In most software engineering project, users are only involved in the beginning of the project as a help to design the requirements specification but users can be involved after this phase too, but is it effective to do so? With this report we would like to investigate how effective it is to involve users after the requirements specification has been written and approved. To find out how effective it is to involve the users we try some fast and simple involvement techniques on a quite far gone project. These techniques include ethnographic studies, prototypes and surveys. We also interviewed a couple of people who work with usability and finally delivered a report with our results to them to find out if they found our result relevant. By also documenting how much time we spent involving users we will show to which degree user involvement is effective. We found out that a couple of fast techniques could get very much result in the form of usability enhancing suggestions to the developers.

This report covers a product development project conducted as Bachelor of Science thesis forthe Innovation & design engineer program at Karlstad University.The assignment was supplied by MMB Consulting, Kristinehamn. The purpose of this projectwas to find an alternative way of shaping wire-net insulation mats. This insulation product isused for fire and thermal insulation of technical installations. The insulation consists of stoneor glass wool with a sewn on steel wire netting on the out facing side. This netting has thepurpose to enable fastening to e.g.

The purpose of this bachelor essay was to analyze two Swedish district footballassociations and how the responsible coaches of the elite youth developmentteams identify and select talent. Key questions in the thesis were how thecoaches described their leadership and their own part in the team, how thecoaches identify talent, how they work with the selection process and theiropinions about the elite youth development team structure. The study wasbased on 7 semi-structured interviews. The interviews showed differencesbetween the district football associations but also many similarities in how theyselected the team during the talent identification process. All coaches wereinvolved in the selection process but the way they talked about developing eliteplayers varied.

There are numerous of ideas and theories around the present development in our global society, describing an ever changing era based and propelled by information and communication technology (ICT). How influential has this development been on political visions and intentions and on the business worlds views on important competencies? The purpose of this thesis is to describe the national and international visions of important competencies in the ?information society?. Through a case study, focused on how the training and consultancy industry apprehends and answer to this change and development, as they often act as agents for new trends in the business world both as accommodators and originators. The growth and speed of the universally available information demands knowhow in seeking, analyzing and managing information, and this competence is crucial today.

This project consists of an adaptation, trial and evaluation of a model for practicing. Based on prior research I created a model aiming mainly to raise a musician?s self- awareness around the different parameters a performance consists of. An additional wish was for it to simultaneously assist the musician in monitoring his or her progress. With video recording and self-evaluation as the two main parts I tried the model by using it over a period of three months.

Cloud computing is a new buzzword within the IT-industry, and introduces a whole new way of working with IT. The technique delivers web based services, which results in that the user no longer needs to install an application locally on a computer. Since the application no longer needs to run on a local entity, but in a datacenter located on a service provider, the users no longer need any specific hardware more than a computer with an internet connection. Cloud computing also offers IT-infrastructure and development environments as services, these three service types is better known as cloud services. Through the usage of different types of cloud services, the need for maintenance and hardware is significantly reduced.

Heat and power stations are often in need of optimizations. A simulation model is a tool for findingways to optimize the plant. The scope of this diploma work is to develop a simulation model ofBoiler 5 at Mälarenergi AB. Boiler 5 is a circulated fluidized bed boiler that was taken into service inyear 2001. Among the included parts in the boiler are cyclone, convection part andINTREX-chambers.

Bachelor thesis, Trolley Innovation Project, has been unique in the sense that it has been carried out over the borders of Sweden. Iacobucci S.p.A, located outside of Rome in Italy is one of the largest manufacturers of interior equipment for aircraft in the world. With approximately 30% of the market Iacobucci S.p.A is one of the world's largest manufacturers of catering trolleys.The aim has been to produce a new competitive catering trolley for the airline industry. With customers and users in focus, the project team found that weight, ease of use, ergonomics and design were important aspects. Having a low weight of all the interior is particularly important when there is lots of money for the airlines to save in reduced fuel costs.

In 1999 the Swedish Parliament decided about 15 environmental goals aimed to be achieved in time for the next generation. For example physical social planning must be based on programs and strategies how cultural-historical values has been attended, so called programs of cultural heritage. By law the Swedish municipalities are responsible for reaching these goals by creating program of cultural heritage. But only a few of the municipalities have these programs, meaning that many municipalities need to create programs of cultural heritage in the next five years.The aim of this report is to present a model of analysis on programs of cultural heritage in municipalities for preservation and development of cultural environments. By testing the model on the municipalities of Osby and Tomelilla methods on how to create a new program of cultural heritage or how to complete existing documents are formulated.One of the conclusions is that one document, program of cultural heritage, functions as landscape analysis, model of cultural valuation and strategy of developing cultural values.

New forms of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) have become more influential in development contexts. The concept of ?The Digital Divide? points at a large division between rich and poor countries regarding access to ICTs. Critics say that the debate concerning this topic for far too long has focused mainly on the technology itself rather than social factors which impact social inclusion and development. Scholars agree that ICTs holds a tremendous potential, but how is this implemented in development contexts and how can it be used with more sensitivity towards local preconditions and social aspects?This paper aims to examine how ICTs are being used in the context of development within an India based organisation for women called SEWA (Self Employed Women?s Association).

The overall aim of the study was to take part of teachers' experiences and work force mother-tongue education and literacy development in the Sámi School. The study was conducted through interviews with twelve teachers who teach at two Sámi schools. The focus has been on looking how to work with native speakers teaching at the Sámi School, what factors promote / hinder students' development of their first or second language, and the importance of collaboration between the schools` various professions work with multilingual students reading and writing skills. Through interviews of various categories of teachers, I have tried to visibility problems of the education of minority language children and their reading and writing skills. I discuss the teaching, the importance and the lack / availability of communication and consensus between different categories of teachers.

This thesis concerns how local governments use the concept sustainable development, and what the concept means. The concept of Agenda 21 and local Agenda 21 will also be discussed in this essay, because it's an instrument for local governments to specify their work towards sustainable development. I have interviewed civil servants in leading positions in the municipalities? work with environmental questions and sustainable development. In the choice of method for this thesis, I use the qualitative method and for the interviews I chose the ?semi structure way of interviewing?.This thesis shows that local governments? implementation of sustainable development and Agenda 21 differ between the municipalities.

How does IT-consultants reason in their consulting process regarding the development of a clients IT-based internal recruitment system? The purpose with this paper is to investigate how an IT-consultant is reasoning in a consulting process and investigate whether consultants are using established models and methods in their work. We have chosen to work with a qualitative examination to attain our purpose. In our work gathering the empirical facts we have been working with a case study, an observation and a simulation exercise. The combination of these has made it possible to carry out the paper and produce the most correct data possible.

Denna explorativa studie analyserar gemensamma och differentiella mönster för kommunikation och beteende hos användare i Hjälpforum. Målet med studien är att kartlägga aktiva användartyper med syfte att ge SVT kunskap om Hjälpforumets användare. Om forumadministratörer har mer kunskap om användarna i Hjälpforum kan de anpassa sin kommunikation utifrån användarnas individuella behov och öka deras förmåga att bidra med mer kvalitativ återkoppling. Detta kan i sin tur bidra till en positivare inställning och ökat förtroende hos användare i Hjälpforum. I denna studie kunde fem användartyper kartläggas i Hjälpforum med stöd av egen empiri och tidigare forskning.

In a society where adults set the conditions for children?s play and generate modern and at times technically advanced products, fundamental characteristics like simplicity, opportunities for motor skills training and learning tend to be neglected. Owing to this, the Linköping-based company Time In wants to introduce a new multifunctional product, which differs from other products in shape and function and lives up to the often overlooked, basic characteristics in a toy.With Time In as the assigner, the purpose of this master thesis has been to use simple means to produce a "learning by playing" concept. Since Time In sells toys and products suitable for children in nurseries and preschools, the development of the products has therefore included a study of nursery and preschool environments.The thesis has been carried out within the Product Design subject area at the Department of Management and Engineering at Linköping University. Concept development has been done in three phases: the Preparation phase, the Design phase and the Presentation phase.