In this doctoral dissertation, we conducted two user experience studies of the mobile application using an eye-tracking device. The first part of the dissertation presents a user experience study of the mobile application 1,2,3 Ljubljana for the mobility domain. In this study, we demonstrated the suitability of using a low-cost eye-tracking device for evaluating the user experience of a mobile application. In the second part of the dissertation, for the driving domain, we present a user experience study of the mobile application DARS Traffic Plus in a driving simulator with an eye-tracking device. The study involved analysing and determining user interface parameters and interaction modalities and evaluating the appropriateness of standard methodologies for conducting user experience studies of mobile applications. The doctoral dissertation concludes with a discussion and the presentation of original contributions to science.
In the first part of the dissertation, we discuss the results of the user experience analysis, usability, comprehensibility, and intuitiveness of the mobile application 1,2,3 Ljubljana. The application was developed as part of the interdisciplinary ARIS DriveGreen project for the Android operating system and is intended to promote lifestyle changes to support sustainable mobility in an urban environment.
The study of the mobile application 1,2,3 Ljubljana was divided into three parts. In the first part, participants get familiar with the purpose of the studies and mobile application 1, 2, 3 Ljubljana. Participants familiarised themselves with the eye-tracking equipment and the evaluation workflow process in the second part. In the third part, participants fill out the validated user experience questionnaires after completing the user scenarios in the application. The technical preparation of the study included reviewing devices and support tools for surveying with an eye-tracking device, designing and making appropriate user interfaces for the mobile application 1,2,3 Ljubljana, and preparing scenarios and questionnaires for the study of user experience and usability.
In the study involving 32 participants, we recorded their demographic data, mobile application habits, user experience questionnaire assessments, and eye-tracking device data. Data from the eye-tracking device, such as heat maps and gaze path, showed that the participant's responses in the user experience questionnaires correlated with the data recorded with the eye-tracking device. Heat maps and gaze path graphs show the interaction of study participants with the mobile application.
The UEQ questionnaire and the SUS provide high-scale values, indicating that the application 1,2,3 Ljubljana is intuitive, easy to learn, and provides value to the study participants. Participants positively evaluated the appearance of the user interface, the size and comprehensibility of the icons and text used, and the simplicity of working with the mobile application, all of which indicate a good user experience with the mobile application.
The study proves that application 1,2,3 Ljubljana has a well-designed user experience and usability for sustainable mobility; it also demonstrates that a low-cost eye-tracking device can be used to study mobile application user experience.
In the second part of the dissertation, we present a user experience study of the mobile application DARS Promet Plus, conducted in a driving simulator with an eye-tracking device. This time, we focus on the domain of driving mobile applications. Thirty-three participants completed the study, while six ended the study prematurely due to symptoms of sickness related to using the driving simulator. Participants were healthy, experienced drivers with a dynamic driving style who regularly used mobile applications for driving assistance.
The study included various questionnaires, including a demographic questionnaire, a questionnaire on driving habits, and the use of mobile technologies in cars. We designed four driving scenarios in the simulator, testing the interaction with the DARS Promet Plus application. To measure user experience, we used the validated UEQ and meCUE 2.0 questionnaires, and to document sickness, we used the validated SSQ and FMS questionnaires. We also recorded driving parameters and, with the help of the eye-tracking device, analysed the areas to which participants paid the most attention while driving.
The results of the questionnaires show that participants positively rated the user experience of driving, especially when using the DARS Promet Plus application. Participants reported an increased sense of safety when receiving notifications for hazardous event locations on the road, which allowed them to adjust their driving and safely navigate dangerous areas on the road. We also monitored and documented the effects of sickness in the simulator.
We conclude that the DARS Promet Plus application provides an excellent user experience. Receiving and reporting notifications of hazardous event locations on the road through the DARS Promet Plus application does not hinder drivers. This statement holds when participants use the mobile phone safely, mounted in a holder, and use the DARS Promet Plus application exclusively for receiving and forwarding notifications of hazardous event locations on the road.
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