Designing a Telephone-Based Interface for a Home Automation System

• Published in: International journal of human-computer interaction Vol. 12; no. 3-4; pp. 401 - 414
• Main Authors: Sandweg, Nina, Hassenzahl, Marc, Kuhn, Klaus
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc 01.12.2000
• ISSN: 1044-7318; 1532-7590
• DOI: 10.1080/10447318.2000.9669067

User-interface design lacks expertise in designing nonvisual user interfaces. This is surprising as there are various domains where auditory interfaces have already been proved to be helpful, such as railway information services and reading support for blind persons. We present a case study concerning the design of a telephone-based interface (TBI). It was realized within the development process of an interaction concept for a modular home automation system. The design was based on requirements gathered in user focus groups and on general guidelines for the design of TBIs. The TBI's evaluation revealed some minor (i.e., easily solved) usability problems. Questionnaires showed a positive ergonomic quality as well as a positive overall appeal. Interestingly, the evaluation indicates a potential to improve hedonic quality (i.e., non-task-related quality aspects). It may be induced by the addition of nonspeech sounds, thereby enriching user experience.