record

Thesis Info

LABS ID
00742
Thesis Title
Designing Responsive GUIs: An Intelligent Interface that Tailors Information Presentation by Responding to a User’s Cognitive State
Author
Rachael L. Paine
2nd Author
3rd Author
Degree
Master of Graphic Design
Year
2018
Number of Pages
126
University
North Carolina State University
Thesis Supervisor
Deborah Littlejohn, PhD
Supervisor e-mail
dklittle AT ncsu.edu
Other Supervisor(s)
Matthew Peterson, PhD; Scott Townsend
Language(s) of Thesis
English
Department / Discipline
Graphic Design
Languages Familiar to Author
English
URL where full thesis can be found
college.design.ncsu.edu/thenfinally/pdf/Paine-Final-Project.pdf
Keywords
Responsive Interface, Graphical User Interface, Data Repository, Cognitive State, Information-Seeking, Knowledge Acquisition, Human-Computer Interaction, Health Information Seeking
Abstract: 200-500 words
A person faced with caring for a loved one with a serious health diagnosis has an immediate thirst for knowledge, even while their cognitive ability to find — let alone comprehend — useful information may be hindered due to their traumatized, high-stress mental state. The design of most online health information search platforms do not consider the cognitive state of this type of user, even though new technologies, such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, have the potential to offer personalized support for this particular information seeking circumstance. The design of standard search tools and features encountered on ordinary health information websites typically take a one-size-fits-all approach. The objective of this study is to determine how intelligent human-computer interfaces can present information in meaningful and clearly comprehensive ways by responding to the health information-seeker’s cognitive state — in particular, for someone who is under duress from a recent medical diagnosis. In this study, cognitive state refers to the psychological and emotional state of the user. Methods included semi-structured qualitative interviews with 20 patient advocates from the NC Rare Disease Council and subsequent prototype testing. Data suggests that people under duress prefer that complex health information be presented in a minimal (i.e., simple content structure) fashion using assistive delivery strategies such as withholding, gathering, and prioritizing. This project suggests a useful framework for professionals involved in the design of medical information search tools, user-centric design methods, and intelligent interface design.