Veranstaltungsprogramm

In digital environments, on-screen notifications tend to be highly disruptive and distracting but at the same time necessary to keep an overview over the current and upcoming tasks. In this context, we developed two versions (light-based and vibration-based) of a tangible notification manager called SenseCUBE and ran a within subject study with 9 participants to evaluate which version was perceived to be less disruptive. Participants had to solve a task while being notified by the SenseCUBEs and complete a TLX questionnaire to measure the task workload. Results suggest that there is no difference in the disruptiveness between the light SenseCUBE and the vibration SenseCUBE. Nonetheless, the light notifications were experienced as more effective in communicating the level of urgency of the notifications.

Manual inventory and delegation of vast collections of heterogeneous digital media spread across multiple online and local storage is an overwhelming and cumbersome task for its owners and the eventual inheritors. This highlights the need for end-of-life digital legacy technology that supports sorting, selection, and curation of digital personal data while respecting an individual’s autonomy and values. Using a cultural probe method, this study aims to discover precisely what content digital media owners find valuable to preserve and how their loved ones might support the curation process. During a one-week immersive period, fifteen participants were presented with tasks designed to encourage open discussions about death, curate digital media for a chosen trusted beneficiary, and subsequently share their wishes with them. Early findings from the first round of coding reveal that although participants’ curated content such as sounds from nature and videos of a daughter’s first walk are individual and subjective, the motivations behind their decision making, such as a desire to comfort and connect with their beneficiaries even after their demise, is an emerging theme.

In today's interconnected world, long-distance relationships (LDRs) present distinct challenges in maintaining emotional intimacy across geographical separations. This study investigates the dynamics of intimate communication within LDRs and examines the potential of AI-driven personalization to enhance emotional connections. Design workshops employing divergent and convergent thinking allowed participants to identify challenges and propose solutions across three themes: Enhancing Communication and Connection, Supporting Well-being and Engagement, and Addressing Technology Proficiency and Accessibility. Participants stressed the importance of personalized communication tools, AI-mediated interventions, and strategic planning to bridge emotional gaps in LDRs. The findings highlight the role of AI-driven technology in fostering emotional bonds and well-being in LDRs, emphasizing the need for inclusive and user-friendly technologies to support diverse user populations. By leveraging AI-driven personalization, this research aims to improve communication satisfaction, strengthen emotional connections, and enhance overall well-being in long-distance relationships, underscoring AI's potential to facilitate communication, deepen emotional bonds, and promote well-being and engagement for individuals navigating the complexities of distant connections.

In this paper, we investigate how EEG data can be used to predict individual music preferences. Our study relies on machine learning and specially developed models such as EEGNet to analyze participants' brain activity while listening to music. Participants listened to music excerpts, rated them, and their EEG data were recorded. We extracted relevant features from the EEG data and used convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to classify music preferences. Our results show that our models are able to predict music preferences with an accuracy of up to 69%. This confirms the potential of EEG in personalized music recommendation and demonstrates the feasibility of integrating EEG into wearable devices to improve the user experience.

An accessible design is necessary for a system that is inclusive to all users regardless their abilities. Systems for public transportation often do not address the needs of neurodivergent people. Therefore a combination of Ability-Based Design (ABD) and Value-Sensitive Design (VSD) was used to elaborate a list of features to make planning and navigation apps for public transportation more supportive for neurodivergent users including people with dyslexia or ADHD. A designed solution is a travel assistant that can react to unplanned external influences and support users during their travels. A first prototype was developed and evaluated by several experts. Due to the lack of freely usable live information and disturbance messages during navigation, the development of a new navigation system is not effective. Therefore, we have generated a set of features that practitioners can integrate into existing navigation apps.

In this study, we explore if large language models (LLMs) can apply the concept of personal closeness and use this to enhance

communication between each other while using midrange personal computers. We test and modify the LLM “Llama 3” on commodity

hardware to measure the level of interpersonal closeness between the different LLM’s characters. In particular, we show insights into

the development of their connection. Results indicate that the scoring of one LLM agent could have an effect on each other's LLM

agents’ scoring.

Technology continues to play a bigger role in everyday life. With emerging technologies (i.e., ChatGPT), people feel increasingly alienated by the complexity of such technologies. In this context, trust in new systems is not always given. By designing a tangible system, we address this issue and investigate whether users have more trust in a tangible user interface compared to a graphical user interface. Furthermore, we investigate whether the semantics of an interface (i.e. its appearance as a button or a padlock) impacts user trust. We conducted a user study in which participants were asked to interact with a simulated firewall software through different combinations of physicality and appearance of interfaces. Our results reveal a conditional effect of the interface physicality on user trust. Moreover, we found no evidence that the different appearances of the interface (button vs. key with lock) impact user trust.

This study addresses Plant Awareness Disparity, a significant barrier to fostering interest in plants, by exploring the potential of technology, specifically Augmented Reality, to mitigate PAD. Through expert interviews with specialists in plant education, the study identified key challenges and potentials in current plant education. Additionally, walk-and-talk interviews with potential users provided insight into elements of interest and disinterest in plants. The findings suggest that AR applications can enhance plant awareness by integrating plant education with natural settings, directing attention to plants and relating plants back to the human experience. Proposed AR features include interactive local maps, in situ plant identification, virtual plant mentors, and traditional knowledge integration. These insights lay the groundwork for future development and testing of AR-based plant education tools aimed at increasing public engagement in environmental protection.

With aging demographics and a large population of visually impaired individuals already, there is an increasing need for inclusive design solutions. This contribution aims to address the challenges individuals with visual impairments and older adults face navigating indoor environments. Through iterative user research and by including different perspectives and expertise, requirements were collected and analyzed. Based on these, possible design solutions for a guidance system that ensures high accessibility were developed. The proposed design solutions will leverage advanced technologies such as indoor positioning systems, tactile interfaces and audio cues to provide real-time navigation assistance tailored to the specific needs of users with visual impairments and older adults. With this the project aims to empower individuals with visual impairments and older adults to navigate indoor environments with confidence and independence, thereby promoting social inclusion and improving overall well-being.