scholarly journals Can HCI Help Increase People’s Engagement in Sustainable Development? A Case Study on Energy Literacy

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 7543
Author(s):  
Carla Pestana ◽  
Luísa Barros ◽  
Sabrina Scuri ◽  
Mary Barreto
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
User Centered Design ◽  
Card Sorting ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Information Platform ◽  
Energy Education ◽  
Initial Results ◽  
User Centered ◽  
Education Initiatives

The adoption of energy efficiency practices and increased penetration of renewable energy sources in the power system are estimated to play a key role in the decarbonization of the energy sector, helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ultimately fight climate change. To foster energy transition, energy education initiatives should primarily target the citizens and be designed adopting a User-Centered Design (UCD) approach and HCI methodologies. This paper describes how UCD/HCI can inform the design of citizens’ energy education initiatives by presenting a case study—the development of an information platform targeting Madeiran citizens. The article describes the design process, from ideation to prototype and validation. Methods used in each phase (card sorting, semi-structured interviews, brainstorming sessions, think-aloud protocol and surveys) are described. Results of each phase and how they have informed the following steps are presented, together with a detailed description of the resulting information platform and initial results in terms of acceptance and interaction with the system. Our initial results support the hypothesis that adopting an HCI perspective can nurture the development of energy education initiatives targeting citizens, bringing a user-centered approach to the design of such initiatives.

Global Goes GUI: A Case Study of the Introduction of User-Centered Design

1995 ◽  
Vol 39 (12) ◽  
pp. 844-847
Author(s):  
Susan M. Dray
Keyword(s):  
Lessons Learned ◽  
User Centered Design ◽  
Client Server ◽  
Organizational Issues ◽  
Development Life Cycle ◽  
Server Systems ◽  
The Us ◽  
Early Phases ◽  
User Centered

Major changes in the design process are required for Information Systems departments to make the shift from a traditional development life cycle to the user-centered methods required for the development of Client/Server systems. This type of change can be very difficult to accomplish. “Global Enterprises,” a large commodities company, headquartered in the US, is in the early phases of this shift. Their strategy has been to form a cross-functional User Interface team. The efforts underway at Global are presented to illustrate many of the typical technical and organizational issues companies face early in the process of introducing new design methods. The paper concludes by summarizing on key lessons learned.

The Potential of Renewable Energy in the Republic of Moldova: A Case Study

2016 ◽  
Vol 841 ◽  
pp. 91-96
Author(s):  
Elena Simina Lakatos ◽  
Matthew Greenley ◽  
Laura Bacali ◽  
Mircea Boscoianu ◽  
Razvan Vaida
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Energy Dependence ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Country Report ◽  
Energy Dependency ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Current Energy

This article presents evidence to support the Republic of Moldova’s foreign energy dependence by providing information related to their current energy situation, energy imports and associated costs.The article places a specific emphasis on locating the primary origins and effects of Moldova’s energy dependency and examines the potential of renewable energy sources to diminish this energy dependency. In order to conduct the research for this article, data was collected through semi-structured interviews that were carried out in Moldova. Various energy experts and other officials and practitioners were interviewed. Information was also retrieved from a variety of sources that included the Moldova Country Report on Moldova’s Energy Sector and from the United Nations Development Program’s Moldova Energy and Biomass Project. The article shows that Moldova is in a position of energy dependence but there is potential from renewable energy sources to decrease this dependency.

scholarly journals Creating an mHealth App for Colorectal Cancer Screening: User-Centered Design Approach (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Griffin ◽  
Donghee Lee ◽  
Alyssa Jaisle ◽  
Peter Carek ◽  
Thomas George ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Colorectal Cancer ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Behavior Changes ◽  
User Centered Design ◽  
Design Problems ◽  
Medical Issues ◽  
Computer Scientists ◽  
Disciplinary Expertise ◽  
User Centered

BACKGROUND Patients are increasingly using mobile health (mHealth) apps to monitor their health and educate themselves about medical issues. Despite the increasing popularity of such apps, poor design and usability often lead to suboptimal continued use of these apps and subsequently to poor adherence to the behavior changes at which they are aimed. One solution to these design problems is for app developers to use user-centered design (UCD) principles to consider the context and needs of users during the development process. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to present a case study on the design and development process for an mHealth app that uses virtual human technology (VHT) to encourage colorectal cancer (CRC) screening among patients aged 50 years and above. METHODS We have first provided an overview of the project and discussed its utilization of VHT. We have then reviewed UCD principles and how they can be incorporated into the development of health apps. We have described how we used UCD processes during the app’s development. We have then discussed the unique roles played by communication researchers, computer scientists, clinicians, and community participants in creating an mHealth app that is credible, usable, effective, and accessible to its target audience. RESULTS The principles of UCD were woven throughout the project development, with researchers collecting feedback from patients and providers at all stages and using that feedback to improve the credibility, usability, effectiveness, and accessibility of the mHealth app. The app was designed in an iterative process, which encouraged feedback and improvement of the app and allowed teams from different fields to revisit topics and troubleshoot problems. CONCLUSIONS Implementing a UCD process contributed to the development of an app, which not only reflected cross-disciplinary expertise but also the needs, wants, and concerns of patients.

scholarly journals Application of Affordance Factors for User-Centered Smart Homes: A Case Study Approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 3053 ◽  
Author(s):  
Younjoo Cho ◽  
Anseop Choi
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
User Interfaces ◽  
Smart Home ◽  
Smart Homes ◽  
User Centered Design ◽  
Active Devices ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Information And Communication ◽  
User Centered

Smart homes improve quality of life by providing various services based on information and communication technologies. However, smart home systems are complicated and user interfaces for the interaction between smart home and user are often not user-friendly, causing potential difficulties and inconvenience for the user. Therefore, in order for smart homes to become user-centered, usability needs to be improved. This study aims to present guidelines for improving the usability of smart homes based on the concept of affordance, which is highly meaningful in user-centered design. To do this, firstly, the affordance factors that could be applied to improve the usability of active devices and user interfaces in smart homes were extracted, secondly, a case study was conducted to analyze the application of affordance factors, focusing on active devices (e.g., control devices and smart appliances) and user interfaces that directly interact with users in smart homes. Lastly, guidelines on the application of affordance factors were presented by combining case analysis results with relevant guidelines. Active devices and user interfaces should provide users with appropriate cognitive, physical, functional, and sensory affordances so that users can use the smart home services easily and conveniently.

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