CHIRA 2021 Abstracts


Area 1 - Human Factors and Information Systems

Full Papers
Paper Nr: 9
Title:

Probing Integrated Household Information Systems for Integrated Food Practices

Authors:

Dennis Lawo, Margarita Esau, Thomas Neifer and Gunnar Stevens

Abstract: Recent publications propose concepts of systems that integrate the various services and data sources of everyday food practices. However, this research does not go beyond the conceptualization of such systems. Therefore, there is a deficit in understanding how to combine different services and data sources and which design challenges arise from building integrated Household Information Systems. In this paper, we probed the design of an Integrated Household Information System with 13 participants. The results point towards more personalization, automatization of storage administration and enabling flexible artifact ecologies. Our paper contributes to understanding the design and usage of Integrated Household Information Systems, as a new class of information systems for HCI research.
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Paper Nr: 12
Title:

Comparison of Manual Evaluation Methods for Assessing the Accessibility of Websites based on EN 301 549

Authors:

Gisela Kollotzek, Gottfried Zimmermann, Tobias Ableitner and Anne-Marie Nebe

Abstract: The relevance of information technology has increased significantly over the last couple of years and therefore it is important to provide for universal access to it. Accessibility of public sector websites has become legally binding through Directive (EU) 2016/2102 for EU member states. Automatic accessibility evaluation methods can only provide a superficial impression of the accessibility status. Only manual evaluation methods can facilitate a comprehensive accessibility check. So far, there is no systematic comparison of existing manual evaluation methods available that is based on real data. In this paper, we define a generic catalog of 22 criteria for assessing the quality of accessibility evaluation methods and specify individual weights for the criteria. We then compare two representatives of manual evaluation methods: BIK BITV-Test, as a representative of conformance-based methods; and BITV-Audit, as a representative of empiric-based methods. We analyze similarities and differences between these two methods, and identify weaknesses and strengths. Our results show an advantage of BITV-Audit over BIK BITV-Test, but other weightings could yield different results.
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Paper Nr: 18
Title:

Going Car-free: Investigating Mobility Practice Transformations and the Role of ICT

Authors:

Dennis Lawo, Lukas Böhm, Anna-Katharina Flügge, Christina Pakusch and Gunnar Stevens

Abstract: With the debates on climate change and sustainability, a reduction of the share of cars in the modal split has become increasingly prevalent in both public and academic discourse. Besides some motivational approaches, there is a lack of ICT artifacts that successfully raise the ability of consumers to adopt sustainable mobility patterns. To further understand the requirements and the design of these artifacts within everyday mobility adopted a practice-lens. This lens is helpful to get a broader perspective on the use of ICT artifacts along consumers’ transformational journey towards sustainable mobility practices. Based on 12 retrospective interviews with car-free mobility consumers, we argue that artifacts should not be viewed as ’magic-bullet’ solutions but should accompany the complex transformation of practices in multifaceted ways. Moreover, we highlight in particular the difficulties of appropriating shared infrastructures and aligning own practices with them. This opens up a design space to provide more support for these kinds of material-interactions, to provide access to consumption infrastructures and make them usable, rather than leaving consumers alone with increased motivation.
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Paper Nr: 22
Title:

Morning Routines between Calm and Engaging: Designing a Smart Mirror

Authors:

Margarita Esau, Dennis Lawo, Nico Castelli, Timo Jakobi and Gunnar Stevens

Abstract: Frequently the main purpose of domestic artifacts equipped with smart sensors is to hide technology, like previous examples of a Smart Mirror show. However, current Smart Homes often fail to provide meaningful IoT applications for all residents’ needs. To design beyond efficiency and productivity, we propose to realize the potential of the traditional artifact for calm and engaging experiences. Therefore, we followed a design case study approach with 22 participants in total. After an initial focus group, we conducted a diary study to examine home routines and developed a conceptual design. The evaluation of our mid-fidelity prototype shows, that we need to study carefully the practices of the residents to leverage the physical material of the artifact to fit the routines. Our Smart Mirror, enhanced by digital qualities, supports meaningful activities and makes the bathroom more appealing. Thereby, we discuss domestic technology design beyond automation.
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Paper Nr: 25
Title:

Inferring Delay Discounting Factors from Public Observables: Applications in Risk Analysis and the Design of Adaptive Incentives

Authors:

Adam Szekeres and Einar Snekkenes

Abstract: Decision-makers regularly need to make trade-offs between benefits in the present and the future. Smaller immediate rewards are often preferred over larger delayed rewards. The concept of delay discounting describes how rewards further in the future lose their value in comparison to immediate or more proximal rewards. Empirical evidence shows that people discount future rewards using a hyperbolic function, which gives rise to preference reversals as the delay between a decision and receipt of the reward increases. People show great differences in terms of their tendency to discount future benefits. The extent of discounting is characterized by each individuals’ discounting factor k. This study investigates the extent to which the discounting factor k can be inferred from publicly observable pieces of information (i.e. ownership of items, habits) linked to individuals. Data was collected from 331 respondents in an online questionnaire. The analyses show that 37% of the variance can be explained by public observables in the best case, and between 17-33%, when the predictive model is tested on unseen data. The results contribute to the development of a risk analysis method within the domain of information security, which currently lacks the temporal dimension when predicting stakeholder behavior. Furthermore, the results have key implications for the emerging e-health sector, where individuals’ immediate incentives need to be aligned with long-term societal benefits.
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Short Papers
Paper Nr: 5
Title:

Collaborative Ideation Partner: Design Ideation in Human-AI Co-creativity

Authors:

Jingoog Kim, Mary L. Maher and Safat Siddiqui

Abstract: AI-based co-creative design systems enable users to collaborate with an AI agent on open-ended creative tasks during the design process. This paper describes a co-creative system that supports design creativity by providing inspiring design solutions in the initial idea generation process, based on the visual and conceptual similarity to sketches drawn by a designer. The interactive experience allows the user to seek inspiration collaborating with the AI agent as needed. In this paper, we study how the visual and conceptual similarity of the inspiring design from the AI partner influences design ideation by examining the effect on design ideation during a design task. Our findings show that the AI-based stimuli produce ideation outcomes with more variety and novelty when compared to random stimuli.
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Paper Nr: 10
Title:

The Need to Collaborate: Opportunities for Human and AI Co-workers

Authors:

Anja Hornikel, Christian Greiner and Thomas Peisl

Abstract: Researchers studying the development of modern economies and their workforce agree that the work of professionals may change profoundly in the future. Technology is seen as the main driver of this change, especially machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI). The biggest benefits can be most likely achieved by complementary use of human and AI capabilities and intelligence. This qualitative study investigates what potential collaboration concepts can look like and how collaboration is evaluated by the human. The aim is to identify potential, beneficial collaboration concepts with AI and to gain a better understanding of the influencing factors on user acceptance. The results show that the evaluation of potential collaboration appears to be a process including two phases. In general, many different aspects influence the evaluation of the collaboration concept in this process, but not all aspects seem to have an effect at the same time. 10 qualitative interviews are conducted and to narrow the scope of this research the focus lies on academic professionals, namely knowledge workers such as consultants.
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Paper Nr: 23
Title:

A Contextualization Feature to Overcome Intergenerational Language Barriers in Communication Apps

Authors:

Adi Katz and Yana Sophia

Abstract: We address existing intergenerational gaps in use of technology and in digital language, and their potential negative consequences for the well-being of older-aged adults. We describe a new contextualization feature which we designed as an addition to existing instant-messaging systems, to overcome misunderstandings and communication breakdowns during synchronic message exchanges. In the current work we focus on intergenerational language gaps within families, but our feature would be beneficial for bridging language gaps between communicators in many different environments (e.g. between employees who use different professional jargons, people from different nationalities and cultures, and so on). We designed a prototype user interface for the feature and demonstrate it in the context of the WhatsApp messaging app.
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Paper Nr: 35
Title:

Exploring the Decision Tree Method for Detecting Cognitive States of Operators

Authors:

Hélène Unrein, Benjamin Chateau and Jean-Marc André

Abstract: This study aims to validate a construction methodology of a device able to estimate the cognitive state of an operator in real time. The SUaaVE project (SUpporting acceptance of automated VEhicle) studies the integration of an intelligent assistant in a level 4 autonomous car. The aim of our work is to model the cognitive state of the driver in real time and for all situations. The cognitive state is a natural state that alters or preserves the operator's ability to process information and to act. Based on a literature review we identified the cognitive functions used by the driver and the factors influencing them. Different cognitive components emerged from this synthesis: engagement (Witmer & Singer, 1998), fatigue (Marcora and al. 2009) and vigilance (Picot, 2009). Eye-tracking is a technique used to determine the orientation of the gaze in a visual scene. According to the literature the general dynamics of a visual behavior is characterized by metrics: number of fixations, duration of fixation, gaze dispersion... These dynamics are altered unconsciously due to fatigue (Faber, Maurits, & Lorist, 2012) or hypovigilance (De Gennaro et al., 2000, Bodala et al., 2016); and consciously due to engagement in driving (Freydier et al., 2014; Neboit, 1982). We carry out a phase of experimentation in a naturalistic situation (driving simulator) in order to collect data for each cognitive state. Realistic scenarios are constructed to induce cognitive states. The model’s estimation is compared to the real cognitive state of the driver measured by behavioral monitoring (eye-tracking). The model is a CARt (Breiman & Ihaka, 1984) decision tree: Classification And Regression Trees. The CARt aims at building a predictor. The interest is to facilitate the design of the tool as well as its future implementation in real time. We illustrate the construction methodology with an example the results obtained.
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Paper Nr: 2
Title:

Enhancing User Experience of Interior Design Mobile Augmented Reality Applications

Authors:

Ayman Kandil, Bader Al-Jumaah and Iyad A. Doush

Abstract: Intuitive user interface design is of utmost importance to mobile applications, especially when dealing with new technologies like Augmented Reality (AR). In this paper, a user study for evaluating AR 3D furniture arrangement mobile application user experience is presented. In our gesture design, we used one hand to ease the use of the application. Firstly, the user interface is developed based on the literature recommendations and users evaluate it using a set of five tasks in terms of System Usability Scale (SUS), Handheld Augmented Reality Usability Scale (HARUS), task completion time, and the number of user errors. The obtained evaluation results are then used to alter the user interface. The research outcome can be used to help in developing a better user experience for a wider range of AR applications.
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Paper Nr: 3
Title:

Mental Balance: A Goal-oriented Well-being Mobile Application for Self-monitoring

Authors:

Mohammed Al-Kandari, Rakan Al-Halak, Rony Hamza, Rawan Mostafa and Iyad A. Doush

Abstract: In today’s digital age a lot of people get caught in an overwhelming data flow being delivered through their smartphones and one can quickly forget to see the big picture and how each aspect of his life plays a critical whole in his overall wellbeing. Well-being is the experience of health, happiness, and prosperity. It includes having good mental health, high life satisfaction, and a sense of meaning or purpose. Smartphones can improve the well-being of the individual and people already are using many applications to do so. The problem is that these applications tend to focus on a single aspect of someone’s life or try to do everything at once and end up being a bloated app with a steep learning curve. In this paper, we propose Mental Balance, a goal-oriented wellbeing tool for people with mental illness. It takes a holistic approach in improving the wellbeing of the user by letting him set goals for different aspects of his life and then perform daily self-assessments to record their level of commitment to the goal, their mental state, and a journal summarizing their day. The assessment of the user's well-being is based on a recommended measure called MARS. The application will present personalized recommendations of hand-picked educational materials over time that will target specific aspects of the user's life based on his progress over time. Giving users the ability to look at their well-being from multiple perspectives. The application was evaluated on 3 target users. The results show the effectiveness and efficiency of the developed solution, especially in behavior-changing and information quality.
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Paper Nr: 8
Title:

Assessment of Efforts for Content Creation for the Common Digital Space of Scientific Knowledge

Authors:

N. Kalenov, G. Savin, I. Sobolevskaya and A. Sotnikov

Abstract: The article presents a labor cost calculation methodology for creating integrated digital content for the Common Digital Space of Scientific Knowledge (CDSSK). This methodology is demonstrated by the example of the content creation technology for the Digital Library "Scientific Heritage of Russia" (DL SHR) content. The content of the CDSSK contains rare (out of print, hard-to find) books and archival documents, which make digital copies of these materials very labour intensive. This needs to be assessed when planning the content filling for CDSSK. The developed technique includes the decomposition of the entire technological process into a number of operations performed by specialists of a certain profile (archivists, librarians, editors, scanners, etc.). Each phase is divided into several operations, and for every operation the time spent on this type of work is estimated. A unit of CDSSK content can be an archival document, a page of a book, a whole book, a biography of a scientist, etc. The assessment of the time period is carried out either according to published standards, or, in their absence, based on analysis of the experience of performing the operation when forming the content of the DL SHR. The article provides data on the calculation of time costs for individual operations of the formation of digital objects and their collections in relation to DL SHR, taking into account Russian standards and 15 years of experience.
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Area 2 - Interactive Devices

Full Papers
Paper Nr: 19
Title:

An Ensemble of Tangible User Interfaces to Foster Music Awareness and Interaction in Vulnerable Learners

Authors:

Adriano Baratè, Luca A. Ludovico and Eleonora Oriolo

Abstract: This paper describes an educational and creative experience based on tangible user interfaces for making music together. The learners involved in the initiative, aged 7 to 50, presented various forms of social disadvantage and, in some cases, also physical and cognitive impairment. The methodology consisted in building a number of user-tailored experiences to let participants acquire basic musical skills by a hands-on approach implemented through an ensemble of digital instruments. Aspects such as peer-to-peer collaboration, usability, and accessibility had to be addressed. The achieved results included not only the improvement of music competences in vulnerable users, but also the acquisition of social and soft skills. After analyzing the state of the art, this paper aims to investigate all the aspects of the initiative, starting from the design phase (devices, organizational aspects, learning subjects, etc.), then describing the experimental setting, and, finally, documenting the achieved results.
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Paper Nr: 28
Title:

Effect on User Impression of Robot’s Task Dependent Uniform

Authors:

Kazunari Yoshiwara and Kazuki Kobayashi

Abstract: In this paper, we investigated the impressions of users when a humanoid robot is dressed in uniforms that match tasks. Increasingly more robots, such as humanoid robots, can perform multiple tasks on a single machine. In such a case, it is important to design the appearance of robots and their uniforms according to the content of the task because these factors are known to express their level of expertise and technical ability. In our proposed method, a robot changes its appearance dynamically by replacing its uniform with one that matches a task before performing it. The results of our simulator-based experiments indicated that, compared with robots that do not wear a uniform, robots that changed their uniform to match a task were interpreted as being more appropriate, even after making mistakes.
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Short Papers
Paper Nr: 17
Title:

An Implementation of a Pseudo-beat Presentation Device Affecting Emotion of a Smartphone Video Viewer

Authors:

Masaki Omata and Yuta Nakada

Abstract: We have developed a pseudo-beat presentation device that represents visual and tactile movements around a smartphone for the purpose of affecting emotions of a video viewer. The device controls multiple solenoids attached to the back of the smartphone and moves them as if they were human heartbeats in accordance with an emotion of a video content on the smartphone. The results of a usability evaluation experiment of the device showed that the heart rate of viewers who felt the pseudo-beats as their own heartbeats increased, and that the pseudo-beats increased emotional arousal of a calm scene in a video.
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Paper Nr: 24
Title:

Endogenous Cognitive Tasks for Brain-Computer Interface: A Mini-Review and a New Proposal

Authors:

Dize Hilviu, Stefano Vincenzi, Giovanni Chiarion, Claudio Mattutino, Silvestro Roatta, Andrea Calvo, Francesca M. Bosco and Cristina Gena

Abstract: Brain-Computer Interfaces allow interaction between the voluntarily produced human cerebral activity and a computer. The output produced by the user’s performance can serve as an input to the technologic device that can decode this information and transform it to a command. Literature has usually focused on processing and classification often neglecting the importance of the mental tasks used to elicit and modulate the cerebral activity. In this paper, we review previous mental tasks used in literature: motor imagery, spatial navigation, geometric figure rotation, imagery of familiar faces, auditory imagery and math imagery. Then, we propose a set of these tasks modified to maximize the user’s performance during the execution of mental tasks.
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Area 3 - Interaction Design

Full Papers
Paper Nr: 27
Title:

The Current State of User Experience Practices in South African Organisations

Authors:

Trevor Chawana and Funmi Adebesin

Abstract: Incorporating user experience design (UXD) into systems development processes can give an organisation a competitive advantage over its rivals. However, the number of South African organisations that have embedded UXD into their systems development processes was historically low. This paper reports on the extent to which a selection of South African organisations has incorporated UXD practices into their systems development processes. Interviews were conducted with participants in four organisations. The results showed that the landscape of UXD practices is improving in South Africa.
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Short Papers
Paper Nr: 4
Title:

How Ethnographic Practices Are Reconfigured with 360-degree Cameras

Authors:

Naoya Tojo, Tomoko Oto and Sumaru Niida

Abstract: Ethnography has become common in human-computer interaction research as both a methodology and a research subject. Ethnographic practices have historically been enhanced with the introduction of new technologies. Responding to the emergence of 360-degree panoramic technology that enables comprehensive visual recording and an immersive viewing experience, we specifically explore how 360-degree cameras bring new value to ethnography. To examine this concept, we conducted a focus group discussion with seven ethnographers and an interview study in which an additional five ethnographers were asked about experiences in the use of 360-degree cameras. From the results, we constructed distinct aspects to start a discussion on the future research and practice of ethnography using 360-degree cameras. We also report the early challenges that ethnographers encountered and discuss supporting technologies to overcome the challenges. Reflecting on the findings, this paper contributes to the design implications of ethnography with 360-degree cameras.
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Paper Nr: 21
Title:

Reframing the Fake News Problem: Social Media Interaction Design to Make the Truth Louder

Authors:

Safat Siddiqui and Mary L. Maher

Abstract: This paper brings a new perspective in social media interaction design that reframes the problem of misinformation spreading on social platforms as an opportunity for UX researchers to design interactive experiences for social media users to make the truth louder. We focus on users’ interaction tendencies to promote 2 target behaviors for the social media users: 1. Users interact more with credible helpful information, and 2. Users interact less with harmful unverified information. The existing platform-based interventions assist users in getting context and making informed decisions about the information they consume and share on the platform, independently of users’ interaction tendencies on social platforms. But social media users exhibit different interaction behaviors - active users on social platforms tend to interact with content and other users often. In contrast, passive users prefer to avoid the interactions that produce digital footprints. This paper presents a theoretical basis and 3 design principles to pursue the new research perspective - it builds on the Fogg behavior model (FBM) to transform users’ interaction behaviors to mitigate the fake news problem, describes users’ active-passive interactions tendencies as a basis for design, and presents the 2 target interaction behaviors to prompt on social platforms.
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Paper Nr: 29
Title:

Personality Shifting Agent to Remove Users’ Negative Impression on Speech Recognition Failure

Authors:

Tatsuki Hori and Kazuki Kobayashi

Abstract: In this study, we propose a method to shift an agent’s personality during speech interaction to reduce users’ negative impressions of speech recognition systems when speech recognition fails. Although spoken dialog interfaces, such as smart speakers, have emerged to support our daily lives and the accuracy of speech recognition has improved, users are burden with rephrasing commands for these systems because they fail. Speech recognition failure makes users uncomfortable, and the cognitive strain in rephrasing commands is high. The proposed method aims to eliminate users’ negative impression of agents by allowing an agent to have multiple personalities and accept responsibility for the failure, with the personality responsible for failure being removed from the task. System hardware remains the same, and users can continue to interact with another personality of the agent. Shifting the agent’s personality is represented by a change in voice tone and LED color. Experimental results with 20 participants suggested that the proposed method reduces users’ negative impressions by improving communication between users and the agent, as well as the agent’s sense of responsibility, and that users felt that the agent have emotions.
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Paper Nr: 31
Title:

Netychords: An Accessible Digital Musical Instrument for Playing Chords using Gaze and Head Movements

Authors:

Nicola Davanzo, Matteo De Filippis and Federico Avanzini

Abstract: Research on Accessible Digital Musical Instruments (ADMIs) dedicated to users with motor disabilities, facilitated by the introduction of new sensors on the mass market during the last decades, has carved out an important niche within the scenario of new interfaces for musical expression. Among these instruments, Netytar, developed in 2018, is a hands-free ADMI enabling the performance of monophonic melodies, controlled using the gaze (for the selection of the notes) and the breath (for the control of the dynamics), through an eye tracker and an ad-hoc breath sensor. In this article we propose Netychords, a Netytar extension developed to allow a quadriplegic musician to play chords. The instrument is controlled using gaze and head movement. A head tracking paradigm is used to control chord strumming, through a cheap ad-hoc built head tracker. Interaction methods and mappings are discussed, along with a series of experimental chord keys layouts, problems encountered and planned future developments.
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Paper Nr: 30
Title:

Evaluation of Visualization Concepts for Explainable Machine Learning Methods in the Context of Manufacturing

Authors:

Alexander Gerling, Christian Seiffer, Holger Ziekow, Ulf Schreier, Andreas Hess and Djaffar O. Abdeslam

Abstract: Machine Learning (ML) is increasingly used in the manufacturing domain to identify the root cause of product errors. A product error can be difficult to identify and most ML models are not easy to understand. Therefore, we investigated visualization techniques for use in manufacturing. We conducted several interviews with quality engineers and a group of students to determine the usefulness of 15 different visualizations. These are mostly state-of-the-art visualizations or adjusted visualizations for our use case. The objective is to prevent misinterpretations of results and to help making decisions more quickly. The most popular visualizations were the Surrogate Decision Tree Model and the Scatter Plot because they show simple illustrations that are easy to understand. We also discuss eight combinations of visualizations to better identify the root cause of an error.
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