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This study aimed to assess perceptions on the graphical informational materials designed to help in the fight against COVID-19 in Portugal and Brazil. We assessed the perceptions using an online survey incorporating the AttrakDiff2TM questionnaire. The results show that the perception of risk with relation to the COVID-19 pandemic is high among the respondents, and that they believe that they will have mild symptoms if infected by the virus. The results also show that the materials available in these countries were poorly designed and not effective in promoting adequate behaviour change. These findings can contribute to future design projects whose aim is to design risk communication materials to inform and guide people facing health crisis situations.

Amidst the COVID-19, the use of technology in the learning environment was no longer a matter of choice. Forced by circumstance, educators had to adapt in order to see the academic year through. While for some, already used to an online modality, it was business as always, for others was the start of a journey through unfamiliar territory. This study inserts itself in such context. It presents and discusses results gathered through an online questionnaire about the perceptions and personal experiences of design educators in Higher Education (HE) caught in this move from in-class face-to-face onto online teaching. Objectively, it portrays how this shift impacted their ability to teach, the compromises made or alternatives sought, and views towards a more technologically enabled future in HE. From a more extensive reliance on Learning Management Systems (LMS), changes in the learning environment, and perspectives of near-future uses of Virtual Reality (VR) in distance education, this study covers uses of technology but also the identification of pain points influencing the overall experience, as well as positive perceptions and significant changes made to the learning environment.

Many household products have “hidden hazards”. Also, because of package similarity, people may have difficulty distinguishing chemicals from consumable goods. The incorrect identification of a hazard can result in injuries. Many efforts have been done to improve package warnings, but little is known about the extent that the package’s shape can be used to communicate, in an implicit manner, safety-related messages. This study examined the effect of package’s shape on hazard-related perceptions (i.e., hazardousness and awareness of consequences). Participants observed eight virtual package prototypes of household products grouped into four sets according to their original content’s hazard (i.e., nonhazardous vs. hazardous) and familiarity (i.e., familiar vs. unfamiliar). An uncluttered virtual environment was used to display and interact with the prototypes. Results for familiar and unfamiliar packages differed. For familiar cases, hazardous packages were rated as significantly more hazardous and attained higher awareness of consequence than the nonhazardous ones. For unfamiliar cases, no statistically significant differences were found between hazardous and nonhazardous packages. The implications are two-fold. First, the results suggest people can perceive hazard from the package’ shape, but their perceptions are affected by familiarity. Second, the results suggest the simulator based methodology is feasible for this type of study.

Robots should have characteristics that make the interaction effective and fluent for a successful Human-Robot Interaction (HRI). Since the emotions play a fundamental role in the human interaction process, many robots are introduced facial expressions, speech, body movements, among others to deepen the HRI. This chapter presents the exploration, design, and evaluation of the recognition of emotions displayed by a social robot. Initially, a pre-experiment was done to program the emotions in a virtual prototype. Afterwards, a pilot study and two experiments were conducted by manipulating the robot facial expressions and body movements to evaluate the recognition of the emotions. The results show that joy, surprise, and sadness have higher correct recognition and fear, disgust, and anger reported as lower recognition. Further study is needed regarding body movement and displacement of the robot for disgust, fear, and anger. Moreover, a robot should be introduced in a specific context to increase the recognition of emotions. info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion

O presente trabalho tem como propósito compreender e descrever as contradições que nos levam a questionar o que era a Empresa Brasil de Comunicação (EBC) e o que ela está se tornando após o impeachment de 2016 culminando em um produto audiovisual. Para tanto, buscou-se elucidar as temáticas das Políticas Públicas de Comunicação (PPC) e Comunicação Pública (CP) na EBC e, a partir disso, exprimir a interrelação dos processos comunicativos desta última com as duas primeiras, sem se olvidar como o momento político asseverou críticas de profissionais de renome em pleno exercício da CP. Não esquecendo, também, a problematização acerca das influências do governo de Michel Temer no compromisso social de uma empresa pública federal e se tais atos contrariaram os valores e missão da EBC. Por conseguinte, o presente trabalho propõe a divulgação dos resultados por meio de um produto, especificamente videodocumentário que apresenta as implicações do que se questiona. Tudo o que se expõe ao longo deste se expõe um processo de reflexão e continuidade a partir da interlocução de pesquisadores e espectadores do trabalho, reforçando que cada vez mais é necessário debater PPC e CP e como estas tem papéis fundamentais para o país, para a América Latina e para a sociedade de maneira geral. The purpose of this paper is to understand and describe the contradictions that lead us to question what was the Brazilian Communication Company (BCC) and what it is becoming after the 2016 impeachment culminating in an audiovisual product. Forethere, we need to elucidate the themes of the Public Policies of Communication (PPC) and Public Communication (PC) in the BCC and, after that, express the relation of the communicative processes of those first two, without forgetting how the political moment turn thing less desirable, according well-known professionals of CP. Not forgetting also the problematization of the influences of the government of Michel Temer on the social commitment of a federal public company and if such acts contradicted the values and mission of EBC. Also, the present work proposes the dissemination of results through a product, specifically videocorder that presents the implications of what is questioned. All that is exposed throughout this one exposes a process of reflection and continuity from the interlocution of researchers and spectators of the work, reinforcing that it is increasingly necessary to discuss PPC and CP and how these have fundamental roles for the country, for the Latin America and for society in general. Dissertação (Mestrado)

Interactive walls offer promise for behaviour change due to their ability to engage and maintain the attention and interest of users, in a fun and appealing way. This paper presents an interactive wall designed to promote compliance with World Health Organization’s hand hygiene guidelines and discusses its acceptance and user experience by healthcare workers. Although hand hygiene is considered the most effective method to prevent healthcare-associated infections, compliance rates with hand hygiene guidelines still remain below recommended levels, raising morbidity, deaths and healthcare costs. Thus, keeping healthcare workers motivated and involved in maintaining best hand hygiene practices is at the heart of this problem. The study was conducted at a Portuguese hospital and pre- and post-intervention data was collected. Preliminary results gathered about risk perceptions, consequences of non-compliance with hand hygiene guidelines and user experience, suggest that a solution like this, which is based on prospective memory and disgust emotions, triggered by visual reminders, easy to learn and use, and involving gesture-based interaction, can be a good approach to complement existing initiatives to improve compliance with hand hygiene guidelines in hospital settings.

Robots are found to be good, capable and trustworthy companions in various areas, including high-risk situations or emergencies, but some limitations regarding their acceptance have been reported. Amongst other aspects of the Human-Robot Interaction, trust in the robot has been considered as a main indicator of acceptance. Thus, to investigate the dynamics of human-robot acceptance, this study used a virtual reality simulation of an emergency egress to assess the influence of the robot’s appearance on trust. In particular, we were interested in examining the influence of the eyes in the robot on the participants’ decision to follow it to the exit. Since the type of interaction scenario is also a factor with an impact on trust, two environmental affordance conditions (favourable vs. unfavourable) were tested because of their well-established impact on wayfinding decisions. The results show the participants trusted the robot and followed it to the exit but, although the results favour the robot with eyes, no statistically significant differences were found in either environmental affordance. Moreover, despite perceiving the robot as machinelike and artificial, the majority of the participants felt compelled to follow it, also considering it friendly, kind, pleasant, nice, competent, knowledgeable, responsible, intelligent and sensible. Regardless of the existence of eyes, the service robot tested seems to be a promising solution for emergency egress situations in complex buildings.

Hand hygiene has been recognized over the past two decades as the most effective method of preventing healthcare-associated infections, which are responsible for increased morbidity, mortality and costs of healthcare per year, worldwide. Although hand hygiene practice is considered critical, compliance with the “Five Moments for Hand Hygiene”, proposed by the World Health Organization, is still considerably below the expected rate. Thus, keeping healthcare workers motivated and engaged in maintaining the best hand hygiene practices remains a challenge for the community. Based on previous cases suggesting a good potential of games for achieving behavioural changes in various health domains, this paper reports the creation of Personas for the development of a Serious Games aiming to promote hand hygiene in a hospital context. This is part of the knowledge/information and ideation phases (user research), which involved data collection and interaction with healthcare workers; i.e., physicians, nurses, technicians and medical auxiliaries from a hospital in Lisbon area.

Several areas, such as evidence-based healthcare design, salutogenic architecture and environmental psychology, agree with the importance of the built environment (e.g., space, equipment and environmental variables) in the patients’ healing process. Poor quality sensorial stimuli appears to increase psychological distress and, indirectly, be linked to negative implications for patients’ and workers’ health and well-being. These factors have been also associated with poor judgment regarding hospitals’ overall quality, which continue to be perceived as inhuman and stressful places. A systematic literature review on the topic revealed either a gap regarding the consideration of human senses in the design process or a poor understanding of its complexity and richness. This article explores the sensory dimension of healthcare environments, from the synaesthetic design perspective. This approach considers the entire phenomenology of human perception; Specifically, we intend to discuss the potential of sensory interactions between sensations, found to affect the general condition of well-being, for the conceptualization and development of sensory based solutions for healthcare environments. Research issues and challenges in the design of healthcare environments will be highlighted.

Aim: This paper describes the design and rationale of multicenter practice-based research that aims to develop and evaluate an innovative mobile health (mHealth) intervention programme directed to promote healthy behaviours and prevent adolescent obesity. Design: This study is designed as a non-randomized controlled trial with a three-arm structure. Methods: Twelve to 16 years old participants will be recruited from schools, with access to the Internet and smartphone/tablet devices. The intervention group will be invited to engage in the TeenPower mHealth programme and divided into two subgroups: Group A (additionally engaged in a structured school-based intervention programme) and Group B (only engaged in the mHealth programme). The mHealth app includes educational resources, self-monitoring, social support, interactive training modules and motivational tools. The control group will only follow the structured school-based intervention programme. The intervention length will be 3 months, including the direct support of an interdisciplinary team (nursing, nutrition, sports, psychology, among others). This research was approved and funded in August 2017. Discussion: The positive evaluation of the intervention programme will stimulate the inclusion of technologies in the promotion of salutogenic behaviours and obesity prevention. Impact: Adolescent obesity reached epidemic proportions. It is urgent to find effective prevention strategies to induce change at the individual, family and community level. If effective, this protocol can be used by health and exercise professionals in improving community interventions tailored to teenagers.

Recent studies have highlighted Virtual Environments (VEs) as feasible tools for conducting safety sign research. Conversely, guidelines on how to conduct such studies with workplace safety signs and older workers, is scarce. The nature of this study is justified by the fact that, as workers grow older, their ability to comply with such signs is adversely affected by age-related deficits. Therefore, the present pilot study sought to assess the quality of a VE prototype that was specifically designed to conduct safety sign research with middle-aged working adults (50-65 yrs). Using a work-related context, and a sample of twelve workers, the study consisted of two key moments: 1) to examine the workers’ interaction, by evaluating their behavioral compliance; and 2) to analyze their overall user experience, by assessing their subjective perceptions. In order to undergo such an evaluation, the following VE interaction issues were addressed: simulator sickness, sense of presence, level of engagement and hazard perception. Both behavioral and subjective data were gathered from three sources: observation, post-hoc questionnaires, and semi-structured interviews. Results reveal that: 1) the VE's workplace safety signs were ineffective in promoting behavioral compliance; and 2) despite the occurrence of some simulator sickness, overall, participants had high levels of presence and engagement, as well as correctly perceived the VE's hazard. In conclusion, the VE prototype proved to be adequate for the study's purpose.

To develop products for young children is a real challenge because they have very diverse physical and psychological characteristics, which are in constant change. Therefore, designing a safety warning adequate to their comprehension abilities, which is able to have a truly impact on their behavior, becomes a great challenge. Accidents with children are a world global concern, because these are one of the principal causes of death in this age group. The main types of accidents with children, and the biggest concern, are traffic accidents, drowning, burns, falls and poisoning. Because children in their day-to-day activities are exposed to a large number of toxic products, resulting in accidents, in this study the focus is the design of a warning for poisoning hazard targeting children from 9 to 12 years old. Contrary to what happens for adults, few studies exist that give guidelines on how to develop warnings, or other safety-related communication materials, for young children. After a review of the current warnings for poisoning hazard, a set of 4 focus group sessions with 20 children was conducted. We intended to understand how children can interpret the current warnings and also which are the principal characteristics that children search for in a warning in order to interpret it correctly. Results indicate that the current warnings for poisoning may not be appropriate for young children since a reduced number of children specified the correct meaning of existing warnings. Some guidelines for designing new poisoning warnings are provided.

This pilot study aimed to evaluate the viability of using a Virtual Environment (VE) prototype for conducting research regarding technology-based safety signs, i.e., Augmented Reality (AR) warnings. Using a complex work-related context (comprised of two hazardous situations with distinct salience levels) and a sample of 12 workers (27–60 years), the study’s objectives were to assess: the AR safety signs’ effectiveness in enhancing hazard-risk behaviors and promoting behavioral compliance; as well as the participants’ overall user experience. To undergo such an evaluation, the following issues were addressed: simulator sickness; level of presence; hazard and safety sign perception; and overall usability. Results reveal that: the AR warnings were effective in identifying hazards and in prompting compliant behaviors; and despite slight simulator sickness, participants were highly engaged, as well as adequately perceived both hazards and warnings. Thus, the VE prototype proved to be adequate for safety sign research regarding AR warnings.

This exploratory research compared participants’ (N=60) perception of several aspects and preference of two animation-based warnings which differ on the finale (dramatic versus humoristic). The warnings’ purpose is to alert to the hazard of falling onto the train tracks when standing near the edge of the platform, at a subway station. The main difference between both finales rests on how the consequences of the fall are depicted. In the dramatic finale, the main character is ‘sacrificed’; he/she suffers severe or deadly injuries (blood). In the humoristic one, the main character survives the crash and is seen sliding down the front screen with a silly expression on its face. The dramatic finale was the most preferred. The warning with the dramatic finale received significantly higher ratings than the one with the humoristic finale regarding attention capture, understandability, explicitness and the inverse for willingness to comply. No statistically significant differences were found for risky behavior, hazard perception, injury likelihood and severity. Implications for the design of animation-based warnings are discussed.

This research carried out comprehension testing on a set of symbol-based safety signs using three diverse groups of participants that included adult workers, college students and persons afflicted with cerebral palsy. Few studies have examined “differently abled” populations with respect to safety signs. Open comprehension testing of a set of 17 ISO (International Organization for Standardization) symbol-based safety signs was carried out using ISO 9186 criteria. The intended message for each safety sign was conveyed via two components, a graphical symbol and a surrounding shape–color background. Results showed that most of the signs were not well understood. In some cases, participants were able to correctly understand the meaning of the symbol, but failed to understand the meaning of the shape–color code or vice versa. In general, the adult workers and college students achieved higher comprehension scores than individuals with cerebral palsy. Despite the lower scores obtained by the cerebral palsy group, the pattern of comprehension levels for the “good” and “bad” signs were similar across the three groups. Other findings included statistically significant associations between comprehension and the individual/experience variables (e.g., age, gender, and have a driver’s license). Issues associated with categorizing participant responses, including the use of criteria for separately evaluating the meaning of the symbols and color–shape codes, are discussed.

Educação em Design, em Portugal; Design Básico; Realidade Virtual Enquadrado numa investigação que incide no mapeamento do Design Básico no Ensino Superior português, este estudo procura a sua presença e linha evolutiva, num instituto pioneiro do ensino do Design em Portugal, o IADE. Apesar das diferentes expressões e formatos que adquire ao longo de meio século de existência do Instituto, o Design Básico persiste, disponibilizando-se à inovação, nomeadamente, por via do potencial contributo das ferramentas pedagógicas baseadas na Realidade Virtual.

A successful Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) depends on the empathy that the robot has the capability of instantiating on the user, namely through the expression of emotions. In this pilot study, we examined the recognition of emotions being expressed by a service robot in a virtual environment (VE), by university students. The VE was a corridor, neutral in terms of context of use. The robot’s facial expressions, body movements, and displacement were manipulated to express eight basic emotions. Results showed that participants had difficulties in recognizing the emotions (33% of success). Also, results suggested that the participants established empathy with the robot. Further work is needed to improve the emotional expression of this robot, which aims to interact with hospitalized children.