and human–computer interaction research findings are relevant, but often limited because robots are different from both humans and computers. Therefore, new human–robot interaction (HRI) research methods can inform the design of robots suitable for inexperienced users. A video-based HRI (VHRI) methodology was here used to carry out a multi-national HRI user study for the prototype domestic robot BIRON (BIelefeld RObot companioN). Previously, the VHRI methodology was used in constrained HRI situations, while in this study HRIs involved a series of events as part of a 'hometour' scenario. Thus, the present work is the first study of this methodology in extended HRI contexts with a multi-national approach. Participants watched videos of the robot interacting with a human actor and rated two robot behaviors (Extrovert and Introvert). Participants' perceptions and ratings of the robot's behaviors differed with regard to both verbal interactions and person following by the robot. The study also confirms that the VHRI methodology provides a valuable means to obtain early user feedback, even before fully working prototypes are available. This can usefully guide the future design work on robots, and associated verbal and non-verbal behaviors.     

Identification of trusted interactive behavior based on mouse behavior considering web User's emotions

Under existing network security technology, it is still possible for hackers to impersonate legitimate users and invade a system for malicious destruction. Therefore, this study constructs a user's unique mouse behavior pattern to identify a trusted interaction behavior in a real environment and quantify the effects of different emotions on mouse behavior and the accuracy of the user's trusted interaction behavior identification. First, mouse data was collected for 8 user's trusted interactions on an academic study website (AML). These data were used to construct the basic trusted interaction model by a big data analysis method called a random forest. Second, in a repeated measurement experiment, 18 participants completed tasks on the AML under different emotions, and the emotions' impact on the mouse behavior and accuracy of the user's trusted interaction identification was analyzed. In the results, the accuracy of the trusted interaction behavior identification based on mouse behavior reached 91.82%, and the error rate was lower than 8.18%. Significant differences were observed in horizontal velocity, velocity, and traveled distance under different emotions. However, there was no significant difference in the accuracy of a user's trusted interaction behavior identification under different emotions. Based on these results, the trusted interaction behavior of web users can be accurately identified based on the user's mouse behavior pattern. The user's mouse behavior differs under different emotions, but there is no significant difference on the identification of the user's trusted interaction behavior. The findings help to provide another protection layer for network information security.     

Agentsheets: a medium for creating domain-oriented visual languages

Customized visual representations enable end users to achieve their programming goals. Here, designers work with users to tailor visual programming languages to specific problem domains. We describe a design methodology and a tool for creating domain oriented, end user programming languages that effectively use visualization. We first describe a collaborative design methodology involving end users and designers. We then present Agentsheets, a tool for creating domain oriented visual programming languages, and illustrate how it supports collaborative design by examining experiences from a real language design project. Finally, we summarize the contributions of our approach and discuss its viability in industrial design projects     

User interfaces for structural engineering relational data base

The needs of engineers in their interaction with engineering data bases are very different from those of their counter-parts in the business world. Business data base management system interfaces typically provide only a single mode of textual communication, usually a structured query language. However, in an idealengineering data base interface, an engineer would be able to define constraints, give examples, point at parts of pictures, and (sometimes) use several modes of communication simultaneously. The paper presents an example from an engineering design application to show how a traditional query language can be enhanced to accommodate the engineering needs. The paper further describes a conceptual approach for multimodal engineering data base interface combining multipurpose graphics, an engineering query language, and other interface methodologies in an engineering workstation environment.     

Synergy between Activity Theory and goal/scenario modeling for requirements elicitation,analysis, and evolution

ContextIt is challenging to develop comprehensive, consistent, analyzable requirements models for evolving requirements. This is particularly critical for certain highly interactive types of socio-technical systems that involve a wide range of stakeholders with disparate backgrounds; system success is often dependent on how well local social constraints are addressed in system design.ObjectiveThis paper describes feasibility research, combining a holistic social system perspective provided by Activity Theory (AT), a psychological paradigm, with existing system development methodologies and tools, specifically goal and scenario modeling.MethodAT is used to understand the relationships between a system, its stakeholders, and the system’s evolving context. The User Requirements Notation (URN) is used to produce rigorous, analyzable specifications combining goal and scenario models. First, an AT language was developed constraining the framework for automation, second consistency heuristics were developed for constructing and analyzing combined AT/URN models, third a combined AT/URN methodology was developed, and consequently applied to a proof-of-concept system.ResultsAn AT language with limited tool support was developed, as was a combined AT/URN methodology. This methodology was applied to an evolving disease management system to demonstrate the feasibility of adapting AT for use in system development with existing methodologies and tools. Bi-directional transformations between the languages allow proposed changes in system design to be propagated to AT models for use in stakeholder discussions regarding system evolution.ConclusionsThe AT framework can be constrained for use in requirements elicitation and combined with URN tools to provide system designs that include social system perspectives. The developed AT/URN methodology can help engineers to track the impact on system design due to requirement changes triggered by changes in the system’s social context. The methodology also allows engineers to assess the impact of proposed system design changes on the social elements of the system context.     

CIMOSA modelling processes

Engineering, integrating and managing complex enterprises requires the understanding, and the ability to partition and simplify their operational complexity. Enterprise modelling supports these requirements by providing means for describing process oriented systems and decomposing those into manageable pieces. However, enterprise modelling requires both a common modelling language and a sufficient modelling methodology. The language provides for common understanding on enterprise models across the industrial community. Modelling methodologies will guide users through the rather complex enterprise modelling tasks. Depending on the skills and the tasks of the modelling person, different methodologies will be implemented in the supporting modelling tool. The paper presents both a methodology for the modelling expert and one for the business user. Whereas the modelling expert will be involved in creating new models, structuring the model contents and developing new modelling components, the business user will use process models for decision support. The latter therefore has a need to modify and adapt enterprise models to represent operational alternatives. A methodology for this type of work has to be based on menus. Menus which are created and maintained by the modelling expert. The business user will mostly work with existing process models. He will evaluate process alternatives and will implement the best solution as the new model of his tasks. This mode of operation will thereby provide for automatic update of the models and will keep the models in sync with the changing reality.     

Image algebra: An overview

This paper is the first in a sequence of papers describing an algebraic structure for image processing that has become known as the AFATL Standard Image Algebra. This algebra provides a common mathematical environment for image processing algorithm development and methodologies for algorithm optimization, comparison, and performance evaluation. In addition, the image algebra provides a powerful algebraic language for image processing which, if properly embedded into a high level programming language, will greatly increase a programmer's productivity as programming tasks are greatly simplified due to replacement of large blocks of code by short algebraic statements. The purpose of this paper is to familiarize the reader with the basic concepts of the algebra and to provide a general overview of its methodology.     

oDect: an RFID‐based object detection API to support applications development on mobile devices

The RFID technology is becoming ever more popular in the development of ubiquitous computing applications. A full exploitation of the RFID potential requires the study and implementation of human–computer interaction (HCI) modalities to be able to support wide usability by the target audience. This implies the need for programming methodologies specifically dedicated to support the easy and efficient prototyping of applications to have feedback from early tests with users. On the basis of our field‐working experience, we have designed oDect, a high‐level language and platform‐independent application programming interface (API), ad hoc designed to meet the needs of typical applications for mobile devices (smart phones and PDAs). oDect aims at allowing application developers to create their prototypes focusing on the needs of the final users, without having to care about the low‐level software that interacts with the RFID hardware. Further, in an end‐user developing (EUD) approach, oDect provides specific support for the application end‐user herself to cope with typical problems of RFID applications in detecting objects. We describe in detail the features of the API and discuss the findings of a test with four programmers, where we analyse and evaluate the use of the API in four sample applications. We also present results of an end‐user test, which investigated strengths and weaknesses of the territorial agenda (TA) concept. The TA is an RFID‐based citizen guide that aids—through time‐ and location‐based reminders—users in their daily activities in a city. The TA directly exploits EUD features of oDect, in particular concerning the possibility of linking detected objects with custom actions. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Methods for inclusion: Employing think aloud protocols in software usability studies with individuals who are deaf

Usability is an important step in the software and product design cycle. There are a number of methodologies such as talk aloud protocol, and cognitive walkthrough that can be employed in usability evaluations. However, many of these methods are not designed to include users with disabilities. Legislation and good design practice should provide incentives for researchers in this field to consider more inclusive methodologies. We carried out two studies to explore the viability of collecting gestural protocols from sign language users who are deaf using the think aloud protocol (TAP) method. Results of our studies support the viability of gestural TAP as a usability evaluation method and provide additional evidence that the cognitive systems used to produce successful verbal protocols in people who are hearing seem to work similarly in people who speak with gestures. The challenges for adapting the TAP method for gestural language relate to how the data was collected and not to the data or its analysis.     

Process of design and usability evaluation of a telepsychology web and virtual reality system for the elderly: Butler

Butler is a multi-application system based on Internet technology and virtual reality, designed to meet the needs of elderly users. Its objectives are to assist elderly populations in accessing technology and new forms of communication, replicating, as far as possible the way of lineal interaction that this population group had traditionally to interact with information in order to facilitate the first contacts with technology. Butler is equipped with e-mail, videoconferencing, blogging, access to the Internet through a well-known web search engine, image and sound gallery, new contacts searcher, and two virtual reality environments. In this paper we describe Butler's most relevant features taking into account the usability design process and the usability evaluation of the system, which, after pilot testing, have proven to be highly acceptable and satisfactory to users. We also present the results of evaluations pertaining to the iconography used in the program, the navigation and users' help design process, and the first functional prototype, all of which were designed and redesigned with the aid of web heuristics and guidelines for the web design for elderly users. Results suggest important features to be taken into account when designing and developing this sort of application for the elderly.     

The long-term effects of integral versus composite metaphors on experts' and novices' search behaviors

For years, metaphors have been used extensively to facilitate multiple user tasks on Web sites. Nonetheless, research examining metaphor's effects in facilitating user tasks, not to mention the proposal of the design methodology, is limited. There is disagreement about using single or multiple metaphors in designing computer systems. Regarding metaphor's long-term effects, Carroll and Thomas [Carroll, J.M., Thomas, C.J., 1982. Metaphor and the cognitive representation of computing systems. IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, SMC 12, 107–116] claim that metaphors lose utility once users are familiar with the system. Furthermore, little evidence exists about metaphor's effects on users with differing computer experience.This researcher proposes a metaphor design methodology to examine the long-term effects of integral (single) versus composite (mixed) metaphors on subjects' information search behaviors and their effects on Internet novices and experts. Ninety-eight college students participated in this study. The findings suggest that metaphor's effects decrease over time as users become more experienced. Moreover, composite metaphors facilitate experts' searching better than novices'.