User Centred Design (UCD) Laboratory

Equipment and expertise: design, prototyping and evaluating

Based at the University's Moulsecoomb campus, our UCD laboratory measures usability, interaction and interface design, enabling users to evaluate software-enabled products through user-centred design and usability testing. 

Our lab consists of a subject room, set up as a domestic lounge, and an observation room - a two-way mirror between the rooms enables an evaluator to monitor users interacting with the technology without distraction. Data are collected using a range of tools including Eye Tracking, EEG (Electroencephalogram) and audio/visual recording programmes, in addition to computer aided trials.

Using state-of-the-art equipment, we are able to provide empirical data collection to support requirements engineering, design, prototyping and development, formative and summative evaluations resulting in highly accurate process and product analysis.

Lab co-ordinator, Dr Sanaz Fallahkhair is a Senior Lecturer in Human Computer Interaction at the School of Architecture, Technology and Engineering, and a member of the Centre for Secure and the Intelligent and Usable Systems and the Centre for Digital Media Cultures.

Dr Fallahkhair can advise on requirements engineering, designing, prototyping, developing and evaluating interactive technologies to be useful, usable, and accessible in multiple areas, including healthcare, education and cultural heritage, across multiple platforms including; mobile, ubiquitous, interactive television, wearable, tag-bas, game-based, and robotic technologies and applications.

She can also address persuasiveness, desirability, privacy and ethical considerations when designing and developing an intelligent system, ensuring maximum benefit to system users, product optimisation and ultimately, competitive advantage.

User-centre design applications 

Below you will find a selection of publications reporting on projects that have used the UCD Lab, funded by a range of national and international bodies, including the Leverhulme Trust, EU Commission, Department of Health and JISCs Rapid Innovation Grant to name a few.

Smart Ambient: Development of mobile location based system to support informal learning in cultural heritage

• A theoretical framework for designing smart and ubiquitous learning environments for outdoor cultural heritage, Alkhafaji, A., Fallahkhair, S. and Haig, E., 20 Sep 2020, In: Journal of Cultural Heritage. 46, p. 244-258
• Design challenges for mobile and wearable systems to support learning on-the-move at outdoor cultural heritage sites, Alkhafaji, A., Fallahkhair, S. and Cocea, M., 25 Aug 2019, Human-Computer Interaction – INTERACT 2019 - 17th IFIP TC 13 International Conference, Proceedings: 17th IFIP TC.13 International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction. Lamas, D., Loizides, F., Nacke, L., Petrie, H., Winckler, M. and Zaphiris, P. (eds.). Paphos, Cyprus: S, Springer, Vol. 11748. p. 185-207 23 p. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics); vol. 11748 LNCS).
• Guidelines for designing a smart and ubiquitous learning environment with respect to cultural heritage, Alkhafaji, A., Fallahkhair, S., Cocea, M. and Crellin, J., 10 May 2017, The 11th IEEE International Conference on Research Challenges in Information Science (RCIS). Brighton, United Kingdom: IEEE, p. 334-339 Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceeding with ISSN or ISBN › Conference contribution with ISSN or ISBN › peer-review

CloudBank project: User generated content for collaborative language learning

• Evaluation of a collaborative mobile knowledge sharing application for language learnersPemberton, L., Winter, M. and Fallahkhair, S., 2010, World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications, EdMedia.
• A user created content approach to mobile knowledge sharing for advanced language learners, Pemberton, L., Winter, M. and Fallahkhair, S., 2009, Proceedings of the 8th World Conference on Mobile and contextual Learning (mLearn). The International Association for Mobile Learning

 Applications in healthcare

• Online psychotherapy: trailblazing digital healthcare, Mcdonald, J., Eccles, J., Fallahkhair, S. and Critchley, H., 7 Oct 2019, In: BJPsych Bulletin. p. 1-7

Accessible reasoning with diagrams project

• https://research.brighton.ac.uk/en/projects/accessible-reasoning-with-diagrams, Stapleton, G (PI)., Jamnik, M (PI)., Oliver, I., Bonnington, A., Benzmueller, C., Narayanan, H., 2016-2019, funder Leverhulme Trust.

User-centred studies to explore our understanding of how people reason with visual languages

• Well-matchedness in Euler and Linear Diagrams, Stapleton, G., Rodgers, P., Touloumis, A., Blake, A., Aug 2020, In: Diagrammatic Representation and Inference - 11th International Conference, Diagrams 2020, Proceedings. Pietarinen, A., Peter Chapman, P., Bosveld-de Smet, L., Giardino, V., Corter, J., Linker, Springer, p. 247-263
• The efficacy of Euler diagrams and linear diagrams for visualizing set cardinality using proportions and numbers, Stapleton, G., Chapman, P., Rodgers, P., Touloumis, A., Blake, A., Delaney, A., Mar 2019, e0211234, PLoS ONE, Vol. 14, 3
• Presence and Absence of Individuals in Diagrammatic Logics: An Empirical Comparison, Stapleton, G., Blake, A., Burton, J., Touloumis, A., Feb 2017, Studia Logica, Vol. 105, 4 

• Measuring User Comprehension of Inference Rules in Euler Diagrams, Linker, S., Burton, J., Blake, A., Aug 2016, Springer, p. 32-39

User-centred development of the next generation of mobile and TV based language learning system (TAMALLE+)

• Development of a cross-platform ubiquitous language learning service via mobile phone and interactive television, Fallahkhair, S., Pemberton, L. and Griffiths, R., Aug 2007, In: Journal of Computer Assisted Learning. 23, 4, p. 312-325

• Interactive television as a vehicle for language learning, Pemberton, L. and Fallahkhair, S., 1 Jan 2007, Interactive digital television: technologies and applications.Lakakos, G., Chorianopoulos, K. and Doukidis, G. (eds.). New York, USA: IGI Publishing, p. 18-33