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Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
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    Design and evaluation of text-free map interfaces : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Information Technology at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2016) Bao, Bojian
    The aim of this research is to design and evaluate a text-free online map interface for illiterate people and non-local-language speakers. The use of online maps is developing rapidly and while a large majority of people are using these applications, there are many illiterate people who find them extremely difficult to use due to their inability to read the text on the maps. Symbols and audio are two methods that can be used to replace the reliance on traditional text. The research conducts two surveys to define the suitable symbol type and identify features for online map design; designs a set of text-free online map applications and finally, evaluates each designed map application based on a sample of 90 participants (Native English Speakers, non-English Speakers and Illiterate People). The results illustrate that illiterate people find it more difficult to use the online map application compared with literate people. Text-free online map interfaces are necessary to support illiterate people and the map that included both symbol and audio was the most suitable type of text-free online map.
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    A near touch user interface for touch screen based systems : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering in Electronics and Computer Systems Engineering at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2012) Taylor, Nicholas John
    Industry has been heavily pushing for new methods of human-computer interaction in the last several years and this has seen many different technologies move into the mainstream, from infrared sensors[1] and z-cameras[2] to touch screens[3]. Because touch screens are a more mature and developed technology they provide an ideal platform for mainstream technology development, but their level of interactiveness is limited, and these limitations must be overcome or compensated for with clever interface design. In this thesis, a solution to these inherent limitations in touch screen interface design is proposed by augmenting the touch screens interaction capabilities with one or two cameras to enable a near touch user experience on top of the standard touch screen. This offers flexibility in system design (the near touch is implemented as an extra layer, and can be activated only if present) as well as providing an inexpensive solution. Several Image processing algorithms relevant to this task are also discussed and their implementation evaluated.
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    Tune in share out : this thesis is presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Design at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2010) Mitchell, Greer
    This thesis explores the intersections of ubiquitous technologies, embedded democracies, and bright green futures and how that is resolved in a user interface design for a citizen centric mobile phone application. My main question of enquiry is: How can I connect citizens to their local environment through human interface design on a mobile platform? The Politics of Nature by Bruno Latour proposes; ‘An end to the old dichotomy between nature and society... of a collective, a community incorporating humans and non humans and building on the experiences of the sciences as they are actually practiced.’ (Latour, 2004, p. 186-206). Design research throughout this thesis explores the intersections of urban health, human interface design, captology, mobile and sensor technology and citizen science while proposing an interactive mobile application for local and national governments to engage with an increasingly urban and technological savvy agora. The aim of the accompanying mobile application prototype titled Tune In, Share Out (TISO), gives access to air and water quality information coupled with a mobile air quality sensor device which enables urban citizens to directly participate in the concept of the quantified self (Fawkes, 2010) by monitoring their pollution paths, while sharing this information through their respective social networks within a mobile mapping platform. Concurrently this project contributes air quality information to aid citizens, scientists and city planners to make more informed and sustainable decisions within their local environment and agora. Benefits of this application include citizen and environmental interaction and awareness, the ability for local government and citizens to enhance their tacit and embodied knowledge of respective groups and individual’s, enabling greater understanding of each others perspective, while offering a channel of participation to an otherwise silent segment of society.
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    The development of a visual language for image processing applications : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 1992) Ngan, Phillip Michael; Ngan, Phillip Michael
    The research described in this thesis is based on the hypothesis that computer support for the heuristic development of image processing algorithms can be improved by the provision of a human-computer interface that is suited to the task. Current interfaces are largely text based and are not specifically designed to provide this support. It is suggested that an interface incorporating aspects of menu-based, direct manipulation, and visual languages, can provide the necessary support. The research of this thesis begins with an analysis of the task of image processing algorithm development. It is found that in development, algorithms are more appropriately viewed as data-oriented networks of imaging operations than as process-oriented lists. The representation of algorithms in most current interfaces, particularly in text based systems, do not clearly convey the multi-threaded data paths in an algorithm. However, a data-oriented representation expresses such parallel paths clearly and naturally. The second finding of the analysis is that human designers employ a set of problem solving strategies or heuristics in the interactive development of algorithms. These strategies include the top-down decomposition of the imaging task, the identification and focus of critical sub-goals, the progressive refinement of an algorithm, and the modification of existing algorithms. These heuristics are used implicitly in the development of algorithms, but the ease with which they are used in text based interfaces is restricted by the lack of appropriate interactive facilities. An evaluation of interface techniques suggests that an interface that combines aspects of menu-based, direct manipulation, and visual languages, can support the required interaction for the heuristic development of algorithms. The required data-flow view can be provided by an iconic data flow language. Such a representation is highly visible, and can be interpreted by a user at a glance. Quick and convenient specification and editing of a data flow network can be performed via direct manipulation interaction facilities. The search for suitable operations can be facilitated by menu systems. On the basis of the arguments for the adoption of a data-flow representation of algorithms, a problem solving approach to algorithm development, and highly interactive facilities, a software package, called OpShop, has been implemented. Examples which compare OpShop to text based systems show that four major tasks involved in algorithm development are better supported with the new interface. These tasks are the visualisation of multi-threaded data paths, the interactive experimentation with algorithm parameters, the modification of algorithm topology, and the comparison of alternative algorithms. In these examples, the OpShop software represents the tangible outcome of the design for an interface that specifically supports the heuristic development of image processing algorithm.
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    A backcountry tour guide : adding value to the great outdoors experience : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Engineering in Electronics and Computer Systems Engineering at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2010) York, Kenneth Everett; York, Kenneth Everett
    To promote outdoor activity by novice and casual walkers a device was constructed to increase the perceived value of their walks with ongoing feedback of their progress on the walk and engaging information about natural features in their immediate surroundings. The interface design promoted ease of use and quickness of learning for the users. The device did increase the perceived value of the walks by the users.
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    A calculation of colours: towards the automatic creation of graphical user interface colour schemes : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2010) Moretti, Giovanni S.
    Interface colour scheme design is complex, but important. Most software allows users to choose the colours of single items individually and out of context, but does not acknowledge colour schemes or aid in their design. Creating colour schemes by picking individual colours can be time-consuming, error-prone, and frustrating, and the results are often mediocre, especially for those without colour design skills. Further, as colour harmony arises from the interactions between all of the coloured elements, anticipating the overall eff ect of changing the colour of any single element can be difficult. This research explores the feasibility of extending artistic colour harmony models to include factors pertinent to user interface design. An extended colour harmony model is proposed and used as the basis for an objective function that can algorithmically assess the colour relationships in an interface colour scheme. Its assessments have been found to agree well with human evaluations and have been used as part of a process to automatically create harmonious and usable interface colour schemes. A three stage process for the design of interface colour schemes is described. In the fi rst stage, the designer speci es, in broad terms and without requiring colour design expertise, colouring constraints such as grouping and distinguishability that are needed to ensure that the colouring of interface elements reflects their semantics. The second stage is an optimisation process that chooses colour relationships to satisfy the competing requirements of harmonious colour usage, any designer-specified constraints, and readability. It produces sets of coordinates that constitute abstract colour schemes: they de fine only relationships between coloured items, not real colours. In the third and fi nal stage, a user interactively maps an abstract scheme to one or more real colour schemes. The colours can be fi ne-tuned as a set (but not altered individually), to allow for such "soft" factors as personal, contextual and cultural considerations, while preserving the integrity of the design embodied in the abstract scheme. The colours in the displayed interface are updated continuously, so users can interactively explore a large number of colour schemes, all of which have readable text, distinguishable controls, and conform to the principles of colour harmony. Experimental trials using a proof-of-concept implementation called the Colour Harmoniser have been used to evaluate a method of holistic colour adjustment and the resulting colour schemes. The results indicate that the holistic controls are easy to understand and eff ective, and that the automatically produced colour schemes, prior to fi ne-tuning, are comparable in quality to many manually created schemes, and after fi ne-tuning, are generally better. By designing schemes that incorporate colouring constraints specifi ed by the user prior to scheme creation, and enabling the user to interactively fi ne-tune the schemes after creation, there is no need to specify or incorporate the subtle and not well understood factors that determine whether any particular set of colours is "suitable". Instead, the approach used produces broadly harmonious schemes, and defers to the developer in the choice of the fi nal colours.
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    Improving the interfaces of online discussion forums to enhance learning support : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Information Science in Information Systems at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2008) Jonnavithula, Lalitha
    This thesis describes a research work aimed at improving the interfaces of online discussion forums (ODFs) in relation to their functional support to enhance learning. These ODFs form part of almost all Learning Management Systems (LMSs) such as WebCT, Moodle and Blackboard, which are widely used in education nowadays. Although ODFs are identified as valuable sources to learning, their interfaces are limited in terms of providing support to students, such as in the areas of managing their postings as well as in facilitating them to quickly locate and obtain specified information. In addition, these systems lack features to support inter-institutional cooperation that could potentially increase knowledge sharing between students and educators of different institutions. The interface design objective of this study therefore was to explore and overcome the limitations identified as above, and enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of ODFs’ support to learning. Using a task centered design approach; the required features were developed, and implemented in a working prototype called eQuake (electronic Question answer knowledge environment). eQuake is a shared online discussion forum system developed as an add-on to a well-known open source e-learning platform (Moodle). This system was intended for use among interinstitutional students in New Zealand tertiary institutions that teach similar courses. The improved interface functionalities of eQuake are expected to enhance learning support in terms of widening communication among users, increasing knowledge base, providing existing matching answer(s) quickly to students, and exposing students to multiple perspectives. This study considers such improvements to ODF interfaces as vital to enable users to enjoy the benefits of technology-mediated environment. The perceived usefulness and ease-of-use of improved features in eQuake were evaluated using a quantitative experimental research method. The evaluation was conducted at three tertiary institutions in New Zealand, and the overall results indicated positive response, although some suggestions for improvement have been made in the evaluation. This thesis presents a review of the related literature, describes the design and development of a user interface, followed by its implementation in eQuake, and a description of the evaluation. The thesis concludes with recommendations for better interface design of ODFs and provides suggestions for future research in this area.