China
Africa
Explore chapters and articles related to this topic
Design
Published in Wanda Grimsgaard, Design and Strategy, 2023
User-experience (UX) is a person’s experience when using a digital product, such as a website or a computer application, especially considering how easy or comfortable it is to use. It was in the 1990s when computers became more and more widespread that greater attention was paid to the user’s experience. Today, there is a separate ISO standard for user-centring within computer systems and system development named ‘Human-centred design for interactive systems’, and it explains human-centred design as: ‘approach to systems design and development that aims to make interactive systems more usable by focusing on the use of the system and applying human factors/ergonomics and usability knowledge and techniques. The term “human-centred design” is used rather than “user-centred design” in order to emphasise that this document also addresses impacts on a number of stakeholders, not just those typically considered as users. However, in practice, these terms are often used synonymously. Usable systems can provide a number of benefits, including improved productivity, enhanced user well-being, avoidance of stress, increased accessibility and reduced risk of harm’ (ISO 9241-210:2019, 3.7).19
Cloud Computing Agreements
Published in Michael R. Overly, A Guide to IT Contracting, 2021
Cloud computing is the use of the Internet or other telecommunications links to provide a user with access to software or other technology resources made available at a remote location. Depending on the type of information technology (IT) capability being offered as a service in the “cloud,” cloud computing is known by and commonly encompasses several different types of services such as Software as a Service (SaaS), Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), and Platform as a Service (PaaS). Regardless of the terminology used, cloud computing involves accessing software and infrastructure remotely and frequently includes storing data, often very sensitive and regulated data, in the cloud. While cloud computing agreements have some similarity to traditional software licensing agreements, they have more in common with hosting or application service provider agreements.
Cloud computing for big data
Published in Jun Deng, Lei Xing, Big Data in Radiation Oncology, 2019
One of the key technologies enabling Cloud computing is virtualization. Virtualization allows Cloud providers to abstract away the hardware infrastructure and present the user with an array of virtual computers (also known as a virtual machine, or VM) with customizable characteristics (e.g., compute power, memory size, and storage size). A VM is essentially a software program that emulates a computer, in other words, a computer simulation running on a physical computer. This paradigm provides capabilities that are not available when running applications directly on the native hardware. Virtual machines can be created, destroyed, replicated, or migrated to any physical data center connected to the Web on demand. Furthermore, snapshots recapitulating the state of a VM can be acquired and stored to easily recall or duplicate a given VM.
BEKG: A built environment knowledge graph
Published in Building Research & Information, 2023
Xiaojun Yang, Haoyu Zhong, Zhengdong Wang, Penglin Du, Keyi Zhou, Heping Zhou, Xingjin Lai, Yik Lun Lau, Yangqiu Song, Liyaning Tang
BEKG has made significant improvements to existing knowledge graphs in terms of accuracy, coverage, and usability. In terms of accuracy, BEKG addresses the complexity and variability of the built environment domain by incorporating diverse and comprehensive data. It provides accurate and reliable information while maintaining data currency. In terms of coverage, BEKG connects information from various domains in the built environment, including building materials, construction techniques, energy-efficient technologies, and sustainable practices, offering a comprehensive perspective. BEKG’s expanded coverage extends the boundaries of knowledge and provides a comprehensive reference tool. In terms of usability, BEKG prioritizes user experience and feedback, continuously improving interface design and functionality. It offers an intuitive and user-friendly interface to meet user needs. By revealing the connections between building materials and energy efficiency, as well as the relationship between the built environment and sustainable development goals, BEKG provides valuable insights to benefit stakeholders. These insights can influence decision-makers in areas such as architectural design, material selection, and policymaking, promoting the development of the built environment towards greater sustainability and user-friendliness.
Potential use of Augmented Reality in pre-contract design communication in construction projects
Published in Intelligent Buildings International, 2022
D. Rajaratnam, D.M.L.P. Weerasinghe, M. Abeynayake, B. A. K. S. Perera, J. J. Ochoa
According to IT experts, implementing AR in construction creates several difficulties. The technical challenges faced in any new IT application can be related to performance, user experience, privacy, and data security. Difficulties will be experienced in moving around at the project site because of the large hardware located therein, close attention required on the battery life of the hardware, and the difficulty in registering a large construction model in the real environment. One software engineer mentioned that having accurate sensors at the reporting location will help to overcome these issues. Paying close attention to the calibrating functions when augmenting an object in the real environment is essential to ensure accurate global positioning systems and geographical information systems. Other issues mentioned by the IT experts are object-orientation, model rendering and lighting, and the level of details. Thus, both IT and construction designers must pay close attention to the details required to design and develop an accurate database to reap maximum benefit from the developed AR design.
User Acceptance of Virtual Reality: An Extended Technology Acceptance Model
Published in International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 2020
Camille Sagnier, Emilie Loup-Escande, Domitile Lourdeaux, Indira Thouvenin, Gérard Valléry
User experience (UX) is defined as a “person’s perceptions and responses resulting from the use and/or anticipated use of a product, system or service” (International Organization for Standardization [ISO], 2010). For Hassenzahl (2008), a good user experience is the consequence of fulfilling a user’s goals (do-goals, such as finding information in a database or making a phone call) and of fulfilling different human needs (be-goals, such as the needs for autonomy, relatedness and stimulation). Hassenzahl consequently proposed a model of user experience featuring pragmatic attributes and hedonic attributes (Hassenzahl, 2003, 2008). Pragmatic attributes refer to “the product’s perceived ability to support the achievement of ‘do-goals’” (Hassenzahl, 2008, p. 2). Hedonic attributes refer to “the product’s perceived ability to support the achievement of 'be-goals’” (Hassenzahl, 2008, p. 2). Hedonic attributes can be subdivided into stimulation, identification and evocation (Hassenzahl, 2003). Stimulation refers to the individual’s pursuit of novelty and challenge. Identification is the ability of a product to communicate identity. Evocation is the ability of a product to represent memories of past events or past relationships that are important to the user. These pragmatic and hedonic attributes determine (Hassenzahl, 2003) to what extent a product will be found attractive, its emotional consequences, and its behavioral consequences (including whether and how the product will be used).