Analysing User Confusion in Context Aware Mobile Applications

Abstract

Mobility of ubiquitous systems offers the possibility of using the current context to infer information that might otherwise require user input. This can either make user interfaces more intuitive or cause subtle and confusing mode changes. We discuss the analysis of such systems that will allow the designer to predict potential pitfalls before the design is fielded. Whereas the current predominant approach to understanding mobile systems is to build and explore experimental prototypes, our exploration highlights the possibility that early models of an interactive system might be used to predict problems with embedding in context before costly mistakes have been made. Analysis based on model checking is used to contrast configuration and context issues in two interfaces to a process control system.

An integrated framework for the analysis of dependable interactive systems (IFADIS): Its tool support and evaluation

“…The IFADIS method and its tool are briefly illustrated using two examples, see (Loer, 2003;Loer and Harrison, 2005), for further details of the specifications. The first example is chosen because it is required to be dependable in the broader sense that failure of the product could have serious commercial consequences.…”

GUIsurfer: A Reverse Engineering Framework for User Interface Software

“…In many cases users have problems in identifying all the supported tasks of a system, or in understanding how to achieve their goals (Loer & Harrison, 2005).…”

Factoring User Experience into the Design of Ambient and Mobile Systems

“…This model could have been used to analyze properties relating to the snapshot experience S1: "I like to be in a seat in which I can see this display board" and to the snapshot experience S2: "I wish I had better information about how far it was and whether there were likely to be any delays". Loer and Harrison [19] include location in a model of a plant involving pipes, pumps and valves. They use this model to explore the control of the plant by a handheld PDA and the potential confusions that arise as a result of location.…”

“…They use this model to explore the control of the plant by a handheld PDA and the potential confusions that arise as a result of location. It is envisaged that a similar model to [19] which employs SMV [23] could be used to model locational characteristics of the airport.…”