Designing Usable Charts for ComplexWork Settings

This paper examines distributed design that involved educational science, information and communication technology (ICT) and human–computer interaction (HCI) specialists collaboratively designing a learning application. The design process is characterized by coordinating, contributing, contesting and representing. The HCI specialists “represented the user”, but users remained silent during the design process. The design work was dominated by ‘coordinating’ activity, but also ‘proposing’ and ‘evaluating’ activities were prominent. The educational science specialists were the most active ones in the design discussions, heavily involved in ‘proposing’ and ‘coordinating’ activities. The HCI specialists were involved in those as well, but distinctly contributed through ‘evaluating’ activity. Interestingly, also ‘challenging’ and ‘ignoring’ activities characterized the distributed design process among the educational science specialists and HCI specialists: design emerged as a political, conflictual process. The very limited ICT support for distributed design became also accentuated. This study opens up interesting avenues for future research in this respect.

CAD Software such as CREO and SolidWorks are used to develop mechanical parts and assemblies and do not explicitly support the function of the feature, component, part or assembly. Therefore, the reasoning of why and how a design is developed has not been incorporated into current CAD systems. At the same time, CAD systems support sophisticated functions such automated routing, modelling and simulation of dynamic and geometric properties and design solutions tracking. In this paper we investigate (a) to what degree CAD tools have advanced beyond drafting tools to include cognitive supports that facilitate problem solving and (b) which possibilities exist to enhance CAD with cognitive tools that with focus on the intersection between cognitive psychology, interaction design and design engineering remain unexplored.

Human-computer interaction (HCI) design is the modern and advanced research area that is focused on human or user and system or device interactions. HCI is concerned with new and advanced approaches to a system that must be reliable and efficient to the user. HCI design required a longer and critical development process, methods or framework that passes through various evaluation phases. Due to an inadequacy of user-centered and value sensitive design for a system or device, numerous designs and artifacts do not draw attention to the user. On the other hand, user perception of advanced and new devices are not acceptable and perceived, if not reliable or facile to them. HCI comprises several methods, principles, and criteria which are followed during the development of interaction design. Even then, at times the evolved new and advanced interaction artifacts are unable to reach the user attraction. The HCI methodologies promote the researchers as well as designers to form and develop new and advanced innovations whereas, interaction design term plays a significant role in the design process. In this paper, the key concern is to analyze the conventional design method, Activity Theory (AT) and consider the principles of HCI and bring in a conceptual extended AT model to develop the appearance of Human-computer interaction design.

Research studies and information design lifecycles often include surveys, interviews, and user testing as part of the process-oriented approach to sharing research outcomes with the world. However, there is a lack of research regarding inclusive instrument design, which would help remove barriers experienced by people with and without a disability when taking surveys or participating in interviews or usability testing required for a research study. Using human-centered design, human-computer interaction, and disability studies perspectives, web-based instruments can become more inclusive and accessible. This sequentially phased 4-article dissertation presents lessons learned of inclusive instrument design as a solution-based framework that enables access to knowledge and helps create a positive research study experience for the broadest representation of humans possible. Everyone is impacted by a disability, impairment, or limitation at some point in their life, whether visible, invisible, permanent, temporary, or situational. Therefore, starting the design of instruments used in research studies with a human-centered and inclusive design mindset can increase the chances of creating more usable surveys and interview protocols. The research approach includes people with disabilities and disability advocates as part of the research process and uses multiple methods of co-design sessions, surveys, interviews, observation, document analysis, and automated and manual accessibility evaluation (including user and expert testing). This approach is a form of universal, participatory, and co-design, with researchers and stakeholders working together on various aspects of the research and design process. In addition to uncovering challenges and design flaws of web design, existing survey tools, or instrument question formats in an exploratory manner (Study 1), critical review of the literature (Study 2), and domain analysis and survey accessibility conformance evaluation (Study 3), this research will also identify user challenges with instruments and instrument preferences from surveys and interviews used in a co-design multiple methods study (Study 4). The themes, findings, and criticality counts across the four studies helped to inform my interpretation of the dissertation research, yielding eight conceptualizations which are used to address the research questions. This knowledge informed my model for inclusive instrument design practices, adding procedures, precedent, and new knowledge to the literature on disability and HCI research. This enriched understanding will assist researchers and designers in utilizing an inclusive instrument for conducting research studies that use online surveys and conduct interviews or test web-based products. Additionally, improving such web-based experiences for people with a disability, impairment, or chronic condition may lead to better experiences for everyone. Resulting recommendations include (1) an alternative to traditional medical-based demographic questions used in data collection for the ability status, (2) co-design as a research method, and (3) a model for inclusive instrument design. The inclusive instrument design recommendations can be adapted to future instrument designs, including procedures for multiple method survey accessibility evaluation and instrument design tenets by criticality. Ultimately, this qualitative study uses multiple methods to learn, create, test, and evaluate an inclusive instrument design model that enables a more inclusive research study experience for everyone.

The collaborative production of computer commands in command and control

Having been a promising visualization tool since 1950s, ironically, virtual reality is not widely used in the architectural design and evaluation process due to several constrains, such as the high cost of equipments and advanced programming skills required. This paper described the collaboration between design computing courses and architecture design studios that have been taught at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in 2004 and 2005. These courses explored several practical methods to integrate Low Cost Virtual Reality Aided Design (LC-VRAD) in the architectural design process. As a summary of the collaboration, this paper refers to three main aspects: (1) How to use game engine to design an affordable VR system in the ordinary studio environment. (2) How to integrate VR, into the design process, not only as a visualization tool, but also as a design instrument. (3) How to evaluate different methods of representing architectural models based on the efficiency of workflow, rendering quality and users' feedback. Support by the Game and Interactive Design Department at SCAD, students in the School of Building Arts implemented two Low Cost VRAD methods in various design phases, starting from site analysis, schematic design, design development to the final presentation. Two popular game engines, Epic Game's Unreal engine and Director MX's Shockwave engine, were introduced to students to visualize their project in real-time. We discussed computer-aided design theories including the application of VR, as well as digital computing and human computer interaction. At the end of each quarter, feedbacks from students and faculties were collected and analyzed. These methods were revised and improved consistently across 2004 and 2005 academic year.

Cognitive engineering has led to a consideration of the capabilities and limitations of users in relation to the products of system design. However, there has not been a similar recognition of human limitations in the process of design. One way to improve the products of system design is by making improvements in the process of design and, in particular, by addressing the limitations of designers through scaffolding with the technology that is the object of design. To do this we need to identify what we know about the process of designing for computerhmediated learning systems, and to build an understanding of how the design process might benefit from cognitive strategies and computer technology. Here we survey various approaches to support the design process, in order to identify approaches and opportunities that may inform both fields. Specific suggestions include heuristics for design, and scaffolding the design process through support tools. © IFIP, published by Kluwer Academic Publishers

Human-computer interaction in aeronautics: a cognitive engineering perspective

From automation to tangible interactive objects

Sense-making/sensemaking are terms commonly understood as the processes through which people interpret and give meaning to their experiences. The three different spelling variations (i.e., sense-making, sensemaking, sense making) are used deliberately by the authors included here, in different academic discourse communities that share some common thrusts. The terms originally focused on the five senses but have expanded in meaning to cover physical, emotional, spiritual, and intuitional responses posited as involved in human sense-makings of their worlds, both internal and external. Since the 1970s, sense-making/sensemaking has been used by researchers from different disciplinary backgrounds, with significant applications in the fields of human-computer interaction (HCI), cognitive systems engineering, knowledge management, communication studies, and library/information science (human information behavior). At the highest level of abstraction, the differences in the underlying theories used by researchers can best be understood in tensions between cognitivist and constructivist strands and the focus on either a micro or macro framework. As the different streams of attention differ in so many ways (e.g., context, informants, methods, intended audiences, etc.), comparisons are difficult. It is necessary to understand the historical origins, philosophical assumptions, and methodological roots of five major research approaches labeled as sense-making or sensemaking: Dervin’s sense-making in user studies, human information behavior; Weick’s sensemaking in organizational communication; Snowden’s organizational sense-making in knowledge management; Russell’s sensemaking in HCI; and Klein’s sensemaking in cognitive systems engineering. Applications of the approaches, emerging perspectives, and uses are reviewed. Applications increasingly merge some sense-making/sensemaking ideas together or use sense-making/sensemaking with other theories (e.g., Brenda Dervin: Sense-Making Methodology: Methodology, Daniel Russell: Sensemaking and Searching: Philosophy and Methodology, Gary Klein: Sensemaking in Cognitive Systems Engineering: Application).

Human–Computer Interaction

The ever-increasing demand for user-centred smart products has driven the need for automation methodologies in product design processes, particularly for assessing usability and user experience (UX). Traditionally, practitioners construct functional (software) or physical (hardware) product prototypes to enable usability and UX assessments. Constructing a prototype followed by human testing are both time consuming and expensive activities. If virtual models and automated methods can replace some components of these activities, the time and cost of smart product development could be reduced while continuing to generate useful and beneficial products. In this paper, we survey the literature related to automated assessment methods for designing user-centric smart products. We identified five key activities on which to focus related to the testing or the design cycle: design thinking, design ideation, prototype creation, user data collection, and data analysis. The review methodology consisted of comprehensive search queries tailored to each activity to encapsulate automation methods pertinent to smart product development in research articles published from 2000-2023. Over 100 relevant articles were identified across engineering, human-computer interaction, human factors, industrial design, and other disciplines. This review highlights the effectiveness and limitations of various automation methods, benchmarked against traditional practice, providing valuable insights and practical recommendations for researchers and designers seeking to optimize smart product design processes for broad usability concerns. We are particularly interested in designing assistive mobility and rehabilitation devices. Development time and resources are often limited yet usability and UX directly impact important outcomes including perceived function, stigma, and device adoption. Improving these requires a transdisciplinary approach.

The book “HCI Practices in the Classroom” presents the results of the Workshop on Education in Human-Computer Interaction (WEIHC), held in 2023 during the Brazilian Symposium on Human Factors in Computing Systems. It was a collaborative effort aiming to share practical experiences related to classroom activities in courses focused on ​​Human-Computer Interaction and User Experience. The book presents 18 practices that address specific HCI topics, such as evaluation, card sorting, dark patterns, personas, design process and data transparency, among others. It also includes practices for reviewing content and assessing students’ knowledge, for example. We believe these practices will be highly beneficial to the entire HCI community, particularly in a learning environments, and can also be adapted for use in companies.

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) within intelligent systems plays a critical role in shaping user experience, particularly through effective design, usability, and accessibility. This narrative review aims to synthesize current research trends and challenges in designing inclusive and adaptive HCI environments. Literature was gathered from Scopus and Google Scholar using keywords such as "Human-Computer Interaction," "Intelligent Systems," "Usability," "Accessibility," and "User-Centered Design." Articles were selected based on inclusion criteria focusing on recent, peer-reviewed studies that explore empirical, review, and case-based methodologies. The results highlight that effective user interface design is rooted in multimodal, emotionally aware, and cognitively efficient interactions. AI-enhanced features and adaptive layouts contribute to a more intuitive experience, particularly in healthcare and smart vehicle environments. Usability assessments, including the System Usability Scale and A/B testing, further validate user engagement and system effectiveness. Accessibility remains a crucial yet underrepresented theme, with a significant disparity in inclusive design for vulnerable populations. Notably, best practices from countries with strong accessibility policies underscore the importance of integrating users with disabilities into the design process. The discussion points to systemic factors—such as regulatory frameworks, digital literacy, and funding priorities—as both barriers and enablers of progress. To bridge existing gaps, the study recommends further longitudinal, cross-cultural, and inclusive research. Strengthening digital education and accessibility policies is key to enhancing user-centered innovation in intelligent systems.

In a world that is highly dependent on digital connectivity, technology use is becoming unavoidable, intense, and possibly harmful. The pervasiveness of technology which has been in tandem with the increasing number of reported cases of harmful usage styles, with some exhibiting symptoms of behavioural addiction, raised concerns around users’ psychological health and well-being. Digital Wellbeing is a new facet of human well-being that has recently emerged. While the term is yet to have a commonly agreed definition, it typically denotes a technology that promotes positivity, personal growth, and a usage that is balanced and healthy. In this paper, we aim to examine the extent, range, and nature of Digital Wellbeing research activity in human-computer interaction- (HCI-) related literature. We conducted a scoping review analysing 87 articles that researched Digital Wellbeing and its interrelation with technology design. Our analysis identified different meanings and constructs of the Digital Wellbeing concept, research trends, and a gap related to incorporating it in the design process. Accordingly, we recommend that an agreed-on definition for Digital Wellbeing and validated tools and frameworks are needed to ensure its integration in the digital design process. We also recommend that a wider research direction for HCI researchers and practitioners interested in Digital Wellbeing is needed to include the role of designers and societal institutions in the digital design process to ensure a design that is inclusive and well-being sensitive.