A Study of Design that Understands the Influences on the Changes of Information Processing Ability of Users

Transcription

1 A Study of Design that Understands the Influences on the Changes of Information Processing Ability of Users Ji Hyun Park University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, D7000 Austin, TX jhpark@ischool.utexas.edu Abstract. The main goal of this study is to research new design approaches for creating interactive products by designers that take into consideration the positive long-term influence a product has on users. In recent years, users are more and more interested in products that can have a good influence on them, for example, how much of a positive change can occur to their emotional or physical health through using a product. With the further advancement of technology, a wide range of effects frequently occur between new devices and users. These effects can be considered a new experience by users. In the future, users will take into consideration the positive influences a product has on them, and the long-term experience of using a technology device. Because of these compelling reasons, research is necessary to study the factors and characteristics of influences that products have on users through objective and utility methods. Keywords: Design factors, Users, Interaction, Information processing abilities 1 Introduction In recent years, many products have been developed that provide close interactions between a user and the product, resulting in both positive and negative interactions. For instance, from mobile devices to transportation-related devices, there is a flood of products that take into consideration essential design factors such as aesthetics, utility and user satisfaction. Moreover, users are more and more interested in products that can have a good influence on them, for example, how much a positive change can occur to their emotional or physical health through using a product. At the same time, this phenomenon greatly broadens the role of service-oriented fields within the design process. With the further advancement of technology, a wide range of affects frequently occur between new devices and users that can be considered by users a new experience. This trend leads to primarily focusing design on satisfying the user s needs. Many designers, however, take into consideration how to best fulfill a user s immediate needs without any additional guidelines that consider the long-term effects a product might have on a user. For that reason, designers usually borrow methods of trend research from marketing fields. That approach is effective for understanding the motivation of users for purchase products; however, it represents only a fragment of

2 the overall situation when users select a product. In the future, users will take into consideration the positive influences a product has on them, such as, and the longterm experience of using a technology device. Because of these compelling reasons, research is necessary to study the factors and characteristics of positive influences products have on users through objective and utility methods. The aim of this research is to analyze the relationship and influencing factors of a product to the user, and the research incorporates a more objective and utilitarian method than had been pursued previously. This study identified the necessity for creating a new design system that takes into consideration a product s long-term influence on a user following the use of a product. Therefore, the research focuses on exploring new design factors and a multidisciplinary approach regarding the long-term positive effect to the users in regards to the interaction between information and humans. Through a new design approach, designers can develop interactive products that meet their intentions for providing positive long-term influences on users. Consequently, this study suggests a design approach method with a different aspect compared with previous design perspectives and a system for enhancing long-term positive effects on users. 2 Definitions and Literature Review First, theoretical research was conducted to define the terms product, users, and interaction. Furthermore, the relevant research was reviewed regarding the influence of interaction between humans and products. 2.1 Definitions Users. The term users is defined as the class of people that use products in everyday life. Users experience new meanings and values by interacting with products in their daily life. In addition, users behaviors are continually affected by using products, such as a computer and mobile phone, as required in their lives. Products. The designing of products means that establishing a concept for all kinds of human activities including artifacts, service, information, systems and environment. That means the object of designing focuses on tangible products, for example, graphic design, product design, interior design and so on, as well as human behavior, experience, culture, and services. For the last few decades, there are many studies regarding conceptual models that are applied to the user s recognition of product s attribute and the process of creating meaning and value by marketing experts and psychologists. According to the prior studies, consumers select their products depending on their expectations. Interaction. Human to product communication [1]; in the context of communication between a human and an artifact, interactivity refers to the artifact s interactive behavior as experienced by the human user.

3 This is different from other aspects of the artifact such as its visual appearance, its internal working, and the meaning of the signs it might mediate. For example, the interactivity of an ipod is not its physical shape and color, its ability to play music, or its storage capacity it is the behavior of its user interface as experienced by its user. This includes the way you move your finger on its input wheel, the way this allows you to select a tune in the playlist, and the way you control the volume. An artifact s interactivity is best perceived through use. A bystander can imagine how it would be like to use an artifact by watching others use it, but it is only through actual use that its interactivity is fully experienced and "felt". This is due to the kinesthetic nature of the interactive experience. It is similar to the difference between watching someone drive a car and actually driving it. Long-term Influences. The term long-term influences means the effects on users after the entire process of interaction with a product. This research mainly focuses on human s information processing abilities. 2.2 Literature Review The Influences of Interaction between Users and Products. In the design discipline, it is important that designers understand the differences in the patterns of everyday life in different cultures for the success of providing people s culture-specific needs, in particular, culturally unfamiliar areas of potential business markets. By understanding the user activity patterns in people s cultural contexts, designers are able to provide their offerings products and services to support specific users behaviors in the targeted business market area. For that reason, designers research trends shift from products to activities. It is the main reason that designers currently employ anthropologic qualitative research methods [2]. As Savolainen points out, even though the ordinary processes of information utilization are ubiquitous, there is so far very little research knowledge on exactly how information is used [3]. The Relevant Studies in Various Disciplines. According to the relevant studies from other disciplines, researchers concentrate on studying factors of influences on humans while they use products. Although designers assert that they create designs based on a Human-Centered Design (HCD) philosophy, in fact, it is quite recent that designers started to focus on Human behavior more than a product itself, specifically functionality, color and shape. As much as improvement of technology is frequently shown, people also need to learn new functions and usage of products. It changes humans behaviors in their everyday lives. In regards to Pickering s definition of multidisciplinary research, the ideal treatment of any specific or technological development is not one that analyzes it from a single, unified perspective, but one that successfully integrates diverse component perspectives [4]. Therefore, the goal is not unification within a single perspective but the integration of several different perspectives. Multidisciplinary research probably requires more collaborative research than is the current norm in science and technology studies.

4 Table 1. Lists of the relevant studies, which focus on effects on humans in various disciplines. Titles Disciplines 1 Difference of human perceptual-motor ability according to e- Sports expertise [5]. Physical science 2 Junior high school students' Multiplayer Online Role Playing Education Game (MMORPG) use and its effects on real interpersonal relationship cognition and communication competence [6]. 3 (The) Effects of ubiquitous attributes of mobile contents on Business perceived interactivity and behavioral outcome [7]. management 4 (The)Regulation process of adolescent on-line game over Information user's behavior [8]. studies 5 A study of the pattern of the value of Heart rate, Skin Electronic Conductance, Respiration depending on experience and time engineering of On-line game [9]. 6 The effects of electronic games on adolescents' self-esteem Literature and competitive value: degree of acquired-gratification would affect adolescents' competitive value on real world competition [10]. 7 The effects of computer game on Children's mathematical ability and spatial skills [11]. Domestic science 3 Factors Affecting Information Processing Abilities on Users Two case studies were undertaken to determine the effects of human-product interactions. In terms of a researching the basic components and characteristics of humans information processing abilities, the relevance between human interaction and the influence of information processes is provided. On the next step, through two case studies that examined effects on users after using communication devices and playing online video games, I observed situations that occurred between users and information and attempted to identify the design characteristics that needed to be considered in the future. 3.1 Two Case Studies: 91 Results of the Effects Above all, this chapter sought a variety of influences on users. And then, through organizing the results, it found a possibility of reflecting the design factors that affect information processing abilities of users on the design. It incorporated a more objective and utilitarian method than had been pursued previously. For this research, mobile phone use and computer games were selected as products that represent the most frequently used devices that affect users. In this process, this research sought 91 results of effects on users after computer game and mobile phone use as case studies (see, Appendix.1). Although there is a limitation of organizing results in a specific system because the results of influences vary across a wide range, the 31 influences found a common characteristic, which is a

5 change in information processing abilities. There is more specific research regarding the changes in information processing ability indexed so as to analyze the relationship and influencing factors of a product to the user. In order to find associations between design elements and the results of influences above, the DEMATEL method 1 [12] is conducted with ten pairs of specific cases based on the thirty-one results. In the results, it is clear that user s information processing ability is the most common characteristic. Through the procedure of classifying attributes of influence factors and discussion of the range of effects on users, it becomes a background research for creating a diagram regarding user s influences by interacting with products. As the meaning of products and ranges are expanding, the characteristics of influences show that direct effects on users are increasing, in particular, user s information processing capability. Furthermore the users follow the trends of macro changes, such as environmental and cultural changes. 3.2 Applications: Redefining the Long-term Memory Principles as Design Factors At first, this section applied the four characteristics of human capabilities [13] to concept applications for designing mobile phone interactions, including similarities, paired associate learning, recognition and recall. Secondly, the four longterm characteristics [13] are redefined as design factors in order to consider effects of these on humans capabilities during these interactions, as seen in Table 2 and 3. Table 2. The concept applications for mobile phone use as pertain to the elements of capability. Elements of capability Similarity Redefining with Design Perspectives When the user makes an association based on his/her experience Concept applications: mobile phone use The designer naturally induces the user s perception causing a new experience that users can use to remember stored data on the mobile phone. Paired associate learning When the user experiences an association of one specific meaning with another. The associated image and interface are designed in a simple context to allow for easy recall of data stored on the mobile phone. 1 The DEMATEL (Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory) method is an effective method that helps in gathering group knowledge for forming a structural model, as well as in visualizing the relationship of sub-systems through a diagram (Gabus & Fontela, 1972, 1973).

6 Recognition When the user considers cognitive and emotional familiarities that he/she has while experiencing a product. Users memories are induced through multiple-sensory interactions. Recall When the user, through past experiences, can remember what they perceived and recognized during the interaction The users recall information received during previous product usage. Table 3. Applications of mobile phone interface design to long-term. Long-term Redefining with Design Perspectives Concept applications: mobile phone interface Episodic Factual knowledge of a specific moment in time, place, and specific personal experiences. The information contains every meaning of the context of the interaction. The design reflects the time, place, and situation at that moment Semantic Theoretical knowledge independent of a time and place. The information has a special meaning to the user independently. The design concentrates on memorizing the message itself using images and interfaces. Narrative Story-telling. The information has a story related with user s experience. The design induces the user s experience when he/she recalls his/her memories with story-telling in order to find information in the mobile phone. Sequential Sequential dependent of time and place, context. The information is stored by the user. The design follows the sequential moment of user s interaction.

7 4 Three Visual Diagrams This study detailed the creation of a design system, which takes into consideration the change of the users information processing abilities. This study visualized diagrams, which describe the range of information processing, factors in behavioral processes, and the steps in the user s processing of information. Through the application of these three visualized diagrams, all components can be considered as synthesized principle elements for a new design system, which takes into consideration the influence of the users information processing abilities for the purpose of achieving positive long-term effects. Fig. 1. The figure shows design factors that consider the changes in a user s ability to process information. Diagram A. demonstrates factors in behavioral processes (L). and Diagram B. shows the range of information processing (R). 4.1 Diagram A. Sequential Factors in User s Behavioral Processes There are four steps in the entire process of the users interaction with the product, which are the users needs, decision-making (purchasing a product), interaction and influence. During each stage of the users behavior, it is expected that the information processing elements will work distinctively. 4.2 Diagram B. The Range of User s Information Processing (Factor Analysis) The information processing procedure that takes place while the user interacts with the product is the most crucial part. This procedure affects the users information processing ability following product usage. This processing ability is divided into three stages based on the theory suggested by Gardner in 1993: Meta components, performance components and acquisition components. These three steps of human information-processing components provide criteria on how designers should look at user attributes when they are interacting with these products.

8 4.3 Diagram C. The Ranges of Influence Factors of User s Information Processing Abilities Fig. 2. Diagram C. shows the ranges of effects on the user s processing of information. Based on the results of the factor analysis in chapter 3, figure 2 synthesizes the ranges of influence factors of the users information processing abilities. At first, this research created two groups that included physical ability and mental ability of users. These groups had distinctive characteristics. 5 Conclusions This study identified the necessity for creating a new design system that takes into consideration a product s long-term influence on a user following the use of that product. This research focuses on exploring new design factors, using a multidisciplinary approach regarding the long-term positive effects to the users regarding the interaction between information and humans. Through a new design approach, designers can develop interactive products that meet their intentions for providing positive long-term influences on users. This study suggests a design approach method with a different aspect compared with previous design perspectives, and a system for enhancing long-term positive effects on users. The results of this study suggest that designers should take into consideration the specific positive influences that a product has on its users when they create new design concepts. With this, designers are urged to give top priority to considering the long-term physical and mental effects a product has on them. Through this study, I concluded that there needs to be additional design aspects to consider beyond usability. In the future, I believe that designers should take into consideration the human elements and the long-term effects of interaction with not only products, but also services.

9 References 1. Wikipeida, 2. Kumar, Vijay.: User Insights Tool: A Sharable Database for Global Research. Institute of Design, IIT, Chicago (2004) 3. Savolainen, Reijo.: Information Behavior and Information Practice: Reviewing the Umbrella Concepts of Information Seeking Studies: Library Quarterly, 77(2), (2007) 4. Pickering, Andrew.: The Mangle of Practice, pp.215: The University of Chicago Press, Chicago (1995) 5. Kim, Haneol.: Difference of Human Perceptual-Motor Ability According to e-sports Expertise: Dissertation: Seoul National University, Seoul (2005) 6. Oh, Hyung Il.: Junior High School Students' Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG) Use and its Effects on Real Interpersonal Relationship Cognition and Communication Competence: Dissertation, Seoul National University, Seoul (2005) 7. Lee, Sung Ho.: The Effects of Ubiquitous Attributes of Mobile Contents on Perceived Interactivity and Behavioral Outcome: Dissertation: Seoul National University, Seoul (2006) 8. Park, Seung Min.: The Regulation Process of Adolescent On-line Game over User's Behavior: Dissertation, Seoul National University, Seoul (2005) 9. Kim, Young Kyu.: A Study of the Pattern of the Value of Heart Rate, Skin Conductance, Respiration Depending on Experience and Time of On-line Game: Dissertation, Seoul National University, Seoul (2004) 10. Kim, Ok Tae.: The Effects of Electronic Games on Adolescents' Self-esteem and Competitive Value: Dissertation: Seoul National University, Seoul (2001) 11. Lim, Song Mi.: The Effects of Computer Game on Children's Mathematical Ability and Spatial skills: Dissertation, Seoul National University, Seoul (2000) 12. Cho, Yong Ho.: A Study for Structuring Design Factors - Comparison of DEMATEL theory and KJ theory: Korea Society of Design Science, Vol.5 p (2002) 13. Kim, Jung Oh.: The Structure of Minds (Lecture notes, unpublished), Seoul National University, Seoul (2007) Appendix 1. The 91 Effects on Game and Mobile Phone Users * s/o: s indicates a subjective variable characterized by vagueness and imprecision. o represents an objective variable which can be estimated with exact numerical values. no Lists of the Effects * no. Lists of the Effects *. 1 Communication apprehension s 47 Importance of user s skills and s opportunities 2 Openness to the different cultural s 48 Self-esteem s and social background 3 Social experience s 49 Eye-Hand Coordination o 4 Leadership s 50 Familiarity with technologies o 5 Learning social norm, regulations s 51 Bilateral Motor Coordination o 6 Goal achieving management s 52 Spatial perception s 7 Being honest to other people s 53 Independent thinking s 8 Understanding s 54 Reduction of violent actions in s daily life 9 Sympathy s 55 Mitigation of stress o 10 Empathy s 56 Motivation for learning s

10 11 Limited human network s 57 Adventure s 12 Broad range of human network s 58 Amusement s 13 Preference of face to face s 59 Relaxation s communication 14 Indirect experience s 60 Tension s 15 Participation of social activities s 61 Priority: Game is the most s important thing in the world 16 Efficiency s 62 Refreshing feeling, atmosphere s 17 Adequacy s 63 Withdrawal symptoms s 18 Communication capability o 64 Irregular hours of sleep o 19 Contact capability s 65 Possessiveness formation s 20 Anxiety of directed s 66 Formation of affection with a s communication computer 21 Social experience: participation s 67 Confusion of reality s 22 Expression capability s 68 Reduction of social network s 23 Reflection s 69 Relationship based on game s 24 Extent of self-expression s 70 Violent tendency s 25 The relationship between o 71 Imitation of game actions s stimulations and responses 26 Fast and accurate feedback o 72 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome o 27 Interaction frequency o 73 visual reaction time o 28 Motivation of learning by the s 74 Aggressive attitudes s challenge, fantasy, curiosity 29 Visual distinct technique o 75 Negative effect on s capability communication ability 30 Development of detecting o 76 Degradation of academic s direction achievements 31 Spatial perception capability o 77 Negative emotions from a game o experience 32 Numerical representation ability o 78 Psychological obsession o 33 Verbal representation ability o 79 Feeling uncomfortable, nervous s and depression when I stop playing a game 34 Balanced association capability o 80 Feeling comfortable and relief s when I am playing a game 35 Rapid reflection capability o 81 Losing interests about hobbies s and activities 36 Sequentially thinking capability o 82 Afraid of meeting friend in s person 37 Focusing on the thinking and o 83 Declining hours of getting s planning process together with family 38 Creative thinking o 84 Pain of fingers s 39 Reasoning ability o 85 Cannot remember lyrics s 40 Problem-solving capability o 86 Easily forget ID and password on s the Internet 41 Visual information processing o 87 Forget family s phone numbers s capability 42 Logical thinking ability o 88 Never remember friends cell s phone number 43 Cognitive development o 89 Having difficulties with a basic s calculation 44 Visual and auditory stimulationresponse o 90 Mis-spelled words, easily forget s capability correct spelling 45 Sensory dictation capability o 91 weak in sight o 46 Competitive mind s Total: 91 cases; 31(s) and 60(o)