The user centred design and evaluation of a communication support

Faculty of EEMCS
Department of Electrical Engineering
Biomedical signals and systems
The user centred design and evaluation
of a communication support system
for the elderly
June 10, 2010
report nr: BSS 10-09
Master Thesis
Author :
Committee :
M.C.E.Scholten
Prof.dr.ir. H.J.Hermens
Dr. N.Sikkel
Ir. J.W. van ‘t Klooster
Abstract
BACKGROUND – The percentage of elderly people in the Dutch population is increasing. One of the problems that
the elderly are more vulnerable to is loneliness. Loneliness can influence not only the mental health state, but the
physical health state as well. Virtual communities are quite popular today, as a source of information, but also as a
way to keep in touch with and get to know people. Many elderly people have little to no experience with
computers and therefore find it difficult to find their way in the digital world.
GOALS - The main objective of this assignment was to design a social communication support system for the
elderly. Four subgoals were defined: Perform a literature study of the context, determine the requirements the
system should fulfil, design and present a possible interface, and evaluate it with the help of the end-users.
METHODS – A user-centred approach was chosen for this project. This means the users were involved in the design
process on multiple occasions. A literature study was performed to describe the context and get a good overview
of the user characteristics. This literature study was used as the starting point of the requirement analysis.
Interviews that were taken before the start of this assignment were used to write three scenarios about the
intended use of the system. These scenarios were used to discuss the requirements with the elderly. Seven elderly
people, between the age of 72 and 90 and with varying computer experience, participated in this first user
evaluation. Based on the requirements several sketches were drawn to illustrate ideas for a possible interface,
after which four of those sketches were developed into mock-ups by making them into a simple web page. The
web pages were merely to test the layout, the functionality was limited. These four different web pages were
discussed with the same seven elderly people involved in the first user evaluation. The most promising interface
was developed into a more functional prototype, which was used in the third and final user evaluation. Three
elders who participated in the earlier user evaluations participated in this user evaluation as well. Four newly
selected elderly people, ranging between 72 and 80 years of age, were involved as well. These four all had at least
some experience with computers. The final evaluation was performed on a touch screen and consisted of two
parts. In the first part the users were asked to perform seven small tasks; the second part consisted of a
questionnaire based on the UTAUT technology acceptance model.
EVALUATIONS – The user evaluations provided valuable insights during the design process. The information of the
first user evaluation was used to validate the requirements and based on those requirements draw sketches and
mock-ups. During the second user evaluation the elderly indicated they prefer an interface which combines text
with images to describe the possible functions of the program. It is important the letters and buttons are quite
large, since many elderly people have problems with their eyesight and quite a few have motor problems as well.
Many elderly people are afraid to make mistakes when trying out new applications. They regularly turn to the
helpdesk when they feel insecure. It turns out, after encouraging them, most of the time they would have tried the
right button. The second user evaluation resulted in some sequence changes as well as the decision which
prototype to develop. A touch screen was used for the third user evaluation. The elderly enjoyed using a touch
screen. It kept them from having to work with a mouse which is troublesome for many. Suggestions for minor
adjustments were mentioned, but overall the prototype turned out to be easy to operate.
DISCUSSION – The group of participants included in the several user evaluations consisted of only seven elderly.
The elderly were solely selected based on their age and willingness to cooperate. The physical conditions as well as
the previous computer experience of the participants varied greatly. This makes it difficult to generalise the
results. The age of the participants ranged from 72 up to 90 years of age, whereas the average age of the targeted
end-users is probably significantly lower. It is highly likely that an interface that is easy to use for people over 70
will not cause many difficulties for people between the ages of 55 and 70. During the final user evaluation a new
group of participants was added to minimise the pro-adoption bias. The functionality in the prototype was limited
2
in order to keep it intuitive. More experienced users might feel some functions are missing. An interface is easier
to use if the digital functions are described with appropriate analogies from the non-digital world. The final goal of
the application is to aid in reducing loneliness. Loneliness interventions require a larger time span than available in
a master assignment, and could therefore not be implemented.
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS – Some software specifically designed for elderly is already available;
however, no application combines the possibility to get to know new people with a properly designed interface for
the elderly. User characteristics, such as frequent problems with eyesight and motor problems, should be taken
into account. The participants indicated an interface that combines text and images is preferred. A touchscreen
provides a good solution to prevent the elderly from having to struggle with the mouse, a separate keyboard is
however advisable. To continue the research the back-end needs to be finished as well as the front-end.
Interesting aspects to focus on in future research for the backend are the data-mining, finding out what is the most
successful method to match elderly people. For the front-end the possible adaptation of the interface to more
experienced users as well as for the use on a mobile phone are provide future challenges. The user-centred
approach proved to provide valuable information and should therefore be continued; however, the group of
participants should be selected more specific. The training of the users and the helpdesk function should not be
neglected, since many elderly users are afraid to make mistakes while trying new technology. A great deal of this
fear can be reduced with proper training. For the application to be successfully implemented in a loneliness
intervention it is important to provide the elderly with internet access as well as an interesting application. At the
start of the project a large group of elderly should already be involved in the project, to immediately provide
matches for first time users and keep them interested.
3
Samenvatting
SAMENVATTING – Het percentage ouderen in de Nederlandse bevolking neemt toe. Een van de problemen die
vaker voorkomt onder ouderen is eenzaamheid. Eenzaamheid kan niet alleen de geestelijke gezondheid, maar ook
de fysieke gezondheidstoestand aantasten. Virtuele gemeenschappen zijn tegenwoordig erg populair, als bron van
informatie, maar ook als manier om met anderen in contact te komen en met bekenden in contact te blijven. Veel
ouderen hebben weinig tot geen ervaring met computers en vinden daarom maar moeilijk hun weg in de digitale
wereld.
DOELEN – De belangrijkste doelstelling van dit afstudeerproject is het ontwerpen van een communicatie
ondersteuningssysteem voor ouderen. Hiervoor zijn vier subdoelen geformuleerd: Voer een literatuurstudie om de
context te bepalen, bepaal het pakket van eisen waaraan het systeem moet voldoen, ontwerp en presenteer een
mogelijke interface en evalueer deze met hulp van de eindgebruikers.
METHODE – De gebruiker stond centraal gedurende dit project. Dit betekent dat de gebruikers verschillende keren
betrokken zijn bij het proces. Een literatuurstudie is uitgevoerd om een goed beeld te krijgen van de context van
het onderzoek en een beeld te schetsen van de karakteristieke eigenschappen van de gebruikers. Met behulp van
deze literatuurstudie is het pakket van eisen opgesteld. Interviews, gehouden voor het begin van deze
afstudeeropdracht, zijn gebruikt om drie scenario’s te schrijven. De scenario’s beschrijven mogelijke werking van
het systeem. Deze scenario’s zijn gebruikt om het pakket van eisen met verscheidene ouderen te bespreken. Zeven
ouderen, tussen de 72 en 90 jaar oud en met wisselende computerkennis, hebben deelgenomen aan de eerste
gebruikersstudie. Op basis van het pakket van eisen zijn verschillende schetsen gemaakt om ideeën voor de
interface op papier te zetten, waarna vier van deze schetsen verder uitgewerkt zijn tot een simpele webpagina.
Het doel van deze webpagina’s was om de lay-out te testen, de functionaliteit was beperkt. Deze vier webpagina’s
zijn besproken met dezelfde groep ouderen, die bij de eerste gebruikersevaluatie betrokken was. De meest
veelbelovende interface is verder ontwikkeld tot een prototype met meer functionaliteit, welke getest is in de
derde en laatste gebruikersevaluatie. Drie ouderen, die bij de eerste twee gebruikersevaluaties ook meegewerkt
hebben, hebben ook ditmaal hun medewerking verleend. Vier ouderen, die nog niet eerder betrokken waren, zijn
toegevoegd aan de gebruikersgroep. Hun leeftijd varieerde van 72 tot 80 jaar oud. Deze vier ouderen hadden
allemaal al enige ervaring met computers. De laatste gebruikersevaluatie is uitgevoerd met behulp van een
touchscreen en bestond uit twee verschillende onderdelen. In het eerste deel is de gebruiker gevraagd zeven
kleine opdrachten uit te voeren, waarna in het tweede deel een korte vragenlijst, gebaseerd op het UTAUT
acceptatie model, beantwoord moest worden.
EVALUATIE – De gebruikersstudies hebben waardevolle informatie opgeleverd gedurende het ontwerpproces. De
informatie van de eerste gebruikersevaluatie is gebruikt om het pakket van eisen te valideren, op basis waarvan
schetsen en mock-ups gemaakt zijn. Tijdens de tweede gebruikersstudie hebben de ouderen aangegeven, dat een
interface die gebruik maakt van zowel illustraties als tekst om de aanwezige functies te verduidelijken, het
prettigst is om mee te werken. Het is belangrijk dat de tekst en de knoppen voldoende groot zijn, omdat veel
ouderen problemen hebben met zien of het maken van precieze bewegingen. Veel ouderen zijn bang om fouten te
maken, wanneer ze een onbekende technologie uitproberen. Ze vragen regelmatig hulp aan de helpdesk wanneer
zij zich onzeker voelen. Wanneer ze aangemoedigd worden om eenvoudig weg iets te proberen, blijkt dat zij
vrijwel altijd de juiste keuze gemaakt zouden hebben. De tweede gebruikersstudie resulteerde in het aanpassen
van de volgorde op sommige plaatsen in het systeem en de keuze welke mock-up verder te ontwikkelen. Tijdens
de derde gebruikersstudie is een touchscreen gebruikt, wat veel ouderen prettig vonden werken. Het gebruik van
een touchscreen voorkomt dat ouderen met de muis om moeten gaan, wat problematisch is voor velen. Kleine
aanpassingen zijn voorgesteld, maar in het algemeen bleek het prototype gemakkelijk te bedienen.
4
DISCUSSIE – Er zijn slechts zeven ouderen betrokken bij de verschillende gebruikersstudies. De ouderen zijn enkel
geselecteerd op basis van hun leeftijd en de bereidheid mee te willen werken met het onderzoek. Er zat veel
variatie in de fysieke gesteldheid van de ouderen en de aanwezige computerkennis. Hierdoor is het lastig de
resultaten te generaliseren. De leeftijd van de ouderen varieerde van 72 to 90 jaar oud. De gemiddelde leeftijd van
de eindgebruikers ligt waarschijnlijk significant lager. Het is zeer aannemelijk dat een interface die gemakkelijk te
gebruiken is voor mensen ouder dan 70, weinig problemen op zal leveren voor mensen tussen de 55 en de 70. Aan
de laatste gebruikersstudie zijn nieuwe deelnemers toegevoegd om de proadoptie bias te verkleinen. De
functionaliteit van het prototype was beperkt om het intuïtief te kunnen laten werken. Gebruikers met meer
computerervaring zullen misschien het gevoel hebben dat er functionaliteit mist. Een interface is eenvoudiger te
gebruiken wanneer een passende analogie uit de non-digitale wereld gebruikt wordt. Het uiteindelijke doel van de
ontworpen applicatie is een bijdrage leveren aan het verminderen van eenzaamheid. Eenzaamheidinterventies
moeten echter over een langere periode uitgevoerd worden om enig resultaat te boeken, een te lange periode om
dit tijdens een afstudeeropdracht te implementeren.
CONCLUSIE EN AANBEVELINGEN – Er is software beschikbaar, specifiek ontworpen voor ouderen. Er is echter geen
applicatie die de mogelijkheid om nieuwe mensen te leren kennen combineert met een aan ouderen aangepaste
interface. Karakteristieke gebruikerseigenschappen als problemen met zien en precieze bewegingen moeten
meegenomen worden in het ontwerpproces. De deelnemers prefereerden een interface waarbij tekst
gecombineerd is met illustraties. Het gebruik van een touchscreen is een goede oplossing om te voorkomen dat
ouderen met de muis moeten werken, een los toetsenbord is echter wel aan te raden. Zowel de front-end als de
back-end van de applicatie vereist nog het nodige vervolgonderzoek. Data-mining is de belangrijkste vervolgstap
wat betreft de back-end, wat is de meest succesvolle methode om gebruikers aan elkaar te koppelen. Wat betreft
de front-end is het een belangrijke uitdaging om te onderzoeken of en hoe de interface aangepast moet worden
aan gebruikers met meer computerervaring en aan het gebruik van de applicatie op een mobiele telefoon. De
gebruikersgecentreerde aanpak heeft waardevolle informatie opgeleverd en moet daarom voortgezet worden. De
groep gebruikers die echter bij de evaluaties betrokken is, zal specifieker geselecteerd moeten worden. De training
van de gebruikers en de helpdesk functie mogen ook niet vergeten worden, omdat veel ouderen bang zijn om
fouten te maken bij het uitproberen van een nieuwe technologie. Veel van deze angst kan weggenomen door
weldoordachte training. Om de applicatie te kunnen gebruiken in een eenzaamheidsinterventie moet niet alleen
de applicatie volledig functioneel zijn, ook de toegang tot het internet en een computer moet geregeld worden. Bij
het begin van de interventie is het belangrijk dat een grote groep ouderen al betrokken is bij het project, zodat
ouderen die het project voor de eerste keer gebruiken onmiddellijk gekoppeld kunnen worden aan andere
gebruikers. Op deze manier zien zij bij hun eerste gebruik al de meerwaarde van het systeem.
5
Preface
One of the aspects of Biomedical Engineering which interested me most was the combination of technology and
the human being. During my time in Enschede I got to know many different areas of the Biomedical Engineering
before ending up in the Remote Monitoring and Treatment group. I only discovered telemedicine at the end of my
study, but it turned out to be an interesting and successful combination. I got offered the possibility to work
closely with the end-users due to the user-centred approach adopted in the U-Care project. The influence of the
end-users on the end-result of this master assignment is significant. They provided me with information and
suggestions for the assignment but they also were a great motivation for me.
Even though my interest in the Biomedical Engineering has fluctuated through the years, at the end of my study I
can conclude it has been a good decision to go study in Enschede. The combination of the technology and the
human being is still one of the aspects I appreciate most in the Biomedical Engineering. People will always be a
great motivation and inspiration for me, so I hope to continue working to aid people with the help of technology
for quite some time.
I hope you enjoy reading my report and hopefully by fulfilling this assignment I have contributed a little to the wellbeing of the elderly.
Marieke Scholten
June 10, 2010
6
Acknowledgements
There are many people who deserve a word of thanks at the end of this assignment. I want to start by thanking the
elderly who cooperated during the three user evaluations. They provided me with an enormous amount of
information during the different stages of my research and had a significant influence on the final results.
I would also like to thank the members of my committee:
Hermie Hermens for giving me the opportunity to perform this assignment as well as having confidence in me
to complete it according to my own judgement
Klaas Sikkel for his always available advise and useful comments
Jan Willem van ‘t Klooster for writing me this interesting master assignment at the start of this project and for
his endless enthusiasm and suggestions during the last year
Apart from my committee I would like to thank my fellow students at the BSS computer room, for their company
during the endless hours at in the computer room. I would also like to thank Dirk Roelof Dekker, for commenting
on my report and my friends and roommates who were always willing to listen to my stories and provide me with
feedback.
A special word of thanks to Peter Vel, who taught me pretty much everything I know about computers. Without
him I would not have been able to pull this off.
Last but not least I would like to thank my parents for being there for me throughout my years in Enschede. They
never doubted me and supported me in all my decisions.
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Table of Contents
Abstract ................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Samenvatting ........................................................................................................................................................... 4
Preface ..................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................................. 7
1
Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 11
1.1
2
1.1.1
Health care.................................................................................................................................... 11
1.1.2
Loneliness ..................................................................................................................................... 13
1.2
Introduction to telemedicine ................................................................................................................. 13
1.3
U-Care project ....................................................................................................................................... 16
1.4
User-centred design .............................................................................................................................. 17
1.5
Research objectives ............................................................................................................................... 17
1.6
Thesis structure ..................................................................................................................................... 18
Theoretical Background................................................................................................................................. 19
2.1
Loneliness .............................................................................................................................................. 19
2.2
(Mobile) virtual communities................................................................................................................. 23
2.3
Relevant projects and interventions ...................................................................................................... 27
2.3.1
Loneliness interventions ............................................................................................................... 27
2.3.2
Software for the elderly ................................................................................................................ 28
2.4
3
4
Facts and figures .................................................................................................................................... 11
Characteristics of older users ................................................................................................................. 32
2.4.1
Sensory decline ............................................................................................................................. 32
2.4.2
Movement control ........................................................................................................................ 33
2.4.3
Cognition ...................................................................................................................................... 33
Methods ........................................................................................................................................................ 35
3.1
Iterative approach ................................................................................................................................. 35
3.2
User-centred design .............................................................................................................................. 36
3.3
Scenarios ............................................................................................................................................... 36
3.4
Interface design ..................................................................................................................................... 37
3.5
Evaluation ............................................................................................................................................. 39
3.6
Design process ....................................................................................................................................... 41
Requirements elicitation ............................................................................................................................... 43
4.1
4.1.1
Scenarios ............................................................................................................................................... 43
Mrs. J. Sanders .............................................................................................................................. 44
8
4.1.2
Mr. G. Best .................................................................................................................................... 44
4.1.3
Harry de Wild ................................................................................................................................ 45
4.2
UC0:
Use case template ............................................................................................................................. 47
UC1:
Send e-mail ....................................................................................................................................... 48
UC2:
Contact helpdesk ............................................................................................................................... 49
UC4:
Use friend-finder ............................................................................................................................... 49
4.3
Global requirements ..................................................................................................................... 52
4.3.2
Functional requirements ............................................................................................................... 52
4.3.3
Non-functional requirements ........................................................................................................ 53
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................. 55
Mock-ups....................................................................................................................................................... 56
5.1
Design ................................................................................................................................................... 56
5.1.1
Sketches ........................................................................................................................................ 57
5.1.2
Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 63
5.2
Implementation ..................................................................................................................................... 64
5.2.1
Finding friends .............................................................................................................................. 66
5.2.2
E-mail ............................................................................................................................................ 67
5.2.3
Chat .............................................................................................................................................. 68
5.2.4
Calendar........................................................................................................................................ 68
5.2.5
Sharing files................................................................................................................................... 69
5.2.6
Helpdesk ....................................................................................................................................... 69
5.3
Evaluation ............................................................................................................................................. 70
5.3.1
General remarks ........................................................................................................................... 70
5.3.2
Standard version ........................................................................................................................... 71
5.3.3
Button version .............................................................................................................................. 72
5.3.4
Combination version ..................................................................................................................... 72
5.3.5
List version .................................................................................................................................... 72
5.4
6
Requirements analysis ........................................................................................................................... 52
4.3.1
4.4
5
Use cases ............................................................................................................................................... 47
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................. 73
Prototype ...................................................................................................................................................... 74
6.1
6.1.1
6.2
Implementation ..................................................................................................................................... 74
Technical specifications ................................................................................................................. 76
Evaluation ............................................................................................................................................. 77
9
6.2.1
Exercises ....................................................................................................................................... 78
6.2.2
Questionnaire ............................................................................................................................... 79
6.3
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................. 81
7
Discussion...................................................................................................................................................... 82
8
Conclusions and Recommendations .............................................................................................................. 85
8.1
Recommendations ................................................................................................................................. 86
Appendices ............................................................................................................................................................ 89
Appendix A: Loneliness intensity scales .............................................................................................................. 89
A.1
De Jong Gierveld loneliness scale ...................................................................................................... 89
A.2
UCLA loneliness scale (version 3) ....................................................................................................... 90
Appendix B: Scenarios ........................................................................................................................................ 91
B.1
Mrs. J. Sanders .................................................................................................................................. 91
B.2
Mr. G. Best ........................................................................................................................................ 93
B.3
Harry de Wild .................................................................................................................................... 95
Appendix C: Interviews ....................................................................................................................................... 96
C.1
Interview 1.1 ..................................................................................................................................... 96
C.2
Interview 1.2 ..................................................................................................................................... 99
C.3
Interview 1.3 ................................................................................................................................... 101
C.4
Interview 1.4 ................................................................................................................................... 104
C.5
Interview 1.5 ................................................................................................................................... 106
C.6
Interview 1.6 ................................................................................................................................... 108
C.7
Interview 1.7 ................................................................................................................................... 110
Appendix D: List of requirements ..................................................................................................................... 112
D.1
Global requirements........................................................................................................................ 112
D.2
Functional requirements ................................................................................................................. 112
D.3
Non-functional requirements .......................................................................................................... 113
Appendix E: Mock-ups ...................................................................................................................................... 116
E.1:
Standard version ............................................................................................................................ 116
E.2:
Button version ................................................................................................................................ 119
E.3:
Combination version ...................................................................................................................... 122
E.4:
List version ..................................................................................................................................... 125
Appendix F: Prototype ...................................................................................................................................... 128
References ........................................................................................................................................................... 133
10
1 Introduction
In this chapter the different aspects of this research project are introduced, starting with some facts and figures
about health care and loneliness, after which the idea of telemedicine is briefly discussed. A short overview of the
entire U-Care project, of which this master assignment is a small part, is presented and followed by an introduction
to the design methods used. At the end of this chapter the main objective, based on the aforementioned topics,
and the structure of the other chapters of this report are described. This chapter is intended as an introduction to
the different areas of research that are involved in the assignment. In Chapter 2 these topics are discussed more
thoroughly.
1.1 Facts and figures
1.1.1
Health care
Every citizen of the Netherlands is guaranteed medical care. This is a costly situation and the financial aspects of
health care are a heavy burden on society, not just in the Netherlands, but in the entire European Union. About 75
% of all health care expenses in the EU are paid for by taxes. The principle of solidarity assures health care for all
the citizens; however, most countries are struggling to keep health care affordable (Sociaal en Cultureel
Planbureau, 2007; sport, 2004).
Both the aging population and the increase of the average life expectancy are important causes of the rising costs
in health care. According to the CBS, the Dutch statistics agency, 15 % of the Dutch population was 65 years or
older in 2009, while in 1960 this was only 9 %. This equals a number of almost 2.5 million people over 65 years of
age, on a total population of almost 16.5 million (CBS, 2009). The percentage of elderly people is expected to
increase in the coming years, while the life expectancy of men and women is still increasing as well (Sociaal en
Cultureel Planbureau, 2008). Figure 1.1 shows the percentage of the Dutch population over 65 over the last
decades. In Figure 1.2 the prognosis of the percentage over 65 years of age is shown in relation to the other age
categories.
Percentage (%)
Inhabitants over 65 (relative)
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
65 - 80
80+
Total
Year
Figure 1.1: Percentages of inhabitants of the Netherlands over 65 (CBS, 2009)
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Percentage (%)
Prognosis age categories
(relative)
80
60
40
20
0
0 - 20
20 - 65
65+
Year
Figure 1.2: Prognosis of the percentage of the Dutch population over 65 years (CBS, 2009)
The CBS also states the ratio between the number of people over 65 and the people between 20 and 65, the
working part of the population. This so called ‘grey pressure’ is shown in Figure 1.3. In the Netherlands this ratio
has increased from 16.8 % in 1960 to 24.5 % in 2009 (CBS, 2009). The increase in life expectancy causes the people
to live longer, but this does not mean they spend more years in good health (Bruggink, Garssen, Lodder, & Kardal,
2009). There is a standard which is used to address the quality of life, the QALY. The quality-adjusted life year is a
measure which includes the quality as well as the quantity of life. The overall living standards have increased and
elderly people do not just get older, they want to spend these years in good health as well. They want to retain an
active and social life, even when the body does not always fully function anymore (Botella, et al., 2009; Sociaal en
Cultureel Planbureau, 2008).
Percentage (%)
Grey pressure
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Grey pressure
Year
Figure 1.3: The grey pressure in the Netherlands (CBS, 2009)
The aging population does not only affect the costs of health care, but also pushes the limits of the working
population in the health care system. In 2004, 11 % of the Dutch population worked in health care. In order to fulfil
all the care requests in 2020, 20% has to work in health care, while the number of health care professionals
decreases at the moment (Sociaal en Cultureel Planbureau, 2008; sport, 2004).
12
Not only the distribution of the population has changed over the last few years, health care itself has changed as
well. A shift towards a demand driven process can be seen. The patient is more concerned about his or her
personal health and therefore more demanding. One of the reasons for this patient empowerment is the improved
accessibility of information (Broens, et al., 2007; Eslami & van Sinderen, 2009).
A final aspect which needs to be mentioned when discussing the increasing pressure on the health care system is
urbanisation. In countries all over the world, people move from the countryside to the cities. Large hospitals in
major cities can take care of the inhabitants of those cities but due to the small amount of people left in the
countryside, it is hard to ensure proper care for those people as well. This might force them to travel a greater
distance to receive the necessary care, which can be especially difficult for older people (Botella, et al., 2009; van 't
Klooster, van Beijnum, & Hermens, 2009).
1.1.2
Loneliness
Old age tends to come with several physical as well as mental problems. One problem more common amongst the
elderly is loneliness. A more thorough explanation of loneliness is presented in Chapter 2; some facts on the
occurrence of loneliness are presented here, in order to illustrate the social relevance of this research.
One in every three Dutch citizens occasionally feels lonely. There are several groups with a significant higher risk to
feel lonely. One of these groups is the elderly. Examples of other groups with an increased risk are the chronically
ill, patients with a handicap and the homeless (TNS/NIPO, 2008). As indicated in the previous section there is a
growing number of elderly people in the Netherlands and therefore loneliness is a rising problem. Of the people
over 65 years of age, 4 % feels severely to very severely lonely. Many elderly live alone, of the elderly over 65 this
is 52 %, whereas this percentage has increased to almost 65 % for elderly people over 75 years of age (SBS Statline,
2009).
Most people prefer to live independently for as long as possible, but in the Netherlands 150.000 people over 65
live in a retirement home, spread out over 1.700 different homes (SCP, 2009). Of those people, 29 % often feels
lonely. One in every ten inhabitants never comes outside and one in five comes outside at most once a month.
Over 5 percent of the people never gets visitors from outside. The work pressure in retirement homes is high,
therefore professional caretakers cannot spend as much time with the inhabitants as both parties might like. The
contacts outside the official care moments are nonetheless very important for the social well-being of the elderly
(Nivel, 2008).
Some of the physical effects of loneliness include increased blood pressure, head and stomach aches and sleeping
problems. It can also cause depression and reduced self-esteem. Due to the often already more fragile health
condition of the elderly, these effects have a greater impact on them (Fokkema & van Tilburg, 2006; van Doorn,
2006).
With the ageing population loneliness might become a severe threat for the elderly. Most people find it difficult to
admit they are lonely. To control this problem in the years to come it is important loneliness is recognised as a
serious problem. It is also important to make talking about it less of a taboo.
1.2 Introduction to telemedicine
In the first section the QALY is mentioned as a standard for the quantification of the quality of life. The
international classification of functioning, disability and health, also known as ICF, is written by the World Health
Organisation and provides a standardised list of terms to describe the functioning of a human being. The QALY is
based on the perceived health status of the individual. It assumes this perception is based solely on the presence
13
or absence of physical conditions deviating from the normal population. It does not take the causes of these
functional impairments into account. The ICF is also used to classify the differences and deviations with respect to
assumed norms in life; however, it takes multiple areas into account, not just the physical condition of the
individual (Whalley Hammell, 2006).
According to the ICF, the functioning of a human being can be viewed from three different perspectives (World
Health Organization, 2001):
1) The human organism
2) The human activities and the participation of the human in society
3) Environmental and personal factors
The first perspective, the human organism, can be separated into the functions of the organism and the
anatomical properties. The functions of the organism include the physiological and the mental properties of the
human body. The anatomical properties describe the presence, the positioning, the shape and the continuity of
the human body parts. These two are closely related. For example the function of vision is obviously related to the
anatomical build of the eye. Disorders can be described as changes to or loss of functions or anatomical properties.
The second perspective is reviewing the human activities and the participation to society. Disorders in this
category mean the person is not able to or having difficulties performing certain activities or maintaining a
satisfying social life.
The third perspective is used to describe environmental as well as personal factors which influence the personal
health status. Environmental factors can be found in the social surroundings of the individual, but also in the
physical surroundings. These can influence the functioning of the individual in a positive or negative manner. They
can be found in the immediate surroundings, for example the company somebody is working for or the school they
go to, but it can also be formal, such as the government or laws and rules affecting the person. Personal factors
contain personal characteristics like the person’s age, race and profession. As with the external factors these might
influence the human health status in a positive or negative manner. In Figure 1.4 a schematic view of the influence
of the three perspectives is presented.
Figure 1.4: The ICF classification of health influencing aspects (World Health Organization, 2001)
14
Based on this ICF classification it can be concluded there are several ways to influence the personal health
condition. In the case of loneliness it is important to increase the number of activities and the participation in
society. One of the possibilities to influence this is by changing some environmental factors by for example the use
of eHealth. The exact way eHealth is used during this assignment is described later; this section is limited to a short
introduction to the principle of eHealth.
eHealth has been defined by Eysenbach (Eysenbach, 2001) as “an emerging field in the intersection of medical
informatics, public health and business, referring to health services and information delivered or enhanced
through the internet and related technologies. In a broader sense, the term characterises a technical development,
but also a state-of-mind, a way of thinking, an attitude, and a commitment for networked, global thinking, to
improve health care locally, regionally and worldwide by using information and communication technology.” The
term telemedicine is often used as a synonym for eHealth, even though a subtle difference exists between the
two. Reid et al. (TM Alliance, 2004) have defined telemedicine as “the use of telecommunication technologies to
provide health care services across geographic, temporal, social and cultural barriers”. So eHealth normally refers
to the electronic administration of all health care related data, whereas telemedicine refers to the practice of
medical services on a distance.
Eysenbach describes eHealth with the 10 ‘e’s (Eysenbach, 2001):
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
Efficiency
Enhancing quality
Evidence based
Empowerment
Encouragement
Education
Enabling standardisation
Extending care
Ethics challenge
Equity
This is a good list of not only the advantages of eHealth, but also of the challenges researchers face. The first ‘e’ in
the list represents probably the most important and most mentioned advantage of eHealth, efficiency. By
increasing the efficiency of health care, eHealth might help to keep health care affordable (Botella, et al., 2009;
Hjelm, 2005; sport, 2004; TM Alliance, 2004; van 't Klooster, et al., 2009). Another point of eHealth often
mentioned in literature is the possibility to extend care to the home environment or to treat patients 24 hours a
day. This will increase the patient empowerment and might therefore change the relations in health care, allowing
the patient to play a greater role in his or her own health process (Finch, Mort, May, & Mair, 2005).
The possibilities of eHealth seem promising; however, there are still a lot of questions which need to be answered.
Patients have indicated they would like to be more involved in the health care process, for example by using
telemedicine applications, but one of the fears is that face-to-face contact might disappear entirely. This face-toface contact is regarded as essential by health care professionals as well. Some health care professionals feel
eHealth is threatening their role and interaction with the patient and will only an increase the workload.
Unfortunately too many eHealth applications are available for which this is true, due to bad design of the
technology. (Finch, et al., 2005; Hjelm, 2005)
Two major obstacles need to be overcome before telemedicine can be used on a larger scale; the lack of evidence
for the cost effectiveness and the lack of legislation. eHealth is widely believed to help lower the increasing costs in
15
health care, but there is no hard evidence to support this. The introduction of eHealth and telemedicine would
require major investments to hopefully save money in the future. This requires a long term vision, rather than an
expected short term solution. The use of new technologies in health care is restricted by many rules; however,
information and communication technologies change much faster than most aspects of the medical world. At the
moment there is barely any specific legislation for eHealth, nor are there any formulated standards. This is a major
problem to start using health care on a larger scale than trials (Eysenbach, 2001; Hjelm, 2005; sport, 2004; TM
Alliance, 2004).
eHealth is a way to influence the individual health status by changing the environmental factors. It is a relatively
new technology, which should therefore be used with care. The possible advantages make it a promising
technology, of which the possibilities should be explored in further research projects.
1.3 U-Care project
The communication support system designed in this master thesis is part of the U-Care project. The goal of the UCare project, as described by the researchers, is to develop “a services layer for integrated homecare systems, the
U-Care platform, which provides tailorable, evolvable and non-intrusive home care services” (U-Care, 2008b). The
system is meant to assist people in their own homes, to help them maintain their lifestyle and independence for as
long as possible. Several aspects will be included in the project, such as the monitoring of bio-signals, context
awareness sensors and the enabling of social interaction, which is the goal of this master thesis. The project will
make it possible for caretakers to keep a better eye on the patient; at the same time it will give the patient the
possibility to self-manage his or her own health situation.
Figure 1.5: The U-Care logo (U-Care, 2008a)
The U in the name U-Care stands for user tailored, because the tailorability of the platform is one of the key
features of the project. The target population of the project is people over fifty years of age. This target group is
not uniform and therefore their needs, wishes and requirements are not either. The tailorability of the project
provides the ability for the system to be adapted to individual demands and therefore serve a broader audience.
The end-user will only be confronted with the front-end of the system, to keep them away from the technical part
of the system, the back-end. The system will be built from separate building blocks, such as the communication
support system, or the remote monitoring system. This approach will also be used in the software, as a serviceoriented architecture is adopted.
There are several partners involved in the project. The University of Twente is involved by means of CTIT (Centre
for Telematics and Information Technology), the Chair of Information Systems, the chair of Remote Monitoring and
Treatment and the chair of Information Systems and Change Management. Other partners involved are Orbis
Medisch en Zorgconcern, IZIT, IBM Nederland, TKH Group and Mobihealth BV (U-Care, 2008a).
16
1.4 User-centred design
An important aspect of the U-care project is the adaptability of the system to the user. Broens et al. (Broens, et al.,
2007) have shown that the user acceptance of a technology can be influenced positively by involving them
throughout the design process. User acceptance is an important issue to make an application successful (Berg,
1999).
In this master assignment a user-centred development process is chosen, which involves the users throughout the
entire design process. A schematic representation of user-centred design is shown in Figure 1.6 (Tory & Möller,
2004). The figure shows an iterative process, which can be started at any step in the process. The most common
step to enter the process is the task analysis. This is also the first step during this master assignment.
Task
analysis
Design
User testing
and
evaluation
Prototyping
Figure 1.6: The iterative process of user-centred design (Tory & Möller, 2004)
A series of interviews is used to determine the main goal of the assignment and the functionality which should be
present in the end-product. Scenarios are used to confirm this functionality and to create a list of requirements.
Based on the requirements mock-ups are made. Several possible styles of interfaces are visualised by using these
mock-ups, which are used to investigate the preferences of end-users. Based on these tests a dynamic prototype is
programmed, which is evaluated with the end-users as well. By involving the end-users at several stages of the
design process, their input can be taken into account from the start.
1.5 Research objectives
Loneliness affects, as stated in the previous sections, quite a large group of people and has numerous possible
health consequences. The goal of this research is to find a telemedicine solution to improve the communication
between the elderly and provide an easy way for them to meet new people and / or stay in contact with their
friends and family. This is stated in the main objective of this research:
“The user-centred design and evaluation of a social communication support system for elderly people, to be used
within the U-care platform”
The main objective can be divided into several sub goals.
1.
2.
3.
Perform a literature study to determine the context of the research.
Determine the requirements the communication support system should fulfil.
Design and present a possible interface, according to the requirements.
17
4.
Evaluate the proposed interface with the help of the end-users of the system.
The structure of the thesis is based on these sub goals. These goals are achieved by performing multiple steps, of
which a literature study is the first. The literature study of related articles and books is performed to analyse the
domain and get a better understanding of the problem and the context. The second step is the requirements
elicitation, for which scenarios are used. The scenarios are also used to involve the end-users in this stage of the
process and thereby gain a better understanding of their wishes. Step 3 is the proposal of an interface, by means
of several mock-ups. The proposal needs to fulfil the requirements stated in step 2. Step 4 is the evaluation of the
proposed interface, again with the help of the end-users. The final step is discussing the results presented in this
master thesis, drawing conclusions and making some recommendations for future research.
1.6 Thesis structure
In Chapter 1 an introduction is presented of the different aspects of this thesis. The rest of this thesis is structured
as follows:
Chapter 2 - Background:
provides a more extensive explanation of the theoretical
background, which is used as the basis of this research.
Chapter 3 - Methodology:
describes in more detail the methods used in this thesis, such
as the writing of scenarios and use cases, the user
involvement and the evaluation techniques used.
Chapter 4 – Requirements elicitation:
describes the requirements for the communication support
system and the method by which they are determined.
Chapter 5 –Mock-ups:
presents several possible designs, based on the requirements.
The design, implementation and user evaluation of these
mock-ups are described in this chapter.
Chapter 6 - Prototype:
provides an overview of the implementation and the user
evaluation of the prototype based on the most promising
mock-up.
Chapter 7 - Discussion:
debates the steps described in chapters 1 to 6 and the final
results of the assignment.
Chapter 8 – Conclusion & Recommendations:
summarises the results of the assignment and the conclusions
drawn. Recommendations for further research are presented
as well.
18
2 Theoretical Background
Chapter 1 provided a brief introduction to several subjects related to this research. In this chapter some of these
subjects are discussed in more depth, starting with loneliness interventions, followed by (mobile) virtual
communities, some interesting projects of the two and specific characteristics of older users. The chapter ends
with a description of the methods used for this project.
2.1 Loneliness
Loneliness is an increasing problem in society. The number of single person households is increasing, family
relations are becoming less intense and society becomes more automated every day (CBS, 2009; Fokkema &
Steyaert, 2005). These are all factors which might cause people to lose contact with each other. Loneliness can be
found in all layers of society, although the elderly appear to be more vulnerable to it.
Loneliness can be defined as the absence or perceived absence of satisfying social relationships (Green,
Richardson, Lago, & Schatten-Jones, 2001). Important in this definition is the fact that loneliness is a negative,
subjective experience, which can be caused by a difference in quality or quantity in the social contacts. This means
that having few social contacts does not automatically mean the person is lonely and therefore the number of
social contacts is not a good indication for loneliness. A lack of quantity in relationships can be described as social
loneliness, while a lack of quality, the absence of a soul mate, can be described as emotional loneliness. Loneliness
is experienced as more severe when it is not expected to be solved within a short period of time (Fokkema & van
Tilburg, 2006).
Even though loneliness is a subjective experience, scales have been developed in order to measure it, two of which
are discussed here. The first is a scale used often in the Netherlands, the ‘gemisintensiteitsschaal’ proposed by de
Jong Gierveld and Kamphuis. It consists of 11 statements, 5 of which are formulated in a positive manner and 6 in a
negative manner. Confirming the negative statements and denying the positive ones are indications for loneliness,
one point per question. With a score of three or higher, the person is to some degree lonely. The positive items
can be used to determine the social loneliness, while the negative questions are used for the emotional loneliness
(Fokkema & van Tilburg, 2005). This scale can be found in Appendix A.1.
The second scale, is often used in the international community, the UCLA Loneliness scale by D.Russell (Russell,
1996). This scale consists of 20 statements, which can be answered with never, rarely, sometimes or always.
Depending on the positivity of the question, these answers count for 1 to 4 points. The higher the score, the
lonelier the person is. There are several other scales to measure loneliness, for example the NYU Loneliness scale
and the differential loneliness scale, of social support and mood. The UCLA Loneliness scale and the
‘gemisintensiteitsschaal’ both avoid the term ‘loneliness’. Especially women tend to fill out the questionnaires
more positively, when the term is mentioned specifically, because people do not like to admit they are lonely
(Russell, 1996).
Many different numbers are mentioned in literature for the occurrence of loneliness. They largely differ due to the
degree of loneliness which has been taken into account. The numbers vary between 4 % and 22 %, which equals a
population between 200.000 and 1.000.000 in the Netherlands. Even according to the lowest percentage found in
literature, a large group of people is lonely and because of the consequences it is necessary to try and improve the
well-being of this population.
Loneliness is a severe threat, since it can cause various mental and physical problems (Fokkema & Steyaert, 2005;
Fokkema & van Tilburg, 2006). Several of these problems are summarised in Table 2.1.
19
Table 2.1: Possible physical and mental health problems which loneliness can cause (Fokkema & Steyaert, 2005; Fokkema &
van Tilburg, 2006)
Physical health problems
Headaches
Stomach aches
Breathing problems
Trouble sleeping
Lack of appetite
Alcohol abuse
Extensive drug use
Extensive use of medical care
Mental health problems
Depression
Lowered self-respect
Pessimistic future perspective
Panic attacks
There are several events which increase the risk of becoming lonely, for example retirement, impaired mobility,
living alone or in a sparsely populated area, a sudden drop of income, moving, intensive care taking and of course
death of relatives or friends. These occur in all layers of society; however, they are more likely to occur during old
age and with elderly people they are often more difficult to solve. The elderly already need more care compared to
younger age categories. When a social network is lacking, all the care has to be arranged by professional caregivers
(Fokkema & Steyaert, 2005).
Causes of loneliness can be divided into four categories; intra-individual causes, inter-individual causes, societal
causes and causes due to a different perception. Intra-individual causes are causes which are solely related to the
person him- or herself. Relationships might end or change for various reasons; these can be categorised as interindividual causes. Society can be a cause of loneliness as well. This category is of great influence to the way people
share relationships in everyday life; however, it is hardly possible to change something about this as an individual.
The last category, causes due to a different perception, involve the way people accept and perceive different
aspects in life (Linnemann, van Linschoten, Royers, Nelissen, & Nitsche, 2001). Some examples for each category
can be found in Table 2.2.
Table 2.2: Four categories to divide causes of loneliness (Linnemann, et al., 2001)
Causes
Intra-individual
Inter-individual
Societal
Different perception
Example
Hard hearing, invalidity and lack of social skills
Migration, divorce and death
Increasing individualisation, increased use of technology and prejudices towards specific
characteristics of people, for example elderly people or foreigners
Acceptance and perception of retirement or religion
The causes of loneliness and how to determine whether somebody is actually lonely, has been the subject of many
different studies. Many loneliness interventions have been performed as well. Linnemann et al. (Linnemann, et al.,
2001) have defined such an intervention as “activities from somebody else than the lonely person meant to initiate
or continue the process of abating loneliness”.
Those interventions can be divided into categories based on different methods. The first category which is
discussed here, divides the interventions into five groups. The five different groups are listed in Table 2.3. The five
groups differ from one another based on the target population of the intervention. Of course all the interventions
try to decrease loneliness, but as described in Chapter 1.2 there are several aspects which influence the health
status of the individual, among which environmental factors and the participation in society. Some of these
interventions try to change the situation on a macro-level: they try to change the entire population. Others, for
20
example the second intervention group, try to change the people in contact with the lonely elders; this is called the
meso-level. Interventions on the micro-level are solely focused on the elder. The intervention targets and the
levels of the intervention are shown in Table 2.3.
Table 2.3: Interventions divided by intervention target (Linnemann, et al., 2001)
1
2
3
4
5
Intervention target
Public education and change of mentality
Educating intermediators
Social-cultural activation and meetings
Personal activation, make people realise their loneliness increasing
behaviour and help them adapt this
Courses, group counselling and therapeutic care
Level of intervention
Macro
Meso
Micro
Micro
Micro
A second method to divide the different interventions is based on the type of caregiver involved. All these
caregivers have specific specialties and knowledge which the intervention should use; however, their common task
is to spot the loneliness and help the elderly to improve their situation. The types of caregivers are:
Psycho-social caregivers
Social-cultural employees and geriatric employees
General practitioners and nurses
Social-pedagogic caregivers
Prevention workers at GGD or RIAGG, Dutch health care institutions
Volunteers
In one of his papers Linnemann describes a third manner to divide loneliness interventions, namely with the
‘Integral model of dealing with loneliness’. The model is depicted in Figure 2.1 on the next page. The model is a
cycle in which the style of the intervention and the phase of the process and the preconditions play a role. The
style of the intervention is the way the loneliness is being reduced.
There are three different styles which Linnemann describes; Enrichment of the social network, lower the
expectations and acceptance of the feelings of loneliness. The goal of enrichment of the social network is to get to
know new people or improve the social contacts which are already available. This style can be adapted to
overcome different inter-, intra- or societal causes of loneliness. It is meant to change the situation by actually
solving the problem itself. Loneliness can also be dealt with by changing the emotions of the people involved. This
can be done by lowering the expectations of the elderly, valuing the existing relations more, or by accepting the
feelings of loneliness by for example distraction or comparison with others. The different styles of Linnemann can
be found in Table 2.4.
Table 2.4: The different styles of loneliness interventions (Linnemann, et al., 2001)
1a
b
c
2
3
Styles
Enrichment of the social network
Social participation
Personal characteristics
Influencing societal causes
Lower the expectations
Acceptance of the feelings of loneliness
21
Figure 2.1: Linnemanns integral model of dealing with loneliness (Linnemann, et al., 2001)
Linnemann names four repeating phases in the integral model of dealing with loneliness, to describe the different
steps in the treatment of loneliness. The four phases are:
1)
2)
3)
4)
Awareness
Planning
Execution
Evaluation
22
The phases in the process often have some overlap and the whole process is iterative, that is the cycle will
probably be followed more than once. The phases in the process are quite obvious and are not always used
explicitly.
The last part of the integral model consists of the conditions. People need to be willing to change something, they
need to know how and they need to actually do something. So the conditions which need to be met are
motivation, knowledge and possibilities.
In the first described method for dividing the interventions, the levels of the intervention have been mentioned:
macro-, meso-, and micro-level. The same levels can be used for the model of Linnemann; the supplemented table
is shown in Table 2.5.
Table 2.5: The styles of intervention combined with the level of intervention
1a
b
c
2
3
Styles
Enrichment of the social network
Sub-styles
Social participation
Personal characteristics
Influencing societal causes
Lower the expectations
Acceptance of the feelings of loneliness
Level of intervention
Meso / Micro
Micro
Macro
Micro
Micro
There are many ways to classify the different aspects of loneliness and the interventions. The most important is to
find the right intervention for the right circumstances. The intervention chosen for this assignment aims to reduce
social loneliness. A problem oriented approach has been chosen, so the style of the intervention is to enrich the
social network of the elder, by stimulating the social-cultural participation. The target population of the
intervention is formed by the lonely elders themselves; it will be an intervention at the micro-level. This master
assignment is part of the larger U-Care project. Therefore an intervention has been chosen which can be used
within this project.
2.2
(Mobile) virtual communities
For many, especially younger people, it is hard to imagine a world without internet. It is used for work, for buying
useless or interesting goods and for social interaction. There are mailing lists, internet forums, chat rooms and
many other ways through which the internet user can get to know new people as well as keep in touch with
friends from the real world. An online or virtual community can be described as a group of people with a common
interest or a shared purpose, whose interactions are governed by policies in the form of tacit assumptions, rituals,
protocols, rules and laws and who use computer systems to support and mediate social interaction and facilitate a
sense of togetherness (Maloney-Krichmar & Preece, 2005). Every online community has certain rules about for
example which topics can be discussed, what language is allowed and so on. These rules are sometimes enforced
by moderators, but often the community itself sees to it these rules are followed.
There are virtual communities about almost every subject imaginable. Quite a few of these communities cover
health related topics. In august 2009 there were over 300.000 groups in the health and wellness section of Yahoo.
A distinction can be made between posters and lurkers, or in other words between the users that do and do not
post in the online groups. The posters like to entertain and inform others as well as themselves. They also use the
online groups to make friends, get sympathy and support in their specific situation and feel part of the group,
whereas lurkers are more afraid of their privacy and to misuse others time and attention. Even though it is hard to
accurately measure the percentage of lurkers in a community, an estimated average of 45 % of the people visiting
health related support groups online are lurkers (van Uden-Kraan, Drossaert, Taal, Seydel, & van de Laar, 2008).
23
Online communities behave quite similarly to communities in real life. Several roles can be identified, of which
‘information giver’, ‘opinion giver’ and ‘encourager’ are the most common ones (Maloney-Krichmar & Preece,
2005).
To understand the success of the virtual communities several classifications have been made. Porter has made a
typology of them, which can be seen in Figure 2.2. The scheme divides virtual communities into member-initiated
communities and organisation-sponsored communities. Member-initiated communities are initiated and
maintained by individuals, whereas organisation-sponsored ones serve multiple stakeholders. The latter provide a
possible way to communicate within the organisation or a way for an outsider to contact the organisation (Porter,
2004). For virtual communities in health care, the choice between social and professional is quite essential; is the
community available for patients and their relatives only or available for the public and health professionals as well
(Demiris, 2006). According to Porter a virtual community has five attributes, the five P’s, which characterise the
community (Porter, 2004). The five attributes are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Purpose:
Place:
Platform:
Population:
Profit:
The exact subject and goal of the community
Do the members meet in the virtual world only or in the physical world as well?
Does the design allow both synchronous and asynchronous communication?
How many members, how strong is the connection between the members, etc.
Does the community make money?
Figure 2.2: The typology of virtual communities by Porter (Porter, 2004)
A different description was made by El Morr et al. (El Morr & Kawash, 2007). They classified both virtual and nonvirtual communities. The communities are determined by:
The degree of virtualisation:
The degree of mobility:
The degree of cooperation:
Physical or in the virtual world
Mobile or immobile
Intensive collaboration or occasional notification
To more specifically classify virtual communities the following three criteria are important:
The degree of openness:
The degree of contextual information:
The degree of interaction:
Members only or accessible for everybody
Contextual or non contextual
Synchronous or asynchronous
24
Based on these classifications it is possible to make a good description of virtual communities, it does not explain
however which communities are successful and which are not. A virtual community does not depend on state-ofthe-art-technology; it is more important whether or not users feel at ease, almost at home. For a virtual
community to be successful it is important that the purpose is clearly defined and is specific. The group of people
present in a community is also of great influence. A mixture of long term users and newcomers provides the best
results. The long term users provide a stable base of knowledge and support, whereas the newcomers keep the
discussion alive by their need for information. Apart from that a successful virtual community is available at all
times, technically reliable and trustworthy and last but not least easy to use (Demiris, 2006; Maloney-Krichmar &
Preece, 2005; van Beijnum, Pawar, Dulawan, & Hermens, 2009).
The use of mobile virtual communities differs slightly from the use of non-mobile virtual communities. The use of
mobile communities is independent of place and time and is therefore much more spontaneous. The duration of
this usage of mobile communities is relatively short compared to the use of non-mobile communities (Komninos,
Barrie, & Newman, 2008).
Virtual communities are very popular and a study among breast cancer patients showed virtual communities
provide them with information, emotional support as well as a place to share their personal experiences and
opinions (Sharf, 1997). Several scientific trials were performed to study the influence of virtual communities on the
social and physical well-being of the users, but there is no solid scientific evidence of the advantages of virtual
communities. One reason for this lack of evidence is that most of these trials were combined with quite complex
interventions. Those interventions often include intensive one on one communication, which makes it impossible
to distinguish between the improvement due to the contact through a virtual community and improvement due to
the intensive contact with the caretakers. Promising is the fact that no negative findings have been recorded either
(Demiris, 2006).
Joining a virtual community is a possible way to meet new people. Nonetheless not everybody finds new friends on
the internet. A common interest is often not enough to form the basis for new friendships. Especially lurkers tend
to have little cohesion with the community they visit, stay only short periods of time and visit less often. Posters
have a stronger connection with the community and are more likely to enrich their social network by means of a
virtual community (El Morr & Kawash, 2007; van Uden-Kraan, et al., 2008).
Certain risks are involved in joining a virtual community. Due to the possibility not to be face-to-face, which is an
advantage as well, it is possible to impersonate somebody else or falsely convince members of a community to
share the group’s common interest or concern. When this occurs with the intention to damage the feeling of trust,
provide inaccurate information, bad advice or anger participants it is called trolling. Especially with delicate
subjects like health care this needs to be addressed. Also the protection of personal data and the responsibility for
the liability of health supported groups are issues (Demiris, 2006). The rules for the liability within health care have
not evolved at the same speed as the technology. At the moment it is not completely clear who is responsible for
health related malpractice on the internet.
Research has shown that people use internet contacts to enrich their social life, instead of replacing their contacts
in the non-virtual world (Fokkema & Steyaert, 2005; Steyaert, 2004). A virtual community might therefore provide
a possible solution to reduce loneliness with the elderly. Similar interests connect people. It is important to start
with quite a large group, to allow users to find someone with similar interests.
When the typology of Porter, as shown in Figure 2.2, is used, a community to be implemented within the U-Care
project can be characterised as follows:
25
Purpose:
The overall purpose of the community is to reduce loneliness; to accomplish this, a wide
range of topics should be allowed. They should include everything the elderly might find interesting and
get them to communicate with one another. Possible starting subjects could for example be a certain
disease, activities in the retirement home or common hobbies among the target population.
Place:
The place of the community does not need to be limited to the virtual world. Of course
the members of the community should be allowed to have contact in the virtual world, especially since
there are quite a few elderly people who have problems going outdoors. But when users want to meet in
the physical world, this should be encouraged.
Platform:
The platform should allow synchronous as well as asynchronous communication. The
possibility of asynchronous communication allows two users to communicate even though they are not
connected to the system at the same moment in time. Synchronous communication, such as
videoconferencing or instant messaging, allows users to instantly react to one another.
Population:
The number of members might differ per community. Discussing a large number of
topics requires the creation of more than one community. A popular topic might attract more interested
users. Nevertheless the goal of the application is to reduce loneliness; therefore it should be made
possible for users to connect on a personal level. Large communities may scare off users.
Profit:
The community is used for health reasons, so the main goal of the community is to
improve the health status of the participants and not to make a profit.
A study from Gibbons et al. (Gibbons, Crawford, & Crichton) says the solution for reducing loneliness among the
elderly consists of two aspects: the access of elderly people to communication technology and adapting the
technology to the specific characteristics of the elderly. This is presented schematically in Figure 2.3. At the top of
the diagram are the lonely elders. There are two places where it is relatively easy to introduce the elderly to
information and communication technology, namely the nursing homes and the clubs and groups where the
elderly meet. On the left-hand side of the box ‘internet access’ three groups involved in the realisation of the
internet access are shown; Hardware supply, telecom and cabling supply, and the internet service providers (IS
supply). On the right-hand side of the box ‘internet access’ the possibilities to adapt the internet to the
requirements of the elderly are shown; Proper interface design, training and support to understand how to use the
technology and online services and communities for the elderly. When all the conditions for the internet access of
elderly people are met the elderly will hopefully start using the technology and thereby reduce their loneliness.
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Figure 2.3: The use of virtual communities to reduce loneliness, adapted from Gibbons et al. (Gibbons, et al.)
2.3 Relevant projects and interventions
The basics of the loneliness interventions as well as virtual communities have been discussed in Section 2.1 and
2.2. To illustrate these principles some existing projects are described here.
2.3.1
Loneliness interventions
Numerous loneliness interventions have been performed. Two of them are discussed here. They both combine
loneliness interventions with the use of internet or a computer. The first project which provides interesting
information is the Esc@pe project (Fokkema & Knipscheer, 2007; Fokkema & Steyaert, 2005; Linders, 2004;
Linnemann, et al., 2001; Steyaert, 2004). The goal of this project is to connect lonely elders that are bound to their
homes due to a chronic disease or illness, by means of a computer and the internet. It is a project in the
surroundings of Eindhoven. Many parties are involved in this project, among which the Technical University of
Eindhoven and the Stichting Seniorenweb Eindhoven. The trial performed in this research lasted three years and
started in 2001. A special website had been built, where the participants could make contact with one another,
and play games together. The trial started with five two-hour sessions to introduce the patient to the technology.
After this there were no extra contacts scheduled by the organisation. The participants had a regular visitor, which
was already visiting regularly before the start of the trial, who could help them when troubles occurred. The
frequency of the visits was not to be increased. When troubles occurred that the visitor could not solve,
Seniorenweb helped to solve the problem.
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The project started by filling in a questionnaire. Fifteen participants entered the project; during the project several
participants did not make it to the end of the project due to different circumstances. One participant quit because
he thought it too difficult to learn to control the computer. Some participants from the back up list were added
during the trial. The project ended with twelve participants. Participants of the trial were living on their own, had
few possibilities to get outdoors, were included in a visiting scheme from one of the organisations involved, had
never worked with a pc before but should be capable of it and of course were willing to participate. Their average
age was 66 years. A control group was used, with similar characteristics as the participating group. No further
actions were performed with the control group.
The loneliness scale of de Jong Gierveld and Kamphuis was used to determine the level of loneliness at the
beginning and end of the trial (de Jong Gierveld & van Tilburg, 1999, 2006). During the project the participants
were interviewed three times, shortly before the start, two years after the start of the project and immediately
after the project had ended. The results showed reduced loneliness for the participants as well as the control
group. The loneliness decrease was only significant for the elderly which actively participated in the trial. The trial
was most effective towards emotional loneliness. The computer helped to take the elders mind of the fact that
they were lonely, which made them feel better. It also increased their self-confidence. The entire trial proved to be
more successful with elderly people with a higher education. Nonetheless this trial proves the use of internet and
the computer can aid in the reduction of loneliness.
A second example of a loneliness intervention which provided interesting results is the trial performed by White et
al (White, et al., 2002). They performed a randomised control trial with a duration of five months. The goal of this
trial was to study the influence of internet access on older adults, specified on their feelings of loneliness and
depression. Their state of loneliness and depression were determined before and at the end of the trials. The UCLA
loneliness scale and the modified CES Depression scale were used to determine these feelings. Apart from these,
the attitude of the participants towards computers, the number of confidants and the overall quality of life were
tested. The trial started with 100 participants. No specific action was taken with the control group. At the start of
the project the participants received several training sessions. The training sessions, six in total, were scheduled
during a period of four weeks. They consisted of one and a half hour of training with a small group of participants.
The participants had permanent access to the computers during the five month trial. A helpdesk was available for
two hours a week. More than half of the participants continued the weekly use of the computer after the trial
period had ended. There was no significant decline of the feelings of depression and loneliness in both of the
groups; however, a trend could be noted toward an improvement of positive feelings, towards the computer as
well as towards their life. This improvement was larger for regular users. Even though no significant decline was
found, it is definitely a positive note towards the use of internet for the elderly.
2.3.2
Software for the elderly
A well known and quite popular Dutch example of a virtual community for the elderly is 50plusnet.nl (Nationaal
Instituut voor Gezondheidsbevordering en Ziektepreventie, 2004). This website is made by a Dutch cooperation for
the stimulating of the health status of the Dutch population, the Nationaal Instituut voor Gezondheidsbevordering
en Ziektepreventie, together with the Dutch television station for elderly people, Omroep Max. The site is paid for
by the two companies which have started the website. Two unions for the elderly and an elderly home support the
site financially. The goal of the site is to stimulate people over 50 to extend their social network, participate in
(physical) activities and promote a healthy lifestyle. The site allows users to select interesting partners by filling in
hobbies, interests, preferred sex, age and location. It is possible to chat with other users and to e-mail them.
Separate communities, clubs, can be started to play for example bridge once a month or go riding a bicycle. The
site therefore aims to connect users in the real world as well as in the virtual world. A screenshot from the website
can be seen in Figure 2.4.
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Figure 2.4: A screenshot from 50plusnet.nl (Nationaal Instituut voor Gezondheidsbevordering en Ziektepreventie, 2004)
There are no exact numbers of successful contacts which have been established with the help of the site, but it is
known the site has had quite a large numbers of visitors already. In the first two years the site has been online
186.545 unique visitors have been counted, from which 20.773 have registered themselves. The long form which
needs to be filled in during the registration is expected to be one of the reasons such a large number of them has
not registered. More than half the users, 60 %, is male, 46 % of the user has registered him or herself as being
single. The most frequently requested age for a new contact is between the 50 and 69 years of age, whereas most
users prefer to meet people at a maximum of 20 kilometres of their own residence.
50plusnet used a two step strategy to reach the elderly. They first step was to contact the more active elderly, who
are already aware of the possibilities of the internet. The second step was to try and reach the less active and less
experienced elderly. By using this two step approach, there was quite a large user base by the time the
inexperienced users had their first contact with the system. 50plusnet used local initiatives to get itself known to
the people and help user with the use of the site. Sometimes these local initiatives also provided the elderly with
the facilities to use the internet. They found that elderly people who do not own their own computer are harder to
motivate to use the website.
The idea behind the website has been thoroughly thought through. The interface nonetheless did not get that
much attention. The interface used for the site is similar to most of the standard websites, of which several
aspects, such as the small buttons, and the large amount of text on the page might be troublesome for the elderly.
The helpdesk gets daily requests from which the lack of computer experience of the average user is noticeable.
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Common problems involve logging on to the site, reading mail and using the chat function. From the messages
from users on the site it can be concluded they enjoy using the site, but this is not always easy for them, based on
several users mentioning accidently removing their profile and so on.
50plusnet is an example of a web application designed specifically for elderly people. Examples of other software
specifically for the elderly are hard to find. Two applications which have been designed for this specific user group
are Pointerware and Eldy. Pointerware (Rupsingh & Beath, 2010) is started by two Canadian computer engineers.
They have voluntarily taught computer courses at a local retirement home and in combination with the
grandmother of a friend, they have started developing software for the elderly. The interface used in this program
is notably different from most common programs. The main screen of the program exists of five large buttons, and
the other screens use large letters and buttons as well. Noticeable is the combination of the icons in combination
with the names of the program. The software has been tested in a local retirement home, with enthusiastic
comments from the users. Due to the characteristics of elderly people which have been taken into account during
the design process, Pointerware presents itself as a suitable application for individuals with physical disabilities, for
example stroke related, mental disabilities, such as learning disorders, and those with low levels of literacy.
According to website, the key values of Pointerware are connectedness, empowerment and simplicity.
Pointerware is a full screen application, which provides users with the possibility to explore the internet, e-mail,
view photos and play games. Beta versions in French, Spanish, Japanese and Chinese are available. A screenshot of
the main screen can be seen in Figure 2.5.
Figure 2.5: A screenshot from the main screen of Pointerware
Eldy is designed by the non-profit European Eldy’s organisation. The organisation is homed in Italy. Eldy is largely
built by volunteers. Eldy provides possibilities to e-mail, use the internet and chat with friends from the Eldy
network. A connection to YouTube and a version of Skype as well as Notepad have been built in. The entire
program is centred on the main square, as they call it. This can be seen in Figure 2.6. In the interface the large
buttons and the combination of icons and text can be seen again, which makes it easier to understand and use the
program. In July 2008 Eldy had a client base of over 150.000. Eldy can run on an ordinary pc. Just like Pointerware,
it initiates a full screen program and can be launched automatically on start up, so the user does not need to
interact with the normal operating system. A version of the software in multiple languages is available, among
which Italian, Dutch, German, Finnish and Russian. The quality of many of those releases is poor, due to the fact
they have been translated by volunteers. Eldy not only promotes itself as good software for the elderly, it also
30
promotes itself as a good program to help immigrants get accustomed to the language and technology. Eldy
provides a three-hour training session to help users get to know their software, after this initial training, users can
get help online from each other or from an online helpdesk.
Figure 2.6: A screenshot from the main screen of Eldy
SimPC is, like Eldy and Pointerware, designed especially for the elderly (Hoevenaar & Rooken, 2005). They have
taken the whole concept one step further by developing a complete computer system. The Dutch company Secure
Internet Machines (SIM) started developing SimPC in 2004. In 2005, it was awarded best new Dutch product. Since
the start of the project, the company continued developing the system with the help of several students and
trainees from throughout the country. Research has shown most elderly people hardly use anything on a pc except
an internet browser and mail client. Even though the developers of the SimPC have limited the functionality, the
SimPC still has a lot of options to choose from. Apart from internet usage and e-mail, the pc provides the possibility
to call, chat, view photos, play games, use standard open office programs, like a text editor and spreadsheet, and
they provide a possibility for internet banking. As can be seen in Figure 2.7 the main screen of the SimPC is similar
to a normal web page. An important difference is the row of buttons at the bottom of the screen, which is visible
throughout the program. It gives the user the possibility to switch to the different functions of the screen. Most
actions a user would perform on an ordinary pc are available on the SimPC as well. To help the user with the
possible functions a hundred page manual is delivered with the system. The operating system installed on the pc is
Linux, open source like most of the programs used on the project. The company claims the pc does not need any
maintenance. The user has no rights to install personal software, updates are installed automatically and an
automated backup of all the files and photos is made. An initial training is offered to help the user get started.
Since 2007 a laptop variant, the SimTop, is available as well. No facts are known about the number of users of the
SimPC.
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Figure 2.7: A screenshot from the main screen of the SimPC
The four examples mentioned here show there is a definite interest for specialised applications for the elderly to
discover the computer and the internet. Based on reactions on these programs it is important to adapt the
interface to the target population, for otherwise the initial step to understand a pc might be too complex.
2.4 Characteristics of older users
Quite a few elderly users experience difficulties when encountering technology in daily life. Oddly enough users
tend to blame themselves for this instead of the design. Research shows that approximately 25 percent of all these
problems can be solved by adapting the design. Another 28 percent can be solved by a combination of training and
an improved design (Fisk, Rogers, Charness, Czaja, & Sharit, 2004). While designing an interface for a specific target
population, the characteristics of this target population should be kept in mind during the design process. Of
course every individual is different from another; however, there are quite a few similarities as well. These
similarities are the aspects which can help build a proper interface.
Several aspects of the human body decline with the increasing age. Alan Welford (Welford, 1981) originally
described the sensory system of an older adult compared to younger adults as a system with more noise. The
signal-to-noise ratio is likely to be lower and therefore the performance is worse. To discuss these aspects in an
orderly fashion, they are divided into three different categories: sensory modalities, movement control and
cognition.
2.4.1
Sensory decline
The main senses consist of taste, smell, audition, vision and kinaesthetic sensitivity. Taste and smell do show small
age-related decline, but since they are not relevant for the design of an interface, this is not discussed in more
detail.
Audition might be relevant when sound cues are used to alert the user. It is well known our hearing gets worse
with age. 50 % of all men and 30 % of all women over 65 suffer from hearing loss. (Fisk, et al., 2004) The human ear
can sense frequencies between the 20 Hz and 20 kHz; it is most sensitive between the 1500 and 4000 Hz. (Marieb,
2001) After the age of 65 to 70, sounds above the 4000 Hz might become inaudible. The lowest frequency humans
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are capable of hearing are not affected by age. With inclining age, humans often need louder sounds in order to
hear them properly.
Visual impairments are a frequently occurring phenomenon at every age. The risk of such a chronic impairment
does increase with age. At a higher age nearly everybody suffers from some sort of visual impairment (Marieb,
2001). Presbyopia, literally “old person’s vision, is a well known example of this. Humans with presbyopia have no
trouble focusing on objects far away, but cannot accommodate sufficiently to focus on objects nearby (Fisk, et al.,
2004). Other common sight problems with the elderly are poor adaptation to little illumination, deterioration in
the size of the visual field and a slower processing speed of information. More severe conditions such as cataract
are not as common fortunately, but also have a negative effect on the eyesight.
The final sense which is discussed here is the kinaesthetic sensitivity, which does decline with age as well as vision.
As people get older their feeling of balance deteriorates. As a consequence some adults cannot change their body
position or movement unconsciously. For the design of the interface it is important to remember sense of position,
movement and touch is less accurate compared to younger people.
A condition which should be taken into account during the design of the interface is colour blindness. Almost one
in ten males suffers from this, so it is useful to keep it in mind during the design phase. Colour blindness does not
change during the ages, so technically it should not be discussed as sensory decline. Since it does involve a
malfunction of human sensors, it is mentioned here nonetheless.
2.4.2
Movement control
Older individuals take on average one and a half to two times longer to accomplish a certain movement compared
to younger ones. The movement performed does not only take longer, its trajectory is also less precise. This can be
explained by a combination of three different factors: perceptual feedback declines, a larger noise-to-signal ratio
and a different strategy to reach the final target. This decreased movement control might result in difficulties
controlling the computer cursor. Therefore it is important there is sufficient space between the buttons of an
interface as well as the time span to press a certain button should be high enough.
2.4.3
Cognition
An important cognitive aspect is memory capability. There are three different types of memory which can be
distinguished: the sensory memory, the short-term or working memory and the long-term memory. Sensory
memory stores the information from our sensors for less than one second. Short term memory stores information
from a couple of seconds to a few hours, depending on the repetition of the information (Marieb, 2001). Short
term memory can store a maximum of 7 to 8 pieces of information at once. Long term memory can store an
enormous amount of information. The current emotional state influences the learning capability, as do rehearsal
and the association of new information with already stored information. Our memory, and thus the capability to
store and retrieve information, does decline with increasing age. Not all these three types of memory are affected
by ageing; especially the short term memory is affected. This decline has its effect in multiple areas. It might cause
problems comprehending speech and language, as well as reasoning and problem solving (Fisk, et al., 2004).
Due to the decline of the short term memory, elderly people are only capable of storing smaller pieces of
information at a time. By storing smaller pieces of information, the elderly need to relate incoming information
more often in order to comprehend this. This integration of information takes extra time, which makes it
important to present visual and auditorial cues at slow speed. The use of familiar terms and metaphors can be
used to partially compensate this, since these are stored in the long term memory instead of in the short term
memory (Fisk, et al., 2004).
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The visual field diminishes with age; this also has its effect on the visual attention. An elder needs more time to
look around, scan the surroundings and refocus. It might take up to one second to change focus from one object to
another. Therefore it is important to keep a possible interface simple, with only relevant information (Fisk, et al.,
2004; Marieb, 2001).
The last aspect mentioned here is the decline of procedural knowledge and multitasking. Information on how to
perform certain activities is stored in procedural information. Elderly people find it difficult to learn new
procedural information, create new automatisms. Training them to learn something new, takes longer compared
to younger adults. Not only learning new skills might be problematic, modifying or unlearning old skills might be
even more problematic. Performing multiple tasks at the same time becomes more difficult when ageing. Due to
the declined working memory and virtual field focusing on multiple tasks at the same time becomes more
problematic. For a possible interface this means it is important to, again, keep it simple, and consistent.
Ageing has several negative effects on the human body. In some cases this can be corrected by for example
glasses. In other cases, for example impaired movement control, this is more difficult. Several authors have written
guidelines for designing interfaces (Olsen, 1953; Stone, Jarrett, Woodroffe, & Minocha, 2005). The aspects
mentioned in the previous sections should be taken into account in combination with these guidelines to in order
to design a proper interface. A short summary of the aspects mentioned can be found in Table 2.6.
Table 2.6: Summary of characteristics of elderly people
Sensory decline
High frequencies inaudible
Soft sounds inaudible
Movement control
Increased time to accomplish
movements
Less precise movement trajectory
Presbyopia
Problems adapting to little
illumination
Diminished eyesight
Deterioration in the size of the
visual field
Slower processing speed of visual
information
Colour-blindness
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Cognition
Decreased short term memory
Problems comprehending speech
and language
Problems with reasoning and
problem solving
More time needed to adapt visual
attention
Difficulty learning new tasks and
creating automatisms
Difficulty unlearning or modifying
learnt tasks
Difficulty multitasking
3 Methods
The context and the goal of this research are described in the first two chapters. In this chapter the methods to
accomplish these end-goals are explained and the way in which they are used in this master assignment. Usercentred design and the use of scenarios are discussed. Some techniques for the design of an interface are
mentioned as well.
3.1 Iterative approach
A model which is used often in software engineering is the waterfall model, or classic life cycle. This model can be
seen as a stream of water falling down from a waterfall, hence the name (Stone, et al., 2005). This indicates all the
necessary steps in the process are taken in order and are only completed once. A common sequence for the design
process consists of five different steps, shown in Figure 3.1.
Requirements analysis
System design
Implementation
Testing
Maintenance
Figure 3.1: Waterfall model
Often the only end-user involvement is after a complete version of the product has been built already. Changes in
the design are difficult to make and are usually implemented in the next version of the product (Stone, et al.,
2005).
The steps in the waterfall model are the logical steps to take and the sequence of the steps is the right one as well;
however, using the waterfall model exactly in the way it is described, makes it a very rigid model. The waterfall
model is rarely executed exactly as it is described here. Usually experiences gathered in earlier stages of the design
process are taken into account in the next steps; iterations are added to the system. By including users in several
stages of the design process an iterative process is almost inevitable created. To include the input of the users in
the design process, design steps cannot be completed at once, so iterations are included.
The steps in the process remain the same, only the steps can be taken multiple times. For example a prototype is
made of the design plans, which is evaluated with some end-users. The problems indicated during this evaluation
are used to improve the design plans before continuing to the actual implementation phase. The steps can be
taken as often as necessary. An example of a design method based on iterations is agile software development. It
emphasises user involvement and rapid iterations. With an iterative approach it is important to determine how
much iterations are useful. Iterations might provide additional information, but they also cost time and money, so
too many iterations should be prevented. By using iterations and communicating with the end-users in an early
stage, differences in opinion and expectations can be discovered in an early stage and are thus easier to include
(Alexander & Beus-Dukic, 2009; Alexander & Maiden, 2004; Lauesen, 2002; Stone, et al., 2005).
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3.2 User-centred design
For a product to be successful it is important it fulfils the demands and wishes of the end-user (Berg, 1999; Broens,
et al., 2007). To accomplish this it is important to realise who the end-users of the product are and what their exact
expectations of the product are. Therefore a stakeholder analysis is useful to perform at the beginning of a design
process (McGee-Lennon & Gray, 2006, 2009). In a large project different parties or stakeholders are involved, not
just the end-users of the product. Each of these stakeholder groups has its own interests and expectations of the
product. For a project to be successful it is important to find as good a compromise as possible to keep all the
stakeholders satisfied. This means getting to know their wishes and demands. Common ways to do this are taking
interviews, handing out questionnaires and performing observations (Alexander & Maiden, 2004; Stone, et al.,
2005). All these different techniques have their advantages and disadvantages. Interviews for example provide the
researcher with a lot of freedom, to ask for extra information from the interviewed; however, it is difficult to
extract all the possible information from the interviews. The researcher has a great responsibility during the
interview to find out the real opinion of the one questioned, instead of pushing the interviewed towards the
researcher’s preferred answers. In order to structure an interview it is possible, to base the interview on a
beforehand prepared short list of questions, a semi-structured interview. The advantage of using a questionnaire
instead of interviews is the possibility to ask large amounts of users in a relatively short period of time. A
questionnaire should contain a mixture of questions which are asked in a positive or negative manner, again not to
push the questioned person in a certain direction of answers. A disadvantage of the use of questionnaires is the
limited possibility to specify certain answers. The last mentioned method to get information of the users of the
product as well as the context the product will be used in, is observation. Observation can be used to study the
current use of a similar product or to study the task which the product needs to perform. Major disadvantage of
observations is the amount of time it takes to observe all the possibilities of the product. There are numerous
ways to quantify observations, the frequency or time span of a certain action can be measured for example.
3.3 Scenarios
Writing stories, scenarios, is a good method to explain new or unknown things, for example a new product, to
users or developers. Caroll (Carroll, 2000; Carroll, Rosson, Chin, & Koenemann, 1998) defined a scenario as a
narrative description of what people do and experience when they try to make use of computer systems and
applications. The length, the amount of details and the form of a scenario depend on the goal of the scenario
(Benyon & Macaulay, 2002). Scenarios can be used in almost every step of the design process. The one thing they
all have in common is they are used to communicate with other people.
According to Rolland et al. (Rolland, et al., 1998) there are four important aspects when writing a scenario. These
are shown in Figure 3.2.
The form view describes the presentation of the scenario. This describes whether the scenario used is
merely based on text, or if images or tables are included. It also describes the style the scenario is written
in, is it a formal approach, or maybe more informal.
The contents view describes the aspects the scenario covers, so basically the knowledge it discovers. Does
it for example describe the technical details of a product or does it describe the entire environment in
which the product will be used.
The purpose view indicates why a scenario is used. The purpose can be categorised as descriptive,
exploratory or explanatory.
The lifecycle view is the fourth aspect. A scenario can be used to describe the entire life span of a product,
but it can also be used to describe a single function, this is covered by the life-cycle view (Alexander &
Maiden, 2004; Rolland, et al., 1998).
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Figure 3.2: The four views of scenarios according to Rolland (Alexander & Maiden, 2004)
All the different options in the Rolland’s framework indicate the various possibilities of scenarios. The most wellknown use of scenarios is probably using it in an early stage of the design process. It describes the people involved,
the actions performed, the context of use or the basic technology (Benyon & Macaulay, 2002). A different
approach is to use scenarios in a later design to describe the specific functions, the technical details and the
possible interactions of the system.
A use case is a special type of scenario. There are many discussions about the exact definition of use case; Booch et
al. (Booch, Rumbaugh, & Jacobson, 1999) define it as follows: A use case is a description of a set of sequences of
actions, including variants, that a system performs to yield an observable result to an actor. So basically it
describes the interaction of (mostly human) actors with the device. Specific tasks can be described with the help of
use cases. Most actions can be performed in multiple ways. A use case can be used to describe the different
variations to reach the same end-goal. Use cases are more specific than most scenarios. They are used to get a
clear view on the implementation phase (Benyon, Turner, & Turner, 2005; Lauesen, 2002). In this master
assignment some of the most frequent or most important actions of the system are described into more detail
with the help of use cases.
3.4 Interface design
Many different guidelines for the design of an interface are available. In Chapter 2 the characteristics of elderly
people are described, since they are the target population of this research. The principles discussed here are useful
to keep in mind, no matter what target group the interface is designed for.
The first set of principles consists of four psychological principles (Benyon, et al., 2005; Olsen, 1953; Stone, et al.,
2005).
1.
Users see what they expect to see
“All we know is embodied in stories. We understand everything in terms of stories we already know”
(Schank, 1995). Based on previous experiences and knowledge from the non-digital world, the so called
mental model, users have certain expectations for example when they see a specific icon. A description of
mental model often used in the context of interface design was written by Norman (Norman, 1988):
“They are the models people have of themselves, others, the environment and the things with which they
interact. People form mental models through experience, training and instruction.” If there is a small
37
difference between the new system and the mental model, the system will be easy to learn and therefore
intuitively. Similar applications are expected to function similarly as well(Stone, et al., 2005). It is also
important to consistent throughout the entire program, for example always use the same colour to
indicate danger, and position buttons in the same place, so the mental model for the use of the entire
application is similar. Using a metaphor from the non-digital world to explain a function in a computer
program, can also be helpful, since a mental model of this function is already available. Using metaphors
can make it easier for the user to understand the program, but when an incorrect one is used it might
confuse the user.
2.
Users have difficulty focusing on more than one activity at a time
Flickering ads or other moving objects distract the users’ attention from the task they were currently
performing. The user’s attention can be drawn by placing items at a prominent place on the screen or by
grouping elements. When related items are grouped it is easier for the user to pay attention to the
appropriate group. Tognazzini (Tognazzini, 1995) indicates “when using a program there are five different
places which are easiest to reach with the mouse pointer: the four corners of the screen and the current
location of the mouse”. This should be used to increase the usability of the program.
3.
It is easier to perceive a structured lay out
By using similar shapes and grouping them it is easier for the user to focus on for example the different
functions in a menu. This is based on based on the Gestalt psychology (Benyon, et al., 2005; Olsen, 1953;
Stone, et al., 2005). Some examples of these principles are listed below and illustrated in Figure 3.3.
a) The law of proximity: Elements close to each other are seen as a group, rather than individual
elements.
b) The law of similarity: Similar colours or shapes connect elements to a group.
c) The law of closure: Elements are expected to be a closed shape and are therefore perceived that way.
d) The law of continuity: People tend to link elements to have them form continuous lines and shapes.
e) The law of symmetry: Elements with mirrored shapes cause symmetry and are expected to belong
together.
Figure 3.3: The Gestalt principles of perceptual organisation (Stone, et al., 2005)
38
4.
It is easier to recognise something than to recall it
Users are able to learn new technologies and programs, but this takes time and effort. For the elderly this
is even more difficult (Fisk, et al., 2004; Marieb, 2001). When the user receives the necessary information
from the program itself, the learning time will reduce.
A second set of principles is described as the three principles from experience (Benyon, et al., 2005; Olsen, 1953;
Stone, et al., 2005).
Principle of visibility
By looking at a control, it should be obvious what the consequences of the use of the control are.
Principle of affordance
The way a control should be operated, should be clear from the design of the control.
Principle of feedback
The program should inform the user, when a control has been used.
To help the user, navigate through the different pages of the application the structure or hierarchy is important.
The depth and width of the hierarchy have a large influence on the usability. The width of the hierarchy
determines the amount of different menus available at the start screen, whereas the depth determines the
amount of submenus. It can be compared to a pyramid; a high pyramid with a small base has a deep hierarchy,
whereas a lower pyramid with a broader base has a broad hierarchy. When the functionality is limited, it is often
better to have a broad structure, than a deep one (Stone, et al., 2005). Another method to help the user is with the
use of a breadcrumb trail. A breadcrumb trail lists the different levels of the hierarchy, usually from left to right. It
helps the user keep an overview of the different levels of the application and the current location in this hierarchy.
3.5 Evaluation
In Chapter 4 the complete requirements elicitation is described. The evaluation is used to test whether or not the
product meets all the requirements. While evaluating requirements two categories can be distinguished,
qualitative and quantitative requirements. Qualitative requirements are difficult to evaluate, since they are often
subjective. One method to evaluate qualitative requirements is describing them in terms of quantitative metrics.
Tyldesley (Tyldesley, 1988) made a list of 22 possible criteria to quantify qualitative requirements. Among this list
are:
Time to complete task
Percentage of task completed
Percentage of task completed per unit time (speed metric)
Ratio of successes to failure
Percentage or number of errors
Frequency of help or documentation use
Time spent using help or documentation
Number of times the interface misleads the user
Number of times the user expresses frustration or satisfaction
The opinion of the users is of major importance during the evaluations. As a framework to quantify the opinion of
the user, the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology or UTAUT model is used. The framework, shown
in Figure 3.4, was formulated by Venkatesh (Venkatesh, 2003) and incorporates several other models that describe
user behaviour with respect to technology.
39
Figure 3.4: The Unified Theory Acceptance and Use of Technology model (Venkatesh, 2003)
The model distinguishes four determinants, which influence the usage behaviour:
Performance expectancy
Effort expectancy
Social influence
Facilitating conditions
The performance expectancy determines the perceived usefulness of the application. It will not be used in this
master assignment. The intended use of the application is to aid the lonely elderly in enhancing their social
network. The user evaluations during this assignment will not be fulfilled with lonely elderly, therefore the
performance expectancy would not provide a realistic value of the intended use.
The effort expectancy is defined as the degree of ease, associated with the use of the system. Especially in the
initial phase the ease of use is relatively high. When initially the program is too difficult to use, voluntary users
might stop using the program at all. For this master assignment this is a very important aspect, so the effort
expectancy is included in the evaluation. The questions related to this determinant are:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Learning to operate the application is easy for me
I find the application flexible to interact with
I find it easy to get the application to do what I want
It is easy for me to become skilful at using the application
My interaction with the application is clear and understandable
The determinant of social influence, in contrast to the performance and the effort expectancy, does not focus on
the personal opinion of the user with respect to the application. It focuses on the opinion of others (relatives, coworkers, etc.) of the fact that the user would be using the system. This, as the performance expectance, will be left
out of the evaluation. The users involved in the user evaluation are not the intended end-users of the system, so
therefore the opinion of their relatives is of little importance.
40
The fourth determinant, the facilitating conditions, concerns the fact whether or not the user believes an
organisational and technical infrastructure exists to support the use of the technology. In Section 2.2 a study of
Gibbons et al. (Gibbons, et al.) was mentioned, in which two important aspects of a successful loneliness
intervention were listed, one of which is the accessibility of the application. So in order to perform a loneliness
intervention the facilitating conditions should always be fulfilled. The opinion of the user could be used to adapt
those facilitating conditions, but in this stage of the research it is of lesser importance.
3.6 Design process
In the previous section the methods used in this master assignment are discussed. In Figure 3.5 the steps taken are
represented schematically. The diagram has been separated after the requirements analysis to provide a clear
overview.
Figure 3.5: Flow diagram of the design process
In this assignment an iterative and user-centred approach was adopted. Throughout the design process there were
several moments in which the users had the possibility to influence the course of the process. The input at the
start of this assignment consisted of a series of interviews with six elderly people and three health care
professionals, as well as available literature. This information was used to get a clear description of the context the
system is to be used in and the different stakeholders of the system. The results of these steps were written down
in Chapter 1 and 2. Based on the context and the stakeholder analysis the main goal and the subgoals of this
assignment were determined. By determining the goals the exact scope of the project was defined. This is
important since it states which aspects do and do not belong within the project.
The second step was the requirements analysis. As can be seen the requirements analysis took place at the same
time as the creation of the scenarios. The writing of the scenarios and the requirements analysis complemented
41
each other. In the scenarios a specific use of the system was described, which suggest specific requirements,
whereas the other way around, the requirements suggested possible actions or qualities of the system which could
be described in the scenario. For the scenarios three personas were written, two elderly people and a health care
professional. The elderly are the main target population of the system. Their user characteristics were determined
based on literature. To create realistic personas with which the end-users can identify themselves, those
characteristics as well as some information from the previous interviews and information from acquainted elderly
people were included in the scenarios. To elicit possible requirements for the other stakeholders as well, a third
scenario was written with a health care professional as persona. The interviews that where held before the start of
the assignment provided inspiration for this persona. The third scenario was not discussed with any end-users.
Writing this scenario was merely used as an aid for the designer to imagine the possible use of the system by
health care professionals. A more detailed description of the scenarios and requirements analysis is provided in
Chapter 4.
The scenarios of the elderly were discussed with seven elderly people in the range of 72 to 90 years of age. Some
questions about their personal health status were asked as well, to provide a context for their answers. The
interviews were used to validate the requirements. Scenarios are an easy method to discuss requirements with
users, since it provides a framework for the user’s imagination. By telling a story the user can see him or herself
using the system more easily and is therefore more capable to state his or her own wishes with regard to the
system. Adaptations were made before the actual design of the mock-ups had started. The complete interviews
can be found in Appendix C.
The requirements were used as an input to start the actual design phase. The first step was to make low fidelity
prototypes, paper sketches in this case. A low fidelity prototype is used to try out ideas for the lay-out of the
interface, but provides no actual functionality. The requirements and the guidelines, such as mentioned in the
previous section formed the basis of these sketches. The goal was to fulfil the requirements as good as possible. An
important issue in this master assignment is the usability of the system by the elderly. The guidelines were used to
assure the non-functional requirements, such as the ease of use of the system, were fulfilled as well. The sketches
were not discussed with the end-users.
Based on the sketches, a second series of prototypes was made, mock-ups. These mock-ups included hardly any
functionality, but the intended look and feel of the system design made this a more appropriate prototype to
discuss with the end-users. The end-users were asked to fulfil small tasks to test the intended sequences of actions
and were asked for their opinion on the lay-out. Screen shots of the sketches and mock-ups and a more thorough
description can be found in Chapter 5.
The next step was to design a high-fidelity, fully interactive prototype. The final user evaluation was used to test
the functionality. Again the users were asked to complete small tasks. Quantitative information was gathered by
counting the number of errors and the frequency of the helpdesk usage. The opinion of the users was also
important for the evaluation. The questions of the UTAUT model related to the ease of use were used to quantify
the opinion of the user with respect to the usability of the prototype. The third user evaluation was the final step
in this master assignment, based on which conclusions were drawn and recommendations made.
42
4 Requirements elicitation
The first three chapters of this report described the literature study that was performed to determine the context
of this master assignment as well as the methods used during this assignment. They represent the answers to the
first subgoal as stated in section 1.5. In this chapter the second subgoal is discussed, eliciting the requirements.
4.1 Scenarios
Scenarios were used to visualise the intended use of the communication support system and involve the end-user
in the design process. Before the scenarios were written a user profile was sketched, which describes the average
user of the intended user population, elderly people over 55. The characteristics in Table 4.1 represent the elderly
in the target population. In the first column the attribute is mentioned, in the second column the description of
this attribute from the user group can be found and in the third column the rationale.
Table 4.1: User characteristics
Attribute
Culture
User Group
Overall western
Sex
Both men and women
Age
55 years and older
IT / Technology
knowledge
Many people have limited experience
with modern technology like computers
and DVD-players. Almost all people will
know how to operate a television.
Diminished eyesight, difficulties with
(precise) movements, hard hearing,
difficulty learning and remembering new
things and unlearning old ones.
Physical abilities
and disabilities
Motivation
The motivation will vary among the
users; the profit of the system should
provide enough motivation to stimulate
the users.
Attitude
Quite a few might have a reluctant
attitude towards a new technology,
although the attitude towards the idea
of a social support system will probably
be positive for most people
43
Rationale
The system is designed for the use in Dutch
home care, therefore all the different
nationalities present in the Netherlands might
work with it, but overall most people will be
from a Western culture.
The average population in Dutch home care
represents a large group of both men and
women.
The target group are elderly people which use
home care, some younger people with for
example a chronic disease might also want to
make use of the system, the system will
however not be designed for this group.
The use of technology has increased rapidly
during the last decades. Learning how to deal
with new technology is complicated and takes a
lot of effort.
There will be a great variation and combination
of possible disabilities and diseases. These
disabilities mentioned here are very common
among the target group and might influence the
interaction with the system. A more detailed
description is provided in Section 2.4.
As with any large group with a variety of people
there are many differences among them. This
also counts for motivation. For some learning a
new technology will provide enough motivation,
for other the profit of the system should
motivate them.
The new technology might scare people, also
due to privacy and security issues. Some might
also have a negative attitude, because they
might feel they do not need help making social
relations.
Based on these user characteristics two personas were written for the scenarios. The personas are introduced here
shortly, the complete scenarios can be found in Appendix B.1 respectively B.2.
4.1.1
Mrs. J. Sanders
Mrs. Sanders, seen in Figure 4.1, is a 71 year old widow. She never had much education. After she finished school
she worked in a hotel for 3 years, got married and stopped working outdoors. She has 3 children and 4
grandchildren. Her son married a Canadian girl and moved to Canada a couple of years ago. Once a year they travel
with the children to the Netherlands. All the children try to call Mrs. Sanders once a week, and her son and
daughter in the Netherlands try to visit at least once every two weeks. She would like to have more contact with
her children and grandchildren, but especially with the Canadian family, this is difficult due to the large distance
and time difference.
Figure 4.1: Mrs. J. Sanders
Mrs. Sanders has a relatively good health condition. Her eyesight is not what it used to be, but her hearing is still
fine. She lives alone in a small apartment close to a retirement home. Once a week she receives some aid in the
housekeeping and the groceries are brought to her home. The rest she can still manage by herself. Last year she
tripped over a wire and had her hip replaced. After that, her children convinced her to take a simple mobile phone,
which she can take with her when going outdoors and a mobile alarm button to wear around her neck; however,
she is still slightly scared to leave the house alone. She owns no pc or DVD-recorder; she thinks she is too old to
learn those new technologies, even though she sees the possibilities to stay in better contact with her family. She
loves to watch TV during the day, read the newspaper and make some puzzles. She loved going to the market in
the next village and visiting a pub there. But since her fall, she does not dare to go that far anymore.
4.1.2
Mr. G. Best
Mr. Best is a 72 year old inhabitant of the retirement home. He is married to Mrs. Best for almost fifty years
already. They can be seen in Figure 4.2. Together they have one son, who lives in a nearby village with his wife and
Mr. Best’s grandson. Mrs. Best health condition is not very good any more, she can walk for short distances only
and prefers to stay indoors most of the time. She enjoys chatting with the other women in the common room of
the retirement home or attending other activities organised by the retirement home, like playing games in the
afternoon or watching a movie in the evening. Mr. Best is still quite mobile; he likes to walk in the nearby forest or
in the park and still drives his car, to go to town or one of the other surrounding places. Mr. Best does not have
many contacts in the retirement home, because most of the inhabitants are women and they tend to nag a lot
about their decreasing health conditions. He used to make long walks with his son and grandson, but he cannot
44
keep up with them anymore. He would like to find a new friend, who shares his walking speed as well as his
interests. Their son still calls every couple of days, but usually his wife answers the phone. She will tell him
everything afterwards anyway.
Figure 4.2: Mr. G. Best and Mrs. Best
Mr. Best uses his car to drive to the library every now and then. He would not mind taking somebody there
occasionally; however, he does not like any obligations. Mr. Best has learned the basics of most modern
technologies, like a mobile phone and a computer, from his grandson. He uses the computer to look for news sites
or articles about his great passion, astronomy. He would like for more elderly people to be online, so he can talk to
the elderly with the same interests about the interesting items he found.
4.1.3
Harry de Wild
Elderly people are the main group of end-users and are also the focus of this master assignment. To describe the
use of the system by health care employees, a third persona was written. The complete scenario of Harry de Wild,
Figure 4.3, can be found in Appendix B.3.
Harry is a 34 year old nurse. He works at a retirement home for almost three year now. Most of the time he works
in the retirement home, but when one of the inhabitants of the nearby senior citizen apartments has had an
accident or surgery he provides temporary additional care there as well. The work pressure is very high, due to a
shortage of personnel. After the additional care of the inhabitants of the apartments has ended, Harry would like
to check up on them once in a while. He sees this as an important personal aspect of his job. Unfortunately, due to
his work at the retirement home, there is little time to walk to the apartments to visit them, especially since he
does not know whether or not they are at home.
Figure 4.3: Harry de Wild
45
The elicitation of the requirements and the writing of the scenarios are complementary processes. Before writing
the scenarios a list of requirements was already written down based on the literature study and previous
interviews. These requirements were used to describe certain functions and actions in the requirements. At the
same time writing the scenarios drew attention to specific requirements which had not yet been listed. The
scenarios were discussed with several end-users to verify the requirements.
The scenarios from Mrs. Sanders and Mr. Best were discussed with seven elderly people to make sure they could
identify themselves with the personas of the scenarios. The participants were found in retirement homes and day
care. The characteristics of these users are summarised in Table 4.2. The scenarios describe possible ways to use
the system. By using scenarios it is easier to explain the use of the system to the end-users and get their opinion
before making a prototype. The interviews with the end-users can be found in Appendix C. The scenario of Harry
the Wild was written to indicate the possible use of the system by an end-user group, other than the elderly. This
scenario was used during the requirements analysis, but was not discussed with any users.
Table 4.2: User characteristics of the users involved in the first user evaluation
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Sex
Female
Female
Male
Male
Male
Male
Female
Age
85
79
81
73
72
80
90
Computer experience
Computer course at elderly home
Computer course at elderly home
None
None
Years ago incidentally
Experienced user
None
In the scenarios, several groups of end-users were introduced. They are a representation of the most important
group of stakeholders and are summarised in Table 4.3. The scenarios are referred to by the letters SCn with the n
being the number of the scenario. The scenario of Mrs. Sanders is number 1, whereas the scenarios of Mr. Best
and Harry de Wild are number 2 and 3 respectively. In the first scenario the system needs to interact with several
other computer systems. They are also regarded as actors, because the system has to be adapted to
communication
with
these
systems
as
well.
The
interacting
systems
are
listed
in
Table 4.4. The family (second-level users) is not regarded an actor of the system. The system is designed to
interact with standard computer applications, such as e-mail and chat-protocols, so the family does not need to
install additional software or learn a different computer program in order to communicate with the end-user of
the application.
Table 4.3: End-users of the system
Actor
Elder
Help desk employee
Health care professional
Scenario
SC1, SC3
SC1
SC2
Table 4.4: Interacting system
Interacting system
U-care platform
Scenario
SC1, SC2, SC3
46
4.2 Use cases
To help gather the requirements, apart from the three scenarios three use cases were written as well. In the use
cases, some of the actions performed in the scenarios are described to a larger extent. Booch et al. (Booch, et al.,
1999) define a use case as a description of a set of sequences of actions, including variants that a system performs
to yields an observable result to an actor. So, basically a use case describes different ways of how to fulfil the
different functions of the system.
The use cases written are:
Send an e-mail
Contact helpdesk
Use friend finder
These use cases are written because the functions described in them are expected to be important functions of the
system. All the use cases are related to reducing loneliness. Sending an e-mail, the first use case, is an important
way of communication in the system. Based on the interviews, the principle of e-mail is easy to understand with
help of the analogy to non-digital mail. During the interviews the elderly also indicated e-mail is the preferred
method to contact new friends. This indicates the importance of the e-mail, and thus to make a use case of it.
The second use case written, describes in more detail how to contact the helpdesk. Many elderly people have no
experience with computers. Learning a new technology is difficult and is often accompanied with problems and
questions. It is therefore important the helpdesk functions properly and is within reach at all times.
The third use case, use the friend finder, is perhaps the most important use case. Helping the elderly find new
people to connect with is closely connected to the main goal of the system. The friend finder suggests possible
matches between elderly people in order to stimulate them to seek contact.
For the writing of the use cases a template was used (Alexander & Beus-Dukic, 2009; Alexander & Maiden, 2004;
Cockburn, 2000). An empty template is included here to explain the template, before presenting the use cases
written for this assignment. The template basically consists of three parts. The first part consists of the title and a
brief description, indicating the functional goal of the use case. The second part describes the flow of events.
Alexander and Maiden (Alexander & Maiden, 2004) define flow as a description of a partial path through the use
case description. The flow of events describes the normal scenario as well as possible alternatives to reach the final
goal. The third and final part contains the special requirements. The special requirements indicate for example the
begin- or end-condition of the task. Three use cases have been described below; sending an e-mail, contacting the
helpdesk and the use of the friend-finder.
UC0:
Use case template
Brief description of the goal.
Basic flow
The most straight forward scenario to reach the goal.
Alternative flows
An alternative route to reach the end goal of the use case. The route may be partially or completely different from
the basic flow.
47
Special requirements
Performance:
Requirements for example for the system response time
Business rules:
Rules or policies from the company with respect to the use case
Preconditions:
The conditions at the beginning of the use case, including the event that triggers the use
case to initiate
Postconditions:
The conditions of the system after a successful ending of the system
Failed postconditions
The conditions when somewhere during the execution of the use case an error has
occurred
UC1:
Send e-mail
The user sends an e-mail to a relative by using the mail application and its address book.
Basic flow
The use case starts at the main page of the application
1.
2.
The user selects the mail application of the system.
The system presents the user with the different options of the application, like write a new e-mail, add a
new contact, view received mail and view sent mail.
3. The user selects the write new e-mail icon.
4. The system displays an empty text field in which the user can type the message, as well as the possible
options for the mail, like an address book, a possibility to attach a file, a print button and a send button
5. The user selects the address book
6. The system displays the list of available contacts
7. The user selects the required contact and confirms the choice.
8. The system shows the text of the mail again
9. The users selects the send button
10. The system displays the inbox with a confirmation of the sending of the mail.
Alternative flows
User sends mail to multiple contacts
After step 8, step 5 – 8 can be repeated, or the user can select multiple contacts during step 6. After the required
amount of contacts has been added the flow continues according to the basic pattern.
User adds attachment to e-mail
After step 4, the user selects the attach file icon, selects the file(s) which need to be send and confirms this. The
system shows the text field. The flow continues with step 5.
Special requirements
Performance:
The confirmation at step 10 should be visible for at least 5 seconds.
Business rules:
None
Preconditions:
None
48
Postconditions:
An e-mail has been sent
A confirmation of the sending of the e-mail has been shown
The inbox is displayed
Failed postconditions:
No e-mail has been sent
No confirmation was shown of the sending of the e-mail
After the sending of the e-mail the inbox was not shown
UC2:
Contact helpdesk
The user contacts the helpdesk
Basic flow
The use case can start at any point in the application
1.
2.
3.
4.
The user selects the helpdesk button on the screen. The button is visible at the same place on the screen
in the entire application. The opening hours of the helpdesk should be clearly visible as well.
The system asks the user, whether the helpdesk should be contacted by chat, by videoconferencing, or by
mail.
The user selects the chat icon.
The system establishes a chat connection with the helpdesk. A chat box is opened and the user can type
the question.
Alternative flows
User contacts helpdesk by videoconferencing
After step 2, the user selects the videoconferencing icon. After which the system establishes a live connection with
a helpdesk employee.
User contacts helpdesk by e-mail
After step 2, the user selects the e-mail button. The system presents an empty e-mail, in which the address has
already been filled. The user can type the question and send the e-mail.
Special requirements
Performance:
The system response in Step 4 must not take longer than 5 seconds.
Business rules:
During business hours the helpdesk should be manned. During the rest of the day a
different kind of help must be available.
Preconditions:
The use case can be performed at any time.
Postconditions:
Contact with the helpdesk is established.
Failed postconditions:
No contact with the helpdesk was established.
UC4:
Use friend-finder
The user uses the friend-finder to place a new friend-request or respond to friend requests of others.
49
Basic flow
The use case starts at the main page of the application
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
The user selects the friend-finder button of the system.
The system presents the user with the different options of the application, like place a new friendrequest, friend-requests from others change user profile.
The user selects the place a new friend request icon.
The system displays the fields which the users need to fill in, like the preferred sex, age and activity.
The user fills in the form and submits it.
The system confirms the submission.
Reaction to the requests will be presented in the normal applications, like the e-mail, or the chat.
Alternative flows
User responds to a friend request
After step 2, the user selects the friend requests from other users. The user will be presented with an option to
view them all, or select specific reactions based on age, sex, activity or date. When the user selects a specific
request, he will be presented the options to mail, chat or phone this person.
Special requirements
Performance:
The confirmation at step 7 should be visible for at least 5 seconds.
Business rules:
None
Preconditions:
None
Postconditions:
A friend request has been created.
Failed postconditions:
No friend request was created.
To help provide a clear overview of the possibilities of the system a schematic representation has been made,
which is shown in Figure 4.4. The user is presented quite central in the diagram. A user has an address book in
which all the contacts are saved. Every user has a single address book. Below the user the diagram splits in four
different options: health care professional, elder, other and helpdesk employee. These are the types of users
which can use the system. By separating the users, differences in for example the possibilities and rights can be
made. The elder user has a special profile in which the personal interests and data are stored. With the help of this
profile the friend finder is able to suggest other elderly people to connect with.
At the upper side of the diagram the communication possibilities are displayed. The User Overview stores all the
past communication of the user. It is connected to the five different forms of communication of the system:
E-mail
Video Conference / Call
Chat
Calendar
Photos and videos
50
Every form of communication has its own demands and specifications in the system, for example an e-mail has a
subject, a body and a date, whereas a file has a file name and a data type. A chat can consist of multiple chat
messages, and an activity can has multiple reminders, for example one per e-mail and one per text message.
Figure 4.4: Schematic representation of the system
51
4.3 Requirements analysis
The requirements of a system determine the outlines of a project. The requirements are separated in three
different categories. The first category contains the global requirements. The global or the generic requirements
are the needs of the system; these define what the end-user can expect of the system and are listed in Table 4.5.
These are basically the main goals of the system. The second and third categories are the functional and the nonfunctional requirements respectively. The functional requirements, listed in Table 4.6 and Table 4.7, form the basis
of the functional characteristics of the project, whereas the non-functional requirements, listed in Table 4.8 to
Table 4.11, state the qualities and constraints of the system. Sometimes it is hard to distinguish these two from
one another, because whether or not a requirement is functional or non-functional depends on the perspective
and relation of the reader to the project (Alexander & Beus-Dukic, 2009). The requirements are divided into these
two groups based on the personal opinion and view of the writer of this report. In this section only the most
important requirements are listed. A complete list of the requirements can be found in Appendix D.
4.3.1
Global requirements
This project has only one global requirement:
Table 4.5: Global requirements
Code
GR1
Requirement
The system should encourage communication between the elderly from the age of 55.
No rationale, scenario or use case needs to be mentioned for this requirement, since it corresponds to the main
objective of this master assignment. Two important aspects of the system can be found in this requirement: the
system should encourage communication and the system is meant for elderly people. These two aspects need to
be taken into account when determining the functional and non-functional requirements of the system.
4.3.2
Functional requirements
Most of the requirements mentioned in Table 4.6 below were extracted from either one of the scenarios or one of
the use cases. The scenario (SCn) or use case (UCn) from which it was subtracted is mentioned behind the
requirement in the table, in which ‘n’ represents the number of the scenario or use case.
Table 4.6: Function requirements from the use cases and scenarios
Code
FR1
FR2
FR3
FR5
FR8
FR9
Requirement
The system must function on a screen on the wall, or on a mobile phone
The system must support synchronous communication
The system must support asynchronous communication
The system must provide the user with the possibility to get to know new people
The system must provide the user with the possibility to administer social events
The system must provide the user with the possibility to share files with one
another
Scenario
SC1, SC2, SC3,
SC1
SC1, SC2
SC1, SC2
SC2
SC1
Use case
UC1, UC2, UC3
UC2
UC1, UC2
UC4
Some requirements could not be elicited from the scenarios or the use cases, but could be extracted from the
literature study at the beginning of this master assignment. These are mentioned in Table 4.7 below. For these
requirements a rationale is mentioned to keep the thought process clear as well as traceable.
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Table 4.7: Additional functional requirements
Code
FR11
4.3.3
Requirement
The system should allow the creation of a community
Rationale
When the number of users increases, the
creation of separate communities allows the
users to share information with specific groups
only.
Non-functional requirements
Where the functional requirements determine the functionalities of the system, the non-functional requirements
determine the qualities and the constraints of the system. The non-functional requirements are quite numerous in
this project. Therefore they have been ordered in four different categories: development qualities, usage qualities,
usability requirements and project or program requirements. The development qualities state the requirements
which will make the project easy to maintain and update, the usage qualities and the usability qualities state the
requirements for a comfortable use of the program and the program requirements specify the financial and timely
aspects. The usability requirements can be viewed as part of the usage qualities; however, due to the significant
importance of the usability of the system, they are made into a separate category.
The non-functional requirements are listed in the Table 4.8 to 4.11. The tables mention the subcategory in the first
column, in the second column the unique code for each requirement is listed. The code is composed of the letters
NF for non-functional requirement, and two numbers. The first number indicates the category, like the
development qualities is indicated with the 1, the second number is to make the code unique. In the third column
of the table the requirement is mentioned and in the fourth column the rationale is written down.
4.3.3.1 Development qualities
Table 4.8: Non-functional requirements: Development qualities
Subcategory
Maintainability
Code
NF1.2
Requirement
The program should be modular
Rationale
Good modularity will make it easier to
implement new functions and make it
fit the idea of tailorability in the U-care
project.
4.3.3.2 Usage qualities
Table 4.9: Non-functional requirements: Usage qualities
Subcategory
Dependability
Code
NF2.2
Requirement
The system should be reliable
Security
NF2.3
The system should ensure authenticity
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Rationale
Many users are unknown with
computers and some might be slightly
scared of the technology as well. By
securing a high reliability the trust of
these users in the technology will
increase.
The system allows the users to share
personal information. Therefore it is
important people can do this safely,
and that they can trust other users for
who they say they are.
Lauesen (Alexander & Beus-Dukic, 2009) states that it is difficult to write down specific and verifiable security
requirements. They state it is easier and more efficient to state the threats against which the system and the user
data should be protected. In this case the threats for which the system should be prepared are:
Access by other users
Access by non-users
Access from the internet
Hard disk crash
4.3.3.3 Usability requirements
Table 4.10: Non-functional requirements: Usability requirements
Subcategory
Operability
Code
NF3.2
Requirements
The system should be flexible
NF3.3
The system should be simple and
intuitive to use
NF3.4
The system should be tolerant to errors
of the user
Accessibility
NF3.8
The system should provide the user with
perceptible information
Guidelines
NF3.10
Clear guidelines should be provided to
the user, within the program as well as
delivered with the program
NF3.11
A helpdesk should be available to help
the user
Rationale
The system should provide the user with
multiple options to reach ones goal.
It is easier to recognise a function than
to remember it, especially with elderly
people who sometimes find it hard to
learn new skills.
The system should minimise the adverse
consequences
of
accidental
or
unintended actions.
It is important the user knows at all
times what the system is doing,
regardless of ambient conditions or the
user’s sensory abilities
It is impossible to make a perfect
interface, therefore it is important to
provide the user with a clear guideline,
in case he or she does not know how to
perform an action.
Quite a large amount of the target group
of users is not used to computers;
therefore the possibility of a human
helpdesk will make them feel more
comfortable.
4.3.3.4 Project requirements
In a normal project it is important to define the scope of the research, the expected quality, the available time, as
well as the available resources. The priorities of these four aspects influence each other. For example, when a tight
time schedule is required, either the quality might suffer or the costs might rise exponentially (van der Westhuizen
& Fitzgerald, 2005). In this master assignment these aspects are of less importance. While in a normal project
these aspects influence the outcome significantly, they are mentioned in the requirements analysis.
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Table 4.11: Non-functional requirements: Project requirements
Subcategory
Costs
Code
NF4.1
Timescales
NF4.2
Requirement
The costs of the project should remain
within the predetermined boundaries
The goal should be achieved during the
predetermined time limit
Rationale
There will always be a limited amount of
money available to fulfil the end goal
In this case the time limit for the entire
project is the duration of a master
assignment.
4.4 Conclusion
For the requirements analysis several scenarios were written. Writing scenarios as part of the requirements
analysis is useful, since requirements are discovered while writing the scenarios. At the same time the scenarios
can be used to discuss the requirements of a system, which does not yet exist, with end-users. During the
interviews the elderly expressed the ease to relate to the personas used in the scenarios. This indicates the
importance to implement the user characteristics and context information in the scenarios. By telling a story with
the help of a scenario it becomes possible to discuss functions end-users have never used or heard of before. This
way, end-users can be involved in the requirements analysis, which helps to design a system adapted to their
wishes as much as possible.
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5 Mock-ups
In Chapter 4 the requirements elicitation is described and the requirements which the system has to fulfil are
written down. Based on these requirements mock-ups were made. The design, implementation and evaluation of
these mock-ups are described in this chapter. The design describes the first sketches based on the requirements,
the implementation the actual mock-ups and the evaluation the user testing with the help of the mock-ups.
5.1 Design
The first step in the development of the mock-ups is to sketch some ideas. Nine different versions have been
drawn in total. Six functions are included in the sketches. The six basic functions included in the mock-ups are:
Finding friends
E-mail
Chat
Calendar
Sharing files
Helpdesk
The decision to include these six functions is based on the requirements. All the functions are closely related
to the main goal of this master assignment, helping the elderly communicate.
1.
Finding friends: This function provides the user with the possibility to get to know new people and contact
them. Based on the user’s personal profile and the profiles of other end-users, the system can suggest
possible matches.
2.
E-mail: An asynchronous way to communicate with others. The users can communicate with relatives, friends,
etc. from their address book, or by filling in an e-mail address.
3.
Chat function: The chat function is a synchronous method to communicate with the help of the system. The
address book used for this function is the same as used in the e-mail function.
4.
Calendar: The calendar can be used to keep track of personal appointments, but can also be used to share
appointments and view appointments other people shared and thus assist in meeting new people and
reducing loneliness.
5.
Sharing files: The users can share for example photos and videos. By sharing and viewing photos and videos of
past event, elderly people get reminded of the activities they have attended, which helps reducing the
perception of loneliness.
6.
Helpdesk: Many elderly people are not used to working with a computer. The possibility to contact the
helpdesk from every screen in the program may have a reassuring effect on them.
Only the starting screens are sketched, they are shown in Figure 5.1 to Figure 5.9. Sketching all the screen would
cost too much time, since at least six additional screens, one per function, would have to be drawn per version.
Drawing a single screen, the starting screen, is sufficient to demonstrate the idea behind the graphical layout.
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5.1.1
Sketches
Version 1, shown in Figure 5.1, is similar to an enormous amount of the web pages on the internet. This version is
mostly text based. At the top of the screen a logo or title can be placed. On the left side of the screen a menu with
all the different functions and options can be found, which leaves a large area to show for example notifications, a
calendar or the e-mail inbox. The three different sized ‘A’s is a common way to provide the user with the possibility
to increase the size of the letters. The layout used is a probably the most common on the internet. This is an
important reason to include such a version in the user evaluation. The main disadvantages of this version are the
small letters and buttons, which might cause trouble for the elderly.
Figure 5.1: Version 1
In Version 2, shown in Figure 5.2, the functions are divided in three categories. This can also be seen in the opening
screen, which is divided in three columns. The three categories used are:
1) Communication:
Includes all synchronous and asynchronous communication as well as the possibility to
find new people to communicate with.
2) Files:
Can be used to view photos and videos and to share them with other people.
3) Calendar:
All personal appointments can be viewed and adapted. Events planned by for example
the elderly home can be viewed as well.
The names of the categories are placed at the top of the columns. Underneath the name the different functions
are listed per category. A short name is used to describe the function to the user.
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Figure 5.2: Version 2
Version 3 is a variant of version 2 as can be seen in Figure 5.3; the same three categories are used to explain the
possibilities of the program to the user. In this variant an extra layer has been added to the hierarchy. There are
fewer functions to choose from at the opening screen, but this means the functions contain more submenus. A
short explanation of what to expect from the different menus is also shown in the opening screen.
Figure 5.3: Version 3
Where the first three versions are merely text based, version 4, pictured in Figure 5.4, is quite the opposite and
mainly image based. The main screen consists of six large buttons, which contain the six different menu options a
user can choose. When additional categories are needed, there are two options: decrease the size of the buttons
in order to show more information on the screen, or maintain the size of the buttons and have the user scroll
58
down. The buttons contain a large image which explains the function and a small text to help explain the function.
This also provides possibilities to work with number shortcuts.
Figure 5.4: Version 4
The fifth version, shown in Figure 5.5 uses large buttons with images and text, just as version 4; however, at the
right side of the screen a column with additional information is added. This extra column can be used to show for
example the e-mail inbox, some explanation about the program, or the appointments planned on the current date.
Figure 5.5: Version 5
59
Version 6, depicted in Figure 5.6, is built around a logo or title. It uses big buttons with text, but on the contrast to
version 4 and 5 not all the space on the screen is used, which provides the user with a cleaner view. In this case the
function buttons are separated which provides the designer with the option to divide them into two separate
categories.
Figure 5.6: Version 6
Version 7, shown in Figure 5.7, also has a clean view on the starting screen, due to the large areas on the sides of
the menu left blank. The screen consists merely of a list of buttons in the middle of the screen. A small image is
used to explain the text on the buttons; however, the text on the button is the main indicator. Such a design is
easily adaptable to function on a mobile phone.
Figure 5.7: Version 7
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The eighth version, shown in Figure 5.8, takes the contact list as the basis of the interface. The main goal of the
application is to help the elderly communicate, so the most important functions all include other people. The
screen consists of three columns, the first containing contacts the user already knows. By selecting the person the
user would like to contact, the different options, such as chat, e-mail, sharing photos etc., are shown. At the
bottom of the column, the user has the possibility to find new friends. The second column shows the user the
reactions he or she got since the last time the program was used. The third column is used to show some
additional information, such as the events planned for that day.
Figure 5.8: Version 8
The ninth and final version, shown in Figure 5.9, is a variant of the previous one. It is also based on the contact list
of the user. The screen has been divided into two vertical parts. The largest part of the screen is used to show the
contact list. The user can select the person to contact and can choose the preferred action from the buttons on the
right side of the contact list. At the right side of the screen the reactions he or she got since the last use of the
program are shown.
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Figure 5.9: Version 9
In the first user evaluation scenarios were used to discuss the requirements with the end-users. Ideally the
sketches should be discussed with the same users again, since involving the user in every step of the design
process provides an end result which addresses their needs and wishes as good as possible(Benyon, et al., 2005;
Olsen, 1953). Involving the users in this stage of the design might have been difficult. Sketches are low fidelity
prototypes; they are used to show ideas, but lack functionality. This makes it difficult to discuss it with end-users
since it requires more imagination to see the through the paper sheets and visualise the final product, especially
since many of the end-users involved have no prior experience with computers. High fidelity prototypes are much
more suited for user evaluations (Stone, et al., 2005). Apart from this, asking the user in every design phase takes a
lot of time of the designers as well as the end-users. Therefore the decision has been made not to include the endusers in this step of the process.
The decision which sketches to develop further is largely based on the expected advantages and disadvantages per
version, which are summed up in Table 5.1. The expected advantages or disadvantages of the version which are
not included in the implementation process are kept in mind to improve the versions which were included. The
advantages and the disadvantages are not the only aspects taken into account. Another aspect is the implemented
versions should provide some variation, for example include a largely text based version as well as a largely image
based version. By taking this into account the user gets the final decision on which advantages or disadvantages
are the most important.
Table 5.1: Advantages and disadvantages per mock-up version
Version
1
2
Advantages
- Golden standard
- Always overview of possible functions at left side of
the screen
- Overview of important information at start up
Disadvantages
- Small buttons
- Small letters
- Purely text based
- All the options visible at opening screen
- No consistency of button placing possible
62
3
- Explanation what to expect from the functions
4
- Large buttons
- Large letters
- Mostly image based, which makes it easier to
recognise instead of learn new things
- No consistency of button placing possible
- No immediate access to the functions
- Hierarchy is rather deep
- Mostly image based, little explanation for the
images provided
- Limited room for additional information
- Difficult to add extra menu options
5
- Large buttons
- Large letters
- All the important information at start page
- Too much information at start page, which might
be distracting or make it difficult to focus at the
right spot
6
- Clean view
- Large buttons
- Large letters
- No additional information available
7
- Clean view
- Easy to adapt to mobile interface
- No additional information available
8
- Focus on communication
9
- Focus on communication
- No clear overview of all the possibilities
- Hierarchy is rather deep
-Difficult to make a logical place for other functions
clear
- Hierarchy is rather deep
5.1.2
Conclusion
Version 1 is currently the most frequently used lay out on the internet. This is more than enough reason to include
it in the implementation stage of the process, even though some problems might be expected with the size of the
text and the buttons.
Version 1 is merely text based, so to create a contrast between the versions a largely image based solution should
be included as well. Version 4 provides an interesting contrast with the first variant and is therefore included as
well. Version 4 aims to provide an interface users can recognise rather than an interface which needs to be
explained, either by text or by additional training.
Version 5 is the third option to be included. It has large buttons and uses a combination of text and images to
address the different options to the user. Apart from this it also provides the most important information, such as
the calendar and the e-mail inbox at the first page. This way it combines the expected advantages of the version 1
and 5.
The final version to be included is version 7. The main advantage of this version is the neat and clean view. Elderly
people often have problems focusing on a large part of the screen. This lay-out uses a limited amount of space,
which makes it easier to see all the different options the program can offer. The lay-out is also easily adaptable for
the use on a mobile phone.
So from the nine different options presented in the section above, four are implemented and used in the following
implementation process. The selected options are version 1, 4, 5 and 7. To make it easier to refer to the different
versions in the rest of the report, the versions have been given a short name.
63
Version 1 = Standard
Version 4 = Button
Version 5 = Combination
Version 7 = List
5.2 Implementation
The four mock-ups all have the same six basic functions:
Finding friends
E-mail
Chat
Calendar
Sharing files
Helpdesk
In an experiment it is important not to vary too many options, since this will make it impossible to determine
which of the options influenced the users most. The decision to include these six functions is based on the
requirements analysis. While discussing the scenarios, many users indicated the idea of videoconferencing
sounded difficult. In the mock-ups the videoconferencing option is only available in the helpdesk menu. The most
important part of the user evaluation of the mock-ups is to determine which version is the easiest to work with for
the elderly. Therefore the functions included, as well as the sequence of the functions are not varied between the
versions. All the text on the mock-ups is in Dutch due to the involvement of users during the evaluation. The start
screens of the four different versions are shown in Figure 5.10 to 5.13. During the following sections several
screenshots are used to demonstrate certain aspects of the different versions. The complete overview of
screenshots can be found in Appendix E.
Since the mock-ups are only a test phase not all the functionality which should be included in the final prototype is
implemented. The main function of the program, finding friends, of course had to be implemented. With the help
of these screens it was relatively easy to implement the e-mail and chat function as well. Many users are
inexperienced with the use of computer technology, so they are bound to walk into problems sooner or later. To
help them understand the system and learn to control it. A helpdesk function is a logical option to find solutions
for these problems and should therefore be included. The basic functionality of the calendar could be
implemented by designing a single screen and was therefore made as well. The only function completely left out of
the mock-ups is the file sharing. The screens which would be needed to test this are not similar to any of the
screens used for one of the other functions. It is also a quite complex screen, which would take a lot of extra time
to design it. The function is not to be expected of the utmost importance in the reducing of loneliness. In the
following subsections the use of the menus is explained with the help of some screenshots from the different
versions.
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Figure 5.10: The opening screen of the Standard version
Figure 5.11: The opening screen of the Button version
Figure 5.12: The opening screen of the Combination version
Figure 5.13: The opening screen of the List version
The colour blue, the main colour used for the buttons, is chosen arbitrarily; however, using some colour is not. By
using some colour in the mock-ups, instead of a black and white version, they look more attractive to use than a
sterile black and white version. Some of the users have not worked with a computer before, so the mock-ups need
to attract them to start using the pc, even in this first user evaluation. The same colour scheme is used for all the
mock-up versions, to prevent the user from preferring a specific version based on the colour.
On every page, in every version it is possible for the user to go to the helpdesk, or go back to the home page. Since
many users are inexperienced computer users, the possibility to go to the helpdesk might work as a reassurance.
By using the Home button the users can enter a different menu quickly from any page in the system. Most icons
are used in combination with a describing text. The home and help icon are used on every page and are therefore
used without a text. They are expected to be obvious enough without text. Most icons have a similar appearance.
The icons used are drawn with bright colours combined with black lines, which provides a clear picture.
The design was visualised in a simple webpage. An image was drawn of every single page from the program. An
image map was used to implement the functionality of the buttons. An image map uses the coordinates of specific
65
areas of the image to hyperlink these areas to the different follow-up pages. The resolution used was 1024 x 768.
The resolution was adapted to match the resolution of the laptop used during the user tests.
5.2.1
Finding friends
The finding friends menu is, when represented by an icon, indicated by a group of three people, each with a
slightly different look. The term finding friends is chosen to indicate a positive result, whereas the term searching
friends would draw more attention to the search instead of the result of the search. Since loneliness is a delicate
matter to discuss, it is important to provide a positive approach.
By entering the friend finding menu the user is presented with three options, as shown in Figure 5.14 and Figure
5.15. The Button and the List version try to use the available space as good as possible, whereas with the
combination the buttons remain at the same coordinates. The Standard version shows the different menu options
by enlisting them underneath the friend finder button in the left menu.
The first option is also named finding friends, this part of the menu gives the user suggestions for possible
matches, based on their profile. The Combination makes it very easy for the user to choose this suggestion while
the button is exactly on the same spot as the friend finder button in the main page. The interface enables the user
to e-mail the suggested users from that same page. The interface only provides the users with the possibility to email from that page. During the discussion of the scenarios most users indicated they prefer to have the first
contact with new people by e-mail. The user can also view reactions from other users of the friend finder here. The
user also has the possibility to search for a specific person which might not be mentioned in the list of suggestions.
The second option is to view the reactions. When selected the user sees a list of all the e-mails which are sent by
the friend finder. The user can either read or delete the reactions.
The third option is the profile. This was not implemented in the mock-ups. In the prototype the user will be able to
fill in or change his or her characteristics here.
Figure 5.14: Friend finder menu of the Standard version
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Figure 5.15: Friend finder menu of the Button version
5.2.2
E-mail
The e-mail menu has an envelope as an icon. The English term for e-mail is used, instead of a less common Dutch
term like ‘e-post’ or ‘post’. Translating the terms in Dutch might scare off experienced users, and the icon is
expected to be clear enough.
When entering the mail menu, the user again has three options: reading e-mail, writing an e-mail or going to the
address book. This is illustrated in Figure 5.166. Reading an e-mail enters a menu similar to the one at reading
reactions at the friend finder menu, with the possibilities to read an e-mail or delete it. The messages enlisted here
are all the e-mails, the normal as well as the ones sent via the friend finder. The second option in the mail menu is
writing an e-mail. When the user has written the message, the only button to press, apart from the help and home
button, is the address button, where the user can select the receivers from the e-mail. The third button at the
menu is the address book, which leads to the options to add or remove contacts in the address book.
Figure 5.16: Mail menu of the Combination version
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5.2.3
Chat
The understanding of the chat might provide inexperienced users with some difficulties, since no good analogy
from the non-digital world is at hand to explain the use of it. As icon a person has been used, with a small cloud to
indicate the possibility to talk. In the mock-up the chat function links to the same screen as the address book, to
give the user the feel of a contact list. The user has the possibility to add or delete a person from the list as can be
seen in Figure 5.177.
Figure 5.17: Chat menu and address book of the List version
5.2.4
Calendar
The button addressing the calendar has an icon of a single page of a calendar on it. The date is shown by a large
number of a date. By entering the calendar menu, the user immediately gets an overview of the appointments of
the current week. It is expected the week calendar is the most preferred time span. Only the Combination also
provides a more detailed version of the appointments of the current day. The events which are mentioned in the
calendar are based on previous conversations with the elderly. The user sees two possible actions, add an
appointment and delete an appointment, these possibilities are not working in the mock-ups.
A minor detail which is varied in the calendars between the versions is the way the week calendar is presented.
Three versions have the seven days enlisted, such as the Standard version in Figuer 5.18, whereas the Combination
has listed two halves of the week next to each other, as can be seen in Figure 5.19.
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Figure 5.18: Calendar of the Standard version
Figure 5.19: Calendar of the Combination version
5.2.5
Sharing files
The sharing files menu is represented by a folder with a paper sheet sticking out of it. The folder again is an often
used icon in the digital world. By adding a sheet the analogy of the folder is more obvious. As mentioned before,
this function is not implemented in more detail in the mock-ups.
5.2.6
Helpdesk
The helpdesk is indicated with a question mark. This is the same icon, which is used to link the user to the helpdesk
on every single page. At the first page of the help menu the Standard and Combination version there is room to
link the user immediately to the most frequently asked questions. Apart from that all the versions give the user
four options to obtain help. Contact the helpdesk per mail, chat or video conference. By clicking any of those,
contact with the helpdesk is immediately established. The fourth option is to watch a video with a demonstration
of a part of the program.
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Figure 5.20: Helpdesk menu of the Button version
5.3 Evaluation
The same users (n=7), which were interviewed regarding the scenarios, are involved in this part of the user
evaluation. For the end-user study a laptop was used. All the users were given the choice to either move the
mouse themselves, or point at the screen in order to push the required buttons. All the users chose to point at the
screen, even those with some computer experience. It turns out using the mouse is not only difficult to learn, but
for some physically straining as well. The users were shown all the four versions. The order in which they were
shown changed per person. By changing the order the influence of the sequence was eliminated.
The original idea was to give the user a specific task to perform, for example look up the appointment with the
hairdresser, to see whether they would be able to accomplish this without any instruction about the program
beforehand. For nearly all users this was simply too difficult. The first reaction was to press the help button.
Finding the help button on the opening screen caused no problems.
5.3.1
General remarks
Some remarks were related to multiple or all the versions. Instead of mentioning these for all the four versions
they are mentioned here before discussing the different versions separately. The functions are ranked by order of
expected importance. All users agreed with this idea and preferred this over for example an alphabetically ranked
list. The terms used to indicate the functions were clear except for the term used for file sharing, ´bestanden
delen’. Only one user thought this was an appropriate name for the function. This user was an experienced
computer user, so it can be concluded that for inexperienced users this term is too vague. When asked for a better
name, photos and videos was a much preferred alternative.
The users appreciated the use of icons. They combination of text and images made it easier to understand the
possibilities. It also triggered the interest of the users. Most of the icons used matched the functions well,
according to the users. The first exception was again the file sharing. Most users would like to use the file sharing
for sharing photos and videos and would like to be able to recognise this in the icon as well. The second exception
was the home icon, a house. This was only understandable for the most experienced user. After explaining the
meaning of the icon the users did find the use of a house as icon a logical choice. They suggested combining the
70
icon with a small text underneath it, for example start page, to make it clearer. They also preferred this for the
help icon used next to the home icon.
In the mock-ups a calendar was used with a time span of one week. The users were asked if they liked this time
span, or whether they preferred the calendar to show for example a single day or an entire month. Most users
preferred a weekly calendar. They did suggest dates should be added. The calendar provided enough room to
enter appointments. It was preferred to have all the days listed in a single column. When a possibility for extra
information was available some preferred to have a more detailed view of the day, whereas others preferred a
month calendar there.
An item missed by some of the users was the possibility to go back one page. On every page there is a possibility to
go back to the home page, but when accidently a wrong button has been pressed, the user needs to start at the
main page again. By adding a back button, the program would become more user-friendly.
Most of the steps which needed to be taken were logical to the user. Even though they often did not know which
button to push, after explaining the order of the steps to them, they agreed with the chosen sequence. Several
users indicated they did not dare to push the button, because they feared something might go wrong or break
down. Two sequences needed to be changed according to the users. Six of them indicated they would prefer to
start with the address book instead of with the possible functions. All of them indicated they would like to have
the possibility to write an e-mail immediately from the inbox.
In the mock-ups only the name of the function could be found in the mouse over. The users liked the idea of a
mouse over. The font size needed to be a lot bigger though in order for them to be able to read it. They also
suggested a short explanation could be added, instead of just the name of the function.
Table 5.2: Summary of the general remarks of the user evaluation
General remarks
Functions should be ranked by importance
File sharing should be renamed and have a different icon
Combination of text and icons is easiest to understand
File sharing and video icon are difficult to interpret
Calendar with a time span of a week
It should be possible to go back one page
Address book at main page
Possibility to write an e-mail from the inbox
Explanation in the mouse over
5.3.2
Standard version
All the users disliked the Standard version. An often mentioned complaint was the size of the letters. They found
the text difficult to read, for five out of the seven users the image was zoomed in to make it possible for them to
read the text. The size of the buttons caused problems as well. The area which can be pressed to push the button
is small and the area between the buttons is small as well. This makes it hard to press the correct button only. Two
of the more experienced user also complained about such websites in general, they had difficulties during their
normal use of the computer as well.
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One of the aspects of the Standard version they did like was the overview at the right side of the screen. This made
it clear which options were available and at which part of the system the user was currently. Another well
appreciated aspect was the extra information provided at for example the starting screen and the helpdesk.
Table 5.3: Positive and negative remarks of Standard version
Positive remarks
Overview at right side of the screen
Extra information available
5.3.3
Negative remarks
Too small to read
Small buttons to press
Button version
Oddly enough one of the most mentioned remarks of the Button version was that the buttons were too large.
Although they all agreed the mock-up was very clear and easy to read, they preferred the buttons to be a bit
smaller. With buttons this large it became difficult to get a good overview. One of the users suggested adding a
title at the top of the screen to make it easier to see in what menu they were at the moment.
The users disagreed on the importance of the consistency. All of them agreed consistent placing of the buttons
was an advantage, but they disagreed on whether or not it was more important than an efficient use of space. In
this version the buttons shift in order to use the available space as efficient as possible.
Table 5.4: Positive and negative remarks of Button version
Positive remarks
Combination of text with icons
Clear and easy to read
Efficient use of space
5.3.4
Negative remarks
Buttons too big
Lack of title
No consistency in button placing
Combination version
This version was in the top 2 of all the users. Most of the remarks mentioned with this version are already noted in
the general remarks, such as the use of text combined with icons. The biggest advantage of this version is the
additional information, provided at various screens. Even though this is its biggest advantage, this also counts as its
biggest disadvantage. Due to the extra information the screen provides a less clean view. Nonetheless the users
liked using it and thought the screen looked friendly and interesting to use.
Table 5.5: Positive and negative remarks of Combination version
Positive remarks
Combination of text with icons
Important information available at opening screen
5.3.5
Negative remarks
Too much information at opening screen
List version
Together with the Combination version, the List version was the most preferred version. It provides a clear view. It
is basically a list of the functions, only this time with large enough buttons and text and combined with icons.
Especially users with sight problems found it easier to change their point of view from one function to the other.
Similar to the Combination version, the main advantage of the version is also its main disadvantage. This version is
lacking some additional information.
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One of the users mentioned it was not clear the entire button could be pressed. She expected the icon needed to
be pushed in order to get to the next screen.
Table 5.6: Positive and negative remarks of List version
Positive remarks
Clean view
Combination of text with icons
Negative remarks
Lack of information
5.4 Conclusion
A first conclusion from the user evaluation is that for elder users it is important to have large buttons and text, but
when they become too big this has a negative effect because they lose the overview of the page.
A second point which became clear during the user study is the large difference between experienced and less or
inexperienced users. The home button is a well known and often used symbol in the computer industry, but most
inexperienced users did not recognise the meaning of the icon. Especially with elderly people, who often have
problems learning to use new technologies, the combination of icons with text is appreciated. This makes it easier
to recognise icons, instead of having to learn the icons. A research of Wiedenbeck shows similar results
(Wiedenbeck, 1999).
During the user evaluation two versions were preferred by all the users, being the Combination version and the List
version. The most mentioned advantages of the Combination were the large buttons, with clear images and text
and the additional information available at the right side of the screen. The most important advantage of List is the
clear and neat view, which makes it easy to get an overview of the possibilities. It is difficult to combine the
advantages of both these versions in one prototype, since adding information to the List would reduce its main
advantage.
It was decided to base the development of the prototype on the Combination version. Based on the user
evaluation, some adjustments make this version well usable for inexperienced users. The main advantage of this
version over the other one is, it will probably be usable for experienced users as well. No extensive user testing has
been performed with experienced users; however, some very experienced users were asked for their opinion and
they all preferred the Combination version. The additional information was a major advantage mentioned by all
the experienced users. Therefore it is thought a prototype based on this mock-up will not only be intuitively
enough for inexperienced users, but also interesting enough for more experienced users.
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6 Prototype
Based on the mock-ups discussed in the last chapter, one prototype is built. The Combination version turned out to
be the most promising variant to develop further. The design of the prototype is largely based on the mock-up so
no specific section has been dedicated to the design of the prototype. The implementation and the evaluation of
the prototype are described into more detail.
6.1 Implementation
All the screens of the prototype have a similar layout. This makes it easier for the user to operate the program,
since the mental model of the screens is similar. The screen is divided into three different parts; this can be seen in
Figure 6.1 on the next page, which shows the starting screen of the application. The left part of the screen is the
main area of the screen. The different options of the function as well as the actual execution of the function are
shown here. For the main screen this means six buttons are shown which indicate the main functions of the
application to the user.
The top right part of the screen presents the user with some navigation options. The possibilities from left to right
are:
Go back one page
Go to the help screen
Go back to the starting screen
By presenting the user with the possibility to go back one page, the application becomes more flexible compared
to the mock-ups, which only provided the user with the possibility to go back to the main screen. The navigation
options are presented with an icon as well as a describing term. In the previous user evaluation, described in
Section 5.3, the users indicated they preferred this combination of text and images.
Below the navigation buttons at the lower right side of the screen additional information can be added. In the
main screen an overview of the latest e-mails in the inbox as well as the upcoming appointments in the calendar
are presented. This provides no additional functionality, in some cases it provides a short explanation of the
functions shown, in other cases it provides a shortcut to the most used information. By adding this information the
user is presented with the option to access information in various ways, which again makes the application more
flexible.
To be consistent all the large buttons are placed on the left side of the screen. An example is shown in Figure 6.2,
which shows the address book. The options adding or deleting a person are placed at the top left part of the
screen, with underneath them the actual contact list.
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Figure 6.1: Start screen of the prototype. The six buttons from top left to downright represent the functions finding friends,
address book, mailbox, calendar, photos and videos and helpdesk. At the right a preview of the calendar and the inbox is
shown.
Figure 6.2: Address book
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Compared to the mock-up described in Chapter 5, several changes have been made. The address book is added to
the main page, as well as the mailbox. The specific communication functions, such as chat, e-mail and call can now
be entered via the address book. Since the main goal of the application is to reduce loneliness, the finding of new
friends as well as the address book is placed at the top of the screen. Some of the icons are changed with respect
to the mock-ups, either because the previous used icon turned out to be unclear or to prevent the same icon being
used on to many occasions, such as the mail icon. The term “bestanden” was replaced with “foto’s and video’s”,
since this term turned out to be difficult to interpret for the inexperienced user.
One of the suggested changes during the evaluation of the mock-ups was to include a short explanation in the
mouse over. The evaluation of the prototype however was performed with the help of a touch screen. It is possible
to view mouseovers on a touch screen, although viewing them is quite difficult since a single touch usually initiates
an action. Therefore the decision was made to exclude the mouseovers from the prototype. To aid the users on
some screens a short explanation is added in the right side of the screen.
Some additional changes are made to have the screen look more appealing, for example change the sterile white
background for a subtle colour shade, as well as try and make the buttons look more 3D and therefore clickable.
Additional screenshots can be found in Appendix F.
6.1.1
Technical specifications
Web applications can be divided into what happens on the client side and the server side. Figure 6.3 shows a
schematic representation of this distinction between the server side on the left and the client side on the right.
Figure 6.3: Schematic representation of the server-side and the client-side
The core of the server side is the database. A database can be used to store all kinds of data, such as names,
addresses, but also more complex content such as e-mails and calendar events. By separating the server side from
the client side only relevant data is sent to the client. Communicating with the database is possible with a database
programming language such as SQL.
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PHP is a scripting language that also runs on the server side. It can be used to extract, add, delete, or otherwise
process data from and to the database, indicated by the database functions in the diagram. It can output text, and
is commonly used to serve web pages to users, using the information stored in a database.
These websites are described using HTML, the HyperText Markup Language. HTML is text based and is therefore a
possible output of PHP, which it can send to the web server. To make it easier to write complex HTML from PHP, a
template system called Smarty was invented. By using Smarty, the PHP code that deals with the database and data
processing can be separated from the HTML output. The web server can communicate with the PHP to receive
data from the database, which is received in HTML.
The web server is part of the server-side, but is the part which connects the server-side to the client-side. The
client side of the schematic is the part which is executed at the computer of the user. In the schematic the
computer of the user is indicated by a web browser, since for this application that would be the case. The requests
of the web browser are sent to the web server in HTTP. The web server can request for example the HTML or CSS
of a website, but also images. HTML can be interpreted by a web browser to form a web page. CSS, Cascading Style
Sheets, is used to separate the styling from the content, the latter being created by the HTML. The CSS can contain
information about for example the fonts, the size and the colours to use to style the website.
The application is largely built according to w3c standards, the standards of the World Wide Web Consortium, and
functions properly in the five major browsers 1. During the creation of the prototype the server side was not yet
available. Therefore the data shown in the prototype is actually defined in its code. By not just building the
prototype in HTML and CSS, but with PHP and Smarty as well, it will be easier to adapt the code once the server
side is finished.
6.2 Evaluation
The final user evaluation consisted of two parts. A schematic representation can be found in Figure 6.4.
Figure 6.4: Schematic representation of the final user evaluation
For the final user evaluation two groups of users (n=7) were used. Three users who participated in the first two
user evaluations as well as four new users were involved. The evaluation of the first three participants was used to
test whether or not the final prototype had improved with respect to the mock-ups. The evaluation of the second
series of participants was used to test if the interface created with the help of the end-users is indeed easy to use
or merely easy to use for the users involved. Involving a new group of end-users is also important to prevent any
pro-adoption bias, which might occur when users become too involved with the project. The new group of end1
Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Opera and Safari
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users again was selected merely on age and not on previous computer knowledge. One of them turned out to be
quite an experienced user whereas the others had some, but little, computer experience. The user characteristics
of the elderly participating in the evaluation are summarised in Table 6.1.
Table 6.1: User characteristics of the users involved during the final user evaluation
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
6.2.1
Sex
Female
Female
Male
Male
Female
Male
Female
Age
85
79
81
72
70
80
83
Computer experience
Computer course at elderly home
Computer course at elderly home
None
Computer course
Computer course
Experienced user
Computer course
Involved in previous user evaluations
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
No
Exercises
The end-users were asked to perform a series of seven small exercises. The new users got a short explanation of
the goal of the program as well as the different functions included in the application beforehand. The participants
of the previous evaluations all remembered the goal of the application and the functions included. The exercises
were chosen to test the main functions of the application. The exercises are listed in Table 6.2.
Table 6.2: Exercises used during the user evaluation
Type
Action
Action with Condition
Action with Condition +
Consecutive Action with Condition
Exercise
Add a new event to the calendar
Fill in your friend finding profile
Contact the helpdesk by chat
Look up the time the neighbour is coming to visit
Read the e-mail Mrs. Best send you
Write Mrs. Best an e-mail
View the friend suggestions the computer gives you and email the first person of these suggestions
These exercises were chosen not just because they capture almost the entire application, they are also close
related to the main goal of the application, reducing loneliness. The order of the exercises was changed per
person, although an increasing difficulty was used. During the evaluation especially the less experienced users
contacted the helpdesk when in doubt. When encouraged to take a decision and simply try something it often
turned out to be the right decision. It seems this is an aspect of insecurity which might be reduced with a more
extensive training before using the program. Finding the friend suggestions turned out to be the most difficult
exercise. All the users chose the right button at the main page, the finding friends button. The finding friends menu
is shown in Figure 6.5. The user is presented with the options:
Suggestions
View reactions
Change profile
Search
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Especially the search option confused the users. The idea behind the search option was to provide the user with
the possibility to look up a specific person they might have met somewhere. It was suggested by three users to put
this option in the address book instead of in the friend finder. All the users indicated this would make the friend
finding menu clearer.
Figure 6.5: Finding friends menu
Whereas the last exercise proved to be quite troublesome all the other exercises were completed with relative
ease. The time used to complete the exercise differed per person, as did the frequency of the use of the helpdesk.
None of the users used the helpdesk for the exercises consisting of a single action. When the helpdesk was
contacted the users were stimulated to simply try the button they expected to be the right one. This turned out to
work very well. Apart from the exercise with the double conditions, no wrong buttons were pressed.
The forms used to add an event to the calendar or change the profile were easy to use, even though 2 users
indicated the text and especially the radio buttons used would be easier to read and use when a bit larger. Some of
the exercises for example reading the e-mail of Mrs. Best could be fulfilled by two different methods. The e-mail
could be read by immediately clicking it at the right side of the start screen, but could also be viewed by accessing
the inbox first and then selecting the specific e-mail. Interesting to see was the fact that everybody fulfilled the
exercise without any mistakes; however, both methods were equally used. This shows, providing multiple
pathways can aid the user in completing the tasks.
6.2.2
Questionnaire
After fulfilling the exercises the users were asked to rate the application during a short interview. The evaluation
focused on the usability of the system. The interview was based on the UTAUT questions (Venkatesh, 2003) related
to the ease of use and contained the following statements:
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1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Learning to operate the application is easy for me
I find the application flexible to interact with
I find it easy to get the application to do what I want
It is easy for me to become skilful at using the application
I find the application easy to use
My interaction with the application is clear and understandable
The users were asked to rate the application with a mark between 1 and 5, whereas 1 was to completely disagree
with the statement and 5 to completely agree with the statement. The scores are shown in a box plot in Figure 6.6.
Effort expectancy
Response scores
5
4
3
2
1
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Question number
Figure 6.6: The effort expectancy based on the UTAUT questionnaire
The box plot shows the response scores on the vertical axes and the number of the questions on the horizontal
axis. It can be seen the lowest response for the first and the fourth question is two. Both responses came from the
same participant, the only participant in this final user evaluation with no previous computer experience. He
indicated that even though he liked the application, it would still take time and effort to learn how to use the
application. The highest score for all the questions is five, whereas the average lies between the 3.5 and the 4. This
indicates the expected effort for the designed interface is low and therefore the ease of use high. Little difference
was found between the participants of the first evaluation group and the participants of the second.
Even though some of the users indicated not to be interested in using the actual application, due to for example
the lack of time, they liked the interface of the application and had little problems using it. One experienced user
noted the interface was really different to most websites on the internet and it would therefore take some time to
get used to the lay-out.
The use of the touchscreen probably added to the positive response of the participants. None of them had ever
used a touchscreen before. The users enjoyed using it and were surprised of the possibilities. During the second
user evaluation none of the participants chose to operate the mouse themselves. With the use of a touchscreen all
the users were able to complete the task without any physical help. A separate keyboard is appreciated, since
typing on a touchscreen is difficult and can be physically constraining.
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6.3 Conclusion
The evaluation showed the participants had little trouble using the interface. The UTAUT questionnaire showed
the ease of use was high and the effort expectancy to learn to use the program was low. Even though some users
indicated the actual use of the program would not be interesting for them personally, they thought it to be a
pleasant interface to work with.
The touchscreen was a huge success. The participants really enjoyed trying it and also appreciated the fact that no
mouse needed to be used. Typing on a separate keyboard was preferably tough. Typing on a touchscreen is much
more constraining than typing on a separate keyboard.
Both the experienced and less experienced users made few mistakes dring the exercises. No wrong buttons were
pressed, except during the most difficult task, which consisted of two actions with an added condition. The
participants suggested adapting the friend finding menu slightly, in order to make it as easy to use as the rest of
the application. The helpdesk was used regularly, but this was partially due to insecurity. When the participants
were encouraged to try something, their guess turned out to be right most of the time. The fact most functions can
be accessed by multiple pathways provides the application with a certain flexibility, which limits the amount of
errors.
In this final user evaluation a new group of participants was added. Even though they had no previous knowledge
of the application, they had little trouble using it. A short training before the start of the evaluation was necessary
to explain the idea of the application as well as the possibility.
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7 Discussion
During the final user evaluation the end-users indicated that they liked the look of the prototype and thought it
was easy to use. These are promising results; however, some comments should be made about these. Three
remarks need to be made with respect to the group of elders that participated in the user evaluations.
The first remark concerns the number of participants. For the first two user evaluations seven elderly people
volunteered. The situations of these elderly varied greatly: some lived in a retirement home whereas others lived
with their family or completely on their own; some owned a computer and were rather experienced in using it,
while others had no computer experience whatsoever. The physical condition of the participants varied as well. On
the one hand this provided many different opinions during the evaluations; on the other hand this makes it more
difficult to generalise the results. For example, there were only three users who had no previous experience with
computers. A sample of three participants is not enough to draw statistically relevant conclusions about the
opinion of non-experienced users.
The second remark concerns the age of the participants. The target population of the U-care project consists of
people over the age of 55. The age of participants in the evaluations during this assignment ranged from 72 up to
90 years of age. It is highly likely that an interface that is easy to use for people over 70 will not cause many
difficulties for people between the ages of 55 and 70. The elderly closer to the age of 55 often are more used to
modern technology, since many encounter computers in their working environment. The computer proficiency of
the elderly will only increase in coming years. Even though the use of computers becomes more common, it
remains important to adapt the interface to elderly. Not only because the current elderly people should be able to
work with it, but also because user characteristics, such as problems with eyesight, are not changed by the
increased knowledge of computers but do influence the interaction with the computer. An important advantage of
the interface of the prototype over the view of the ‘standard’ website on the internet is the use of both images
and text to explain the possible options. Larger buttons and text make it easier to get a good overview and press
the required buttons.
The third remark concerns the participants that were only involved in the final evaluation. Users involved during all
the stages of the design and development process might become too closely connected to the project, which could
influence the outcome of the evaluation, the so-called pro-adoption bias. By including a new group of elderly
people in the final user evaluation this was largely prevented. It should be noted that coincidentally the users
added for the final evaluation all had at least some previous experience with a computer.
Aside from the remarks about the user population, some other comments should be made as well. During the
interviews before the start of this assignment and the discussing of the scenarios, the required functionality was
determined. The functionality was limited in order to design an interface that was easy to use for everybody;
however, this is also a disadvantage. More experienced users might feel some functions are missing and the
program is too simple, which could cause them to lose their interest. However, most of the elderly people involved
in the user evaluation, appreciated the limited functionality and the simplicity of the design. A possible solution
would be to develop different versions of the systems for beginners and advanced users. This would be possible
because of the modular approach used in the U-care project.
For all new software it is important that the mental model of the program is similar to the already existing one. Email for example is relatively easy to understand for inexperienced users since it has a great resemblance to nondigital mail, whereas the chat function is much more difficult to understand since no good analogy is available. This
is also important for the decision which icon to use to indicate a function. Choosing the right image aids the user,
choosing an image that does not match the mental model of the user might cause confusion and thus have a
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negative influence. Another aspect that can help the user to keep track of the navigation of the program is the use
of a breadcrumb trail. In the prototype no breadcrumb trail was available. The prototype had limited functionality
and there were few sub-functions in the menus. During the design the decision was made to have a larger number
of functions on the opening screen in order to create a broad hierarchy instead of a deep one. This should make it
easier for users to keep from getting lost, even without the use of a breadcrumb trail. No specific attention was
paid to this during the evaluations.
It turned out to be difficult to perform quantitative analysis. While analysing an interface it is possible to keep track
of the number of clicks and the time spent on a single page, however most software requires internet access in
order to do so. In itself the lack of quantitative data is not a problem, since the opinion of the user is of the utmost
importance. It does mean the amount of information gathered during an evaluation depends largely on the skills of
the researcher. Participants might say what they think the researcher wants to hear, rather than stating their real
opinion. It is up to the researcher to account for this and adapt his interviewing techniques in order to retrieve the
real information. Information gathered in earlier interviews can also prove valuable. The fear to make mistakes
while using new and unknown technology also plays an important role in user evaluation with this target
population. The researcher has an important role to make the elderly feel comfortable with the computer and
encourage them to try and fulfil the tasks.
The user-centred approach adopted for this assignment turned out to work well. Scenarios are helpful for the
elderly to visualise the use of a new system, the same goes for the mock-ups. The mock-ups used provided the
participants with some functionality very early on. Especially since some of them had no previous computer
experience it would have been difficult to have them analyse the sketches, since no mental model would be
available for most functions. In the second user evaluation the participants were given the choice to either press
the screen of a laptop or use the mouse themselves. None of the participants chose to use the mouse, indicating
both the difficulty to handle the mouse as well as the fear to make mistakes. A touchscreen was used to test the
prototype. The option to use the touchscreen was well appreciated by the participants and proved to be a good
alternative for this target population.
The focus of the design process has been the development of a computer interface. Television screens are usually
bigger than computer screens, but the technology used differs entirely. The buttons and the images used should
be clearly visible on a television screen without any problems; it is more difficult to keep the text readable, due to
the differences in technology. Ultimately the interface should also be usable on a mobile phone as well, due to the
other functions implemented in the U-care project. The large buttons should work well on a smartphone; the
additional information on the screens should presumably be limited to keep a clean view. The end-users using the
application on a smartphone are likely to be more experienced users and most likely younger than the participants
involved in the evaluations. The prototype can be adapted to the mobile phone, but it should also be tested with
actual end-users to see whether or not it fulfils their requirements.
The final goal of the prototype developed in this assignment is to play a part in reducing loneliness for the elderly.
Due to several reasons it was not possible to test this in this master thesis, the first being that loneliness
interventions require a longer time span to study their effects. The loneliness intervention in which the designed
prototype could be used needs to aim at enriching the social life of the elderly. Such a loneliness intervention can
only be successful if several conditions are fulfilled. These conditions include internet access and the availability of
a computer as well as sufficient training and interesting and easy-to-use software. To design a successful loneliness
intervention it is probably best to cooperate with existing programs. By doing so the Hawthorne effect might be
controlled. The Hawthorne effect causes lonely elders to feel less lonely due to the fact they are being studied,
rather than the actual intervention. By combining the intervention with an already existing visiting program and
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involving the regular visitors of these elderly the frequency of visits can be kept constant. By using their networks it
possible to reach a larger population of lonely elderly people and since they are already used to somebody paying
attention to their problems the Hawthorne effect could be reduced. The second reason a loneliness intervention
could not be fulfilled during this master assignment is the fact that the prototype is part of a larger project. Before
the prototype can be used in an intervention, the entire project needs to be finished. The fact the prototype is part
of a bigger project is probably an advantage in order to reduce loneliness. Since the U-care project has other
functionality apart from the reduction of loneliness, it is also interesting to use for lonely people that are not
lonely. This creates a larger user population that might try the friend-finding service. The success of the friendfinding service depends greatly on the number of users, since a larger number of users ensures a greater possibility
to find an interesting match.
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8 Conclusions and Recommendations
The goal of this assignment was to design a social communication system for the lonely elderly. Four subgoals were
determined to define the steps in the design process.
The first step to accomplish this was a literature study to provide a proper overview of the context. Loneliness is a
problem more common amongst the elderly, for which several different interventions are possible. With the
development of a communication system the goal is to enrich the social network of the elderly by stimulating their
social-cultural participation. The target population of such an intervention are the lonely elderly themselves,
making it an intervention at micro-level.
Virtual communities are very popular nowadays; health related communities are used to gather information, share
personal experiences and opinions as well as find support. There is no conclusive research (yet) which shows
virtual communities can solve the problem of loneliness. However, there are studies which indicate a positive
influence of the use of computers and the internet. To get more elderly people to use these virtual communities it
is important to improve their internet access and adapt the technology so it becomes interesting and accessible for
them. There are some examples of software written especially for the elderly. 50plusnet is a successful example of
a virtual community for elderly people. They put a lot of thought into how to start a virtual community, for
example by including local initiatives and creating publicity. However, they spent little attention on the design of
the interface. This causes many problems for users, as can be concluded from remarks on the forum of this site.
Three initiatives that adapted their interface to the elderly are SimPC, Pointerware and Eldy. Unfortunately they do
not provide the user with the possibility to get to know new people. In this project both the friend-find service and
the easy interface are present, setting it apart from the existing projects.
It is complicated to describe a group as large as the elderly in a simple profile, but some characteristics are
common and should therefore be taken into account. The two most important characteristics which might
influence the interaction with a computer program are problems with the eyesight and with the coordination of
the hands, which makes it difficult to perform precise movements.
The second step in the assignment was to elicit the requirements the communication system should fulfil. Some
requirements were induced by the U-care project; the system should be viewable on a television screen as well as
a computer screen. As an additional feature a similar version of the system should be usable on a mobile phone.
Other requirements were based on a first series of interviews, which were already performed before the start of
this assignment and the context was determined by the literature study. To help the elderly communicate the
system should provide an option for synchronous and asynchronous communication. Other ways the system
should support the communication are by providing the possibility to meet new people, inform the user of
upcoming social events and share files with one another. These are only the functional requirements; to make the
system usable for the elderly the non-functional requirements are equally important. It is a necessity to design an
interface which is intuitive and provides the users with clear guidance. The helpdesk should be easily accessible,
since many elderly people are afraid to make mistakes while using new technology. The requirements were
validated with the help of seven participants during the first user evaluation. In order to do so, scenarios were
used to have the user visualise the use of the communication system. Writing the scenarios and determining the
requirements are complementary actions; the requirements should be present in the scenario, but during the
writing of the scenario new requirements are also found.
The third and fourth steps of the assignment are difficult to separate, since an iterative approach was used. The
third step involved the design of the interface, whereas the fourth step was the evaluation of this interface. Based
on the requirements, nine different sketches were drawn. The (dis)advantages of the sketches were listed, after
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which four of these were developed into mock-ups. The mock-ups were used in the second user evaluation, with
the same participants as the first user evaluation. The most promising interface, according to the opinion of the
participants, was developed into a prototype, which again was evaluated by users. The group of participants
involved in the final user evaluation consisted of three elderly people who also cooperated in the two previous
evaluations and four who had not participated before. The user evaluation showed users prefer a combination of
images and text to indicate the possibilities of the system. For the images it is important they are not too
complicated and the colours and the lines are clear. The images should match the mental images, otherwise they
add to the confusion instead of provide guidance. During the evaluation of the mock-ups two aspects turned out to
be very important: the interface should provide a clear view of the possibilities of the system and additional
information should be present at the start. It is difficult to combine both aspects, since adding information most
likely makes the screen less clear. The users had little trouble fulfilling the exercises during the final user evaluation
and rated the usability of the prototype as good, according to the UTAUT questionnaire.
Apart from the conclusions which can be drawn based on the subgoals of the assignment, some other conclusions
can be drawn. While discussing the scenarios almost all the elderly mentioned that they are interested in learning
new technology, even though it is expected to be difficult. As long as the advantages of the technology are
obvious, they are prepared to invest time. An interface adapted to their characteristics can aid them in the learning
process.
The ultimate goal of this project is to aid in reducing loneliness. Since no intervention was performed during this
master assignment no conclusions can be drawn in respect to this. For an intervention that uses the designed
interface additional research is required. Some recommendations are made on a possible intervention.
Loneliness is a frequently occurring problem among elderly people. The elderly appreciated the attention for the
problem and thought it necessary. Existing projects show that many elderly are interested in expanding their social
networks with the help of the computer. However, by not adapting their interface they make it difficult for a large
population to actually use their network. This project combines both aspects and can therefore hopefully aid in
reducing loneliness.
8.1 Recommendations
Based on the discussion and conclusions some recommendations can be made for the continuation of the project.
They can be separated into recommendations with respect to the further development of the program and
recommendations for the loneliness intervention in which the program can be used.
A user-centred approach was adopted for this master thesis. It is advisable to continue the involvement of the endusers throughout the design process. Their opinion is important since they are the ones who will ultimately be
using the application. Quantitative analysis turned out to be difficult, but it might provide useful information
besides the opinion of the end-users. With internet access it should be possible to perform some quantitative
analysis. The information gathered from the user evaluations depends largely on the skills of the researcher.
Perhaps taking the interviews with two researchers or using video recordings might be of use to gain additional
information from these evaluations.
Before the program can be used in a loneliness intervention, a fully functional prototype must be developed. This
includes both the front-end and the backend. For the front-end it will be interesting to see whether or not the
adaptation of the program to more experienced users requires changes in the interface as well as in the
functionality. In order to determine this, user evaluations should be performed with more uniform user
86
populations. User studies with a large number of users require an enormous amount of time. With a uniform user
population, a group of ten to twenty people should probably be sufficient to get good results. The users should be
selected based on both their age and their computer experience. A good place to find volunteers with known
computer experience could be at a computer course, for example at the library. During such courses specific skills
are taught, so volunteers who finished the computer course should have at least those skills. The average age at
such a computer course will also be somewhat lower than that at a retirement home.
A specific user evaluation can also be performed in order to determine the best possible interface for the mobile
phone. As with the computer interface for more experienced users, this user evaluation requires a specific target
population. In the scenarios the use of the application on a mobile phone is described for a health care
professional. They should be involved to determine the required functionality for the mobile application and the
desired interface. A specific evaluation with the television screen can be designed as well. By using a television
with a wireless keyboard to access the application it might be easier for the elderly to understand, since television
is a well accepted technology. This might also reduce their fear to make mistakes, since television is a well known
medium for them.
Users, especially inexperienced users, require some sort of training before being able to use a specific application.
Having the same users involved in multiple user evaluations may limit the duration of these trainings, but it is
important the users do not get too closely involved, since this might cloud their judgement. For further user
evaluations it might be useful to specify training before the start of the user evaluation.
An aspect which might be added to the interface is the use of a breadcrumb trail. It helps the user navigate
through the system and can also provide them with a different path to get back to places such as the homepage.
An important part of the back-end which needs to be looked at is the mining of data. The users are asked to fill out
a profile, based on which the computer can determine possible friend matches. The success of the program largely
depends on the quality of those matches. One of the aspects which need to be included in the research is what
provides better matching results: providing users with the possibility to enter their own interests and hobbies, or
allowing the user to select specific options from a list. Also, the protection of the privacy of the users needs to be
assured.
The actual loneliness intervention is not possible until the system is completely functional. For such an intervention
two aspects are of major importance. The first point concerns the Hawthorne effect; lonely elders might feel less
lonely due to the fact they are being studied, rather than due to the intervention. The second point concerns the
required number of users in the starting population. Involving already existing visiting programs and local
initiatives might provide a solution for both problems. By involving the regular visitors of these elderly the
frequency of visits can be kept constant, which can minimise the influence of the Hawthorne effect. Existing
initiatives can also provide a list of users who might be interested in using the program and help promote it. The
first time a user tries to find a friend with the help of the program; several possible matches should be shown.
Otherwise, the user might lose interest and will not try the program again.
For the loneliness intervention to be successful a complete package should be offered. Elderly people should be
able to use the program somewhere, so a computer with internet access should be made available to them. Apart
from this, a user should find possible matches in response to his request. Also, the application should be reliable
and easy to use and if something is still unclear or something went wrong it should be easy to find help. The
implementation of multiple functions in one project, the U-care project, is an important advantage. By providing
the user with a tailorable program, there is bound to be at least one aspect of the U-care project that is interesting
for each user. Once the user starts using the project he or she will be more likely to try out other functions such as
87
the communication system as well. For further research this might provide a challenge in the interface design,
since additional features should be added to the program. To add this to the interface it is perhaps easiest to add
an additional layer to the hierarchy, instead of adding more buttons to the starting screen.
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Appendices
Appendix A: Loneliness intensity scales
A.1
De Jong Gierveld loneliness scale
For each of the statements, the extent to which they apply to the current situation should be noted. This can be
noted on a five point scale (“yes!”, “yes”, “more or less”, “no” and “no!”), or on a three point scale (“yes”, “more
or less” or “no”) (de Jong Gierveld & van Tilburg, 1999). The scale can be divided into two subscales, to determine
the emotional and the social loneliness separately. The positively formulated statements form the scale for the
social loneliness, whereas the negatively formulated statements are used to scale the emotional loneliness.
Table A.1: De Jong Gierveld loneliness scale
Statement
1. There is always someone I can talk to about my day-to-day problems
2. I miss having a really close friend
3. I experience a general sense of emptiness
4. There are plenty of people I can rely on when having problems
5. I miss the pleasure of the company of others
6. I find my circle of friends and acquaintances too limited
7. There are many people I can trust completely
8. There are enough people I feel close to
9. I miss having people around
10. I often feel rejected
11. I can call on my friends whenever I need them
Emotional
Social
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
To determine the overall loneliness score, the positive answers (“yes!”, “yes”, “more or less”) to the statements
with respect to the emotional loneliness and the negative answers to other statements (“more or less”, “no” and
“no!”) should be added. The final score can be divided into four degrees of loneliness, as can be seen in Table A.2.
Table A.2: The degree of loneliness
Score
0, 1, 2
3 -8
9, 10
11
Degree of loneliness
Not lonely
Moderate lonely
Severe lonely
Very severe lonely
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A.2
UCLA loneliness scale (version 3)
The following statements describe how people sometimes feel. The questions can be answered with “Never”,
“Rarely”, “Sometimes” or “Always”.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
How often do you feel that you are “in tune” with the people around you?
How often do you feel that you lack companionship?
How often do you feel that there is no one you can turn to?
How often do you feel alone?
How often do you feel part of a group of friends?
How often do you feel that you have a lot in common with the people around you?
How often do you feel that you are no longer close to anyone?
How often do you feel that your interests and ideas are not shared by those around you?
How often do you feel outgoing and friendly?
How often do you feel close to people?
How often do you feel left out?
How often do you feel that your relationships with others are not meaningful?
How often do you feel that no one really knows you well?
How often do you feel isolated from others?
How often do you feel you can find companionship when you want it?
How often do you feel that there are people who really understand you?
How often do you feel shy?
How often do you feel that people are around you but not with you?
How often do you feel that there are people you can talk to?
How often do you feel that there are people you can turn to?
For the questions 1, 5, 6, 9, 10 15, 16, 19 and 20 the scores which should be assigned to the answers are:
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Always
=4
=3
=2
=1
For the other questions the scores should be reversed:
Never
Rarely
Sometimes
Always
=1
=2
=3
=4
The final loneliness score can be calculated by adding the scores of all the questions (Russell, 1996).
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Appendix B: Scenarios
B.1
Mrs. J. Sanders
Mrs. Sanders is a 71 year old widow. She never had much education. After she finished school she worked in a
hotel for 3 years, got married and stopped working outdoors. She has 3 children and 4 grandchildren. Her son
married a Canadian girl and moved to Canada a couple of years ago. Once a year they travel with the children to
the Netherlands. All the children try to call Mrs. Sanders once a week and her son and daughter in the Netherlands
try to visit at least once every two weeks. She would like to have more contact with her children and
grandchildren, but especially with the Canadian family, this is difficult due to the large distance and time
difference.
Figure B.1: Mrs. J. Sanders
Mrs. Sanders has a relatively good health condition. Her eyesight is not what it used to be, but her hearing is still
fine. She lives alone in a small apartment close to a retirement home. Once a week she receives some aid in the
housekeeping and the groceries are brought to her home. The rest she can still manage by herself. Last year she
tripped over a wire and had her hip replaced. After that, her children convinced her to take a simple mobile phone,
which she can take with her when going outdoors and a mobile alarm button to wear around her neck; however,
she is still slightly scared to leave the house alone. She owns no pc or DVD-recorder; she thinks she is too old to
learn those new technologies, even though she sees the possibilities to stay in better contact with her family. She
loves to watch TV during the day, read the newspaper and make some puzzles. She enjoys going to the market in
the next village and visiting a pub there. But since her fall, she does not dare to go that far anymore.
A friend in the retirement home tells her about a new multifunctional health support system, Julie, they have over
there. It is part of a bigger project, which includes telemonitoring as well, but the social part of the system would
be perfect for her. It provides the possibilities to share pictures and videos, send text messages and even find new
people with similar interests. It can be viewed on a computer, but on the television as well. Mrs. Sanders’ friend
tells her it is really easy to learn. She was afraid of the new technology at first, but somebody comes around to
help you get started and afterwards there is a helpdesk available as well.
Mrs. Sanders is not that easily convinced, but she agrees to give it a try. A friendly young man visits her at home to
explain the whole project to her and together they decide which functions might be useful for her; Sharing photos
and videos, e-mail and the “friend matching” service. All the programs will be installed; the interface however will
91
be adapted to the personal wishes of Mrs. Sanders. They decide the face to face video conferencing is not useful,
because Mrs. Sanders prefers to talk to the children by phone. When she decides afterwards it might be useful
after all, the interface can easily be changed again. In the mean time, when some of her friends or perhaps the
helpdesk want to call her with video conferencing, this will be supported by the system.
She decides to give it a try by sending her son in Canada an email, to tell him about the new communication
system. Normally the time difference would have kept her from telling him the news right away, but now they can
read it as soon as they wake up. Even though it is an entirely new technology for her, she has no trouble
understanding both the computer and the television interface. The family reacts enthusiastic as they hear grandma
is online as well. They respond by sending her some pictures and a video of the four of them in the garden, on the
birthday of one of the grandchildren last week. Mrs. Sanders is very excited when she sees her family has sent her
a message back. In the excitement she completely forgot how to read the email. She calls the helpdesk. The phone
number of the helpdesk is always visible at the screen; however, it can also be contacted by chat. The helpdesk
explains her friendly what the steps where she needs to take in order to read the email and see the photos. Now
she can view the pictures and video on her television screen any time she wants.
Mrs. Sanders also tries the friend matching service in order to find somebody to go to the market with. It is
possible to fill in specific activities you would like to undertake and hobbies as well. A day later she receives an
email from Mr. van Dyk, an older man who turns out to live only a few blocks away. He drives to the market
regularly, and he would enjoy some company. They decide to try it once, but it turns out to be such good fun, they
end up going almost every week.
Figure B.2: Family tree of Mrs. Sanders
Table B.3: Original number of contacts of Mrs. Sanders
Contact with
Son and daughter in law
Eldest daughter and son in law
Youngest daughter and son in law
Housekeeping
Caretaker
Grandchildren
Frequency
Call: once a week
Visit: once a year
Call: once a week
Visit: once every 2 weeks
Call: once a week
Visit: once every 2 weeks
Once a week for cleaning
Once a week or groceries
Only when necessary
Call: Occasionally when parents are
calling anyway or on special occasions
92
Distance
Living in Canada
30 km away
120 km away
In the same village
From retirement home, 500 m away
Varying
B.2
Mr. G. Best
Mr. Best is a 72 year old inhabitant of the retirement home. He is married to Mrs. Best for almost fifty years
already. They have one son, who lives in a nearby village with his wife and son, Mr. Best’s grandson. Mrs. Best
health condition is not very good any more, she can only walk short distances and prefers to stay indoors most of
the time. She enjoys chatting with the other women in the common room of the retirement home or attending
other activities organised by the retirement home, like playing games in the afternoon or watching a movie in the
evening. Mr. Best is still quite mobile; he likes to walk in the nearby forest or in the park and still drives his car, to
go to town or one of the other surrounding villages. Mr. Best does not have many contacts in the retirement
home, since most of the inhabitants are women and in his opinion they tend to nag too much about their
decreasing health conditions. He used to make long walks with his son and grandson, but he cannot keep up with
them anymore. He would like to find a new friend, who shares his walking speed as well as his interests. Their son
still calls every couple of days, but usually his wife answers the phone. She will tell him everything afterwards
anyway.
Figure B.3: Mr. G. Best and Mrs. Best
Mr. Best uses his car to drive to the library every now and then. He would not mind taking somebody there
occasionally; however, he does not like any obligations. Mr. Best has learned the basics of most modern
technologies, like a mobile phone and a computer, from his grandson. He uses the computer to look for news sites
or articles about his great passion, astronomy. He would like for more elderly people to be online, so he can talk to
the elderly with the same interests about the interesting items he found.
The new computer system in the retirement home and the surrounding senior citizen apartments stimulates more
people to be online. Mr. Best uses the system on his computer, but it can also be used on the television and even
on the mobile phone. He filled in the friend matching application, hoping to find a new friend to take a walk with
once in a while, or share his passion for astronomy with. He got several responses, by email or by phone, to his
request for a walking partner. He responded to several of them, to try whether or not the walking speed matched.
The first two did not match that well, but the third one turned out to be the perfect match; however, one of the
first two men turned out to be a really interesting partner for a good discussion about the stars and the universe,
so they decided to meet at home instead of during a walk in the park.
From his wife, Mr. Best heard that several people were interested in driving with him to the library in the next
village. He does not head there every week and dislikes the obligations. Julie, the computer system, turned out to
93
be a good solution for that as well. When he likes some company during the drive, Mr. Best puts a message on the
calendar, so everyone who uses the system can see his plans to go to the library the next day. When they are
interested, they simply call or mail him to join him the next day.
Figure B.4: Family tree of Mr. Best
Table B.4: The original number of contacts of Mr. and Mrs. Best
Mr. Best
Mrs. Best
Contact with
Mrs. Best
Son and daughter in law
Caretakers
Some other inhabitants of
the retirement home
Mr. Best
Son and daughter in law
Caretakers
Several other women in the
retirement home
Frequency
Daily
Call: once every 2 weeks
Visit: once every 10 days
Daily
Occasionally
Distance
Living together
12 km
Daily
Call: once every 3 days
Visit: once every 10 days
Daily
Daily
Living together
12 km
94
Working in the retirement home
Living in the retirement home
Working in the retirement home
Living in the retirement home
B.3
Harry de Wild
Harry is a 34 year old nurse. He works at a retirement home for almost three year now. Most of the time he works
in the retirement home, but when one of the inhabitants of the nearby senior citizen apartments has had an
accident or surgery he provides temporary additional care there as well. The work pressure is very high, due to a
shortage of personnel. After the additional care of the inhabitants of the apartments has ended, Harry would like
to check up on them once in a while. He sees this as an important personal aspect of his job. Unfortunately, due to
his work at the retirement home, there is little time to walk to the apartments to visit them, especially since he
does not know whether or not they are at home.
Figure B.5: Harry de Wild
Recently the retirement home introduced Julie, a multifunctional computer system. A lot of elderly people in the
nearby senior apartments use it as well. It can be used for telemonitoring, but the elderly can also use it to keep or
get in touch with one another. Most of them use it on a large screen on the wall, but it is also possible to use it on
a cell phone or PDA. For Harry this last option is ideal. When incidentally he has a spare half an hour in between
the job, he can check the system to see whether or not one of his former clients in the senior apartments is at
home and available. If so he can drop by for a short visit. The system provides him with a more efficient way to
plan these kinds of visits.
Table B.5: Original number of contacts of Harry de Wild with the elderly
Contact with
Inhabitants of the retirement home
Inhabitants of the senior citizen
apartments
Frequency
Daily
Only when necessary
95
Distance
He lives 15 km away
In the neighbourhood
retirement home
of
the
Appendix C: Interviews
The interviews are only presented in Dutch. The interviews are not cited literally to improve the readability. At the
start of the interview the scenario, which has been discussed during the interview is mentioned.
C.1
Interview 1.1
Het scenario van Mevr. Sanders is besproken gedurende het interview.
Hebt u kinderen of kleinkinderen?
Nee, kinderen en kleinkinderen heb ik niet, maar ik heb nog wel andere familie waar ik regelmatig contact mee
heb.
Hebt u al eerder met de computer gewerkt en kunt u omschrijven wat u dan precies gedaan heeft?
Ik heb de internetcursus hier in het verzorgingstehuis gedaan, al 3 jaar op rij. Op het moment ligt deze even stil,
want er moeten ook mensen voor zijn natuurlijk. Bij de internetcursus hebben we van alles gedaan. We hebben
leren mailen, ik heb gemaild met mijn neef die in Heerenveen woont. Hij heeft een seniorenclub, waarbij hij dat
doet en ik heb het hier bij de cursus gedaan. Met hem mailen was heel erg leuk. Ook hebben we geleerd om
bijvoorbeeld de krant te lezen op internet, want ik heb geen krant en informatie op zoeken over dieren,
bijvoorbeeld papegaaien, of bloemschikken en dan was er iets in het nieuws over het ziekenfonds ofzo en dat
zocht ik daar dan op. We hebben ook nog spelletjes gespeeld, dat vond ik erg leuk. Ze zeiden me je moet ook aan
Hyves doen, dus dat heb ik ook gedaan. Ik dacht eerst dat is wat voor jonge meisjes, dat is niet wat voor mij. Later
vond ik het toch wel leuk.
Is het mogelijk hier zelf achter de computer te gaan zitten en gebruik te maken van het internet?
Nee, dat kan alleen tijdens de cursus en deze staat nu even stop. Dus dat is tijdelijk dicht.
Vond u het moeilijk om de computer te leren gebruiken?
Ja natuurlijk, alle nieuwe technologieën zijn moeilijk om te leren. Vooral het gebruik van de muis, daar had ik
moeite mee, want ik heb mijn ene hand niet helemaal tot mijn beschikking. Dan word je moe en dan lukt het niet
helemaal met het klikken. Ik heb vroeger altijd op kantoor gewerkt, dus het typen was geen probleem.
Ik zou u graag wat vragen willen stellen over u persoonlijk. Mag ik u vragen hoe oud u bent?
Natuurlijk, ik ben 85.
Hebt u problemen met uw ogen of met zien?
Ja, ik heb problemen met zien. Cijfers en letters moeten groot zijn, anders kan ik ze niet lezen.
Hebt u problemen met horen?
Jawel, zo een op een is het geen enkel probleem, maar in gezelschappen, zoals bij het eten, als veel mensen door
elkaar praten vind ik het vaak moeilijk om het gesprek te kunnen volgen.
Hebt u problemen met de handen en merkt u dat ook als u met de computer bezig bent?
Ik heb een beroerte gehad en heb daardoor last van mijn linkerhand. Het meeste doe ik met mijn rechterhand.
Maar soms dan word ik moe en dan moet ik naar de andere kant met die muis en dan gaat het niet zo snel. En
vooral als ik moe wordt en dan moet ik naar de andere kant met die muis. De muis gebruik ik in principe met mijn
rechterhand, maar soms als ik ergens aan de linkerkant van het scherm moet zijn dan gebruik ik ook mijn
linkerhand om de muis te besturen. Daarom moet ik wel oppassen met mijn rechterhand, dat ik dat niet ga
forceren. Daar ben ik ook al twee keer voor bij de therapeut geweest.
Hebt u een computer, dvd speler, mobieltje en dergelijke technische apparaten?
Een computer heb ik niet op de kamer, al zou ik het wel leuk vinden. Het is leuk speelgoed, het is alleen zo duur,
dat is jammer. Een dvd-speler heb ik er wel staan. Een mobieltje heb ik ook.
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Ziet u de voordelen van het systeem?
Het is heel mooi dat de vrouw in het scenario uiteindelijk nieuwe mensen leert kennen. Dat is een heel mooi ding,
waar ik het zeker mee eens ben. Het is ook heel mooi dat die mevrouw, nadat ze er toch eerst zo huiverig voor
was, dit nu allemaal kan en allemaal ziet.
Zou het voor u persoonlijk ook iets zijn?
Ja, zeker. Het zou het contact met de familie een stuk makkelijker maken. Nu bereik je ze per telefoon. Maar het
zou leuk zijn om ook op deze manier contact te houden. Gemakkelijk contact houden daar gaat het eigenlijk om.
Zijn er delen van het systeem die u moeilijk zou vinden om te gebruiken?
Ik kan me goed voorstellen dat de mevrouw (uit het scenario) er moeite mee heeft, want ik moest het eerst ook
leren, ik dacht eerst ook “jongens, jongens, wat moet ik daar nu mee”. Dat beeldbellen zou ik wel moeilijk vinden.
Ik zou nog niet weten hoe dat zou moeten. Dat hebben we hier ook niet gehad. Dat lijkt me heel mooi, maar dat
lijkt me heel moeilijk. Het is nieuw en dat maakt het moeilijk.
Zou u het leuk vinden om het systeem te leren kennen en te gebruiken?
Ja, ik zou het wel willen leren, ik wil alles leren.
Ik zou met u graag de verschillende functies die in de scenario’s zitten doorlopen om te kijken wat u hiervan vindt.
Wat vindt u van het idee om foto’s en video’s met elkaar te delen.
Heel fijn, dat lijkt me heel leuk. Ik ben laatst 85 geworden en toen hadden we een feestje. Die foto’s zijn ook op
internet gekomen. Een van de zusters in het verzorgingstehuis maakt daar een cd’tje en een videootje van zodat ik
ze hier ook op de tv kan bekijken. Dat is heel leuk om zo dat soort herinneringen te hebben.
Wat vindt u van het idee om met iemand te kunnen chatten?
Daar ben ik niet mee bekend maar dat lijkt me heel leuk, maar dat lijkt me ook wel lastig. Dan moet je wel
tegelijkertijd achter de computer moet zitten. Je moet afspreken dat je achter je computer gaat zitten. Zit jij daar
ook, dan kom ik ook. Het is heel mooi, maar er zit wel een moeilijkheid in. Maar het zou heel leuk zijn als het kan.
Wat vindt u van het idee om met iemand te kunnen e-mailen?
Dat heb ik eerder gedaan met mijn neef in Heerenveen. Dat is een leuke makkelijke manier om contact te houden
met elkaar. Je stuurt een mailtje en de ander bekijkt dit op een tijdstip dat het hem uitkomt. Want het gebeurt
vaak dat je belt en dat de ander geen tijd heeft.
Wat vindt u van het idee om met elkaar te kunnen beeldbellen?
Dat zou ik wel leuk vinden, maar dat hebben we hier nog niet gedaan. Ik denk dat ik het heel leuk zou vinden, maar
ik denk dat het moeilijk is om te leren. Ik zou het wel willen leren, ik wil alles leren, maar ik denk wel dat ik het
moeilijk zou vinden. Het leren van alle nieuwe technologieën is moeilijk, maar ik wil alles leren.
Zou u op deze manier nieuwe mensen willen leren kennen?
Ja, dat zou ik zeker. Je zit hier natuurlijk gebonden en kan zelf niet zomaar weg. De meeste mensen waar ik contact
mee had zijn overleden en ik ben gebonden aan mijn rolstoel. De andere mensen hier daar kom je niet zo
gemakkelijk mee in contact, die zijn nogal op zichzelf. Dat is denk ik iets typisch voor dit verzorgingstehuis. Ik zou
het zeker leuk vinden om nieuwe mensen te leren kennen. Wij hebben natuurlijk ook een hobby en dan kun je
eens met elkaar praten, wat denk jij over die hobby. Ik doe zelf aan bloemschikken en kaarten maken en van alles
eigenlijk. Ik denk dat ik het vooral leuk zou vinden om nieuwe mensen te leren kennen, buiten het
verzorgingstehuis. Hier ken je de meeste mensen toch wel, ik zit hier al 15 jaar tenslotte. Mijn hele familie zit
verspreid over het land, dus ik zou ook daar, buiten mijn familie om, mensen willen leren kennen. Het maakt met
niet uit waar die mensen wonen.
Wat vindt u van het idee om een algemene kalender in het programma op te nemen?
Dat zou heel goed zijn. In het verzorgingshuis worden verschillende cursussen gegeven, zoals bloemschikken,
kaarten maken en de fotoclub. Nu krijgen we een los papiertje waar de informatie op staat. Maar veel mensen
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raken dit kwijt en vergeten dan of er wel of geen cursus is. Dan vragen ze mij of er deze week cursus
bloemschikken is, omdat zij het papiertje kwijt zijn.
Zijn er functies die nu niet genoemd zijn, maar die u wel graag in een dergelijk systeem zou willen zien?
Nee, niet meteen, volgens mij heb je het heel goed gedaan.
Wij hadden zelf ook nog nagedacht over eventuele andere opties. Zou u bijvoorbeeld prijs stellen op de
mogelijkheid af en toe naar de kerkdienst te kunnen luisteren?
Ja, dat zou ik erg prettig vinden. Nu krijg ik een video en die kijk ik dan op de tv. Maar dat is achteraf natuurlijk. Ik
zou het leuk vinden om dat rechtstreeks te kunnen zien. Maar ik ben al blij, omdat ik niet meer naar de kerk kan,
dat ik op deze manier de kerk kan volgen. Eerst hadden we een bandje en dat was echt vreselijk, daar zijn ze ook
mee opgehouden en nu krijgen we een video. Dat gaat veel beter. Af en toe is het ook slecht hoor, dan zijn de
video’s te veel gebruikt en dan zijn ze beschadigd.
In het scenario wordt gesproken over de mogelijkheid om een helpdesk te raadplegen. Op welke manier zou u dat
het prettigst vinden?
Ik denk dat ik bellen het prettigst zou vinden, dan krijg je tenminste rechtstreeks bericht en dat heb je bij email
niet. Chatten zou ook kunnen.
Zou u het leuk vinden op een later moment nog eens mee te werken aan het project?
Ja hoor, want ik vind het een heel mooi systeem.
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C.2
Interview 1.2
Het scenario van Mevr. Sanders en een aantal voorbeelden uit het scenario van Dhr. Best zijn besproken.
Hebt u problemen met zien?
Ik zie heel slecht en bij veel lezen word ik snel moe.
Hebt u problemen het horen?
Nee, gelukkig niet. Ik kan ontzettend goed horen. Als mijn ogen net zo goed waren als mijn oren, dan ging het wel.
Hebt u problemen met de handen?
Als het koud wordt, dan krijg ik altijd zere polsen. Maar daar heb ik nu dingetjes voor, dan kan ik ze warm houden.
Verder zit ik nog behoorlijk goed in elkaar. Ik doe overal aan mee, gymnastiek, tai chi, het zangkoor, de fotoclub. Ik
zit overal bij. Dus ik heb heel veel te doen.
Hebt u enige ervaring met computers en met het gebruik van internet?
Ik heb een paar keer les gehad, via de internetcursus hier in het tehuis. We zijn er mee bezig geweest, maar dat
wordt gegeven door meisjes van de school hier, kinderen van een jaar of 11, 12, 13. Die doen dat zo vlug, dat
snappen wij niet meer. Het idee van het internet vond ik wel leuk. Maar de cursus is nu gestopt, er is niet genoeg
deelname. Dat is jammer.
Vond u het moeilijk?
Ja, je moet alles eerst even weten natuurlijk. Die meisjes zijn zo vlug dat je het zo snel niet kan snappen. Je moet
het een beetje op papier zetten, zodat je het allemaal na kunt doen, maar dat was er niet bij.
Dus u zou graag een handleiding op papier willen?
Ja, dan kun je het gemakkelijk nog een keer nadoen.
Zou u het leuk vinden om zelf een computer te hebben?
Daar begin ik maar niet meer aan. Ik heb ook geen kinderen, niets. Als ik hem zou hebben zou ik misschien wel met
de familie kunnen praten, maar ik zie ze vaak genoeg.
Wat vindt u van het systeem, zoals het beschreven is in het scenario?
Dat is mooi dat die mevrouw dat zo allemaal doet.
Zou het gebruik van het systeem wat voor u zijn?
Ik heb ten eerste geen computer. Voor mij zou het niet echt nodig zijn. Maar het is voor oudere mensen natuurlijk
ideaal dat ze er een beetje verstand van krijgen.
Zou u het leuk vinden om op die manier met andere mensen in contact te komen?
Ik heb veel kennissen en ga veel uit, ik ben meer uit dan thuis, dus voor mijzelf heeft het geen toegevoegde
waarde. Ik kan me heel goed voorstellen, dat als je helemaal geen kennissen hebt dat het zeker van toegevoegde
waarde kan zijn. Ik heb een schoonzus hier wonen en die gaat met me mee, dan gaan we met zijn tweeën uit. Ik ga
ook met een vriendin regelmatig uit, dus ik ben heel veel onderweg.
Vindt u het leuk om nieuwe technologieën te leren?
Ja, persoonlijk wel. Ik zou het niet eng vinden om het systeem te leren kennen. Ik heb hier tenslotte ook aan de
computercursus mee gedaan.
Wat is de reden dat u in eerste instantie meegedaan hebt aan de computercursus?
Ik ben nieuwsgierig uitgevallen. Ik wou er een beetje verstand van krijgen, het een beetje begrijpen. Ik lees de
krant, dus voor het nieuws hoef ik het niet te doen.
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Zou u het moeilijk vinden een dergelijk systeem te gebruiken?
Het zal eerst niet gemakkelijk zijn natuurlijk. Maar als je niets probeert, dan leer je ook niets.
Had u bij de internetcursus moeite met het gebruik van de muis?
Nee, helemaal niet. Daar stonden ze versteld van dat ik dat zo snel leerde.
Hebt u verder nieuwe technologieën in huis, zoals mobiele telefoon?
Een mobiele telefoon heb ik wel. Een dvd speler heb ik niet.
Ik zou graag met u de verschillende functies die in de scenario’s zitten willen doorlopen om te kijken wat u hiervan
vindt. U geeft zelf al aan dat het gebruik van het systeem waarschijnlijk niets voor u zou zijn. Ik zou u toch willen
vragen of u per functie aan wilt geven of u het leuk vindt of dat anderen dit leuk zouden vinden.
Zou u het leuk vinden om foto’s en video’s te delen?
Er zijn vast mensen die dat leuk vinden, maar voor mijzelf vind ik dat niet zo nodig. Ik heb wel een videorecorder,
maar ik gebruik dat ding nooit. Ik weet het niet hoor. Mijn familie is niet zo actief in het sturen van foto’s. Ook voor
andere mensen denk ik niet.
Wat vindt u van de mogelijkheid om rechtstreeks met iemand te kunnen chatten?
Ik heb zelf geen kinderen en kleinkinderen, maar voor anderen zou het leuk zijn natuurlijk. Rechtstreeks en
tegelijkertijd met elkaar communiceren via de computer is een leuk idee, dat is de toekomst.
Zou u het leuk vinden rechtstreeks beeldcontact te hebben met andere mensen?
Jawel.
Wat vindt u van de mogelijkheid via het systeem nieuwe mensen te leren kennen?
Dat is ook altijd mooi. Ik zou ze graag willen selecteren op gezelligheid, het leven is al zo kort. Dus in ieder geval
geen chagrijnige mensen. Ik zou ze niet op hobby’s of op interesses hoeven te selecteren. Ze hoeven niet per se
hier in het verzorgingstehuis of in Enschede te wonen. Iets verder vind ik ook leuk. Ik heb zelf de hele wereld
doorgezworven en we zijn een paar keer naar de andere kant van de wereld geweest, mijn man en ik.
Wat vindt u van de mogelijkheid om te e-mailen?
Dat vind ik ook leuk.
Wat vindt u van een algemeen toegankelijke kalender, zoals in het scenario van Dhr. Best?
Ja, dat nut dat zie ik wel. Het zou mooi zijn als er iemand andere mensen mee zou willen nemen met de auto. Maar
hier zijn haast geen mensen met een auto meer.
U geeft al aan dat het systeem voor uzelf niet heel nuttig zou zijn. Denkt u dat er in het scenario functies
beschreven zijn, die ook voor andere mensen niet nuttig zouden zijn?
Ik zou het niet weten, ik kan dat niet bepalen voor andere mensen.
Zijn er functies die niet vermeld staan in de scenario’s, waarvan u denkt dat ze wel nuttig zouden zijn? Bijvoorbeeld
radio of kerkradio.
Nee, dat zou ik zo echt niet weten. Ik hoor zelf als ik thuis ben de hele dag al radio. Ik ben niet zo wild van al die
spelletjes, dat geduld dat heb ik niet. Ik wil alles leren, maar spelletjes daar heb ik niet zo een behoefte aan.
Zijn er functies vermeld in het scenario waarvan u denkt dat we ze er beter niet in zouden kunnen stoppen?
Nee, dat zou ik zo niet weten.
Zou u het leuk vinden verderop in het project nog een keer mee te willen werken.
Jawel, het kan nooit kwaad.
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C.3
Interview 1.3
Het interview heeft plaatsgehad met twee personen tegelijkertijd. Persoon 1 heeft het scenario van dhr. Best
gelezen, persoon 2 heeft het scenario van mevr. Sanders gelezen. Persoon 1 is het grootste deel van het gesprek
aan het woord geweest. Een gedeelte van de input van persoon 2 zit al in dat gesprek verwerkt. Het overige deel is
onderstreept.
Wij wonen nu ongeveer 2 jaar hier. We zijn hier komen wonen omdat mijn vrouw ziek is en naar een
verzorgingshuis moest. Onze kinderen hebben ons in de gaten gehouden en maakten zich zorgen. Via de dokter
konden we hier binnen een half jaar terecht. Maar ik was er persoonlijk nog niet aan toe. Ik heb daardoor een
hoop moeten inleveren. Niet alleen wat vrijheid om het huis betreft, maar je hebt weinig communicatie met de
mensen hier. Ik heb het daar ook met verpleegkundigen over gehad. Toen hebben we het er over gehad dat het
misschien aan mij lag en dat ik aan mezelf zou werken. Maar blijkbaar ligt het toch niet aan mij. Je hebt hier
gewoon geen ingang naar de mensen toe. Ik zit in de cliëntenraad hier en ik zit bij een andere kleine gespreksgroep
en daar hebben we ook besproken wat er nu precies leeft in het verzorgingstehuis.
Hier in het verzorgingstehuis is een groot percentage dames. De jongere generatie, tot en met 65, dat is een geen
probleem. Bij de oudere generatie gaat het mis, bij de ouderen van onze generatie heb ik totaal geen ingang. De
mannen van die leeftijd hebben altijd gewerkt en de vrouwen bleven thuis. Een aantal vrouwen deed wat met de
kerk of bij een clubje of iets dergelijks, maar het grootste deel van de vrouwen bleef sudderen in huis. Nu zijn ze
oud geworden, vaak is hun man overleden en dan houdt ineens hun hele leven op. Die vrouwen zitten veelal alleen
en die beleven niets, dus dat is iedere dag hetzelfde verhaal. Ik heb aan tafel en in de gespreksgroep geprobeerd te
bespreken hoe met elkaar om te gaan, bijvoorbeeld openheid tegenover elkaar. Het probleem is dat die mensen
daar niet voor open staan.
Aan tafel heb ik geprobeerd een gesprek te hebben over programma’s op de televisie of over politiek. Er is een
aantal hele goede programma’s op de televisie, maar daar kijken ze niet naar. Alleen als Frans Bauer op de televisie
is, dan kijken ze daar. Daar kunnen ze ook niets aan doen.
Na het lezen van het scenario
Ik haal er een heleboel uit. De man is pas 72 en is nog zeer vitaal. Het is zeer moeilijk om mensen te benaderen.
Maar ik ben vitaal dus ik ga veel weg op de fiets en ik wandel en rijd nog auto en al die dingen meer. Nu kan ik
tijdelijk niet meer rijden vanwege mijn ogen, maar normaalgesproken wel.
Ziet u de voordelen die het systeem u zou kunnen opleveren? Denkt u dat het zou kunnen werken op de manier
waarop het nu beschreven is?
Proberen is altijd de moeite waard. Ik vind het moeilijk om te beoordelen of het ook echt werkt. Ik heb er aan tafel
naar gevraagd hoe je met elkaar om hoort te gaan, maar daar kreeg ik geen antwoord op. Er wordt hier alleen
gediscussieerd over dagelijkse dingen.
Als je hier als vreemde komt en je wilt ergens gaan zitten, is dat niet zo gemakkelijk. De mensen zijn hier gebonden
aan een tafel en daar mag een ander niet bij gaan zitten. Ik heb het zelf geprobeerd, ik heb gezegd als er plaats is
aan een andere tafel, dan ga ik daar zitten. Dat heb ik besproken met de verpleegkundigen en toen ben ik daar
gaan zitten. Dat werd mij ontzettend kwalijk genomen, dat ik van de tafel weggegaan ben. Het werd opgevat alsof
het jou niet aanstond bij onze standaardtafel. Steeds vroegen ze me, wat er aan de hand was. Toen heb ik gezegd
dat ik wel getrouwd ben met mijn vrouw, maar niet met de tafel. Maar dat snappen ze niet. Ik vind dat je door te
rouleren ook andere mensen een beetje kan leren kennen. Dat is alleen maar leuk. Na het eten is iedereen meteen
weg naar de kamer. Er wordt vrijwel niet nagepraat.
Ik merk aan u dat u het wel leuk zou vinden wat meer contact te hebben.
Ja, want weet je wat het is, je kunt niet de hele dag over ditjes en datjes praten. Ik wil ook wel eens praten over
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bijvoorbeeld Balkenende. Dat kan hier niet. Ik heb het van de week weer geprobeerd, maar helemaal geen reactie.
Het idee van het systeem is zeer goed. Dat heb ik hier op het eerste briefje, het briefje waarin mensen gezocht
worden om mee te doen, ook al aangestreept “gericht op het verbeteren van communicatie tussen ouderen en
van ouderen met hun familie”. De mensen hier hebben altijd kritiek op hun familie. Sommige mensen zijn zo
negatief over hun familie, terwijl ze toch grotendeels afhankelijk zijn van hun familie. Daar sta je van te kijken hoe
babbelig sommige mensen zijn over bijvoorbeeld hun familie. Je kunt daar met mensen ook niet over praten. Ze
zeuren er graag over, maar nemen ondertussen geen actie om er wat aan te veranderen.
U staat daar hetzelfde tegenover, over het idee van het systeem?
Ja, wat dat betreft zijn we gelijk gericht. Dat krijg je als je al zo lang getrouwd bent.
Zou u het leuk vinden om het systeem te gebruiken?
Ik zou het wel willen leren. Jij wel, maar ik ben niet geïnteresseerd, ik heb andere dingen die mij meer boeien. Ik
zou wel willen weten wat andere mensen ermee doen. Ik moet het zelf niet doen, want dan haal ik me teveel op
de hals. Jij zit ook met problemen met je geheugen. Dat is de reden dat we hier zitten.
Ik zou graag per functie van het systeem van u willen weten wat u er van vindt. Wat vindt u van het idee om foto’s
en video’s te kunnen delen?
Persoonlijk heb ik daar niet zoveel mee, maar ik kan er niet over oordelen hoe andere mensen dat vinden. Ik zou
het wel leuk vinden als er foto’s gemaakt worden van algemene activiteiten hier, als die erop zouden staan. Ja, dat
zou leuk zijn. Ik denk dat daar wel belangstelling voor is. Voor jou is dat ook leuk.
Wat vindt u van het idee om met iemand te kunnen chatten?
Ik zou niet weten hoe het moet en ik geloof ook niet dat ik het geduld er voor heb. Ik denk dat het meer iets voor
jou is, of ook niet. Nee, toch niet. Hij zit ook met de taal een beetje. Nee, dat niet. Om echt mee te kunnen doen,
moet je waarschijnlijk toch wat meer ervaring met een computer hebben.
Zou u het leuk vinden om rechtstreeks beeldcontact te kunnen hebben met iemand, bijvoorbeeld met de kinderen?
Nee, ik niet. Ik zou niet weten met wie. Misschien wel wat voor jou. Het is niet dat ik het niet leuk zou vinden,
maar ik moet me niet teveel op de nek halen. Het contact met de kinderen is ook zo heel goed.
Zou u het leuk vinden nieuwe mensen te leren kennen via het systeem.
Ja, dat zou ik zeker. In Enschede, maar ook in heel Nederland. In Enschede is voor jou wel zo gemakkelijk. Of
misschien zou het leuk zijn andere mensen van Poolse origine te ontmoeten. Daar zijn er vast niet zoveel van. Ik
woon zelf al vanaf 1947 in Nederland. Mijn vrouw komt uit Oldenzaal.
Wat vindt u van het idee van een algemeen toegankelijke kalender?
Elke week krijgen we hier een blaadje met het programma van deze week. Daar staat het hele programma van die
week op. Je moet ook rekening houden met verschillende groepen mensen. Niet iedereen vindt hetzelfde leuk. Nu
komt er iedere vrijdag een nieuw programma en dat ligt dan beneden in de bak en de mensen die het willen
hebben die halen het daar op. Dat is duidelijker. Hier in het verzorgingstehuis wordt veel gedaan aan recreatie en
dergelijke. Ze gaan met de scootmobiel weg of met een busje op stap. Dan gaan ze met een oude boswachter op
stap die je bijvoorbeeld van alles vertelt over de natuur. Dus aan recreatie wordt hier heel veel gedaan, zangkoor,
gymnastiek et cetera. We hebben hier veel keuze inderdaad. We hebben niets te klagen. Maandagmiddag wordt er
klassieke muziek gedraaid. Veel mensen hier snappen daar niets van, van bijvoorbeeld Bach en Beethoven.
Zijn er functies, die niet in de scenario’s voorkomen, die u er wel graag in zou zien?
Ik zou het zo niet weten. Een groep vormen, dames en heren, die met elkaar avonden gaan houden. Ze hebben het
hier wel geprobeerd, om bijvoorbeeld een discussie avond te houden over een bepaalde ziekte. Maar die man
stond uiteindelijk alleen over zichzelf te praten. Je haalt uit de mensen hier niet wat er speelt. Ik denk dat het
meespeelt dat je hier onder tukkers bent. Daaronder zijn veel mensen die niet goed uit de weg kunnen met hun
babbel, die kunnen maar moeilijk hun ei kwijt. Mensen voelen en denken anders en de een durft ook meer dan de
ander. Tukkers zijn veel stugger over het algemeen. Ik ben zelf een rasechte tukker, maar ik weet wel hoe het
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werkt. Vroeger was dat veel erger dan nu, de tijd verandert.
We krijgen hier ook een blad voor ouderen, en daar staat alle informatie over de betalingen in het zorgproces in,
maar dat wordt haast niet gelezen. Maar daar kijk ik niet van op. Mensen interesseren zich niet voor vreemde
dingen en nemen niet de moeite de dingen even te lezen. Dat is het zwakke van de mens. Als het niet meteen
relevant is, dan vinden ze het niet nodig. Op die manier kom je nergens achter. We gaan ook haast nooit beneden
koffie drinken.
Als er een helpdesk bij het systeem zou zitten, in wat voor een vorm zou u die dan het liefste hebben?
Ik vind bellen wel prettig. Ik heb een broer in de Ukraïne en ik schrijf wel, maar bellen is toch prettiger, dan heb je
direct contact. Een papieren handleiding is nooit weg. Vooral als het dingen zijn, die je niet dagelijks gebruikt, die
vergeet je ook snel.
Hebt u al enige ervaring met computers en internet? Hebt u bijvoorbeeld hier de internetcursus gedaan?
Nee, zover ben ik nog niet.
Tot slot heb ik nog een aantal persoonlijke vragen voor u. Hebt u kinderen en kleinkinderen hier in de buurt?
Wij hebben drie kinderen, twee zonen en een dochter. De dochter woont in Lonneker en geeft les hierachter op de
Triangel. De zoon woont in de buurt van Nijmegen en onze jongste zoon woont in Amsterdam.
Mag ik vragen hoe oud u bent?
Ik ben 80, word volgende maand 81.
Hebt u problemen met zien?
Ja, wij allebei. Ik zelf merk het als ik bijvoorbeeld televisie kijk.
Hebt u problemen met horen?
Ik niet. Ik heb een gehoorapparaat.
Hebt u problemen met bijvoorbeeld de handen?
Nee, dat doet het allemaal nog goed. Nee, ik ook niet.
Bent u bekend met andere moderne technologieën dan de computer, zoals een mobiele telefoon of een dvd-speler?
Videorecorder, cd-speler, tv, radio, daar kan ik allemaal wel mee omgaan.
Zou u het leuk vinden in een later stadium nog een keer deel te willen nemen aan mijn onderzoek?
Ja hoor, kom gerust nog maar een keer langs. Communicatie en begrip onderling voor de mensen hier, dat is heel
belangrijk. En het doet geen pijn, dus kom maar gezellig langs hoor.
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C.4
Interview 1.4
Tijdens het interview is het scenario van Mr. Best besproken.
Ik zou u graag enkele persoonlijke vragen willen stellen. Hebt u problemen met zien?
Nee, daar heb ik geen enkel probleem mee.
Hebt u problemen met horen?
Ook daar heb ik gelukkig geen last van.
Aan u te zien is het voor u lastig uw rechterhand te gebruiken?
Ik heb problemen met de hele rechterkant van mijn lichaam en kan mijn rechterhand niet meer gebruiken.
Mag ik vragen hoe oud u bent?
Ik ben een jaar ouder dan de man uit het verhaal, 73 dus.
Hebt u enige ervaring met computers en met het gebruik van internet?
Ik heb geen enkele ervaring met het gebruik van computers, heb het nog nooit eerder gedaan. Maar ik zou het
best eens willen proberen.
Zou u het leuk vinden om zelf een computer te hebben?
Ik zou het wel eens willen proberen. Om zelf een computer te hebben weet ik niet. Het is moeilijk om zoiets
nieuws te leren. Dat kost een hoop tijd.
Woont u hier in het verzorgingstehuis of woont u nog zelfstandig?
Ik woon niet in het verzorgingshuis. Ik woon samen met mijn vrouw en onze zoon en dochter. Ik kom hier twee en
halve dag per week overdag naar toe. Dan doe ik onder andere een cursus schilderen.
Wat vindt u van het systeem, zoals het beschreven is in het scenario?
Ik vind het een goed idee.
Zou het gebruik van het systeem wat voor u zijn?
Ja, ik zou het leuk vinden om het te gebruiken.
Zou u het leuk vinden om op die manier met andere mensen in contact te komen?
Ja, zeker. Ik zou dan graag mensen hier uit de buurt willen leren kennen. Om mensen te leren kennen in Den Haag
of Groningen, daar heb ik geen behoefte meer aan.
Vindt u het leuk om nieuwe technologieën te leren?
Ja, ik ben wel nieuwsgierig aangelegd en vind het interessant om nieuwe dingen te leren.
Ik zou graag met u de verschillende functies die in de scenario’s zitten willen doorlopen om te kijken wat u hiervan
vindt. Ik zou u willen vragen of u per functie aan wilt geven of u het een goed idee zou vinden om dit in het systeem
te verwerken.
Wat vindt u van het idee om foto’s en video’s te kunnen delen?
Dat vind ik een goed idee. Het is leuk om op die manier ervaringen uit te kunnen wisselen met mensen.
Zou u het leuk vinden rechtstreeks beeldcontact te hebben met andere mensen?
Ja, dat is wel handig.
Wat vindt u van de mogelijkheid om rechtstreeks met iemand te kunnen chatten?
Ik weet niet wat dat is.
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Na korte uitleg
Ik weet niet of ik dat wat vind. Het is vooral lastig omdat je op hetzelfde tijdstip achter de computer moet zitten.
Als je toch afspreekt tegelijkertijd achter de computer te gaan zitten, dan is het leuker om te bellen.
U gaf eerder aan dat u het leuk zou vinden om via het programma nieuwe mensen te leren kennen. Zou u deze
mensen, behalve op de woonplaats nog op andere criteria willen selecteren?
Ze moeten hier in de buurt wonen. Verder zou het leuk zijn als mensen dezelfde hobby hebben, zodat je
bijvoorbeeld samen naar de schilderles kan.
Wat vindt u van de mogelijkheid om te e-mailen?
Daar zie ik het nut wel van in.
Wat vindt u van het idee om een kalender te maken binnen het systeem?
Algemene activiteiten in het verzorgingshuis of bij de dagopvang vind ik niet zo nuttig om op die manier in een
kalender te zetten. Wanneer het gebruikt wordt zoals in het verhaal beschreven zou het wel leuk zijn. Dan kunnen
mensen als ze iets gepland hebben daar gewoon gezelschap bij zoeken op die manier.
Zijn er functies vermeld in het scenario waarvan u denkt dat we ze er beter niet in zouden kunnen stoppen?
Nee, het is goed zo denk ik.
Zijn er functies die niet vermeld staan in de scenario’s, waarvan u denkt dat ze wel nuttig zouden zijn? Bijvoorbeeld
radio of kerkradio.
Radio of kerkradio hoeft er niet in, ook spelletjes hoeven er wat mij betreft niet bij.
In het scenario wordt gesproken over een helpdesk. Hebt u een voorkeur over hoe u deze het liefst zou raadplegen?
Nee, dat maakt me niet veel uit. Ik zou het liefst bellen, gewoon met de telefoon denk ik. Maar als het met de chat,
via de mail of door bellen met het programma kan vind ik dat ook geen probleem.
Zou u verderop in het project nog een keer mee willen werken.
Jawel hoor.
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C.5
Interview 1.5
Tijdens het interview is het scenario van Mr. Best besproken.
Ik zou u graag enkele persoonlijke vragen stellen. Mag ik vragen hoe oud u bent?
Ik ben 72.
Hebt u problemen met zien of horen?
Ik zie nog redelijk goed. Ook met mijn gehoor heb ik weinig problemen. Het spreken kost me wel moeite.
Hebt u verder nog problemen, bijvoorbeeld met de handen?
Nee, daar heb ik gelukkig geen last van.
Hebt u enige ervaring met computers en met het gebruik van internet?
Ik heb heel af en toe een computer gebruikt, maar dat is al lang geleden. Ik heb zelf geen computer.
Woont u in het verzorgingstehuis of woont u hier ergens in de buurt?
Ik woon samen met mijn vrouw.
Hebt u familie hier in de buurt wonen?
We hebben een zoon en een dochter. Zij wonen ook hier in de buurt en komen regelmatig langs.
Zou u het leuk vinden om zelf een computer te hebben?
Nee, ik heb er geen tijd voor. Als ik er tijd voor zou hebben zou ik het wel leuk vinden.
Wat vindt u van het systeem, zoals het beschreven is in het scenario?
Het is een veelomvattend systeem.
Zou het gebruik van het systeem wat voor u zijn?
Nee.
Zou u het niet leuk vinden of is er een andere reden?
Ik heb er de tijd niet voor. Maar als ik tijd genoeg had, zou het leuk zijn om het uit te proberen.
Zou u het leuk vinden om zo een nieuwe technologie te leren?
Het kost tijd om iets nieuws te leren en daar ben ik te druk voor.
U geeft zelf al aan dat u persoonlijk geen tijd zou hebben om met het systeem om te leren gaan. Ik zou met u graag
het systeem per functie doorlopen. Ik zou u willen vragen om per functie aan te geven of u het een goed idee vindt
of niet.
Zou u het leuk vinden om op deze manier met andere mensen in contact te komen? Waarop zou u deze mensen
graag selecteren?
Ze moeten hier in de buurt wonen. Hobby’s maakt me niet uit, maar ze moeten wel in Enschede wonen, anders
kom ik er niet meer.
Zou u het leuk vinden om foto’s en video’s te delen?
Ja, dat lijkt me leuk.
Zou u het leuk vinden rechtstreeks beeldcontact te hebben met andere mensen?
Ik heb er geen tijd voor, maar als ik de tijd had zou ik het graag een keer proberen.
Wat vindt u van de mogelijkheid om rechtstreeks met iemand te kunnen chatten?
Het is lastig omdat je op dezelfde tijd achter de computer moet zitten. Dat lijkt me niet zo nuttig.
106
Wat vindt u van de mogelijkheid om te e-mailen?
Daar zie ik het nut wel van in.
Wat vindt u van het idee om een kalender te maken binnen het systeem?
Een kalender om met vrienden te delen is leuk. De standaard dingen die georganiseerd worden in het
verzorgingshuis hoeven er niet in te staan.
Zijn er functies vermeld in het scenario waarvan u denkt dat ze er niet in hoeven?
Dat chatten hoeft niet van mij. Verder moet je het gewoon zo laten.
Zijn er functies die niet vermeld staan in de scenario’s, waarvan u denkt dat ze wel nuttig zouden zijn? Bijvoorbeeld
radio of kerkradio.
Dat zou ik zo niet weten. Radio hoeft er wat mij betreft niet in.
In het scenario wordt gesproken over een helpdesk. Hoe zou u dit het liefst uitgewerkt zien?
Ik zou de helpdesk gewoon willen bellen. Niet met het programma, maar gewoon met de telefoon.
Zou u verderop in het project nog een keer mee willen werken.
Geen probleem.
107
C.6
Interview 1.6
Tijdens het interview is het scenario van Mevr. Sanders besproken.
Ik zou u graag enkele persoonlijke vragen willen stellen. Mag ik beginnen met u te vragen hoe oud u bent?
Volgend jaar word ik 80.
Hebt u problemen met zien of horen?
Met mijn gehoor en met mijn ogen is absoluut niets mis.
Hebt u verder lichamelijke klachten, bijvoorbeeld van uw handen?
Ja, mijn handen werken niet zo goed meer. Ik kan niet meer schrijven.
Hebt u enige ervaring met computers en met het gebruik van internet?
Ja, ik gebruik regelmatig een computer. Ik heb er thuis zelf een. Ik gebruik de computer vooral om te internetten
en wat te mailen.
Hebt u een cursus gevolgd om te leren omgaan met een computer?
Nee, ik heb het mezelf aangeleerd, ik heb er geen cursussen voor gevolgd.
Woont u nog zelfstandig of woont u hier in het verzorgingstehuis?
Ik woon alleen, in een appartement hier in de buurt.
Hebt u familie die hier in de buurt woont?
Ik heb nog enkele familieleden hier in de buurt wonen. Zij komen af en toe bij me langs.
Wat vindt u van het systeem, zoals het beschreven is in het scenario?
Het is een mooi systeem, zoals het in het verhaal staat is het een heel interessant systeem.
Zou het gebruik van het systeem wat voor u zijn?
Ik vind het een interessant systeem, maar ik denk dat het me teveel tijd zou kosten.
Vindt u het leuk om een nieuwe technologie te leren?
Ja zeker, daarom heb ik mezelf ook om leren gaan met de computer.
Ik zou graag de verschillende functies van het programma met u door willlen lopen. Zou u per functie aan willen
geven of het iets is waar u behoefte aan heeft en of u het een goed idee vindt om te implementeren in het
programma.
Zou u het leuk vinden om op deze manier met andere mensen in contact te komen? En waarop zou u deze mensen
graag selecteren?
Ja, ik denk dat daar best vraag naar is. Ik zou het zelf ook leuk vinden. Het maakt me niet uit wie je dan leert
kennen zolang het maar leuke mensen zijn. Ik hoef ze niet op hobby of locatie te selecteren.
Zou u het leuk vinden om foto’s en video’s te delen?
Ja, dat vind ik zeker een leuk idee. Ik denk dat andere mensen dat ook leuk vinden.
Zou u het leuk vinden rechtstreeks beeldcontact te hebben met andere mensen?
Het is leuk als je andere mensen kunt zien tijdens het bellen. Het moet niet moeilijk zijn om te gebruiken, anders is
het makkelijker om gewoon de telefoon te pakken.
Wat vindt u van de mogelijkheid om rechtstreeks met iemand te kunnen chatten?
Bij chatten ben je afhankelijk van het tijdstip dat je allebei achter de computer kan zitten. Ik heb zelf thuis een
computer, maar veel mensen hebben dit niet. Dan is het vervelend om dat af te moeten spreken. Chatten voegt
108
voor mij niets toe aan het systeem.
Wat vindt u van de mogelijkheid om te e-mailen?
Dat is wel handig. Dat kun je lezen op het tijdstip wanneer het jou uitkomt.
Wat vindt u van het idee om een kalender te maken binnen het systeem?
Een gezamenlijke kalender is wel een leuk idee.
U gaf al aan dat chatten lastig is omdat twee mensen tegelijkertijd achter de computer moeten zitten. Zijn er
andere functies waarvan u denkt dat ze beter niet in het systeem gestopt kunnen worden?
Nee, verder is het een interessant systeem.
Zijn er functies die niet vermeld staan in de scenario’s, waarvan u denkt dat ze wel nuttig zouden zijn? Bijvoorbeeld
radio of kerkradio.
Dat vind ik moeilijk om zo te bedenken. Radio hoeft er van mij niet in. Ook spelletjes doen tegen of met andere
mensen zou voor mij persoonlijk niets toevoegen.
In het scenario wordt gesproken over een helpdesk. Hoe zou u dit het liefst uitgewerkt zien?
Bij de helpdesk is het belangrijk dat iedereen het gemakkelijk kan vinden. Mij zou het waarschijnlijk wel lukken om
via het programma de helpdesk te bereiken, via mail, chat of beeldbellen. Maar ik denk dat sommige mensen dit
niet zouden kunnen. Daarom is het misschien toch het gemakkelijkst wanneer het mogelijk is om met een gewone
telefoon te bellen naar de helpdesk.
Zou u verderop in het project nog een keer mee willen werken.
Ja hoor.
109
C.7
Interview 1.7
Tijdens het interview is het scenario van Mevr. Sanders besproken.
Ik zou u graag wat vragen willen stellen over uw gezondheidssituatie en over uw woon situatie. Hebt u problemen
met horen of zien?
Ik heb twee gehoorapparaten, maar met de apparaten in hoor ik heel redelijk. Het zien heeft zijn goede en slechte
momenten. De laatste tijd gaat het vrij sterk achteruit. Maar op het moment gaat het best goed.
Hebt u problemen met de handen?
’s Nachts worden mijn handen altijd erg koud en dan doen ze vaak erg zeer. Daarom slaap ik met handschoenen
aan en dan heb ik er niet zoveel last van. Op deze manier is het goed op te lossen. Overdag heb ik verder geen
problemen om mijn handen te gebruiken.
Mag ik vragen hoe oud u bent?
Ik ben afgelopen juli 90 geworden.
Woont u nog zelfstandig of woont u samen met iemand?
Ik woon nog helemaal zelfstandig. Mijn man is ongeveer 10 jaar geleden overleden en sindsdien woon ik alleen. Ik
kom twee dagen per week overdag hierheen, dat houdt me scherp. Als ik alleen thuis zit, zit ik vaak een beetje in
te suffen en de halve dag te slapen. Ik ben er erg blij mee dat ik hier twee dagen per week bij de dagopvang
terecht kan.
Hebt u kinderen of kleinkinderen in de buurt wonen?
Ik heb een zoon en een dochter. Mijn zoon woont in Zwitserland en mijn dochter in Groningen. Ze zijn allebei erg
druk, maar ik heb wel goed contact met ze. Mijn dochter heeft nooit tijd, daarom wacht ik altijd tot zij belt, want
dan weet ik dat ze tijd voor me heeft. Maar ze belt minstens een keer per week en meestal wel vaker. Mijn zoon
spreek ik ook regelmatig. Maar ik zie ze allebei niet veel, daar is het te ver voor. Komend weekend ga ik naar mijn
dochter in Groningen. Dat was al sinds kerst de bedoeling. Het is moeilijk om een afspraak te plannen. Ik ga er met
de trein heen. Dan zoekt mijn dochter precies uit welke trein ik moet hebben en dan reis ik er verder zelfstandig
heen.
Hebt u behalve uw kinderen nog veel contacten?
Nee, verder heb ik weinig contacten. Ik kom hier natuurlijk twee dagen per week, maar met veel mensen kun je
geen goed gesprek voeren. Toch vind ik het heel fijn om hier te komen hoor. Het brengt een beetje regelmaat in
mijn week aan. Maar ik vind het niet erg hoor om alleen te zijn. Ik kan goed alleen zijn. Ik heb me er bij neergelegd.
Mijn man snapte vroeger nooit dat ik behoefte had aan andere contacten, want ik had hem toch. Hij vond het niet
prettig als ik met andere mensen wegging, dus daarom heb ik behalve mijn man nooit veel contacten gehad. Hij is
ondertussen al tien jaar dood en nu ben ik alleen over. Ik doe veel dingen in mijn eentje, al wordt het nu vanwege
mijn gezondheidstoestand wat minder. Ik ging altijd alleen op vakantie, ga op zaterdag naar de markt om een
beetje rond te kijken. Toen we als ouderen gratis met de bus mochten pakte ik soms de bus naar Haaksbergen om
daar naar de markt te gaan. Maar nu kan dat niet meer, dat vind ik heel jammer. Maar ik vermaak me ook in mijn
eentje wel.
Hebt u enige ervaring met computers en met het gebruik van internet?
Nee, dat heb ik nog nooit geprobeerd.
Hebt u verder moderne technologieën in huis, zoals een dvd of video speler en een mobiele telefoon?
Een mobiele telefoon heb ik niet. Als ik dat toevallig een keer nodig heb, als de trein bijvoorbeeld vertraging heeft,
dan vraag ik de mensen om me heen of ik er even een mag lenen om mijn dochter te bellen dat ik wat later kom.
De meeste mensen zijn daar heel aardig in en vinden dat geen enkel probleem. Tegenwoordig zijn er altijd mensen
met een mobiele telefoon in de buurt. Een cd speler en een videospeler heb ik wel thuis. Ik luister graag naar
muziek en als ik een programma op moet nemen, dan weet ik precies hoe ik dat moet doen.
110
Wat vindt u van het systeem, zoals het beschreven is in het scenario?
Ik vind het idee van het systeem heel leuk. Ik vind het ook heel goed dat er over dit soort onderwerpen nagedacht
wordt.
Zou het gebruik van het systeem wat voor u zijn?
Zoals het beschreven staat in het verhaal, ja zeker. Die mevrouw heeft door het systeem iemand leren kennen om
mee naar de markt te gaan. Ik zou het wel willen en ook wel kunnen gebruiken denk ik. Het zou natuurlijk lastig
zijn omdat het een computer programma is. Echt nog met een computer om leren gaan dat is me te lastig. Ik moet
oppassen dat ik mezelf niet te veel op de hals haal. Ik heb last van hartritmestoornissen en als ik me te druk maak,
dan krijg ik daar problemen mee.
Zou u het leuk vinden om zoiets nieuws te leren?
Ik ben nieuwsgierig uitgevallen, dus het is altijd leuk om iets nieuws te leren. In dit geval is het een leuk idee van
het systeem, dus is het minder moeilijk om het te leren. Het is voor veel mensen een vooruitgang, dus dat moet je
niet tegen willen houden.
Ik zou graag met u de verschillende functies die in de scenario’s zitten willen doorlopen om te kijken wat u hiervan
vindt. Ik zou u willen vragen of u per functie aan wilt geven of u het leuk vindt en of u denkt dat anderen hier
behoefte aan zouden hebben.
Zou u het leuk vinden om foto’s en video’s te delen?
Ja, dat vind ik een heel leuk idee. Dan kun je nog eens terug kijken wat voor dingen je allemaal gedaan hebt.
Wat vindt u van de mogelijkheid om met iemand te kunnen beeldbellen?
Dat is denk ik te technisch voor mij. Waarschijnlijk zou ik het wel leuk vinden, maar ik denk dat het te moeilijk is.
Mijn functioneren gaat steeds meer achteruit, dus ik moet het mezelf niet meer te moeilijk maken.
Wat vindt u van de mogelijkheid om andere mensen via het systeem brieven te kunnen sturen?
Ook dat lijkt me leuk, maar het is waarschijnlijk voor mij te technisch. Ik moet niet teveel tegelijk willen doen.
Wat vindt u van de mogelijkheid om met andere mensen te kunnen chatten?
Nee, dat zou mij persoonlijk echt teveel worden. Maar het zou goed kunnen dat andere mensen hier wel behoefte
aan hebben.
Wat vindt u van de mogelijkheid via het systeem nieuwe mensen te leren kennen?
Dat vind ik echt een heel leuk idee. Het zou mij niet uit maken waar de mensen vandaan komen, als ze maar een
beetje bij de tijd zijn. Ook op hobby’s hoef ik mensen niet te selecteren. Ik zou het leuk vinden om een relatie op te
kunnen bouwen met die mensen, er een goed gesprek mee te kunnen voeren. Dat zou voor mij het belangrijkste
zijn.
Wat vindt u van de mogelijkheid om een algemeen toegankelijke kalender te hebben?
Dat vind ik een interessant idee. Op die manier is het ook makkelijker contact te maken met mensen.
Denkt u dat er in het scenario functies beschreven zijn, die ook voor andere mensen niet nuttig zouden zijn?
Ik zou zelf het minst gebruik maken van het chatten en het mailen denk ik. Dat zou me al snel te technisch en te
veel worden.
Zijn er functies die niet vermeld staan in de scenario’s, waarvan u denkt dat ze wel nuttig zouden zijn?
Dat vind ik heel moeilijk om te zeggen. Het is lastig voor te stellen hoe zo een systeem in de praktijk zou werken. Ik
zou het echt niet kunnen zeggen wat er nog meer in zou moeten.
Zou u het leuk vinden verderop in het project nog een keer mee te willen werken.
Ja hoor, je weet me te vinden. Ik ben altijd wel bereid aan dit soort dingen mee te doen. Zo maak je nog eens wat
mee en leer je nog eens wat.
111
Appendix D: List of requirements
D.1
Global requirements
Table D.1: Global requirements
Code
GR1
Requirement
The system should encourage communication between elderly people from the age of 55.
D.2
Functional requirements
Table D.2: Functional requirements from the use cases and scenarios
Code
FR1
FR2
FR3
FR4
FR5
FR6
FR7
FR8
FR9
FR10
Requirement
The system must function on a screen on the wall, or on a mobile phone
The system must support synchronous communication
The system must support asynchronous communication
The system must use standard protocols for its main functions, in order to
communicate with similar computer applications.
The system must provide the user with the possibility to get to know new people
The system must provide the user with the possibility to fill in a personal profile,
with personal information and characteristics
The system must provide the user with the possibility to indicate their availability
The system must provide the user with the possibility to administer social events
The system must provide the user with the possibility to share files with one
another
The system must be able to create, read, update and delete users
Scenario
SC1, SC2, SC3,
SC1
SC1, SC2
SC1
Use case
UC1, UC2, UC3
UC2
UC1, UC2
UC1, UC3
SC1, SC2
SC1, SC2
UC4
UC4
SC3
SC2
SC1
SC1, SC2, SC3
Table D.3: Additional functional requirements
Code
FR11
Requirement
The system should allow the creation of a community
FR12
The system should allow the user to store preferences
and constraints of a community
FR13
The system should allow the user to invite other users to
join a community
112
Rationale
When the number of users increases, the creation of
separate communities allows the users to share
information with specific groups only.
By allowing the user to store certain preferences and
constraints for (sub-) communities, it will be possible to
limit for example the number of users or the preferred
characteristics of the users in the sub-community.
Users should be able to invite new users to the (sub-)
community, so they can increase their personal
network.
D.3
Non-functional requirements
D.3.1
Development qualities
Table D.4: Non-functional requirements: Development qualities
Subcategory
Maintainability
Flexibility
Code
NF1.1
Requirement
The code should be documented orderly
NF1.2
The program should be modular
NF1.3
The program should be scalable
NF1.4
The program should be portable to
different operating systems
NF1.5
The program should be interoperable
NF1.6
The program should be easy upgradeable
NF1.7
The different aspects should be properly
testable.
Rationale
With a proper documentation it will be less
difficult for someone unfamiliar with the code to
understand the program and edit it.
Good modularity will make it easier to implement
new functions and makes fit the idea of
tailorability in the U-care project.
The program should be easily adaptable to for
example an increasing number of users for
example because of which the program has to be
spread across multiple servers.
Not all the people use the same operating system,
especially since the project should be available for
a mobile phone as well as a screen on the wall.
The program should be able to work seamlessly
together with other programs, as for example the
other parts of the U-Care project.
It should be easy to add additional parts to the
program, as well as fix occasional bugs, especially
since quite a few users do not have extensive
computer skills.
By testing the product thoroughly, the number of
bugs in the final product will be smaller and the
end product will be of higher quality.
D.3.2 Usage qualities
Table D.5: Non-functional requirements: Usage qualities
Subcategory
Dependability
Security
Code
NF2.1
Requirement
The system should be available 24 hours a
day
NF2.2
The system should be reliable
NF2.3
The system should ensure authenticity
NF2.4
The system should secure confidentiality
NF2.5
The integrity of the users should be
113
Rationale
The daily rhythm differs per person. Since
asynchronous communication is supported as well,
continuous availability provides users with the
possibility to use it at the time they prefer.
Many users are unknown with computers and
some might be slightly scared of the technology as
well. By securing a high reliability the trust of these
users in the technology will increase.
The system allows the users to share personal
information. Therefore it is important people can
do this safely, and that they can trust other users
for who they say they are.
Personal data should not be visible by everyone
and should be shielded.
The system and the users’ data should be
protected by the system.
Performance
D.3.3
NF2.6
The system should be reasonably fast
NF2.7
The system should be accurate and have a
good repeatability
protected from damage by unintended actions or
unauthorised intruders.
When the system takes too much time for
different operations, the users might lose their
interest
When the users perform the same action several
times, the reaction of the system should be the
same as well.
Usability requirements
Table D.6: Non-functional requirements: Usability requirements
Subcategory
Operability
Code
NF3.1
Requirements
The system should be equitable to use
NF3.2
The system should be flexible
NF3.3
The system should be simple and
intuitive to use
NF3.4
The system should be tolerant to errors
of the user
The system should require a low physical
activity
NF3.5
Accessibility
Guidelines
NF3.6
The system should have an appropriate
size and appropriate space to use
N3.7
The program should be consistent
throughout the different media
NF3.8
The system should provide the user with
perceptible information
NF3.9
The system should be comprehensible
for a wide range of people
NF3.10
Clear guidelines should be provided to
the user, within the program as well as
delivered with the program
NF3.11
A helpdesk should be available to help
the user
114
Rationale
The system should be useful and marketable for a
diverse population.
The system should provide the user with multiple
options to reach ones goal.
It is easier to recognise a function than to remember
it, especially with elderly people who sometimes find
it hard to learn new skills.
The system should minimise the adverse
consequences of accidental or unintended actions.
Some users might not be in a very good health
condition, therefore it is important the system can
be used efficiently, comfortably and with a minimum
of fatigue
The system should be useable for users with
different body sizes, postures and mobility. They
should all be able to reach and manipulate the entire
system.
Users might use the program on multiple forms of
media. To prevent them from learning several
interfaces, the interfaces should all be similar.
It is important the user knows at all times what the
system is doing, regardless of ambient conditions or
the user’s sensory abilities
The target population is a very diverse group of
people, with respect to for example education and
language skills.
It is impossible to make a perfect interface,
therefore it is important to provide the user with a
clear guideline, in case he or she does not know how
to perform an action.
Quite a large amount of the target group of users is
not used to computers; therefore the possibility of a
human helpdesk will make them feel more
comfortable.
D.3.4
Project requirements
Table D.7: Non-functional requirements: Project requirements
Subcategory
Costs
Code
NF4.1
Timescales
NF4.2
Requirement
The costs of the project should remain
within the predetermined boundaries
The goal should be achieved during the
predetermined time limit
115
Rationale
There will always be a limited amount of money
available to fulfil the end goal
In this case the time limit for the entire project is the
duration of a master assignment.
Appendix E: Mock-ups
A selection of screenshots of the different mock-ups is shown in this appendix. The screenshots show the different
styles of the mock-ups. The screenshots were chosen to show the different aspects of the interface. The complete
functional mock-ups can be requested with the author.
E.1:
Standard version
Figure E.1: Opening screen
Figure E.2: Friend suggestions
116
Figure E.3: Mail inbox
Figure E.4: Chat menu
117
Figure E.5: Calendar
Figure E.6: Helpdesk menu
118
E.2:
Button version
The button version uses large buttons and tries to use the available space as efficient as possible.
Figure E.7: Opening screen
Figure E.8: Finding friends menu
119
Figure E.9 Friend suggestions
Figure E.10: Reactions friend finder
120
Figure E.11: Calendar
Figure E.12: Helpdesk menu
121
E.3:
Combination version
The combination version tries to use the left side of the screen as efficient as possible, whereas on the right side of
the screen additional information is presented.
Figure E.13: Opening screen
Figure E.14: Finding friends menu
122
Figure E.15: Mail inbox
Figure E.16: Address book and start screen of chat function
123
Figure E.17: Calendar
Figure E.18: Helpdesk menu
124
E.4:
List version
The list version displays the option as a single list in the middle of the screen to provide the user with a simple
interface.
Figure E.19: Opening screen
Figure E.20: Finding friends menu
125
Figure E.21: Friend suggestions
Figure E.22: Mail inbox
126
Figure E.23: Calendar
Figure E.24: Helpdesk menu
127
Appendix F: Prototype
The prototype is a dynamic webpage and therefore difficult to depict completely. Some screenshots are shown
here to demonstrate the feel and layout of the prototype. The screenshots are made on a pc with a resolution of
1280 x 1024.
Figure F.1: Opening screen. At the right side of the screen a preview of the mail
inbox and the calendar is shown. The options presented in the menu are finding
friends, address book, inbox, calendar, photos and videos and the helpdesk
Figure F.2: Friend finding menu. On the right the latest friend requests are shown.
128
Figure F.3: The profile which needs to be filled in to use the friend finding service
of the system.
Figure F.4: The address book. The user is presented with the possibility to
immediately mail, chat or call the contacts listed.
129
Figure F.5: The e-mail inbox. A short explanation is provided on the right.
Figure F.6: The calendar menu
130
Figure F.7: An example of a single e-mail
Figure F.8: The helpdesk menu. On the right the frequently asked questions are listed.
131
132
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