Browsing by Subject "Design"
Now showing 1 - 11 of 11
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item Design Studio Exploratory IRB Digital Signature Implementation Project(2014-08) Locke, Kathryn; Walsh, Greg; Owens, Nicholaus; Digital Whimsy LabWith a specific project in mind, we explored the implementation of an electronic Institutional Review Board (IRB) application for research involving human subjects, that would also require a user to provide a “digital signature” in compliance with current regulations that would meets the needs of the current IRB staff at the University of Baltimore. This report tracks the design process and recommendations for such a system.Item Development of a Universal Hand Assist Tool for Patients with Reduced Upper Extremity Mobility Resulting From Cervical Spinal Cord Injury.(2018-01-01) Horn, Jarod Chrystopher; Gadsden, Stephen A; Mechanical Engineering; Engineering, MechanicalTetraplegia caused by cervical spinal cord injury is a devastating condition resulting in limited or complete loss of sensation and motor function beyond the location of the injury. The lack of mobility drastically affects the independence and quality of life of the injured individual. In order to improve the quality of life of these individuals who retain some upper extremity mobility, it is imperative that adaptive devices are developed to assist with day to day activities. Such devices must be inexpensive, lightweight, and robust. The Universal Hand Assist Tool was developed to address these needs. This adaptive hand tool was designed using lean development principles to ensure robust and reliable performance, and fabricated with all 3D printed custom components. Five activities were developed for the hand tool, including using a touchscreen, writing pen, silverware, focused force stylus and quarter-inch hex tools. The Universal Hand Assist Tool is to be distributed through open-source channels to provide a low-cost adaptive hand tool platform.Item Ensuring data integrity and user retention within BANDIT(2018) Turner, Brandon; Walsh, Greg; Blodgett, Bridget; Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences; Master of Science in Interaction Design and Information ArchitectureData collection is a vital service completed by the government to help ensure accuracy on a range of issues. Currently the Bird Banding Lab (BBL) is tasked with the collection of bird migratory data across North America. Data collection by the BBL is vital to the continued implementation of policies and regulations that affect far reaching sectors such as the environment, economy, and healthcare. In order to collect data sets of the magnitude that the BBL is mandated to do a large-scale citizen science program has been created, by crowdsourcing data from a large group of users who voluntarily submit data. While crowdsourcing has been proven to be a powerful tool it does not come without its own set of issues, in particular keeping participants engaged and keeping data accurate. This paper user research to examine the issues plaguing the BANDIT system and attempts to provide solutions on how the organization should address these issuesItem An Exploration of the Emerging Adult Woman’s Perceived Value of Primary Care(2020-07) Rabideau, Melany; Cuddapah, Jennifer; Cooper, Jennifer; Bulette, Elizabeth; Loxterkamp, David; Hood College Department of Education; Organizational LeadershipThe healthcare industry often justifies framing patients as consumers using the fact that today’s emerging adults, who assume priority of convenience over continuity, demand transactional care and are forgoing relational care. Self-guided transactional utilization has caused emerging adults to lack primary care continuity, which is problematic both for cost and quality of care. This qualitative study explores the lived experiences of emerging adult women and reveals the essence of the value of primary care purported in their individually designed ideal primary care systems. Analysis of individual interviews revealed: (1) emerging adults desire, but struggle to find, the human connection or a patient-provider relationship in primary care; (2) primary care delivered like a business reinforces emerging adults’ belief that the human connection is not possible, causing transactional services to be attractive for at least their convenience and efficiency; and (3) emerging adults are asking for high touch care similar to care management services traditionally only provided to insurance-backed “high risk” patient panels. Implications of these findings are crucial to discerning how primary care practices and policies can evolve to focus on empathy and leverage transactional conveniences that reinforce rather than replace patient-provider relationships. Focused attention is needed to ensure the value proposition of the patient-provider relationship is not lost on future generations of patients through adoption of these findings in best practice models like the National Committee for Quality Assurance’s Patient Centered Medical Home.Item Increasing online donations to charity websites through donation form design: a Catholic Relief Services case study(2012) Casserly, Erin; Summers, Kathryn; University of Baltimore. School of Information Arts and Technologies; University of Baltimore. Master of Science in Information Design and Information ArchitectureThe purpose of this study was to investigate whether design changes to a charitable organization's online donation form can lead to an increase in online donations. Catholic Relief Services (CRS), a leading international aid and relief charity located in Baltimore, MD, was the main subject. This research consisted of a literature review of topics, including the psychology of charitable giving, the economic environment of charitable giving in the U.S. and best practices for interaction and form design, and two areas of testing. The first testing portion of this study conducted in-person user testing on the existing monthly donation form for CRS, in order to determine areas for improvement. Next, a multivariate test between the original donation form design and proposed, improved design was conducted on the main CRS website to find which form had a higher conversion rate for online donations. The results of this study were evenly split and warrant further research and discussion in the future.Item Interaction Design and Activity Theory: designing for social code review(2010-12) Souza, Randy; Summers, Kathryn; University of Baltimore. School of Information Arts and Technologies; University of Baltimore. Master of Science in Information Design and Information ArchitectureThis thesis applies activity theory to interaction design of a code review tool. The purpose of this project was two-fold: To understand the practice of code review, and to gain insight into the value of activity theory as a framework for interaction design. Decades of research have shown that code reviews are a valuable software engineering tool. But recent studies suggest that many software development organizations do not use code reviews to their full potential. While code review is often acknowledged as a social practice, few studies address the social, cultural, and historical context surrounding programmers as they conduct reviews. This paper uses activity theory to analyze these contextual factors within a department in a commercial software development organization. Code review practice is found to be informal, highly situated, and multi-motivated. Based on these findings, interaction design concepts are proposed for a Web-based tool that supports collaborative construction, execution, and resolution of code reviews.Item Nritta Indian Dance(2012) Nanan, Gabriel; Pointer, Amy; Gold, Ed; Patschke, David; University of Baltimore. School of Communications Design; University of Baltimore. Master of Fine Arts in Integrated DesignNritta Indian Dance is an engaging platform where Indian dancers can connect with each other, promote themselves, and network with one another throughout the United States. Nritta aims to share the art form of Indian dance with a wide audience and serves as a foundation for people who are new to Indian dance, allowing them learn more about it. Nritta also provides young Indian Americans to connect with their culture through exploring Indian Dance in America.Item A UNITED STATE: Moderation. Diversity. Reciprocity. Equality. Designing mobile technology to support productive online political discourse.(2019-05) Bend, Justin; Summers, Kathryn; Walsh, Greg; Fioramonti, Joseph; Pointer, Amy; University of Baltimore. Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences; Master of Fine Arts in Integrated DesignI have endeavored upon this thesis work in an attempt to find design solutions to the pressing societal problems of ever-increasing political polarization coupled with widespread dissatisfaction with social media’s effect on our political discourse. As an outcome of my efforts, I have designed an interactive prototype proof of concept for a mobile application whose goal is to increase productivity in online political discourse by moderating human behavior to guarantee equal speaking time for all participants, matching real and diverse members together based on differences of belief rather than similarities. The application would use the mobile device camera and microphone to facilitate face-to-face, eye-to-eye conversations between people in the United States while protecting member identification and privacy, safeguarding against abuse.Item Using crowd sourcing to change the real estate landscape(2016-05) Fasolo, Pamela Jean; Walsh, Greg; University of Baltimore. School of Information Arts and Technologies; University of Baltimore. Master of Science in Information Design and Information ArchitectureBuying a home is the single largest purchase a person will make in their lifetime and often the most difficult decision. In the past, new home buyers would rely on realtors to assist them in their home search. But as internet usage grows, more and more consumers are taking their home search online. There are now several websites on the market where consumers can view home listings and connect with realtors for more information. 90% of homebuyers start their home search online (National Association of Realtors, (NAR), 2013). In addition, during the home buying process, many consumers will go online to seek advice on topics such as mortgages, the real estate market, the best neighborhoods, and what details to look for during a showing. For many online tasks, users will go to crowd sourcing to help them make their buying decisions. For things such as choosing a restaurant or a book to read, or purchasing an appliance, many users seek online customer reviews or comments before making a buying decision. Websites such as Yelp, Amazon, or Glassdoor allow for customer reviews of their experiences. When it comes to buying a home, realtors and real estate experts have ownership of online listings and real estate advice. But consumers are looking for advice from their peers, and trust online reviews left by users in their community. When it comes to online listings posted by a realtor, the listing can be vague, and include misleading photos that have been photo shopped or use wide angle lenses, and important details can be left out. Advice from peers can be more trustworthy than those of professionals who may not have the buyers' best interests in mind. This thesis is about the research and design of a new, potential website that could change the way users views online listings. The website, which would also include a corresponding app, would allow for users to post comments and photos of real estate listings or neighborhoods in real time. The thesis will be a study of trust in online reviews and real estate professionals, homebuyers' personal experiences, and user testing for a new site.Item Visualizing information graphics: how to design effective charts and graphs(2011) Mora Cano, Mariana C.; Pointer, Amy; University of Baltimore. o School of Communications Design; University of Baltimore. Master of Fine Arts in Integrated DesignThis project will enable users to create more meaningful and engaging presentations that incorporate the theory and principles of information graphics. Leading research findings are distilled, interpreted, and integrated for easier comprehension and application. Final project elements include an interactive Web site, a downloadable book, video tutorials, and a motion graphic for social media. Presenters in the world of business, finance, healthcare, education and more may use the content in this project to communicate more effectively across multiple platforms. The project will also serve as a valuable resource for students, professionals, and academics.Item Why Technology for Caregivers Fail: A Qualitative Study of GPS-Based Technology Supporting Alzheimer’s Caregivers(2018-02) Lee, Jaime; Walsh, Greg; Summers, Kathryn; University of Baltimore. Yale Gordon College of Arts and Sciences; Master of Science in Interaction Design and Information ArchitectureThe purpose of this research is to understand the usability challenges of wearable Global Positioning System (GPS)-based technologies for at home caregivers managing wandering effects for loved ones with Dementia, specifically those with Alzheimer's disease. A total of four devices and 14 U.S. participants were studied using semi-structured, in-person qualitative usability methodology and an open coding system in the style of Grounded Theory. Though the study evaluated issues solely related to usability, the results expanded to a much larger design paradigm to be considered for improved and more directed solutions for future advancements that is symbiotic between a company and its end user. The proposed "life-proofing ecosystem", which contains eight pillars within its framework (user experience, customer experience, accessibility, governance, marketing, business, technology, cultural sensitivity) aims for more balanced product evolutions and progressive innovation. Future studies may provide scalar measurements for assessments beyond the proposed framework and ecosystem. Ultimately, the goal is to provide practical guidelines for designing life-proof solutions in today's highly connected society.