TITLE (DRAFT)

Temporal artifacts in user-centered interaction design.
(Formerly: Design Research: A dynamic approach to the practical application of design in a Web-based environment.)

This research focuses on a dynamic approach to design research.  It uses the variable of time as the key variable for behavioral analysis, the results of which form the foundation for creating methodologies of design.  Specifically, this research investigates how user interaction with a given Web environment changes over time. It focuses on the amount of time taken between decisions and the amount of time taken overall for a given set of interactions. In addition, it looks at the effect that external parameters to the system, such as frequency of use and emotion, can have on the temporal variables as the user moves through the environment.

The primary method used for verification of this research is user testing.  Scenarios are created in which the subjects use a select group of sites a predefined number of times. The subjects are monitored daily to see how their interactions with the sites change over time.  Screen capturing and mouse tracking software and video/audio observation are used to capture the temporal data.  In addition, contextual interviews or questionnaires may be used to gather data on the test subjects themselves, and an exhaustive literature review forms the foundation for the research.

The results will show patterns of user behavior through the plotting and geometrical modeling of the temporal variables.  This data will be analyzed and presented to show the impact that the temporal variables can have on the results.  In addition, models for future Web design guidelines and processes will be posited based on the temporal aspects of the analysis, and a formal theory of Web design will be created for the design community at large.  In the end, the intent is to show that by observing and analyzing the temporal states of a user within a given Web-based environment one can accurately design for desired and successful user behavior, and better predict future behavior.