August 31, 2019 4pm | IDC School of Design

User-centered visualisation of uncertainty for improved transit decision making

Users often rely on real-time predictions in everyday contexts like riding the bus but may not grasp that such predictions are subject to uncertainty. Existing uncertainty visualizations may not align with user needs or how they naturally reason about probability. We present a mobile interface design and visualization of uncertainty for transit predictions on mobile phones. We present several candidate visualizations of the joint probability distribution of predicting the arrival time of one bus/train/tram and the departure of another and how this could be used to help people make a transfer, for real-time transit predictions in a mobile context. Evaluations of uncertainty displays for transit prediction have assessed people’s ability to extract probabilities, but not the quality of their decisions. In a controlled, incentivized experiment, we have participants decide which bus/train/tram to chose using displays with textual uncertainty, uncertainty visualizations, or no-uncertainty.

Recent work on Auditory Graphs at IDIN

In the last 4-5 years, although assistive technologies like screen readers and speech-to-text engines have improved rapidly and smartphones have become popular among the people with visual impairment, they are still not completely accessible. We looked at whether we could improve the accessibility some of the commonly accessed tools and content. Specifically, could the text entry rate on Indian language keyboards be improved using speech and whether auditory graphs could improve the perception and speed of navigating graphs for people with visual impairment.

Book Review of ‘Practical Design Discovery’ by Dan Brown

Design discovery is crucial to a project’s success—unite your team in an approach toward a common goal. Explore the role of discovery in product design, how to use and structure your favorite techniques for success, and how to synthesize and document what you learn.

Dan Brown’s Framework shows a flexible way of planning and practicing discovery activities, which can set every design endeavor on the right path.