This paper deals with the difficulties of applying user-centered design practices as an independent developer, based on the visualization of a game concept in the form of a prototype. The aim is to evaluate the usability of user-centered design practices, specifically in the field of games development. Throughout this paper, I will give an account of the methods used for testing, as well as a review of previous research done in this field of study. Finally, I will end with a discussion regarding the pros and cons of user-centered design, as well as some thoughts about its importance in similar projects..

Trust is the most important thing for a webshop. The consumers must be able to feel trust to choose to submit their personal information to a webshop. In this study we examine the impact that design has on the consumers trust and confidence. We study six consumers that are engaged in e-commerce in their everyday life. By allowing these participants to be presented with two different webshops, an assessement could be made in both how much design is affecting and also which parts of the design that leads to trust and lack of trust.

Access to correct and updated intelligence about our environment is in an increasingly degree considered important in the private as well as in the public sector. At Mälardalens University, competitive intelligence as an area of research is closely related to Information Design - a multidisciplinary consideration which goal is to improve the receiver´s understanding of intended messages. This study was conducted in order to find out how Information Design was representedin different kinds of literature regarding Competitive Intelligence. Also, it describes the main focus areas concerning Competitive Intelligence in the same literature. Through an explorative "pearl-growing" method combined with searches through referrals, 60 different sources provide a broad basis for analysis.

To find competencies on a workplace with flex office structure.Companies today, 2012 are facing new opportunities and challenges. Information technology develops, competition is bigger today than ever, increased environmental requirements will be added and new patterns of life and values are occurring. This means that people who work in offices feel strong pressure of conversion, which is something that people experience differently. Therefore it is essential how the working environment is designed in an office. Working in an office means a lot of information processing and we can see large changes taking place.

The background to this study is the government’s investment in design and the increase of design education around the country. As a future design teacher (industrialdesign) at high school/college, it is of great interest for me to look closer at student’s attitude towards design and design educations at high school.Questions that have been investigated are student´s attitude towards design; design as a concept but also as a phenomenon. How does the student counselor inform the students of the differentchoices before choosing high school?Does the students view on design correspond to what the student counselor say?What opinion does the student counselor have to the concept design as well as design in highschool? Is design just a craze or here to stay?To get answers I have made interviews with student counselors at two different schools, I have also been in contact with a student counselor on the internet. Their thoughts will clarify thesituation that the students might be in.

Design principles are usually used by interaction designers to help creating a user friendly design by making the designer think about the different aspects of the design. These design principles has been further developed since they emerged in the 1990s, and today they're often used in the field of interaction design. By using the design principles, bad design can be avoided and the frustration of the user reduced. Design patterns is described as structural and behavioral characteristics to improve the environment in user interface amongst other areas. These characteristics could make things easier to understand or improve their appearance, they make tools more usable.The purpose with this essay is to identify design guidelinesto be used by developers when designing surveillance systems.

The aim of this report is to see whether the graphic design of a game influences children?s will to play games. I am especially looking at minimalist graphic design and how well it works for a game aimed at children age 7-9. Does the style of the game design have any impact at all concerning the children?s wish to play the game or is the game mechanic all that matters.

The Landscape Architecture Program at SLU, Ultuna provide several design courses. Within these courses, students are mainly introduced to one type of design process, a process based on the specific site and its conditions, known as Genius Loci. This report presents a course and a design methodology from Cornell University which aims to provide students with tools for a more conceptual way of thinking about design and architecture. The design method is presented in two stages. First an introduction to the course description and objectives.

The web sites of Swedish public libraries display a high level of heterogeneity when it comes to design and graphical user interface. The thesis is based on the opinion that the visuals of a public library web site have implications for the user as well as for the library. The design of the graphical user interface influences the attention of the user and his/her ability to absorb information. Furthermore, there is a connection between the visuals and the users opinion about the credibility of the content of the web site, as well as of the organisation itself. The research question is: Which factors may have an impact on the design of the graphical user interfaces of a public library web site? The purpose is to create an understanding for these factors and emphasize them.

Service Design is a relatively new, unexplored and exciting phenomenon that through an interdisciplinary work methodology designs services. A discussion has been going on for a long time regarding whether there is a difference between products and services. Services are often classified as immaterial, heterogeneous, non-storable and inseparable in relation to products. A question that arises is if something specific characterises the work methodology used regarding service design. The aim with this paper is thus to explain the work methodology when working with service design.

The computer consultant company Create in Lund AB wishes to facilitate their invoice routines, as it at present is required that the administration finds and compares information from two different systems.The purpose of this thesis is to develop an invoice management system that simplifies the invoice management process for the administration at Create. During the development of the system, I have chosen to follow the software development process Unified Process and also tried to find design patterns that can be applied to the integration.The result of my project is a self-contained application developed using the Java programming language that communicates with the databases of the other two systems and presents relevant information to the user as a set of invoices. Of the 23 design patterns I studied, I used four of them in the invoice management system. However I couldn?t find any connection between any design pattern and the integration of systems.

The main objective of this study was to investigate the possible design of a horticultural therapy program in Swedish correctional treatment facilities. In the USA the use of horticultural therapy in offender rehabilitation is much more frequent compared with Sweden. The aim of these programs typically contains education for inmates. Research has been made indicating that these programs can have positive effects on psychosocial behavior and on vulnerability to substance abuse among incarcerated offenders. In this study the examples of these programs was categorized and analyzed from three perspectives; Vocational, social and therapeutic horticultural programs.

Service Design is a relatively new, unexplored and exciting phenomenon that through an interdisciplinary work methodology designs services. A discussion has been going on for a long time regarding whether there is a difference between products and services. Services are often classified as immaterial, heterogeneous, non-storable and inseparable in relation to products. A question that arises is if something specific characterises the work methodology used regarding service design. The aim with this paper is thus to explain the work methodology when working with service design.

In my study, I have chosen to examine how the user interface and content must conform to design guidelines for responsive design makes it suitable for diverse desktop environment and for varied mobile platforms. The purpose of this study is to examine the extent recommended design guidelines based on scientific research has a positive impact on user performance and perception when using this study delivered hi-fi prototype. The goal of this study is to provide a Hi-Fi prototype with high usability that will introduce and inform the public about BrasilCine according specifications. Study findings from user testing and supplementary questionnaires show that the implemented technologies as design guidelines for responsive design and design features have a positive impact on user performance and perception. The study results are therefore relevant for further prototype development..

This report describes and explains the development of a comprehensive solution including visual identity, print catalog, website and online shop for the furniture company Resize Design. The development and production of these have occurred in the iterative processes with relevant theories as a basis. The theories include user-centered work processes, usability, design principles, interaction design, design patterns and web-compatible solutions. The report documents and discusses the work which is divided into different phases. .