The inaccessibility of rulebooks hinders the rule learning experience of board game players who are blind or have low vision (BLV). We conducted two qualitative studies to explore the design of conversational agents (CAs) that can support BLV players’ learning and provide companionship. In Study 1, we recruited 14 BLV participants and identified their rule learning challenges, with emphasis on cognitive load, and co-designed functional and social characteristics in Amazon Alexa that can support rule learning and offer companionship. We then developed a new Alexa skill and had 9 BLV participants evaluate our skill against the Alexa skill for the game Ticket to Ride (Study 2). We generated four design principles for CAs to support board game rule learning for BLV people: conciseness, pausing capacity, customization, and companionship.

In this report we share a co-design process for developing more accessible alternatives to traditional keyboard and mouse interfaces, involving individuals with motor impairments. We describe our methodology, including initial discovery phases that inspired three subsequent co-design workshops with three individuals with motor impairments and 26 designers. Based on our experience, we highlight the importance of creating an equitable and effective dialogue between designers and individuals with motor impairments, emphasizing the personal nature of each participant’s experiences and the potential of technology as an enabler rather than a generic solution. Guided simulations and hands-on prototyping were employed to trigger meaningful conversations. We underscore the significance of “being with” during the co-design process and the importance of a transparent prototyping and development process for creating genuinely accessible and inclusive interactive systems. By sharing our findings and recommendations, we aim to assist researchers running future co-design workshops that involve prototyping with technology and people of diverse backgrounds.

Musical haptic wearables (MHWs) that convey information through vibrotactile feedback holds the potential to support the music learning of a blind or low vision (BLV) music learner. Yet, it is unclear how these technologies can give functional support to a BLV person. We also investigated material preferences in such technologies to understand the role of non-functional aesthetic experiences in shaping their music learning. We conducted 5 co-design workshops with 10 BLV participants. Participants explored eleven materials common in a music learning environment and engaged in bodystorming with a prototype that communicated six vibrotactile patterns. Through thematic analysis, we found that MHWs with vibrotactile alerts and variations in vibration are suited to communicate instructional information, aid music reading and support technical guidance and practice. We categorized the participants’ material experiences into sensorial, interpretive, and affective levels. Based on our findings, we discuss considerations when designing vibrotactile interactions to support music learning for BLV people and highlight material experiences that should be emphasized to make the music learning experience wholesome for BLV music learners.

Envelope tracking (ET) and average power tracking (APT) have been widely used as supply modulators of power amplifiers (PAs). To meet the new challenges brought by the 5G NR standard, the symbol power tracking (SPT) technique is proposed, which is more efficient than ET and more flexible than APT. For the application of subcarrier spacing (SCS) of 15-~60kHz in the frequency range 1 (FR1), this paper proposed a buck-boost SPT supply modulator with a transition time below 1.17-$\mu \text{s}$for 5G NR PA in the smartphone. The combination of three techniques improves the voltage transition speed. The charge-pump-based switching power modulator increases the output voltage higher than the battery voltage and offers a high voltage source for the auxiliary current paths (ACP). The ACP introduces additional currents to charge/discharge the 1-$\mu \text{F}$output capacitor. The end-point-prediction (EPP) scheme lets the compensator convert directly from one steady state to the next. This supply modulator circuit is designed and fabricated using 0.18-$\mu \text{m}$BCD technology. The output voltage range is 1–5-V. The maximum transition speed can be up to 0.37-$\mu \text{s}$/V and 0.15-$\mu \text{s}$/V for up-tracking and down-tracking, respectively.

Gaming accessibility research for blind or low vision (BLV) communities largely focuses on digital games. There is a need for designers to understand BLV's experience with tabletop games that involve the player's physical interaction. In this study, we investigate BLV individuals’ experience with the accessibility of tabletop games. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 BLV participants and found four themes that uncovered participants’ tabletop gaming experiences: (1) properties of inaccessible games, (2) outcomes of inaccessible games, (3) properties of accessible games, and (4) outcomes of accessible games. Our findings demonstrate a richness and variety in BLV individuals’ tabletop gaming experiences. By providing discussions on the state of tabletop game interactivity and design recommendations, our work assists the creation of accessible tangible games that make use of digital information and physical forms by affording designers the opportunity to understand how inaccessible interactions in tabletop games affect BLV populations.

Objectives. Internships can bring a host of professional and academic benefits to students. Then, how do User Experience (UX) internships influence Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) graduate students’ professional and academic growth? What are the challenges experienced by HCI graduate students during internships? We explored these two research questions. Participants. Our study participants were 42 HCI graduate students who completed UX internships. They came from computing and related disciplines, including computer science, information technology, psychology, and design. Some of the participants’ internship titles were Interaction Designer, Design Researcher, UX Programmer, and Business Intelligence Analyst. Study Method. We conducted a thematic analysis on 42 graduate students’ UX internship reports that were collected over 6 years to uncover themes in relation to our two research questions. Findings. As for UX internship benefits, we found that students learned about the workplace culture (e.g., academia vs. industry/government on research design processes) and core UX technical (e.g., research, design, programming) and people skills (e.g., teamwork, empathy toward end-users); they also realized what they wanted in future careers after completing their internships. We also found internship challenges that were related to the internship program (e.g., the availability of internship opportunities), the host organizations (e.g., the quality of mentorship received), and remote working (e.g., difficulty over conducting remote usability testing). Conclusions. We make practical recommendations for HCI educators, UX practitioners, and HCI graduate students on how they can work collaboratively to create a meaningful UX internship experience. These recommendations include researching the host organization prior to internships, providing comprehensive onboarding, and being transparent with internship constraints.

This study examined the effect of adding an emotion regulation feature into fitness trackers. Applying the theoretical framework of emotion regulation, we argue that such feature can mitigate tracker users’ downward emotions due to failure to meet their fitness goals, and as such, the users would be continuously motivated to meet their fitness goals. To answer our hypotheses and research questions, we conducted a 2 (emotional intensity: low vs. high) × 3 (emotion regulation strategy: no regulation vs. cognitive change vs. attention deployment) online between-subjects experiment (N = 228). Our results indicate that emotion regulation function successfully regulated users’ downward emotions, which enhanced their state psychological well-being, perceived self-efficacy for exercise, and then facilitated more favorable fitness outcomes. We discuss design implications based on our results.

Do users' general social support needs influence their satisfaction with embodied conversational agents' (ECAs) social support? We examined this research question by conducting a 2 (an agent's social support: informational vs. emotional) x 2 (a user's general social support needs: informational vs. emotional) between-subjects online experiment. Participants (N = 132) first indicated their general social support needs and then interacted with a virtual health coach, Andy, who talked about the importance of stress management. Then, Andy gave participants either informational or emotional social support on their initiation to manage their stress. Our results indicate that participants rated Andy higher on trustworthiness and likability when her social support matched their support needs, and this pattern was especially stronger for those with emotional support needs. Moreover, for these participants, we found that trustworthiness and likability significantly mediated the effect of the agent's matched social support on their attitudinal and behavioral outcomes.