The Effects of Natural Sounds and Proxemic Distances on the Perception of a Noisy Domestic Flying Robot

in ACM Transactions on Human - Robot Interaction (in press)

When flying robots are used in close-range interaction with humans, the noise they generate, also called consequential sound, is a critical parameter for user acceptance. We conjecture that there is a ... [more ▼]

When flying robots are used in close-range interaction with humans, the noise they generate, also called consequential sound, is a critical parameter for user acceptance. We conjecture that there is a benefit in adding natural sounds to noisy domestic drones. To test our hypothesis experimentally, we carried out a mixed-methods research study (N=56) on reported user perception of a sonified domestic flying robot with three sound conditions at three distances. The natural sounds studied were respectively added to the robot’s inherent noises during flying; namely a birdsong and a rain sound, plus a control condition of no added sound. The distances studied were set according to proxemics; namely near, middle, and far. Our results show that adding birdsong or rain sound affects the participants’ perceptions, and the proxemic distances play a nonnegligible role. For instance, we found that participants liked the bird condition the most when the drone was at far, while they disliked the same sound the most when at near. We also found that participants’ perceptions strongly depended on their associations and interpretations deriving from previous experience. We derived six concrete design recommendations. [less ▲]

The Framework of Security-Enhancing Friction: How UX Can Help Users Behave More Securely

in New Security Paradigms Workshop (2020, October 26)

A growing body of research in the usable privacy and security community addresses the question of how to best influence user behavior to reduce risk-taking.We propose to address this challenge by ... [more ▼]

A growing body of research in the usable privacy and security community addresses the question of how to best influence user behavior to reduce risk-taking.We propose to address this challenge by integrating the concept of user experience (UX) into empirical usable privacy and security studies that attempt to change risktaking behavior. UX enables us to study the complex interplay between user-related, system-related and contextual factors and provides insights into the experiential aspects underlying behavior change, including negative experiences. We first compare and contrast existing security-enhancing interventions (e.g., nudges, warnings, fear appeals) through the lens of friction. We then build on these insights to argue that it can be desirable to design for moments of negative UX in security-critical situations. For this purpose, we introduce the novel concept of security-enhancing friction, friction that effectively reduces the occurrence of risk-taking behavior and ensures that the overall UX (after use) is not compromised. We illustrate how security-enhancing friction provides an actionable way to systematically integrate the concept of UX into empirical usable privacy and security studies for meeting both the objectives of secure behavior and of overall acceptable experience. [less ▲]

A UX Approach to Privacy and Security: the Impact of User, Contextual and System-Related Factors

in CHI Workshop Exploring Individual Diffferences in Privacy (2018, April)

This position paper lays out current and future studies which we conduct on the UX aspects of security and privacy, our goal being to understand which factors influence privacy-related decision-making. We ... [more ▼]

This position paper lays out current and future studies which we conduct on the UX aspects of security and privacy, our goal being to understand which factors influence privacy-related decision-making. We advocate using UX design methods in order to study interindividual differences, system-related and contextual factors involved in privacy and security attitudes and behaviors. These results will contribute to user-tailored and personalized privacy initiatives and guide the design of future technologies. [less ▲]

Lab Testing Beyond Usability: Challenges and Recommendations for Assessing User Experiences

in Journal of Usability Studies (2017), 12(3), 133-154

In the “third wave” of human-computer interaction (HCI), the advent of the conceptual approach of UX broadens and changes the HCI landscape. Methods approved before, mainly within the conceptual approach ... [more ▼]

In the “third wave” of human-computer interaction (HCI), the advent of the conceptual approach of UX broadens and changes the HCI landscape. Methods approved before, mainly within the conceptual approach of usability, are still widely used, and yet their adequacy for UX evaluation remains uncertain in many applications. Laboratory testing is undoubtedly the most prominent example of such a method. Hence, in this study, we investigated how the more comprehensive and emotional scope of UX can be assessed by laboratory testing. In this paper, we report on a use case study involving 70 participants. They first took part in user/laboratory tests and then were asked to evaluate their experience with the two systems (perceived UX) by filling out an AttrakDiff scale and a UX needs fulfillment questionnaire. We conducted post-test interviews to better understand participants’ experiences. We analyzed how the participants’ perceived UX depends on quantitative (e.g., task completion time, task sequence, level of familiarity with the system) and qualitative aspects (think aloud, debriefing interviews) within the laboratory context. Results indicate that the laboratory setting has a strong impact on the participants’ perceived UX, and support a discussion of the quality and limitations of laboratory evaluations regarding UX assessment. In this paper, we have identified concrete challenges and have provided solutions and tips useful for both practitioners and researchers who seek to account for the subjective, situated, and temporal nature of the UX in their assessments. [less ▲]

Incentives and gaming environments for changing commuter behaviour

Scientific Conference (2014, September 30)

The project aims to produce a pervasive, gamified system that tries to incentivize mobility behaviour change by offering alternative activities in contrast to usual journeys in such way that it will ... [more ▼]

The project aims to produce a pervasive, gamified system that tries to incentivize mobility behaviour change by offering alternative activities in contrast to usual journeys in such way that it will reduce traffic, emissions and, in the end, save money. The alternatives, for example, such as taking different modes of transport, are incentivised through gamification. In order to develop this pervasive system, we analysed existing mobility patterns of commuters in Luxembourg. The methodology that we developed consists of a questionnaire, a smartphone application and focus group interviews. This paper presents the findings of the questionnaire and how they influence the design of the gamified pervasive application. [less ▲]

Die Online-Testplattform OASYS

Presentation (2014, January)