Abstract The pressure to improve products, services, and processes to remain competitive in the global market has fueled demand for affordable, high-quality, customized products with excellent availability and customer service. Production Planning and Scheduling (PPS) considers a wide range of internal and external factors in its attempts to align production with market demand. Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) systems have emerged to support PPS but suffer from issues such as deterministic views and practical uncertainties. Expectations are high that Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) will support complex production planning tasks by analyzing operational data to generate optimal plans. However, there is currently little empirical research on production planning practices and what role AI might play. Our paper highlights current challenges in production planning practices and outlines design spaces for using AI and ML to support these practices. Based on an empirical study of three German small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the metal processing industry, we uncover how AI might estimate processing time and rework probability and thus we outline current design spaces for AI in production planning.

Abstract This study addresses an unexplored intersection of vocational education and training (VET), motor skill learning, craftsmanship and the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry as well as expertise sharing. Acquiring proficiency in craftsmanship involves not only theoretical knowledge but also a multitude of physical skills, such as chiselling, which are honed through repetition. Mastering these manual skills and combining them with knowledge of materials, such as wood, is essential for an effective executing of craftmanship. We developed an augmented reality (AR) prototype through the design case study approach to design a support for beginners, especially apprentices, in woodworking education where the connection between craftspeople and material is important for the end results. The prototype was evaluated by 28 apprentices inside and outside a woodwork shop setting. While participants praised the prototype’s 3D visualisations and interactive models, challenges in compatibility with woodwork shop environments were evident. Our findings highlight the importance of on-site evaluations in the craftsmanship context and the significance of direct interaction with real world materials. We provide a set of seven design guidelines derived from our empirical findings to inform the development of AR-based learning applications in craftsmanship. Our discussion opens up the question of the role of interactive 3D models for collaborative learning. The research extends AR’s impact in craftsmanship and AEC industry. Our study underscores the importance of expert knowledge in handling certain materials and the potential of AR to reshape work practices and visualisations, contributing to expertise sharing in this domain.

Virtual co-cooking gained visibility during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the increasing use of communication technology for social activities. However, available videoconferencing platforms are not well designed to support virtual co-cooking. Therefore, we explored this practice and the underlying design space and derived guidelines for current videoconferencing interfaces to better meet virtual cook-along enthusiasts' needs. For this, we first observed three remote cook-along sessions and then conducted semi-structured interviews, resulting in 12 requirements and 4 requirements themes culminating in 20 features divided into four dimensions: planning, enabling, co-presence, and food interaction. In the second phase, each feature was evaluated by 14 participants using the Kano questionnaire, followed by structured interviews. This resulted in six design implications related to automation, hands-free interactions, privacy, preserving memories, eliminating stress, and encouraging conjoint activities. This research provides insights and perspectives on the evolving landscape of technology-mediated social interactions and collaborative practices, and how to design for them.

Abstract Artificial intelligence and the underlying machine learning (ML) methods are increasingly finding their way into our working world. One of these areas is sales planning, where machine learning is used to leverage a variety of different input parameters such as prices, promotions, or the weather, to forecast sales, and therefore directly affects the production of products and goods. To satisfy the goal of environmental sustainability as well as address short shelf life, the food industry represents an interesting application field for the use of ML for optimizing sales planning. Within this paper, we will examine the design, and especially the application, of ML methods in the food industry and show the current challenges that exist in the use of such concepts and technologies from the end-user’s point of view. Our study of a smaller bakery company shows that there are enormous challenges in setting up the appropriate infrastructure and processes for the implementation of ML, that the output quality of ML processes does not always match the perceived result quality, and that trust in the functioning of the algorithms is the most important criterion for using ML processes in practice.

For decades, research around emerging technologies has been inspired by science fiction and vice versa. While so far almost only the technologies themselves have been considered, we explore the underlying software development and programming approaches. We therefore conduct a detailed media content analysis of twenty-seven movies that examines the role of software development in science fiction by identifying and investigating new approaches to programming and how software development is conceptualized portrayed within science fiction scenes. With the additional analysis of eighteen design fiction stories exploring the scenario “What if everyone is able to program?”, we envision potential impacts of the democratization of software development on business and society. Our study opens new discussions and perspectives, by investigating the current vision of the future of programming and uncovers new approaches to software development which can serve as a starting point for further research in the HCI community.

Abstract Since almost the onset of computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW), the community has been concerned with how expertise sharing can be supported in different settings. Here, the complex handling of machines based on experience and knowledge is increasingly becoming a challenge. In our study, we investigated expertise sharing in a medium-sized manufacturing company in an effort to support the fostering of hardware-based expertise sharing by using augmented reality (AR) to ‘retrofit’ machines. We, therefore, conducted a preliminary empirical study to understand how expertise is shared in practice and what current support is available. Based on the findings, we derived design challenges and implications for the design of AR systems in manufacturing settings. The main challenges, we found, had to do with existing socio-technical infrastructure and the contextual nature of expertise. We implemented a HoloLens application called RetrofittAR that supports learning on the production machine during actual use. We evaluated the system during the company’s actual production process. The results show which data types are necessary to support expertise sharing and how our design supports the retrofitting of old machines. We contribute to the current state of research in two ways. First, we present the knowledge-intensive practice of operating older production machines through novel AR interfaces. Second, we outline how retrofitting measures with new visualisation technologies can support knowledge-intensive production processes.

International audience

A large number of mobile apps support the sustainable use of food. These apps often use playful elements to enhance the user experience and promote their long-term use. However, we know little about which conceptual aspects of gamification and which gamified elements are actually used in the context of sustainable food apps. Therefore, in this paper, we analyse 76 mobile apps from the Google Play Store found with the term ‘sustainable food’ of which we analyse 27 apps in detail using the Gameful Design Heuristics. Our analysis uncovers a low average heuristics score and an unbalanced usage of subheuristics and heuristic categories. Additionally, gamification is unevenly distributed among food themes and sustainability categories. This study’s results contribute to the research on commercial gamified apps related to sustainability and food. Thus, this paper contributes to gamification design by identifying design opportunities that serve as interesting starting points for future work.

There has been recent criticism from researchers towards simple replication of traditional role models in the design of virtual agents and robots, and a call for new forms of interaction and communication with technology. By exploring the field of Human-Food interaction (HFI) – a sub-area of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) which aims to investigate the diversity of ways people interact with food – we therefore specifically examine the design space of edible anthropomorphic virtual agents (EAVAs). To understand human-to-food interactive communication, we conducted an interview study with 19 participants, followed by a co-design workshop on the design of conversational agents for personified food. Based on the results, we implemented a prototype called FoodChattAR that employs augmented reality and chatbots to interact and communicate with food. Our evaluation with 21 participants shows that FoodChattAR turns eating into fun, while at the same time the food conveys relevant societal facts about itself. We contribute to the field of HCI by introducing EAVAs as a novel human-to-food interaction.

Augmented Reality (AR) is increasingly being used for providing guidance and supporting troubleshooting in industrial settings. While the general application of AR has been shown to provide clear benefits regarding physical tasks, it is important to understand how different visualization types influence user’s performance during the execution of the tasks. Previous studies evaluating AR and user’s performance compared different media types or types of AR hardware as opposed to different types of visualization for the same hardware type. This paper provides details of our comparative study in which we identified the influence of visualization types on the performance of complex machine set-up processes. Although our results show clear advantages to using concrete rather than abstract visualizations, we also find abstract visualizations coupled with videos leads to similar user performance as with concrete visualizations.

Although the number of influencers is increasing and being an influencer is one of the most frequently mentioned career aspirations of young people, we still know very little about influencers’ motivations and actual practices from the HCI perspective. Driven by the emerging field of Human-Food Interaction and novel phenomena on social media such as Finstas, ASMR, Mukbang and live streaming, we would like to highlight the significance of food influencers as influential content creators and their social media practices. We have conducted a qualitative interview study and analyzed over 1,500 posts of food content creators on Instagram, focusing on practices of content creation, photography, staging, posting, and use of technology. Based on our findings, we have derived a process model that outlines the practices of this rather small, but influential user group. We contribute to the field of HCI by outlining the practices of food influencers as influential content creators within the social media sphere to open up design spaces for interaction researchers and practitioners.

Over the last decades, different kinds of design guides have been created to maintain consistency and usability in interactive system development. However, in the case of spatial applications, practitioners from research and industry either have difficulty finding them or perceive such guides as lacking relevance, practicability, and applicability. This paper presents the current state of scientific research and industry practice by investigating currently used design recommendations for mixed reality (MR) system development. We analyzed and compared 875 design recommendations for MR applications elicited from 89 scientific papers and documentation from six industry practitioners in a literature review. In doing so, we identified differences regarding four key topics: Focus on unique MR design challenges, abstraction regarding devices and ecosystems, level of detail and abstraction of content, and covered topics. Based on that, we contribute to the MR design research by providing three factors for perceived irrelevance and six main implications for design recommendations that are applicable in scientific and industry practice.

Abstract 10 years ago, Castellani et al. (Journal of Computer Supported Cooperative Work, vol. 18, no. 2–3, 2009, pp. 199–227, 2009) showed that using just an audio channel for remote troubleshooting can lead to a range of problems and already envisioned a future in which augmented reality (AR) could solve many of these issues. In the meantime, AR technologies have found their way into our everyday lives and using such technologies to support remote collaboration has been widely studied within the fields of Human-Computer Interaction and Computer-Supported Cooperative Work. In this paper, we contribute to this body of research by reporting on an extensive empirical study within a Fab Lab of troubleshooting and expertise sharing and the potential relevance of articulation work to their realization. Based on the findings of this study, we derived design challenges that led to an AR-based concept, implemented as a HoloLens application, called shARe-it. This application is designed to support remote troubleshooting and expertise sharing through different communication channels and AR-based interaction modalities. Early testing of the application revealed that novel interaction modalities such as AR-based markers and drawings play only a minor role in remote collaboration due to various limiting factors. Instead, the transmission of a shared view and especially arriving at a shared understanding of the situation as a prerequisite for articulation work continue to be the decisive factors in remote troubleshooting.

The increasing complexity of cyber-physical systems poses special challenges for users to be able to appropriate and apply such technologies within their practice. Classic tools to support appropriation have usually taken the form of written manuals or video tutorials. However, recent research regarding appropriation infrastructures and sociable technologies has suggested that appropriation support functionality can be integrated directly into software and cyber-physical systems. The problem confronting this kind of support is the adequate visualization of the information and the provision of user interfaces that could offer the necessary basis for appropriation. Based on the example of 3D printing, we examine how projection mapping-as an innovative form of visualization-can be used as a user interface for hardware-related appropriation support. Through reflections upon the design and evaluation of a projection-based 3D-printer system, we provide insights that extend the notion of appropriation support to encompass projection mapping and that can contribute to the future development of projection-based human-machine interfaces.

'Infrastructuring' as a concept draws attention to the way in which a designed artefact or system is not the end of the development process. Rather, technology development takes place up to, and including, its successful establishment in an associated body of practices. This places emphasis upon the role of practitioners as designers of their own practice environments. While the activities of professional technology development have been reasonably well discussed and conceptualized, activities that practitioners perform to make things work for them are less acknowledged as a systematic contribution to the successful establishment of the use of IT. This paper considers in particular the so-called 'point of infrastructuring': the moment at which practitioners become aware of opportunities to (re-)design their infrastructures, usually initiated by breakdowns or the recognition of potential innovations and reconsideration of current infrastructural use. From this point onwards, end users themselves may start configuring, tailoring or developing new conventions until a point has been reached in which a new technology usage has been successfully established. However, points of infrastructuring do not only provoke end-user driven in-situ design (or 'infrastructuring') activities. They also evoke so-called 'resonance activities'. These encompass all of the observations and communications that attend upon a point of infrastructure as it becomes visible within a work environment. Examination of resonance activities can be a starting point for a better understanding of the practitioner's activities beyond single infrastructural changes, providing a way of highlighting the relationship between different points of infrastructuring. How to capture and understand resonance activities and how to design technological support for them is still an open question. Based on previous work outlined in the literature and an empirical study that looked at collaborative appropriation activities (the most important aspect of infrastructuring) during 3D printing processes, we outline the concept of sociable technologies as a technological approach for capturing and supporting resonance activities and thus enabling infrastructuring activities more broadly.

3D printers have become continuously more present and are a perspicuous example of how technologies are becoming more complex and ubiquitous. To some extent, the emerging technological infrastructures around them exemplify ways how digitalization will change production machines and lines, in general, in the Internet of Things (IoT). From an End-User Development perspective, the main question is how users can be supported in managing those complex digital production lines. To reach a better understanding, we carefully analyzed 3D printers as an example of highly digitalized production machines with regard to the creative activities of their users that help them to make these machines work for their practices. In our study of appropriation processes, we are concerned with situational and social aspects of the configuration and practice challenges associated with making digitalization work and how IoT technologies can support these collaborative appropriation activities of end users by making these machines more “sociable.” We therefore conceptualize the idea of “Sociable Technologies” and implement a prototype that provides hardware-integrated affordances for communicating and documenting practices of usage. Based on the findings of our evaluation, we derive lessons learnt when aiming at making complex technologies more usable.

Emergencies such as the 2013 Central European flood or the 2013 typhoon Haiyan in Philippines have shown how citizens can organize themselves and coordinate private relief activities. These activities can be found in (physical) groups of affected people, but also within (digital) social media communities. There is an evident need, however, for a clearer picture of what exactly is going on to be available for use by the official emergency services: to enlist them, to keep them safe, to support their efforts and to avoid needless duplications or conflicts. Aligning emergency services and volunteer activities is, then, crucial. In this paper we present a mobile crowd sensing based concept, which was designed as well as implemented as the application CrowdMonitor and facilitates the detection of physical and digital activities and the assignment of specific tasks to citizens. Finally we outline the findings of its evaluation.

Recent disasters have shown an increase in the significance of social media for both affected citizens and volunteers alike in the coordination of information and organization of relief activities, often independently of and in addition to the official emergency response. Existing research mainly focuses on the way in which individual platforms are used by volunteers in response to disasters. This paper examines the use of social media during the European Floods of 2013 and proposes a novel cross-social-media application for volunteers. Besides comprehensive analysis of volunteer communities, interviews were conducted with "digital volunteers" such as Facebook moderators of disaster-related groups. Based on the challenges identified, we designed and implemented the cross-social-media application "XHELP", which allows information to be both, acquired and distributed cross-media and cross-channel. The evaluation with 20 users leads to further design requirements for applications aiming to support volunteer moderators during disasters.

People all over the world are regularly affected by disasters and emergencies. Besides official emergency services, ordinary citizens are getting increasingly involved in crisis response work. They are usually present on-site at the place of incident and use social media to share information about the event. For emergency services, the large amount of citizen-generated content in social media, however, means that finding high-quality information is similar to “finding a needle in a haystack”. This article presents an approach to how a dynamic and subjective quality assessment of citizen-generated content could support the work of emergency services. First, we present results of our empirical study concerning the usage of citizen-generated content by emergency services. Based on our literature review and empirical study, we derive design guidelines and describe a concept for dynamic quality measurement that is implemented as a service-oriented web-application “Social Haystack.” Finally, we outline findings of its evaluation and implications thereof.

Over the last years, digital fabrication technologies such as 3D printers have become more and more common at universities and small businesses as well as in communities of hobbyist makers. The high complexity of such technologies, the rapid technological progress and the close link between hardware and software in this field poses challenges for users and communites learning how to operate these machines, especially in the contexts of existing (and changing) practices. We present an empirical study on the appropriation of 3D printers in two different communities and derive design implications and challenges for building appropriation infrastructures to help users face those challenges and making technologies more sociable.

Emergencies are characterized by high complexity and unpredictability. In order to assess and manage them successfully, improvisation work and informal communication, even beyond local and organizational boundaries, is needed. Such informal practices can facilitate ad hoc participation of units in situation assessment, but this may lack overall situation awareness. This article presents a study on how emergent “collaboration needs” in current work of response teams located on-site and in the control center could be supported by mobile geo-collaboration systems. First, we present the results of an empirical study about informal work and mobile collaboration practices of emergency services. Then we describe the concept of a mobile geo-collaboration system that addresses the aspects detected in the empirical study and that was implemented as an Android application using web sockets, a technology enabling full-duplex ad hoc communication. Finally, we outline the findings of its evaluation in practice and its implications.