TaskObserver: a tool for computer aided observations in complex mobile situations

ABSTRACT

Designing mobile and wearable applications is a challenge. The context of use is more important than ever and traditional methodologies for elicitation and specification reach their limits. This paper investigates the challenge of creating and communicating information about the user's primary task with regards to its fine grained temporal structure. TaskObserver is a TabletPC software that allows real-time logging of events during observations of complex mobile scenarios. The results are communicated to other team members using task trace graphs of the events observed.

A user study was performed to estimate the accuracy of the real-time annotations and the amount of time that can be saved by using the system. Additionally the usability of the existing tool was evaluated.

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.2 User Interfaces (D.2.2, H.1.2, I.3.6)

Keywords:
context of use, field coding, mobile computing, multi modality, observations, wearable computing