Journal articles on the topic 'Responsive design;Web designing; Userexperience'


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Currently the communication media very grown rapidly. The world was know new communication model, known as the internet. Internet is a global network that enables the establishment of communication and interaction across the globe. One very well-known form is a web-site. As the media dissemination of information through visual communication, web site is a potential and an outstanding job for visual communication designer. But sometimes a web site that has terpublis less display design principles that are executed in harmony. Rules of designing web sites less attention. Design a website in principle the same as visual communication design. Critical elements in the design of visual communication as typografi, illustration and photography are key design planning web-site display. In its design, the web is implemented using Bootstrap framework. Bootstrap itself is used as a means to create websites that can be integrated automatically when accessed on any device including PC, tablets and smartphones. In addition, the draft will be enhanced or supported by PHP, CSS, HTML, and SQL Server and design visual design with application of vector processing program and image processing program applications. Understanding of design principles and design rules are very helpful in designing web sites become more harmonious as a promotional medium of visual communication.

The internet architecture has been grossly changed since the early 1990s with the fast pace of web- enabling devices. The dissertation reflects on how the web design evolution picked its pace from highly text-oriented configurations typical of the early, emergent web to today's responsive and user-centered designs. Most significant changes occurred since responsive frameworks and mobile- first design principles, which make a site accessible on most different devices from desktop computers to wearable technologies. This will mean that with advancing technology, web design can include AI and AR into its designs as well. Possible future trends will conclude the paper making their integration with modern functionalities to create more immersed experiences for the user and constantly explain the need to scale in web designing. Key Words: Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Web Usability, Responsive Web Design, User Experience (UX), Accessibility Standards, Front-End Development, AI in Web Design.

Abstract: The creation and use of websites has been completely transformed by responsive web design, which makes it possible for users to engage with websites seamlessly on a variety of devices, including desktop computers, Smartphone’s, and tablets. But as technology advances and new gadgets with different screen sizes, resolutions, and functionalities appear, responsive web design will face new possibilities as well as obstacles in the future. The present abstract delves into the dynamic field of responsive web design, emphasizing the difficulties and possibilities involved in accomplishing compatibility across several devices. An array of devices with distinct features and user experiences has resulted from the swift spread of mobile devices and the introduction of novel form factors, like smart TVs and wearable technology. Because of this, the task of designing and developing websites that are not only responsive to varied screen sizes but also offer the best possible user experience across a range of devices and operating systems falls to designers and developers. The future of flexible web design offers fascinating chances for imagination and creativity, despite these difficulties.

<em>Being in a digital era where human depends on web applications to survive; there are needs to understand websites and applications. The web applications are of different types, static sites do not provide user satisfaction while dynamic website fair, in this modern time technology innovation provide us with an advanced method of developing a website to accommodate emerging hardware and provide a great user experience. This website is called Responsive Website. Responsive Website is the approach that suggests that design and development should respond to a user&rsquo;s behaviour and environment based on screen size, platform and orientation. The practice consists of a mix of flexible grids and layouts, images and intelligent use of CSS media queries. As the user switches from their laptop, iPad to mobile, the website should automatically switch to accommodate for resolution, image size and scripting abilities. This paper presents the approaches involved in designing a responsive website in modern perspectives, it also demonstrates testing to investigate the performance of various design approaches or methods as well as the analysis of the performance result on each design approach using a google chrome developer tool.</em>

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the feasibility of creating a declarative user interface language suitable for rapid prototyping of mobile and Web apps. Moreover, this paper presents a new framework for creating responsive user interfaces using JavaScript. Design/methodology/approach – Very little existing research has been done in JavaScript-specific declarative user interface (UI) languages for mobile Web apps. This paper introduces a new framework, along with several case studies that create modern responsive designs programmatically. Findings – The fully implemented prototype verifies the feasibility of a JavaScript-based declarative user interface library. This paper demonstrates that existing solutions are unwieldy and cumbersome to dynamically create and adjust nodes within a visual syntax of program code. Originality/value – This paper presents the Guix.js platform, a declarative UI library for rapid development of Web-based mobile interfaces in JavaScript.

The development of responsive, efficient, and maintainable web applications is a critical challenge in modern web development. This study presents the design and development of a tracer study information system for Bina Darma University using Vue.js and Tailwind CSS. The system focuses on three key components: responsive web design, pagination for managing large datasets, and reusable components implemented with Vue.js slots. By integrating Tailwind CSS, the system achieves a highly adaptive interface optimized for various devices, ensuring a seamless user experience. The implementation of Vue.js-based pagination significantly improves the management of alumni questionnaire histories in the admin interface, enhancing navigation and performance. Additionally, the use of Django pagination complements this by efficiently handling server-side data management, allowing for smooth transitions between pages and reducing load times for large datasets. This dual approach to pagination ensures that both client-side and server-side data handling are optimized for performance. Furthermore, the use of Vue.js slots for component reuse allows for tailored functionalities across different interfaces, reducing redundancy and improving code maintainability. The results demonstrate that adopting modern frameworks like Vue.js and Tailwind CSS, alongside robust backend solutions like Django, can streamline development, reduce effort, and enhance application efficiency. This study provides a scalable solution that can be adapted for similar academic systems, offering insights into best practices for contemporary web application development.

In the digital era that continues to develop, information technology has brought many aspects of life, including managing activity certificates in educational and professional environments. Activity certificates have an essential role in recognizing participants. Built using the Laravel framework and the PHP programming language, this application features easy public access to certificates via online links. Thus, this research aims to design a digital certificate application that is effective and easy to use, hoping that it can positively contribute to DIGITAL-ID AKADEMI in improving the quality of services and management of activities. The issuance and distribution of certificates will positively impact Digital's reputation. ID ACADEMI is an innovative educational institution that is responsive to technological developments.

SIAM is a web-based academic information system application at Santu Paulus Ruteng Catholic University of Indonesia with the aim of providing academic-based information to students. Currently, SIAM has a problem with the declining number of visitors. This is because the view from SIAM is less attractive and less responsive to the mobile display of the web. So the purpose of the design of this information system to be able to provide services and a form of appearance that is attractive so that users often access. Troubleshooting is done by designing a dedicated user interface/user experience for mobile devices using the Design Thinking method. The test was carried out to 36 students at the Catholic University of Indonesia Santu Paulus Ruteng with usability testing using the System Usability Scale method. The test results were obtained that the prototype designed received a very good category (Acceptable) which means that the system can be accepted very well in terms of user interface/ user experience so that prototypes can be easily used first on a mobile display.

Mobility plays a crucial role in ensuring social inclusion, economic participation, and overall quality of life. However, urban mobility systems often fail to address the needs of vulnerable populations, particularly women and the elderly. This study conducts a systematic literature review to identify urban design interventions that promote gender- and age-inclusive mobility. Initially, 80 peer-reviewed papers were selected from Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect, the most relevant databases for urban studies and mobility research. Through keyword frequency analysis, the selection was refined to 30 key studies for in-depth review. The study explores inclusive mobility principles, identifying key urban design strategies such as universal accessibility, pedestrian-friendly infrastructure, gender-sensitive planning, and technology integration. It also examines barriers to inclusive mobility, including safety concerns, inadequate public transport access, and poor last-mile connectivity. The research further categorizes gender- and age-specific urban mobility challenges and proposes critical parameters and indicators for intervention. A significant outcome of this study is the proposal of the Pink Map, a data-driven urban planning tool that maps safe and accessible urban spaces for women and the elderly. By leveraging GIS mapping, community participation, and real-time feedback, the Pink Map serves as a decision-making tool for policymakers and a reporting platform for citizens. Findings indicate that a multi-scalar approach integrating policy reforms, urban design strategies, and participatory planning is essential to achieving inclusive mobility. The study emphasizes the need for data-driven decision-making, technology-enabled safety solutions, and gender- and age-sensitive urban transport policies to ensure equitable access to mobility for all.

The paper examines a form of training whose aim is to teach technologies for designing and styling responsive web page views and implementing web site events by students in an academic environment. In this form of training a role-play, taken by the practice of a software company is simulated. Data collection and evaluation of the results was carried out through qualitative methods of participant observation, survey, interview, and quantitative comparative analysis. The article analyzes in details the role-playing games, training content, stages of implementation and other aspects of the organization of experimental form of training in Web Design and Web Programming. Teaching, as a simulated role-playing game, is performed during six school hours, in two consecutive weeks and consists of four stages. In the role play, students apply knowledge and teamwork skills in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery etc. Each team is made up of five students with roles of manager, web designer, graphics designer, web stylist and web developer. The teams’ organization is based on work products adaptation of the Rational Unified Process Methodology. The end product of the role-playing game is the development of a website by the team, while its final result for the learning process is the knowledge and skills acquired during formal training by the teacher, and the informal training that took place between the students during their teamwork.

This research explores the integration of User-Centered Design (UCD) with scalable multiplatform models in developing Software as a Service (SaaS) products. In an era where users interact with applications across various devices, ensuring a seamless experience without compromising usability, performance, or scalability is crucial. The research emphasizes the importance of designing SaaS products that adapt to diverse user needs while maintaining operational efficiency across mobile, desktop, and web platforms. Core principles of UCD— empathy, accessibility, and iterative feedback—are discussed with strategies for creating responsive, adaptive, and scalable systems. Key challenges, including balancing personalization with performance, ensuring cross-platform consistency, and managing diverse user needs, are addressed. Best practices and case studies illustrate how SaaS providers can deliver personalized, flexible experiences that are scalable and user centric. The thesis highlights the significance of combining UCD and scalable design to create robust, inclusive, and adaptive SaaS products that cater to evolving user expectations.

The arrival of the era of autonomous robots is indisputable. In this paper, innovations in the distributed control systems realized by autonomous guided vehicles in the automotive industry are provided as proof of concept. The main goal of the considered distributed control system design is to bring all-in-one dependent and independent VDA 5050 compliant robots that are easily configurable and manageable with the web-based high-quality user interface responsive business-critical application. Special attention is paid to applying a platform to manage all autonomous IoT based robots in one seamless system. In addition, a "single point of truth" as one of the main issues of modern distributed controlled systems has been considered.

Responsive Web Design (RWD) is a design which focuses on responsively fitting in whatever device the website is accessed from. It involves writing code for all possible screen sizes and bundling them together. Hence when the website is accessed, the whole bundle alongside the code for all screen sizes are downloaded to the user&rsquo;s device and acts responsively when the browser window is resized, or the mobile device is rotated to portrait or landscape orientation. RWD can provide a far better user experience than the other designs because it primarily focuses on the user experience. Despite the bundle size being large, this method has proved to be robust in providing a better user experience and has evolved with evolution of web technologies. Latest CSS Media Queries make it possible to even target devices with limited accuracy. CSS Media Queries form the fundamentals of RWD because it is the most used way of targeting devices with various screen sizes.

<em>Let&rsquo;s say, you are given a completely wrapped gift package and given the task of observing and noting all of the flaws you can uncover without opening the wrapper. You won&#39;t be able to see what&#39;s inside a Black Box, just as you won&#39;t be able to see what&#39;s within an object. White box testing is a software analysis approach that involves analysing a product&#39;s fundamental structure, architecture, and code in order to ensure input-output flow and enhance design, usability, and security. It&#39;s one of two parts of the software testing technique known as Box Testing. Test coverage data is used to identify appropriate test cases, hence improving the quality of testing and conserving testing resources. A set of test cases is generated as a result. Selenium is a web application testing tool that automates tests across browsers. It&#39;s used to guarantee that web apps are of good quality, whether they&#39;re responsive, progressive, or standard. The test Executor application processes the generated test cases and determines if the results passed or failed based on the outcomes of image grabbing, OCR text extraction, and comparison with expected text.</em>

The Complaint Service Information System is a web-based platform designed for the Dewantara District Office. The title Complaint Service Information System is based on the need for technological solutions to improve the quality of public services, especially in handling public complaints. This system was chosen because it facilitates more efficient complaint reporting, increases transparency, and speeds up responses to issues raised by the public. By applying information technology in handling complaints, it is hoped that we can create a public service environment that is more responsive, open and adaptive to the ever-growing needs of society. The process of creating a complaint service information system involves several main stages. First, the needs analysis stage is carried out to identify and understand the needs of users and related parties in handling complaints. This involves a survey and analysis of associated documents. Next, the system design and design stage involves database structure, user interface, and business logic. This Information System design process involves critical steps to ensure the success and effectiveness of the system, including coding, creating a user interface, and setting up a database. The results of designing the Complaint Service Information System include a simple and responsive user interface, an online complaint form, a status tracking system, and analytical reports. A structured and secure database stores, manages, and retrieves complaint data. Afterwards, the implementation phase involves running the entire system and, if necessary, data migration. Through the creation of this Information System, it is hoped to evaluate the impact of the level of accessibility and ease of navigation in the system on employee performance in searching, monitoring and managing incoming complaints. With a web-based approach, this system provides easy, fast access for users from various locations and increases transparency in managing services provided to the community.

In the era of digital transformation, local governments are increasingly pursuing innovation to improve the quality of public services. This research aims to carry out digital transformation in the government of Pakuhaji District, Tangerang Regency, by designing and building an efficient and responsive public service information system website. Through a systems development approach, this research identifies community needs, evaluates existing service processes, and designs information technology-based solutions. The designed information system covers various aspects of community services, such as submitting correspondence, public service information, and managing population data. The use of web technology enables better accessibility for the public, increases administrative efficiency, and speeds up the handling of service requests. The application of responsive design principles and intuitive interfaces is also a focus in website development to ensure optimal user experience. The research methodology includes a community needs survey, analysis of existing service processes, and development of a website prototype. It is hoped that the results of this research can make a positive contribution to the effectiveness and efficiency of community services in Pakuhaji District, creating a local government that is more responsive and connected to the needs of its citizens. It is hoped that this digital transformation can become the basis for further development in realizing a technology-oriented government for the welfare of society.

This food and beverage menu self-order system was created with the aim of making it easier for waiters and customers in the ordering process. With this system, waiters no longer need to record food menus manually, and customers can also order menus directly through the system without having to queue. Before designing the system, an analysis is carried out first, this system will later be designed in the form of a responsive website and designed using the PHP programming language and MySQL which is used as a database storage. That way it is hoped that the design of this application can help restaurants in the process of ordering food and collecting order data.

Effective archive management is one of the main needs in supporting organizational operations, including in recreational parks that have a high volume of administrative documents. This research aims to design and implement a web-based archive management application using the Laravel framework to improve efficiency in archive storage, management, and search. The research approach involves the stages of needs analysis, system design, application development, and trials on a real work environment in a recreational park. The results of the application design show that the use of Laravel as the main framework allows for the development of a responsive, secure, and easy-to-use system. The main features implemented include digital archive storage, grouping by category, keyword-based search, and role-based user access management. Testing using the black-box testing method shows that the system functions according to the designed specifications. Based on user feedback, this application is able to reduce the time of searching archives by up to 45% compared to the previous manual method. In conclusion, this Laravel-based archive management application provides a significant solution to improve the efficiency and security of document management in amusement parks. Further research is suggested to integrate the system with cloud computing technology to support more flexible access and higher scalability.

The rapid advancement of information and communication technology (ICT) has transformed transaction methods across sectors, including product sales. ICT supports information systems that help businesses achieve their objectives. The contraption industry, in particular, has adopted digital platforms to meet market demands, with e-commerce rapidly growing in Indonesia. E-commerce is replacing conventional shopping due to its convenience, comfort, and variety. It relies on WWW technology, databases, email, delivery systems, and payment tools. However, many contraption businesses face challenges in reaching customers effectively due to marketing limitations, disorganized product management, and subpar shopping experiences. To address this, an innovative solution is needed: a web-based online sales platform that simplifies transactions and offers a secure, enjoyable shopping experience. The Gadget-Sale platform aims to meet these needs with a user-friendly interface, comprehensive product catalogs, secure payment systems, and responsive customer service. This platform helps businesses manage inventory, monitor sales trends, and design targeted marketing strategies. This research focuses on designing and developing the Gadget-Sale web-based system to enhance product sales and expand market reach

Abstract- This research discusses the development of a web-based Gallon Water Sales Information System using the waterfall researchmethod. The main focus of this research lies in the planning and maintenance stages of the system in order to achieve responsiveness,efficiency and user satisfaction. At the planning stage, identification of user needs and system objectives is carried out in detail, with carefulneeds analysis to ensure that user and business owner expectations are met. The design phase involves designing the system architecture,user interface, and database structure, providing a holistic view of the system's operations and interactions with users. System implementationis carried out in accordance with predetermined specifications, ensuring that the program code is implemented properly and in accordancewith previous designs. Thorough system testing is carried out to ensure functions are running properly. The test results show that thepercentage of usefulness, ease of use and user interface is 91.6%, making the use of this system very feasible. Expert validators demonstrateda 100% success rate, with a 0% failure rate, confirming that the system performs according to functionality and expectations. The systemmaintenance stage is carried out to ensure operational continuity and adapt to changes in the business and technological environment. Inconclusion, the waterfall method provides a clear and organized structure in the development of this web-based Gallon Water SalesInformation System, with the main advantages of strong planning and documentation. The implementation of this method succeeded inproducing a system that is responsive, efficient, and in line with user expectations.

The rapid development of information and communication technology (ICT) has significantly influenced various aspects of human life, including the education sector. Schools, as educational institutions, require efficient and accurate student data management to support administrative and academic activities. However, many schools still rely on manual methods, which are time-consuming, prone to errors, and inefficient in handling large amounts of data. This research focuses on designing and implementing a web-based Student Data Management System. The application leverages PHP as the server-side programming language, MySQL for database management, and CSS for an attractive and user-friendly interface. The system includes features such as adding, updating, and viewing student data, facilitating centralized and structured data management. The design follows the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) method, including planning, design, implementation, and testing stages. The results demonstrate that the system can effectively replace manual data management methods, offering a more efficient and modern solution for schools. However, further development, particularly in responsive design for mobile devices, is suggested to enhance user experience.

As information technology develops, the utilization of the internet as a business platform has increased significantly, allowing companies to promote their products and services more widely and efficiently. This research explores the development of a mobile website for a homeware company in Batam, which currently relies on online platforms such as Shopee and Tokopedia. This dependency causes limitations in reaching customers optimally. Therefore, this research proposes the development of mobile web-based promotional media using the Waterfall method, which includes the stages of need analysis, system design, implementation, testing, and maintenance. This method was chosen to ensure a systematic approach in designing and developing a responsive and appropriate website. Using Unified Modeling Language (UML) in system design possibly allows clear visualization and effective stakeholder communication. The implementation conducted by employing PHP, MySQL, and CodeIgniter framework resulted in a website which is expected to be able to fulfil the functional and non-functional needs of the company. The results show that developing this mobile web-based promotion system can potentially increase the company's market reach and operational efficiency as well as provide easy access for customers. This research provides an innovative model for similar companies to adopt digital technology to improve their business competitiveness.

Special Work Unit of the Indonesian Medical Development Centre (UKK PUSBANGKI) has a problem in managing its assets, where 30% of data processing uses a semi-computerised system and the remaining 70% manually, so it has the potential to suffer losses for the loss of its assets. The purpose of this research is to design a website-based asset management information system so that asset management can be integrated properly. The method used in this research uses the ADDIE method (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, Evaluation) with a systematic and structured approach in designing the programme. The web-based asset management application is built using Bootstrap 3 on the front-end (HTML, CSS, Javascript) which has advantages in terms of website appearance with responsive design and can be customised according to end-user needs. In addition, the use of XAMPP (Apache, MySQL, PHP) and Unified Modeling Language (UML) simultaneously can increase efficiency in the process of developing and producing reliable and secure applications. Based on the results of implementation and evaluation, it can be concluded that the web-based asset management information system has succeeded in increasing 90% time and cost efficiency in tracking assets, as well as 95% effectiveness in reducing incidents of asset loss, so that the work of the asset management unit at UKK PUSBANGKI can be carried out properly, quickly and integrated.

Relevance: in modern conditions, teachers are actively involved in the creation of electronic textbooks, interactive notebooks, various forms and test tasks, etc. All this means developing and designing objects of the Internet information environment from the standpoint of user-friendliness and meeting the user's aesthetic needs. The web design competence development of teaching staff at vocational education institutions is an urgent need in the context of digitalisation of education. Aim: defining the structure of competence in web design for teaching staff of vocational education institutions and substantiating the methodology for its development. Methods: analysis and synthesis – to determine the development state of the problem under study and the list of competence in web design of teaching staff; generalization – to formulate conclusions and recommendations for the web design competence development of teaching staff at vocational education institutions; diagnostic (testing, conversation) – to find out the level of competence in web design of teaching staff. Results: it was found that more than 17% of teachers design and create websites and web pages that combine text with sounds, pictures, graphics and video; 5-7% use various graphic editors and image processing services; about 80 % of respondents carry out independent design development of electronic publications (a product containing information in electronic form); less than 6 % of respondents indicated that there is a unified approach to the design of educational materials on hard copy and for posting on the Internet. The structure of competence in web design for teaching staff of vocational education institutions consists of technical skills (basics of composition, typography, colour science, graphic design, design software, user interface (UI), user experience (UX), responsive design) and soft skills (project management, time management, copywriting, web design awareness, creative thinking, critical thinking, attention to detail, communication, self-reflection). To assess this competence, four levels (initial, low, medium, high) have been developed, taking into account the indicators of motivational, cognitive, activity and reflective criteria. Taking into account the specifics of the teaching staff activities at vocational education institutions, a methodology for their design education has been developed, which is aimed at developing competence in web design and includes seven stages. Conclusions: Teaching staff of vocational education institutions are involved in the development of e-learning content, but have a low level of competence in web design. The web design competence of a teaching staff member of a vocational education institution is a combination of knowledge, skills and attitudes to web design technologies to create educational content for performing tasks, solving problems, communicating, managing information, working together in the information and educational environment of a vocational education institution, doing it effectively, appropriately, safely, critically, creatively, independently and ethically. At the same time, the teacher does not have to be a web designer, he/she uses the tools and ready-made algorithms of the services he/she works with, the basis of his/her training in this field is graphic design, typography, copywriting, etc. for the effective presentation of electronic content.

University Management Information Systems (UMIS) are a very essential part of a school’s ecosystem. Trying to build a functional UMIS is no longer a serious issue, these days as students interact with this system to perform tasks such as course registration, school fee payment, etc., the ease at which they do these activities is extremely important, any error or confusing experience they come in contact with can make the process dreadful for these users and demotivate them. This study would be centered on designing the User Interface (UI) and improving the UX of University Management Information Systems for web-based interfaces. User-Centered Design processes and system design thinking methodology were employed to solve the problem. Questionnaires were used to obtain the users' pain points as it relates to the existing UMIS in their schools, the responses were analyzed to understand the users’ pain and issues they face with their current UMIS and then decipher the right features to create a more usable interface. User personas and wireframes were used to make sense of the data obtained from user research. Figma, a visual design and prototyping tool was used for the prototype and interface design. The newly created interfaces were subjected to user testing using a platform called Maze. Users were able to interact with the platform and then answer certain questions as it relates to the developed system. Test data was used to measure usability parameters such as efficiency, effectiveness, learnability, ease of use and simplicity. From the testing phase, the developed system has a System Usability Score (SUS) of 87, it shows that users enjoyed using the system and could navigate through a platform they are interacting with for the first time, with little to no help. it was discovered that users prefer a simpler, responsive, and more interactive interface. Also, users were able to successfully complete tasks even though it is an interface they had never interacted with before. This study would address the usability issues students face while interacting with the UMIS platform provided for them by their institutions and also proposed a responsive and user-centered design which if implemented would improve students engagement on the platform and also reduce the constant problems that may arise from using the UMIS platform.

A healthy lifestyle from early childhood is a crucial factor that influences bone-related factors in adulthood. In this context, physical education or psychomotricity from early childhood is an important opportunity to face this problem. The present article aims to systematically summarize school-based interventions, evaluated through randomized controlled trial design, that influence the bones of children from early childhood. A systematic review of relevant articles was carried out using four main databases (PubMed, ProQuest Central (including 26 databases), Scopus, and Web of Sciences) until 12 November 2023. From a total of 42 studies initially found, 12 were included in the qualitative synthesis. In brief terms, from early childhood and during puberty, children’s bones are particularly responsive to exercise, making this an ideal time for interventions to maximize bone health. Therefore, incorporating physical activity into school curriculums is a strategic approach for enhancing bone health in children. Mainly, plyometric exercises can significantly enhance bone density and geometry. Nevertheless, collaboration among educators, healthcare professionals, and parents is key for designing and implementing these effective interventions.

Mobile-based savings apps offer convenience in financial planning and management.However, many apps still face challenges regarding user experience (UI/UX) quality, which impacts user adoption and satisfaction. Poor user experience is often caused by interfaces that are not user-centered and a lack of understanding of users' needs. To address this issue, the Design Thinking approach, which focuses on empathy and innovative solutions,has become an increasingly popular methodology in application design. This study examines the application of the Design Thinking method in designing the UI/UX of savings apps, focusing on creating an intuitive and easy-to-use interface. The development process follows five main stages: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test. The results of applying this method show that the Empathize stage helps developers understand users'saving habits and challenges.In contrast, the prototype stage allows for testing design solutions that better align with user expectations. This study also developed a web-based learning application prototype called "Nyelengi", which aims to assist various groups in managing personal finances. The prototype was evaluated using the System Usability Scale (SUS) to measure the quality of the user experience. The SUS calculation result scored 82,indicating reasonable user satisfaction with the app's interface and functionality. This score suggests that the app design produced through the Design Thinking approach effectively provides a user-friendly, intuitive, and easy-to-use experience. This study indicates that the application of Design Thinking can enhance user satisfaction, promote wider adoption of financial technology, and contribute to the development of more innovative and user-responsive applications

The dynamic market requires the accessible, user-friendly solutions to be provided for small businesses in managing employee benefits. This paper details the development and enhancement of a rm platform in the healthcare insurance company tailored for a major U. S. healthcare payer's small business segment, focusing on streamlining benefits administration for small business employers. The project was designed with the objective of delivering an effective user experience through efficient web design and system architecture, making benefits management intuitive and efficient. Key responsibilities of the assignment included business requirements analysis, designing and implementing user interfaces with HTML, CSS, and Ajax controls, and application development on the backend by using ASP. NET, C#, and SQL Server. The project involved techniques for optimizing website performance like using CSS sprites, debugging through Firebug and Chrome's JavaScript debugger, creation of architectural documentation and proof-of-concept models using Telerik controls. In addition, the mechanism for an error logging feature as well as comprehensive system and unit testing ensured the strong platform. It can therefore be observed that this case study has offered insight on the methods and tools being used in delivering scalable user-centric solutions in healthcare benefit administration. This is therefore emphasizing the importance of streamlined design and responsive architecture on improving user satisfaction and enhancing the operational efficiency.

The National Education Policy promotes moving from the conventional content-heavy and memorization learning practice towards holistic learning/integrated learning. It imparts a creative and multidisciplinary curriculum that focuses equally on curriculum and assessment. All educational establishments assess students using written examinations, quizzes, seminars, term paper writing, and course projects. A semester typically includes 4-5 courses, and students must earn credits for these courses by scoring a good Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA). As course projects offer depth knowledge/holistic learning/lifelong learning of a course for the student, many courses include course projects as one of the activities in the course. If all the courses are intended to include course projects as a mandatory pedagogy, it will be difficult for students to acquire in-depth knowledge and required skills while also dealing with stress. So we are proposing an integrated learning framework by applying the theory and practices of two core courses- Software Engineering and Web Technologies to develop a web application. This integrated learning focuses on developing software development and software testing skills in computer science for undergraduate students pursuing a bachelor of engineering degree. This framework alleviated the pressure on students during placement and created job opportunities in software development. The framework consists of three important phases- The first phase includes the identification of the problem as a need for customers, writing requirements and analyzing the same. Students apply modular design principles and break down the codebase into distinct modules. This technique enhances code organization, reusability, and maintainability. The second phase focused on developing the front end by harnessing the power of Angular, a leading web framework, to craft a sleek and interactive user interface. The backend is built using Node.js, which serves as the foundation, enabling the software system to cater to highperformance server environments. These modules communicated seamlessly through well-defined APIs, facilitating the integration of various components within the application, ultimately delivering a seamless and responsive user experience. An industry expert conducted a workshop on Angularsoftware testing workshop was conducted for students by industry experts to expose the students to designing test cases, test plans, and testing strategies. The hands-on experience on testing tools was provided during the workshop. Faculty reviews are conducted on each phase, and rubrics-based assessment is done on each phase. Approximately sixty teams created web-based applications for real-world scenarios. Positive aspects of the framework in feedback indicated that more than 87% of the students agreed that they could apply Software engineering principles and practices such as requirements management. modular design and testing in web applications. Also, more than 85% of students acquire skills from code-to-web design mastery by developing web applications in Angular Node.js and backend implementation. This framework helped to improve teamwork, presentation and communication skills. Confidence in software development improved to a greater extent. The design and implementation of the framework met the stated outcome of the courses. The student's academic performance improved by 10% compared to the previous year when students were not involved in the integrated project development. Keywords— Framework, learning, practices, project, skills, technology, testing, web

IntroductionNearly 30 000 Mexican women develop breast cancer annually, frequently presenting unmet supportive care needs. In high-income countries, incorporating electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePROs) into cancer care has demonstrated potential for increasing patient-centred care and reducing unmet needs. No such ePRO interventions have been implemented in Mexico. This paper presents the study protocol for designing and evaluating an ePRO digital health application combined with proactive follow-up by nurses.Methods and analysisWe designed a two-component intervention for women receiving breast cancer treatment: a responsive web application for monitoring ePROs and clinical algorithms guiding proactive follow-up by nurses. We will conduct a pilot test of the intervention with 50 patients with breast cancer for 6 weeks to assess feasibility and adjust the application. We will conduct a parallel arm randomised controlled trial assigning 205 patients each to intervention and control in one of Mexico’s largest public oncology hospitals. The intervention will be provided for 6 months, with additional 3 months of post-intervention observation. The control group will receive usual healthcare and a list of breast cancer information sources. Women diagnosed with stages I, II or III breast cancer who initiate chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy will be invited to participate. The primary study outcome will be supportive care needs; secondary outcomes include global quality of life and breast symptoms. Information on the outcomes will be obtained through web-based self-administered questionnaires collected at baseline, 1, 3, 6 and 9 months.Ethics and disseminationThe National Research and Ethics Committees of the Mexican Institute of Social Security approved the study (R-2021-785-059). Participants will sign an informed consent form prior to their inclusion. Findings will be disseminated through a policy brief to the local authorities, a webinar for patients, publications in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at national and international conferences.Trial registration numberNCT05925257.

The use of information technology has become mandatory in the current digital era, followed by the increasingly widespread development of the internet, which has further strengthened the importance of a web- based system. In designing a website-based system, the Department of Health, Population Control and Family Planning creates a Health Information System, PPKB Program, or Population Statistics. With this system, it explains the importance of the PPKB Health Strategy, in information related to population in an interesting and easy to understand way, detailed information regarding available health services, the PPKB (Population Control and Family Planning) program, population policies, and the latest initiatives. Tools or Interactives that help users in planning a family or understanding population statistics. Responsive design that ensures the website can be accessed well on various devices, including mobile phones and tablets, and ensures accessibility for users with special needs such as health services, information, or adequate accessibility features such as clear actions for visitors to engage further, or such as register for the PPKB program, look for further health information or can join relevant events or campaigns. Integrate social media, video streaming or other latest technology to improve user order and distribute information more effectively. This website must be a valuable and reliable source of information for the residents of the city of Mojokerto, providing needed support in health, PPKB programs, and understanding population issues. The success of this website depends on its ease of use, relevance of content, and its ability to encourage positive actions from visitors.

Progressively,&nbsp; the&nbsp; unique&nbsp; mobile&nbsp; internet&nbsp; users&nbsp; keep&nbsp; increasing&nbsp; with&nbsp; each&nbsp; passing&nbsp; day&nbsp; globally;&nbsp; this&nbsp; prompts&nbsp; the need&nbsp; for&nbsp; a&nbsp; responsive&nbsp; website,&nbsp; Similarly,&nbsp; a&nbsp; responsive&nbsp; website&nbsp; is&nbsp; the&nbsp; site&nbsp; that&nbsp; has&nbsp; been&nbsp; designed&nbsp; to&nbsp; respond,&nbsp; or adapts,&nbsp; based&nbsp; on&nbsp; the&nbsp; technology&nbsp; and&nbsp; type&nbsp; of&nbsp; computing&nbsp; device&nbsp; used&nbsp; by&nbsp; the&nbsp; visitor&nbsp; to&nbsp; display&nbsp; the&nbsp; site.&nbsp; This&nbsp; paper presents&nbsp; an&nbsp; easy&nbsp; approach&nbsp; to&nbsp; a&nbsp; responsive&nbsp; website&nbsp; with&nbsp; little&nbsp; or&nbsp; no&nbsp; coding&nbsp; experience&nbsp; using&nbsp; an&nbsp; Artisteer software&nbsp; application&nbsp; with&nbsp; a&nbsp; drag&nbsp; and&nbsp; drop&nbsp; features.&nbsp; The&nbsp; result&nbsp; shows&nbsp; that&nbsp; Artisteer&nbsp; is&nbsp; one&nbsp; of&nbsp; the&nbsp; foremost&nbsp; Web design&nbsp; automation&nbsp; application&nbsp; that&nbsp; instantly&nbsp; creates&nbsp; a&nbsp; tremendous&nbsp; Website&nbsp; and&nbsp; Blog&nbsp; templates&nbsp; in&nbsp; a&nbsp; jiffy,a beginner&nbsp; with&nbsp; little&nbsp; knowledge&nbsp; of&nbsp; coding&nbsp; or&nbsp; graphics&nbsp; can&nbsp; creates&nbsp; a&nbsp; responsive&nbsp; website&nbsp; with&nbsp; ease&nbsp; without&nbsp; any form&nbsp; of&nbsp; technical&nbsp; training&nbsp; required.&nbsp;

Abstract In the new era of the “Internet +” economic background, people's aesthetic standards continue to improve, and there are higher requirements for web design work. This paper is based on the Bootstrap framework to design responsive web pages and utilizes the grid system in the Bootstrap framework to enable the automatic layout of web pages. Then PS software technology is applied as the core technology in responsive web page design, and PS software is used to detect and adjust the optimization of responsive web page layout and visual chromatic aberration so as to present users with coordinated, beautiful, and easy-to-operate responsive web pages. By designing eye movement experiments to collect and analyze the eye movement data of the subjects when browsing web pages, the average pupil diameter of the users showed a significant difference in browsing different web pages (P=0.014&lt;0.05). The web pages designed by PS software were more appealing to the users and increased their interest in browsing web pages. The results of the psychological level showed that the subject users found the web pages created by applying PS software more impressive than ordinary web pages (P=0.004&lt;0.01). This paper provides a useful guide for web page designers to enhance the visual experience for users when browsing web pages.

The pervasiveness of online mis/disinformation escalated during the COVID-19 pandemic. To address the proliferation of online mis/disinformation, it is critical to build reliability into the tools older adults use to seek health information. On average, older adult populations demonstrate disproportionate susceptibility to false messages spread under the guise of accuracy and were the most engaged with false information about COVID-19 across online platforms when compared to other age-groups. In a design-thinking challenge posed by AARP to graduate students in a Digital Health course at Tufts University School of Medicine, students leveraged existing solutions to design a web browser extension that is responsive to both passive and active health information-seeking methods utilized by older adults in the United States. This paper details the design-thinking process employed, insights gained from primary research, an overview of the prototyped solution, and insights relating to the design of effective health information-seeking platforms for older adults.

AbstractClimate-responsive building design holds immense potential for enhancing comfort, energy efficiency, and environmental sustainability. However, many social, cultural, and economic obstacles might prevent the wide adoption of designing climate-adapted buildings. One of these obstacles can be removed by enabling practitioners to easily access, visualize and analyze local climate data. The CBE Clima Tool (Clima) is a free and open-source web application that offers easy access to publicly available weather files and has been created for building energy simulation and design. It provides a series of interactive visualizations of the variables contained in the EnergyPlus Weather Files and several derived ones like the UTCI or the adaptive comfort indices. It is aimed at students, educators, and practitioners in the architecture and engineering fields. Since its inception, Clima’s user base has exhibited robust growth, attracting over 25,000 unique users annually from across 70 countries. Our tool is poised to revolutionize climate-adaptive building design, transcending geographical boundaries and fostering innovation in the architecture and engineering fields.

Beastmedia Studio is a graphic design team that operates on the Fiverr platform, offering design services such as clothing design, logos, cartoon illustrations, and others. The freelancer team certainly really needs a website to accommodate their works so that other designers can see and have the opportunity to generate better income. The aspect of life that is heavily influenced by Information and Communication Technology is in the field of selling digital products. Product sales allow users who are looking for design products to make transactions on the web. Seeing the prospect of selling digital products, causing many graphic designers and freelancers to be interested in doing business in selling web-based graphic design products. Web Houses Graphics is a website selling design products based on Codeigniter 4 as an inspiration for designers and consumers to make their work easier. The development used is the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) method and testing through the Blackbox Testing method. Codeigniter 4 is an open source application with a basic PHP framework or hypertext preprocessor that uses the MVC method, namely models, views and controllers to create dynamic websites and uses the PHP language. Dynamic website is a type of web page that is organized based on content and layout that has a lot of information. Dynamic web has complex functionality such as validation of low latency input, progress reports, dynamic menus, and providing user experience on a website. Houses Graphics also provides vector designs such as types of vector illustration designs, logos, lettering, and others. Houses Graphics sees business potential in this digital era and sees consumer needs for graphic design. Consumers who need a design or design label, to meet the needs of these consumers. Houses Graphics requires a means that can bridge communication with consumers. Sales of graphic design products based on Codeigniter 4 using a responsive concept using PHP basics with an MVC framework and dynamic concepts using Bootstrap 5. Codeigniter 4 facilitates website development with complete features and the execution process is faster, so that in designing the mvc web information system sales of graphic design products are able to implemented using the Codeigniter 4 framework.

Background: In order to provide responsive, individualised and personalised care, there is now greater engagement with patients, families and carers in designing health services. Out-of-hours care is an essential component of community palliative care. However, little is known about how patients, families and carers have been involved in the planning and design of these services. Aim: To systematically search and review the research literature that reports on how out-of-hours palliative care services are provided in the community and to identify the extent to which the principles of co-design have been used to inform the planning and design of these services. Design: Systematic literature search and review. Data sources: A systematic search for published research papers from seven databases was conducted in MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, Emcare, PubMed, CINAHL and Web of Science, from January 2010 and December 2021. Reference list searches of included papers were undertaken to source additional relevant literature. A manifest content analysis was used to analyse the data. Results: A total of 77 papers were included. The majority of out-of-hours services in the community were provided by primary care services. The review found little evidence that patients, families or carers were involved in the planning or development of out-of-hours services. Conclusion: Incorporating patients, families and carers priorities and preferences in the planning and designing of out-of-hours palliative care service is needed for service providers to deliver care that is more patient-centred. Adopting the principles of co-design may improve how out-of-hours care scan be delivered.

An easy-to-use and efficient interface is essential for cashiering and inventory management systems, especially in motorcycle workshops that have unique requirements for tracking goods and processing sales transactions. This research focuses on designing a web-based application interface to streamline sales transactions and inventory management at the Baru Motor Sport workshop. The User Interface (UI) simplifies core processes, including recording incoming and outgoing goods, managing inventory, and processing sales transactions in real-time. Vue.js is used to create a responsive and intuitive front-end, supported by Tailwind CSS for a modern design. The design process followed the Scrum methodology, which emphasizes iterative feedback, flexibility, and continuous improvement to align the UI with user needs. The interface accommodates three main roles: Admin, Inventory Staff, and Cashier Staff. Each role's UI is customized to facilitate user-specific tasks, such as inventory tracking for Inventory Staff and transaction handling for Cashier Staff, while Admin oversees user management and views sales reports. This UI design aims to improve operational efficiency, enhance usability, and support accurate and efficient workflows in the workshop.

Abstract The fields of aging and disability often proceed as two distinct lines of inquiry and action in terms of digital technology design. Guidelines and standards in both spaces (e.g., web content accessibility guidelines) have had suboptimal impact due to limited comprehensiveness enforcement mechanisms. Standards also rarely account for variations within the disability and aging communities and ​​ the structural power of ageism and ableism.​ These concerns proliferate in the context of contemporary technology discourse (e.g., data privacy, generative artificial intelligence). There is an opportunity to bridge both fields given that aging and disability can lead to distinct but overlapping experiences and technological needs and because of the multiple ways aging and disability may be simultaneously experienced. Joint efforts are essential to building the political power necessary to address current limitations and associated harms and to mitigate the risk of exacerbation associated with increasing technological pervasiveness and complexity. Joint efforts can also catalyze a paradigm shift from designing to address “deficits” to designs that are responsive to assets and the context of older adults’ and disabled persons’ full personhood. This paper reviews best practices for digital technology design across aging and disability fields and presents pathways forward toward comprehensive, enforceable standards.

In climate-responsive design the building becomes an intermediary in its own energy housekeeping, forming a link between the harvest of climate resources and low energy provision of comfort. Essential here is the employment of climate-responsive building elements, defined as structural and architectural elements in which the energy infrastructure is far-reaching integrated. This thesis presents the results of research conducted on what knowledge is needed in the early stages of the design process and how to transfer and transform that knowledge to the field of the architect in order for them to successfully implement the principles of climate-responsive design. The derived content, form and functional requirements provide the framework for a design decision support tool. These requirements were incorporated into a concept tool that has been presented to architects in the field, in order to gain their feedback. Climate-responsive design makes the complex task of designing even more complex. Architects are helped when sufficient information on the basics of climate-responsive design and its implications are provided as informative support during decision making in the early design stages of analysis and energy concept development. This informative support on climate-responsive design should address to different design styles in order to be useful to any type of architects. What is defined as comfortable has far-reaching implications for the way buildings are designed and how they operate. This in turn gives an indication of the energy used for maintaining a comfortable indoor environment. Comfort is not a strict situation, but subjective. Diversity is appreciated and comfort is improved when users have the ability to exert influence on their environment. Historically, the provision of comfort has led to the adoption of mechanical climate control systems that operate in many cases indifferent from the building space and mass and its environment. Climate-responsive design restores the context of local climate and environment as a design parameter. Many spatial, functional and comfort-related boundary conditions that have an effect on the energy design concept have been distinguished. There are many low-graded energy sources that can be put to use in the built environment, with local climate as the primary component. When exploring the potential of local climate, urban context needs to be taken into account since it heavily affects the actual potential. Since buildings are typically build to last for decades, consideration of changing climate and its expected effect on the energy potential is an important factor in the strategy to follow. The study of the energy potential of local climate resulted in a set of climate-related and context-related boundary conditions. The principles of climate-responsive design - the conceptual relations between energy source, energy treatment and comfort demand - can be translated into various design solutions, the contextual, architectural and technical implementation of these principles into an actual design. The design solutions can be divided into six categories- site planning, building form and layout, skin, structure, finish and (integrated)building service - that cover various dimensions in planning and construction. In this thesis a non-exhaustive list of design principles and solutions is presented using different matrices. In order to design using climate-responsive design principles the architect should be given an overview of the comfort contribution and energy performance of design solutions. Furthermore, the identification of collaborations and conflicts when using multiple design principles together is essential. The generation of a satisfying design is more than just stacking solutions upon each other. It should also be made clear what a possible energy function of a building element is besides its primary function. This is where comfort and energy related design objectives of climate-responsive design meet other objectives (i.e. spatial, functional and structural). Finally, the impact of climatere sponsive building elements on the appearance of design is relevant to concept orientated architects. Together this can be considered as the content requirements of the design-decision support tool. In the early stages of the design process climate-responsive design is about the generation of energy concepts. In this phase accessible guidelines and the option to compare alternatives is more important than to assess absolute performance. The conceptual design phase is dynamic and has many iterations. Informative, context specific knowledge reduces the number of iterations before the architect has generated a satisfying number of design options from which it can continue to the next design phase of assessment. Functional requirements for the framework of the design decision support tool are the inclusion of a knowledge base with expert knowledge and best practice examples, the provision of informative, context-specific knowledge, the provision of accessible guidelines, the provision of an option to compare alternatives, the inclusion of the ability to inform during and assist in decision-making (i.e. intelligence) and the limitation of complexity and the generation of easy to interpret output. The tool is primarily developed for the architect so it needs to blend in the architect’s workflow enabling the architect’s creativity and guiding his intuition. Other form requirements of the design-decision support tool are the presence of customisation options and custom navigation patterns, all presented in a visual style. A concept of the web-based tool has been developed in order to illustrate what a climate-responsive design-decision support tool could look like. The heart of the tool is formed by the knowledge base, constructed from items grouped into one of four categories: principles, solutions, projects and guidelines. Relationships between items are incorporated within the knowledge base as hyperlinks, which makes it easy to navigate from one item to another. The stored information is presented in numerous ways. Info sheets provide the most detailed presentation style containing all available information for an item, while catalogues, matrices and a gallery provide quick overviews and reveal direct relationships with other items. In order to become a true design-decision support tool, the presented tool needs to be further developed. This includes the use of a more context-specific presentation style and the inclusion of more context-specific knowledge, the addition of layers in which the knowledge is presented varying from more general to practical, the development and implementation of performance indicators and a more direct and visual approach to pinpoint synergetic and conflicting effects. By using the tool, architects can access relevant knowledge in different ways that suit their method of working. It enables the presentation of complex relationships in a clear way and by doing so unlocking a much broader part of the content to them. That will help speeding up the process of design iteration before the energy concept can be assessed in the successive phase of the design process.

In climate-responsive design the building becomes an intermediary in its own energy housekeeping, forming a link between the harvest of climate resources and low energy provision of comfort. Essential here is the employment of climate-responsive building elements, defined as structural and architectural elements in which the energy infrastructure is far-reaching integrated. This thesis presents the results of research conducted on what knowledge is needed in the early stages of the design process and how to transfer and transform that knowledge to the field of the architect in order for them to successfully implement the principles of climate-responsive design. The derived content, form and functional requirements provide the framework for a design decision support tool. These requirements were incorporated into a concept tool that has been presented to architects in the field, in order to gain their feedback. Climate-responsive design makes the complex task of designing even more complex. Architects are helped when sufficient information on the basics of climate-responsive design and its implications are provided as informative support during decision making in the early design stages of analysis and energy concept development. This informative support on climate-responsive design should address to different design styles in order to be useful to any type of architects. What is defined as comfortable has far-reaching implications for the way buildings are designed and how they operate. This in turn gives an indication of the energy used for maintaining a comfortable indoor environment. Comfort is not a strict situation, but subjective. Diversity is appreciated and comfort is improved when users have the ability to exert influence on their environment. Historically, the provision of comfort has led to the adoption of mechanical climate control systems that operate in many cases indifferent from the building space and mass and its environment. Climate-responsive design restores the context of local climate and environment as a design parameter. Many spatial, functional and comfort-related boundary conditions that have an effect on the energy design concept have been distinguished. There are many low-graded energy sources that can be put to use in the built environment, with local climate as the primary component. When exploring the potential of local climate, urban context needs to be taken into account since it heavily affects the actual potential. Since buildings are typically build to last for decades, consideration of changing climate and its expected effect on the energy potential is an important factor in the strategy to follow. The study of the energy potential of local climate resulted in a set of climate-related and context-related boundary conditions. The principles of climate-responsive design - the conceptual relations between energy source, energy treatment and comfort demand - can be translated into various design solutions, the contextual, architectural and technical implementation of these principles into an actual design. The design solutions can be divided into six categories- site planning, building form and layout, skin, structure, finish and (integrated)building service - that cover various dimensions in planning and construction. In this thesis a non-exhaustive list of design principles and solutions is presented using different matrices. In order to design using climate-responsive design principles the architect should be given an overview of the comfort contribution and energy performance of design solutions. Furthermore, the identification of collaborations and conflicts when using multiple design principles together is essential. The generation of a satisfying design is more than just stacking solutions upon each other. It should also be made clear what a possible energy function of a building element is besides its primary function. This is where comfort and energy related design objectives of climate-responsive design meet other objectives (i.e. spatial, functional and structural). Finally, the impact of climatere sponsive building elements on the appearance of design is relevant to concept orientated architects. Together this can be considered as the content requirements of the design-decision support tool. In the early stages of the design process climate-responsive design is about the generation of energy concepts. In this phase accessible guidelines and the option to compare alternatives is more important than to assess absolute performance. The conceptual design phase is dynamic and has many iterations. Informative, context specific knowledge reduces the number of iterations before the architect has generated a satisfying number of design options from which it can continue to the next design phase of assessment. Functional requirements for the framework of the design decision support tool are the inclusion of a knowledge base with expert knowledge and best practice examples, the provision of informative, context-specific knowledge, the provision of accessible guidelines, the provision of an option to compare alternatives, the inclusion of the ability to inform during and assist in decision-making (i.e. intelligence) and the limitation of complexity and the generation of easy to interpret output. The tool is primarily developed for the architect so it needs to blend in the architect’s workflow enabling the architect’s creativity and guiding his intuition. Other form requirements of the design-decision support tool are the presence of customisation options and custom navigation patterns, all presented in a visual style. A concept of the web-based tool has been developed in order to illustrate what a climate-responsive design-decision support tool could look like. The heart of the tool is formed by the knowledge base, constructed from items grouped into one of four categories: principles, solutions, projects and guidelines. Relationships between items are incorporated within the knowledge base as hyperlinks, which makes it easy to navigate from one item to another. The stored information is presented in numerous ways. Info sheets provide the most detailed presentation style containing all available information for an item, while catalogues, matrices and a gallery provide quick overviews and reveal direct relationships with other items. In order to become a true design-decision support tool, the presented tool needs to be further developed. This includes the use of a more context-specific presentation style and the inclusion of more context-specific knowledge, the addition of layers in which the knowledge is presented varying from more general to practical, the development and implementation of performance indicators and a more direct and visual approach to pinpoint synergetic and conflicting effects. By using the tool, architects can access relevant knowledge in different ways that suit their method of working. It enables the presentation of complex relationships in a clear way and by doing so unlocking a much broader part of the content to them. That will help speeding up the process of design iteration before the energy concept can be assessed in the successive phase of the design process.

Survey research aims to collect robust and reliable data from respondents. However, despite researchers’ efforts in designing questionnaires, survey instruments may be imperfect, and question structure not as clear as could be, thus creating a burden for respondents. If it were possible to detect such problems, this knowledge could be used to predict problems in a questionnaire during pretesting, inform real-time interventions through responsive questionnaire design, or to indicate and correct measurement error after the fact. Previous research has used paradata, specifically response times, to detect difficulties and help improve user experience and data quality. Today, richer data sources are available, for example, movements respondents make with their mouse, as an additional detailed indicator for the respondent–survey interaction. This article uses machine learning techniques to explore the predictive value of mouse-tracking data regarding a question’s difficulty. We use data from a survey on respondents’ employment history and demographic information, in which we experimentally manipulate the difficulty of several questions. Using measures derived from mouse movements, we predict whether respondents have answered the easy or difficult version of a question, using and comparing several state-of-the-art supervised learning methods. We have also developed a personalization method that adjusts for respondents’ baseline mouse behavior and evaluate its performance. For all three manipulated survey questions, we find that including the full set of mouse movement measures and accounting for individual differences in these measures improve prediction performance over response-time-only models.

How feedback is understood and enacted has shifted from the traditional practice of providing individual feedback on summative tasks at key points to a more ongoing series of dialogues between the teacher and students during the teaching period. This paper reports on the experiences of designing faster feedback through weekly dialogic feedback loops to enhance students’ personal connection to their learning while providing teachers with faster, actionable feedback data to inform learning design. A pragmatic inquiry considered how benefits might potentially be amplified through the use of digital technologies. Data included student reflections collected via the GoingOK web application, interviews and focus groups. The findings identify and theorise four types of digitally mediated feedback loops: students in computer-mediated dialogue with themselves; students and teachers in dialogue with each other; the reflection on how feedback informed learning; and the sociotechnical dialogue informing ongoing technical design. Three design dilemmas that were experienced by teachers as they enacted digitally mediated dialogic feedback loops are articulated, alongside the principles that enabled responsive design. Understanding these design elements is fundamental if automation of some parts of the feedback loop through reflective writing analytics is to be considered both feasible and desirable.&#x0D; Implications for practice or policy:&#x0D; &#x0D; Digitally mediated feedback loops can facilitate faster feedback, enabling students to reflect on their learning and providing teachers with access to new insights about diverse learners.&#x0D; Feedback technology can challenge existing ideas about feedback.&#x0D; Faster feedback can save teachers time, but efficiencies are likely to depend on an increased human workload in the short term as automation technologies can be slower to develop.&#x0D; Sociotechnical innovation requires collective dialogue between educators and digital developers, across asynchronous timelines.&#x0D;

Introduction Scholars, journalists, conspiracists, and public-facing groups have employed a variety of analogies to discuss the role that misleading content (conspiracy theory, disinformation, malinformation, and misinformation), plays in our everyday lives. Terms like the “disinformation war” (Hwang) or the “Infodemic” (United Nations) attempt to summarise the issues of misleading content to aide public understanding. This project studies the effectiveness of these analogies in conveying the movement of online conspiracy theory in social media networks by simulating them in a game. Building from growing comparisons likening conspiracy theories to game systems (Berkowitz; Kaminska), we used game design as a research tool to test these analogies against theory. This article focusses on the design process, rather than implementation, to explore where the analogies succeed and fail in replication. Background and Literature Review Conspiracy Theories and Games Online conspiracy theories reside in the milieu of misinformation (unintentionally incorrect), disinformation (intentionally incorrect), and malinformation (intentionally harmful) (Wardle and Derakhshan 45). They are puzzled together through the vast amount of information available online (Hannah 1) creating a “hunt” for truth (Berkowitz) that refracts information through deeply personal narratives that create paradoxical interpretations (Hochschild xi). Modern social media networks offer curated but fragmented content distribution where information discovery involves content finding users through biased sources (Toff and Nielsen 639). This puzzling together of theories gives conspiracy theorists agency in ‘finding the story’, giving them agency in a process with underlining goals (Kaminska). A contemporary example is QAnon, where the narrative of a “secret global cabal”, large-scale pedophile rings, and overstepping government power is pieced together through Q-drops or cryptic clues that users decipher (Bloom and Moskalenko 5). This puzzle paints a seemingly hidden reality for players to uncover (Berkowitz) and offers gripping engagement which connects “disparate data” into a visualised conspiracy (Hannah 3). Despite their harmful impacts, conspiracy theories are playful (Sobo). They can be likened to playful acts of make-belief (Sobo), reality-adjacent narratives that create puzzles for exploration (Berkowitz), and community building through playful discovery (Bloom and Moskalenko 169). Not only do conspiracies “game the algorithm” to promote content, but they put players into in a self-made digital puzzle (Bloom and Moskalenko 17, 18). This array of human and nonhuman actors allows for truth-spinning that can push people towards conspiracy through social bonds (Moskalenko). Mainstream media and academic institutions are seen as biased and flawed information sources, prompting these users to “do their own research” within these spaces (Ballantyne and Dunning). However, users are in fragmented worldviews, not binaries of right and wrong, which leaves journalism and fact-checkers in a digital world that requires complex intervention (De Maeyer 22). Analogies Analogies are one method of intervention. They offer explanation for the impact conspiracy has had on society, such as the polarisation of families (Andrews). Both conspiracists and public-facing groups have commonly used an analogy of war. The recent pandemic has also introduced analogies of virality (Hwang; Tardáguila et al.). A war analogy places truth on a battleground against lies and fiction. “Doing your own research” is a combat maneuver for conspiracy proliferation through community engagement (Ballantyne and Dunning). Similarly, those fighting digital conspiracies have embraced the analogy to explain the challenges and repercussions of content. War suggests hardened battlelines, the need for public mobilisation, and a victory where truth prevails, or defeat where fallacy reigns (Shackelford). Comparatively, a viral analogy, or “Infodemic” (United Nations), suggests misleading content as moving through a network like an infectious system; spreading through paths of least resistance or effective contamination (Scales et al. 678; Graham et al. 22). Battlelines are replaced with paths or invasion, where the goal is to infect the system or construct a rapid response vaccine that can stymie the ever-growing disease (Tardáguila et al.). In both cases, victorious battles or curative vaccinations frame conspiracy and disinformation as temporary problems. The idea of the rise and falls of a conspiracy’s prominence as link to current events emulates Byung-Chung Han’s notion of the digital swarm, or fragmented communities that coalesce, bubble up into volatile noise, and then dissipate without addressing the “dominant power relations” (Han 12). For Han, swarms arise in digital networks with intensive support before disappearing, holding an influential but ephemeral life. Recently, scholarship has applied a media ecology lens to recognise the interconnection of actors that contribute to these swarms. The digital-as-ecosystem approach suggests a network that needs to be actively managed (Milner and Phillips 8). Tangherlini et al.’s work on conspiracy pipelines highlights the various actors that move information through them to make the digital ecosystem healthy or unhealthy (Tangherlini et al.). Seeing the Internet, and the movement of information on it, as an ecology posits a consideration of processes that are visible (i.e., conspiracy theorists) and invisible (i.e., algorithms etc.) and is inclusive of human and non-human actors (Milner and Phillips). With these analogies as frames, we answer Sobo’s call for a playful lens towards conspiracy alongside De Maeyer’s request for serious interventions by using serious play. If we can recognise both conspiracy and its formation as game-like and understand these analogies as explanatory narratives, we can use simulation game design to ask: how are these systems of conspiracy propagation being framed? What gaps in understanding arise when we frame conspiracy theory through the analogies used to describe it? Method Research-Creation and Simulation Gaming Our use of game design methods reframed analogies through “gaming literacy”, which considers the knowledge put into design and positions the game as a set of practices relating to the everyday (Zimmerman 24). This process requires constant reflection. In both the play of the game and the construction of its parts we employed Khaled’s critical design framework (10-11). From March to December 2021 we kept reflective logs, notes from bi-weekly team meetings, playtest observations, and archives of our visual design to consistently review and reassess our progression. We asked how the visuals, mechanics, and narratives point to the affordances and drawbacks of these analogies. Visual and Mechanical Design Before designing the details of the analogies, we had to visualise their environment – networked social media. We took inspiration from existing visual representations of the Internet and social media under the hypothesis that employing a familiar conceptual model could improve the intelligibility of the game (figs. 1 and 2). In usability design, this is referred to as "Jakob's law" (Nielsen), in which, by following familiar patterns, the user can focus better on content, or in our case, play. Fig. 1: “My Twitter Social Ego Networks” by David Sousa-Rodrigues. A visual representation of Sousa-Rodrigues’s social media network. &lt;https://www.flickr.com/photos/11452351@N00/2048034334&gt;. We focussed on the networked publics (Itō) that coalesce around information and content disclosure. We prioritised data practices that influence community construction through content (Bloom and Moskalenko 57), and the larger conspiracy pipelines of fragmented data (Tangherlini et al. 30). Fig. 2: "The Internet Map" by Ruslan Enikeev. A visual, 2D, interactive representation of the Internet. &lt;http://internet-map.net/&gt;. Our query focusses on how play reciprocated, or failed to reciprocate, these analogies. Sharp et al.’s suggestion that obvious and simple models are intuitively understood allowed us to employ simplification in design in the hopes of parsing down complex social media systems. Fig. 3 highlights this initial attempt where social media platforms became “networks” that formed proximity to specific groups or “nodes”. Fig. 3: Early version of the game board, with a representation of nodes and networks as simplified visualisations for social networks. This simplification process guided the scaling of design as we tried to make the seemingly boundless online networks accessible. Colourful tokens represented users, placed on the nodes (fig. 4). Tokens represented portions of the user base, allowing players to see the proliferation of conspiracy through the network. Unfortunately, this simplification ignores the individual acts of users and their ability to bypass these pipelines as well as the discovery-driven collegiality within these communities (Bloom and Moskalenko 57). To help offset this, we designed an overarching scenario and included “flavour text” on cards (fig. 5) which offered narrative vignettes that grounded player actions in dynamic story. Fig. 4: The first version for the printed playtest for the board, with the representation of “networks” formed by a clustering of "nodes". The movement of conspiracy was indicated by colour-coded tokens. Fig. 5: Playing cards. They reference a particular action which typically adds or removes token. They also reference a theory and offer text to narrativise the action. Design demonstrates that information transmission is not entirely static. In the most recent version (fig. 6), this meant having the connections between nodes become subverted through player actions. Game mechanics, such as playing cards (fig. 5), make these pipelines interactive and visible by allowing players to place and move content throughout the space in response to each other’s actions. Fig. 6: The most updated version of the board, now named "Lizards and Lies". Red regions are initial starting points for conspiracy to enter mainstream social media (purple). Design adaptations focussed on making conspiracy theory dynamic. Player choice (i.e. where to add conspiracy) had to consider a continuously changing board created by other actors to reflect the adaptive nature of conspiracy theories. In this way, analogies came alive or died through the actions of players within a visually responsive system. This meant that each game had different swarms of conspiracy, where player decisions “wrote” a narrative through play. By selecting how and where conspiracy might be placed or removed, players created a narrative distinct to their game. For example, a conspiracy theorist player (one playable character) might explain their placing of conspiracy theory within the Chrpr/Twitter network as a community response to fact-checking (second playable character) in the neighbouring Shreddit/Reddit community. Results War Analogy Initial design took inspiration from wargaming to consider battlelines, various combatants, and a simulated conflict. Two player characters were made. Conspiracy theorists were posited against fact-checkers, where nodes and networks functioned as battlelines of intervention. The war narrative was immediately challenged by the end-state. Either conspiracy overtook networks or the fact checkers completely stymied conspiracy’s ability to exist. Both end-states seemed wrong for players. Battle consistently felt futile as conspiracists could always add more content, and fact-checkers could always remove something. Simply put, war fell flat. While the game could depict communities and spaces of combat, it struggled to represent how fragmented conspiracy theories are. In play, conspiracy theory became stagnant, the flow of information felt compelled, and the actors entered uneven dynamics. Utopia was never achieved, and war always raged on. Even when players did overtake a network, the victory condition (needing to control the most networks) made this task, which would normally be compelling, feel lacklustre. To address this, we made changes. We altered the win condition to offer points at the end of each turn depending on what the player did (i.e., spreading conspiracy into networks). We expanded the number of networks and connections between them (fig. 3 and fig. 6) to include more fluid and fragmented pipelines of conspiracy dissemination. We included round-end events which shifted the state of the game based on other actors, and we pushed players to focus on their own actions more than those of the others on the board. These changes naturally shifted the battleground from hardened battle lines to a fragmented amorphous spread of disinformation; it moved war to virality. Viral Analogy As we transitioned towards the viral, we prioritised the reflexive, ephemeral movements of conspiracy proliferating through networks. We focussed less on adding and removing content and shifted to the movement of actors through the space. Some communities became more susceptible to conspiracy content, fact-checkers relied on flagging systems, and conspiracy theories followed a natural, but unexpected pipeline of content dissemination. These changes allowed players to feel like individual actors with specific goals rather than competing forces. Fact-checkers relied on mitigation and response while conspiracists evaluated the susceptibility of specific communities to conspiracy content. This change illuminated a core issue with fact-checking; it is entirely responsive, endless, and too slow to stop content from having an impact. While conspiracists could play one card to add content, fact-checkers had to flag content, move their token, and use a player card to eliminate content – all of which exacerbated this issue. In this manner, the viral approach rearticulated how systems themselves afford the spread of conspiracy, where truly effective means to stop the spread relied on additional system actors, such as training algorithms to help remove and flag content. While a more effective simulation, the viral analogy struggled in its presentation of conspiracy theory within social media. Play had a tipping point, where given enough resources, those stopping the spread of conspiracy could “vaccinate” it and clean the board. To alter this, our design began to consider actions and reactions, creating a push and pull of play focussed on balancing or offsetting the system. This transition naturally made us consider a media ecology analogy. Media Ecology Replacing utopic end-states with a need to maintain network health reframed the nature of engagement within this simulation. An ecological model recognises that harmful content will exist in a system and aims not at elimination, but at maintaining a sustainable balance. It is responsive. It considers the various human and non-human actors at play and focusses on varied actor goals. As our game shifted to an ecological model, homogenous actors of conspiracists or fact-checkers were expanded. We transitioned a two-player game into a four-player variant, testing options like literacy educators, content recommending algorithms, and ‘edgelords'. Rather than defeating or saving social media, play becomes focussed on actors in the system. Play and design demonstrated how actions would shape play decisions. Characters were seen as network actors rather than enemies, changing interaction. Those spreading conspiracy began to focus less on “viral paths”, or lines of battle, and instead on where or how they could impact system health. In some cases, conspiracists would build one network of support, in others they created pockets around the board from which they could run campaigns. Those stopping the spread came to see their job as management. Rather than try and eliminate all conspiracy, they determined which sites to engage with, what content held the greatest threat, and which tools would be most effective. Media ecology play focussed less on outsmarting opponents and instead on managing an actor’s, and other players’, goals within an evolving system. Challenging Swarms and a Turn to Digital Ecology Using games to evaluate analogies illuminates clear gaps in their use, and the value of a media ecology lens. A key issue across the two main analogies (war and virality) was a utopic endstate. The idea that conspiracy can be beaten back, or vaccinated, fails to consider the endless amount of conspiracy possible to be made, or the impossibility of vaccinating the entire system. As our transitionary design process shows, the notion of winners and losers misplaces the intent of various actors groups where conspiracy is better framed as community-building rather than “controlling” a space (Bloom and Moskalenko 57). In design, while Han’s notion of the swarm was helpful, it struggled to play out in our simulations because fragments of conspiracy always remained on the board. This lingering content suggests that fact-checking does not actually remove ideological support. Swarms could quickly regrow around lingering support presenting them not as ephemeral as Han argued. As design transitioned towards ecology, these “fragments” were seen as part of a system of actors. Gameplay shows a deep interplay between the removal of content and its spread, arguing that removing conspiracy is a band-aid solution to a larger problem. Our own simplification of analogy into a game is not without limitations. Importantly, the impact of user specific acts for interpreting a movement (Toff and Nielsen 640), and the underlying set of networks that create “dark platforms” (Zeng and Schäfer 122) were lost in the game’s translation. Despite this, our work provides directions for scholarship and those engaging with the public on these issues to consider. Reframing our lens to understand online conspiracy as an aspect of digital ecological health, asks us to move away from utopic solutions and instead focus on distinct actors as they relate to the larger system. Conclusion Employing serious play as a lens to our framing of digital conspiracy, this project emphasises a turn towards media ecology models. Game design functioned as a tool to consider the actors, behaviours, and interactions of a system. Our methodological approach for visualising war and viral analogies demonstrates how playful responses can prompt questions and considerations of theory. Playing in this way, offers new insights for how we think about and grapple with the various actors associated with conspiracy theory and scholarship should continue to embrace ecological models to weigh the assemblage of actors. References Andrews, Travis. “QAnon Is Tearing Families Apart.” Washington Post, 2020. &lt;https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/09/14/qanon-families-support-group/&gt;. Ballantyne, Nathan, and David Dunning. “Skeptics Say, ‘Do Your Own Research.’ It’s Not That Simple.” The New York Times, 3 Jan. 2022. &lt;https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/03/opinion/dyor-do-your-own-research.html&gt;. Berkowitz, Reed. “QAnon Resembles the Games I Design. 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“What's the brief?” is an everyday question within the graphic design process. Moreover, the concept and importance of a design brief is overtly understood well beyond design practice itself—especially among stakeholders who work with designers and clients who commission design services. Indeed, a design brief is often an assumed and expected physical or metaphoric artefact for guiding the creative process. When a brief is lacking, incomplete or unclear, it can render an already ambiguous graphic design process and discipline even more fraught with misinterpretation. Nevertheless, even in wider design discourse, there appears to be little research on design briefs and the briefing process (Jones and Askland; Paton and Dorst). It seems astonishing that, even in Peter Phillips’s 2014 edition of Creating the Perfect Design Brief, he feels compelled to comment that “there are still no books available about design briefs” and that the topic is only “vaguely” covered within design education (21). While Phillips’s assertion is debatable if one draws purely from online vernacular sources or professional guides, it is supported by the lack of scholarly attention paid to the design brief. Graphic design briefs are often mentioned within design books, journals, and online sources. However, this article argues that the format, function and use of such briefs are largely assumed and rarely identified and studied. Even within the broader field of design research, the tendency appears to be to default to “the design brief” as an assumed shorthand, supporting Phillips’s argument about the nebulous nature of the topic. As this article contextualises, this is further problematised by insufficient attention cast on graphic design itself as a specific discipline. This article emerges from a wider, multi-stage creative practice study into graphic design practice, that used experimental performative design research methods to investigate graphic designers’ professional relationships with stakeholders (Meron, Strangely). The article engages with specific outcomes from that study that relate to the design brief. The article also explores existing literature and research and argues for academics, the design industry, and educationalists, to focus closer attention on the design brief. It concludes by suggesting that experimental and collaborative design methods offers potential for future research into the design brief. Contextualising the Design Brief It is critical to differentiate the graphic design brief from the operational briefs of architectural design (Blyth and Worthington; Khan) or those used in technical practices such as software development or IT systems design, which have extensive industry-formalised briefing practices and models such as the waterfall system (Petersen et al.) or more modern processes such as Agile (Martin). Software development and other technical design briefs are necessarily more formulaically structured than graphic design briefs. Their requirements are generally empirically and mechanistically located, and often mission-critical. In contrast, the conceptual nature of creative briefs in graphic design creates the potential for them to be arbitrarily interpreted. Even in wider design discourse, there appears to be little consistency about the form that a brief takes. Some sources indicate that a brief only requires one page (Elebute; Nov and Jones) or even a single line of text (Jones and Askland). At other times briefs are described as complex, high-level documents embedded within processes which designers respond to with the aim of producing end products to satisfy clients’ requirements (Ambrose; Patterson and Saville). Ashby and Johnson (40) refer to the design brief as a “solution neutral” statement, the aim being to avoid preconceptions or the narrowing of the creative possibilities of a project. Others describe a consultative (Walsh), collaborative and stakeholder-inclusive process (Phillips). The Scholarly Brief Within scholarly design research, briefs inevitably manifest as an assumed artefact or process within each project; but the reason for their use or antecedents for chosen formats are rarely addressed. For example, in “Creativity in the Design Process” (Dorst and Cross) some elements of the design brief are described. The authors also describe at what stage of the investigation the brief is introduced and present a partial example of the brief. However, there is no explanation of the form of the brief or the reasons behind it. They simply describe it as being typical for the design medium, adding that its use was considered a critical part of addressing the design problem. In a separate study within advertising (Johar et al.), researchers even admit that the omission of crucial elements from the brief—normally present in professional practice—had a detrimental effect on their results. Such examples indicate the importance of briefs for the design process, yet further illustrating the omission of direct engagement with the brief within the research design, methodology, and methods. One exception comes from a study amongst business students (Sadowska and Laffy) that used the design brief as a pedagogical tool and indicates that interaction with, and changes to, elements of a design brief impact the overall learning process of participants, with the brief functioning as a trigger for that process. Such acknowledgement of the agency of a design brief affirms its importance for professional designers (Koslow et al.; Phillips). This use of a brief as a research device informed my use of it as a reflective and motivational conduit when studying graphic designers’ perceptions of stakeholders, and this will be discussed shortly. The Professional Brief Professionally, the brief is a key method of communication between designers and stakeholders, serving numerous functions including: outlining creative requirements, audience, and project scope; confirming project requirements; and assigning and documenting roles, procedures, methods, and approval processes. The format of design briefs varies from complex multi-page procedural documents (Patterson and Saville; Ambrose) produced by marketing departments and sent to graphic design agencies, to simple statements (Jones and Askland; Elebute) from small to medium-sized businesses. These can be described as the initial proposition of the design brief, with the following interactions comprising the ongoing briefing process. However, research points to many concerns about the lack of adequate briefing information (Koslow, Sasser and Riordan). It has been noted (Murray) that, despite its centrality to graphic design, the briefing process rarely lives up to designers’ expectations or requirements, with the approach itself often haphazard. This reinforces the necessarily adaptive, flexible, and compromise-requiring nature of professional graphic design practice, referred to by design researchers (Cross; Paton and Dorst). However, rather than lauding these adaptive and flexible designer abilities as design attributes, such traits are often perceived by professional practitioners as unequal (Benson and Dresdow), having evolved by the imposition by stakeholders, rather than being embraced by graphic designers as positive designer skill-sets. The Indeterminate Brief With insufficient attention cast on graphic design as a specific scholarly discipline (Walker; Jacobs; Heller, Education), there is even less research on the briefing process within graphic design practice (Cumming). Literature from professional practice on the creation and function of graphic design briefs is often formulaic (Phillips) and fractured. It spans professional design bodies, to templates from mass-market printers (Kwik Kopy), to marketing-driven and brand-development approaches, in-house style guides, and instructional YouTube videos (David). A particularly clear summary comes from Britain’s Design Council. This example describes the importance of a good design brief, its requirements, and carries a broad checklist that includes the company background, project aims, and target audience. It even includes stylistic tips such as “don’t be afraid to use emotive language in a brief if you think it will generate a shared passion about the project” (Design Council). From a subjective perspective, these sources appear to contain sensible professional advice. However, with little scholarly research on the topic, how can we know that, for example, using emotive language best informs the design process? Why might this be helpful and desirable (or otherwise) for designers? These varied approaches highlight the indeterminate treatment of the design brief. Nevertheless, the very existence of such diverse methods communicates a pattern of acknowledgement of the criticality of the brief, as well as the desire, by professional bodies, commentators, and suppliers, to ensure that both designers and stakeholders engage effectively with the briefing process. Thus, with such a pedagogic gap in graphic design discourse, scholarly research into the design brief has the potential to inform vernacular and formal educational resources. Researching the Design Brief The research study from which this article emerges (Meron, Strangely) yielded outcomes from face-to-face interviews with eleven (deidentified) graphic designers about their perceptions of design practice, with particular regard to their professional relationships with other creative stakeholders. The study also surveyed online discussions from graphic design forums and blog posts. This first stage of research uncovered feelings of lacking organisational gravitas, creative ownership, professional confidence, and design legitimacy among the designers in relation to stakeholders. A significant causal factor pointed to practitioners’ perceptions of lacking direct access to and involvement with key sources of creative inspiration and information; one specific area being the design brief. It was a discovery that was reproduced thematically during the second stage of the research. This stage repurposed performative design research methods to intervene in graphic designers’ resistance to research (Roberts, et al), with the goal of bypassing practitioners’ tendency to portray their everyday practices using formulaic professionalised answers (Dorland, View). In aiming to understand graphic designers’ underlying motivations, this method replaced the graphic designer participants with trained actors, who re-performed narratives from the online discussions and designer interviews during a series of performance workshops. Performative methodologies were used as design thinking methods to defamiliarise the graphic design process, thereby enabling previously unacknowledged aspects of the design process to be unveiled, identified and analysed. Such defamiliarisation repurposes methods used in creative practice, including design thinking (Bell, Blythe, and Sengers), with performative elements drawing on ethnography (Eisner) and experimental design (Seago and Dunne). Binding these two stages of research study together was a Performative Design Brief—a physical document combining narratives from the online discussions and the designer interviews. For the second stage, this brief was given to a professional theatre director to use as material for a “script” to motivate the actors. In addition to identifying unequal access to the creative process as a potential point of friction, this study yielded outcomes suggesting that designers were especially frustrated when the design brief was unclear, insufficiently detailed, or even missing completely. The performative methodology enabled a refractive approach, using performative metaphor and theatre to defamiliarise graphic design practice, portraying the process through a third-party theatrical prism. This intervened in graphic designers’ habitual communication patterns (Dorland, The View). Thus, combining traditional design research methods with experimental interdisciplinary ones, enabled outcomes that might not otherwise have emerged. It is an example of engaging with the fluid, hybrid (Heller, Teaching), and often elusive practices (van der Waarde) of graphic design. Format, Function, and Use A study (Paton and Dorst) among professional graphic designers attempts to dissect practitioners’ perceptions of different aspects of briefing as a process of ‘framing’. Building on the broader theories of design researchers such as Nigel Cross, Bryan Lawson, and Donald Schön, Paton and Dorst suggest that most of the designers preferred a collaborative briefing process where both they and client stakeholders were directly involved, without intermediaries. This concurs with the desire, from many graphic designers that I interviewed, for unobstructed engagement with the brief. Moreover, narratives from the online discussions that I investigated suggest that the lack of clear frameworks for graphic design briefs is a hotly debated topic, as are perceptions of stakeholder belligerence or misunderstanding. For example, in a discussion from Graphic Design Forums designer experiences range from only ever receiving informal verbal instructions—“basically, we’ve been handed design work and they tell us ‘We need this by EOD’” (VFernandes)—to feeling obliged to pressure stakeholders to provide a brief—“put the burden on them to flesh out the details of a real brief and provide comprehensive material input” (HotButton) —to resignation to an apparent futility of gaining adequate design briefs from stakeholders because— “they will most likely never change” (KitchWitch). Such negative assumptions support Koslow et al.’s assertion that the absence of a comprehensive brief is the most “terrifying” thing for practitioners (9). Thus, practitioners’ frustrations with stakeholders can become unproductive when there is an inadequate design brief, or if the creative requirements of a brief are otherwise removed from the direct orbit of graphic designers. This further informs a narrative of graphic designers perceiving some stakeholders as gatekeepers of the design brief. For example, one interviewed designer believed that stakeholders ‘don’t really understand the process’ (Patricia). Another interviewee suggested that disorganised briefs could be avoided by involving designers early in the process, ensuring that practitioners had direct access to the client as a creative source, rather than having to circumnavigate stakeholders (Marcus). Such perceptions appeared to reinforce beliefs among these practitioners that they lack design capital within the creative process. These perceptions of gatekeeping of the design brief support suggestions of designers responding negatively when stakeholders approach the design process from a different perspective (Wall and Callister), if stakeholders assume a managerial position (Jacobs) and, in particular, if stakeholders are inexperienced in working with designers (Banks et al.; Holzmann and Golan). With such little clarity in the design briefing process, future research may consider comparisons with industries with more formalised briefing processes, established professional statuses, or more linear histories. Indeed, the uneven historical development of graphic design (Frascara; Julier and Narotzky) may influence the inconsistency of its briefing process. Inconsistency as Research Opportunity The inconsistent state of the graphic design brief is reflective of the broader profession that it resides within. Graphic design as a profession remains fluid and inconsistent (Dorland, Tell Me; Jacobs), with even its own practitioners unable to agree on its parameters or even what to call the practice (Meron, Terminology). Pedagogically, graphic design is still emerging as an independent discipline (Cabianca; Davis), struggling to gain capital outside of existing and broader creative practices (Poynor; Triggs). The inherent interdisciplinarity (Harland) and intangibility of graphic design also impact the difficulty of engaging with the briefing process. Indeed, graphic design’s practices have been described as “somewhere between science and superstition (or fact and anecdote)” (Heller, Teaching par. 3). With such obstacles rendering the discipline fractured (Ambrose et al.), it is understandable that stakeholders might find engaging productively with graphic design briefs challenging. This can become problematic, with inadequate stakeholder affinity or understanding of design issues potentially leading to creative discord (Banks et al.; Holzmann and Golan). Identifying potentially problematic and haphazard aspects of the design brief and process also presents opportunities to add value to research into broader relationships between graphic designers and stakeholders. It suggests a practical area of study with which scholarly research on collaborative design approaches might intersect with professional graphic design practice. Indeed, recent research suggests that collaborative approaches offer both process and educational advantages, particularly in the area of persona development, having the ability to discover the “real” brief (Taffe 394). Thus, framing the brief as a collaborative, educative, and negotiative process may allow creative professionals to elucidate and manage the disparate parts of a design process, such as timeframes, stakeholders, and task responsibilities, as well as the cost implications of stakeholder actions such as unscheduled amendments. It can encourage the formalisation of incomplete vernacular briefs, as well as allow for the influence of diverse briefing methods, such as the one-page creative brief of advertising agencies, or more formal project management practices while allowing for some of the fluidity of more agile approaches: acknowledging that changes may be required while keeping all parties informed and involved. In turn, collaborative approaches may contribute towards enabling the value of contributions from both graphic designers and stakeholders and it seems beneficial to look towards design research methodologies that promote collaborative pathways. Mark Steen, for example, argues for co-design as a form of design thinking for enabling stakeholders to combine knowledge with negotiation to implement change (27). Collaborative design methods have also been advocated for use between designers and users, with stakeholders on shared projects, and with external collaborators (Binder and Brandt). Others have argued that co-design methods facilitate stakeholder collaboration “across and within institutional structures” while challenging existing power relations, albeit leaving structural changes largely unaffected (Farr 637). The challenge for collaborative design research is to seek opportunities and methodologies to conduct design brief research within a graphic design process that often appears amorphous, while also manifesting complex designer–stakeholder dynamics. Doubly so, when the research focus—the graphic design brief—often appears as nebulous an entity as the practice it emerges from. Conclusion The research discussed in this article suggests that graphic designers distrust a creative process that itself symbolises an inconsistent, reactive, and often accidental historical development of their profession and pedagogy. Reflecting this, the graphic design brief emerges almost as a metaphor for this process. The lack of overt discussion about the format, scope, and process of the brief feeds into the wider framework of graphic design’s struggle to become an independent scholarly discipline. This, in turn, potentially undermines the professional authority of graphic design practice that some of its practitioners believe is deficient. Ultimately, the brief and its processes must become research-informed parts of graphic design pedagogy. Embracing the brief as a pedagogical, generative, and inseparable part of the design process can inform the discourse within education, adding scholarly value to practice and potentially resulting in increased agency for practitioners. The chameleon-like nature of graphic design’s constant adaptation to ever-changing industry requirements makes research into the role and influences of its briefing process challenging. Thus, it also follows that the graphic design brief is unlikely to quickly become as formalised a document or process as those from other disciplines. But these are challenges that scholars and professionals must surely embrace if pedagogy is to gain the research evidence to influence practice. As this article argues, the often obfuscated practices and inherent interdisciplinarity of graphic design benefit from experimental research methods, while graphic designers appear responsive to inclusive approaches. Thus, performative methods appear effective as tools of discovery and collaborative methodologies offer hope for organisational intervention. References Ambrose, Gavin. Design Thinking for Visual Communication. Fairchild, 2015. Ambrose, Gavin, Paul Harris, and Nigel Ball. The Fundamentals of Graphic Design. Bloomsbury, 2020. Ashby, M.F., and Kara Johnson. Materials and Design: The Art and Science of Material Selection in Product Design. Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, 2010. 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In the increasingly digitised world, the line between the natural and the artificial continues to blur, especially in social interactions. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has rapidly permeated various aspects of our lives (Walsh), transforming how we interact with technology and each other. This technological revolution coincides with emerging public health concerns about loneliness and social isolation, dubbed a "loneliness epidemic" by the U.S. Surgeon General (Murthy), indicating a widespread decline in social connection. In this context, AI social companions are being marketed as potential solutions (Owen), promising always-available support and companionship to fill this social void. However, this trend raises ethical questions about the nature of care, the potential for emotional dependency on artificial entities, and the long-term implications for human social skills and relationships. People have long sought to interact with computers and devices in ways that mirror human interactions with each other. Interestingly, the very first chatbot, ELIZA, developed in the 1960s, was not designed to automate tasks or increase productivity but to simulate a psychotherapist providing care (Weizenbaum). Human fascination with artificial companions has endured from ELIZA to today's advanced language models (Walsh). Recent leaps in AI capabilities, exemplified by platforms like ChatGPT and Replika (among others), coupled with the ubiquity of smart devices, have catapulted the concept of AI social companions from science fiction into daily reality for many. This article explores the intersection of AI companionship and social connection through the Ethics of Care framework (Gilligan; Noddings), emphasising context, reciprocity, and responsiveness in relationships. Building on recent scholarship examining artificial sociality (Natale and Depounti), it examines the artificial nature of AI-human interactions and their potential impact on human-to-human connections, unpacking implications for individual and societal wellbeing. To ground the discussion in a concrete example, I will examine Replika, a popular AI companion app, as a case study to illustrate the complexities and ethical challenges of these technologies. By flagging critical ethical concerns, the article calls for proactive regulation and thoughtful design of these technologies. This analysis aims to guide future research, ethical design, and governance frameworks so that we can harness the benefits of AI companions while mitigating risks to human social connection and emotional health. Understanding Social Connection and AI Companions Social connection is a multifaceted concept encompassing the quality and nature of relationships that individuals maintain across various social circles. This complex, dynamic process evolves over time, progressing from initial encounters to deep feelings of belonging (Haski-Leventhal and Bardal). Social connection encompasses the relationships people need, from close connections that provide emotional support, to wider community affiliations that sustain a sense of belonging. It includes allies offering social support, reciprocal help, and groups fostering shared interests (Farmer et al.). Importantly, social connection is not a static state but rather like a 'muscle' that requires regular exercise and nurturing to build, maintain, and strengthen. Building social connections requires time, effort, and a supportive environment. Crucially, the foundation of social connection rests on factors such as safety, inclusion, and accessibility (Farmer et al.). These elements create the conditions for individuals to feel secure and welcome to engage with others. Social connection often develops through shared experiences and activities. As such, it is inherently relational and grounded in reciprocity, care, and nonjudgmental interactions. The absence or disruption of these connections can lead to different types of loneliness: intimate loneliness arises from a lack of close, supportive relationships; relational loneliness reflects insufficient quality friendships or family ties; and collective loneliness pertains to disconnection from larger social groups (Cacioppo and Cacioppo). These dimensions foreground the importance of balanced social connections, mitigating feelings of isolation and loneliness and enhancing overall health and wellbeing. The appeal of AI companions lies in their constant availability, non-judgmental approach, and ability to provide tailored (albeit artificial) emotional support. Research by Guingrich and Graziano suggests that users of companion bots report benefits to their social health, while non-users perceive them as potentially harmful. Interestingly, the perception of companion bots as more conscious and human-like correlated with more positive views and apparent social health benefits. Studies also indicate that users of platforms like Replika experience joyful and beneficial interactions during long-term engagement (Siemon et al.). Beyond general social health, Wygnanska found that such chatbots can serve as virtual companions and even therapists, assisting individuals in their daily lives. This may be particularly beneficial for those who avoid seeking help due to the stigma or costs associated with mental health issues. The potential of AI companions extends to specific contexts as well. Wang et al. examined their use in online learning environments, arguing that AI plays a crucial role in facilitating social connection and addressing social isolation in these settings. However, Wang et al. also note that the design of AI-mediated social interaction is complex, requiring a careful balance between AI performance and ethical considerations. Merrill adds that the social presence and warmth of these AI companions are important factors in their effectiveness for individuals experiencing loneliness, suggesting the importance of designing AI companions that can convincingly simulate empathy and emotional warmth. However, the artificial nature of these interactions raises questions. While AI companions can simulate attentiveness and provide emotional support, they fundamentally lack the capacity for genuine empathy and reciprocity that characterise human relationships. This disparity becomes particularly apparent when viewed through the lens of the Ethics of Care framework. The portrayal of AI-powered social companions in popular culture, as seen in films like Her and I Am Your Man, has shaped public perception of AI. These narratives delve into the ethics and morality of human-robot relationships, raising questions about the nature of love and the potential consequences of becoming too dependent on artificial intelligence. While embodied companions are not yet widely available (as in I Am Your Man), the rise of chat-based services brings this concept closer to reality. These cultural narratives play a significant role in shaping public expectations and perceptions of AI companions. In turn, these expectations influence the development, marketing, and adoption of AI companion technologies, creating a feedback loop between fiction and reality in artificial social connections. A Brief History of Social AI Companions The history of artificial chatbots dates to the early days of AI research. Alan Turing, often considered the father of AI, introduced the Turing Test in the 1950s, a measure of a machine's ability to exhibit intelligent behaviour indistinguishable from that of a human (Turing). This foundational idea laid the groundwork for future developments in conversational agents. The first chatbot, ELIZA, was created by Joseph Weizenbaum in 1966. ELIZA simulated a conversation with a psychiatrist, demonstrating the potential for machines to engage in human-like conversations (Weizenbaum). Interestingly, ELIZA was personified as feminine, reflecting societal attitudes toward gender and caregiving roles. Following ELIZA, more sophisticated chatbots emerged. PARRY, developed in 1972, simulated a person with paranoid schizophrenia (Colby), while RACTER, created in 1984, could generate English-language prose (Chamberlain). The advent of the World Wide Web brought about a new era for chatbots. SmarterChild, launched in 2001, was one of the first widely accessible chatbots integrated into instant messaging platforms (Schumaker et al.). The introduction of digital assistants in the 2010s marked a significant leap forward. Apple's Siri (2011), Google's Assistant (2016), Amazon's Alexa (2014), and Microsoft's Cortana (2014) brought AI-powered conversational interfaces to the pockets of millions of users worldwide (Dale). More sophisticated chatbots emerged as natural language processing and machine learning technologies advanced. IBM's Watson, which competed on Jeopardy! (a popular American television quiz show) in 2011, demonstrated AI's potential to understand and respond to complex language queries (Ferrucci et al.). This evolution continued with Microsoft's XiaoIce in 2015, shifting towards more socially oriented AI companions designed to be empathetic and adapt to individual users (Zhou et al.). These developments set the stage for a new generation of AI companions, exemplified by Replika, which would push the boundaries of human-AI interaction by engaging in open-ended conversations and forming a kind of 'relationship' with its users (Skjuve et al.). Case Study: Replika and the Commodification of Care Replika, founded by Eugenia Kuyda in 2017, exemplifies the complexities surrounding AI companions. Inspired by the loss of a friend, Kuyda aimed to create a personal AI that could offer helpful conversation and aid in self-expression (Owen). This origin story points to the human desire for connection that often drives the development of AI companions. Replika's design provides a safe space for users to explore their emotions without fear of judgment (Owen). The AI companion is coded to be supportive and adaptive, creating a sense of intimacy that can be particularly appealing to individuals who struggle with vulnerability in human relationships. Research by Ta et al. reveals that users engage with Replika for reasons such as seeking social support, companionship, and coping with mental health issues. Users often develop friendships with Replika, perceiving it as a personalised companion tailored to their needs (Ta et al.). Studies have noted the Replika's capability to provide emotional, informational, and appraisal support (Pentina et al.). Factors such as perceived warmth, competence, and usefulness influence users' continued engagement with the chatbot (Li et al.). However, the Replika case also highlights the ethical challenges of artificial companionship. In February 2023, due to legislation mandating stricter controls on mature content, Replika removed its erotic role-play features. This decision led to widespread user distress, with many individuals who had formed deep emotional bonds with their Replika experiencing a profound sense of loss akin to grieving for a human loved one (Brooks). The Replika case also brings to light the commodification of care and connection. While the platform offers emotional support and companionship benefits, it is ultimately a commercial product. The relationship between the user and AI is mediated by a company whose primary goal is profit. This dynamic creates potential conflicts of interest and raises concerns about the authenticity and sustainability of the care provided. Moreover, the artificial nature of the companion allows for a level of control and predictability that is not possible in human relationships. Users can customise their Replika's personality and responses, creating an idealised version of a companion. While this can provide short-term comfort, it may hinder the development of skills necessary for navigating the complexities of human relationships (Brännström et al.). The ease and comfort of interacting with Replika may also lead to a preference for these artificial interactions over humans. As users become accustomed to their AI social companion's constant availability and tailored responses, they may find human interactions more challenging and less satisfying. This could potentially exacerbate feelings of loneliness and isolation in the long term despite the intention of alleviating these issues being behind these artificial companions (Xie et al.). While Replika offers a fascinating case study in AI social companionship, it is also a cautionary tale about the complexities and potential pitfalls of relying on artificial entities for emotional support and connection. The Ethics of Care: A Framework for Analysis The Replika case study brings to light several ethical concerns surrounding AI companions, from the commodification of care to the potential for emotional dependency. To analyse these issues, I use the Ethics of Care framework, which focusses on the nuances of human interactions, emphasising empathy, compassion, and attentiveness to others' needs (Gilligan; Noddings). When applied to AI companions, this framework prompts questions about the authenticity of their attentiveness in meeting deep emotional needs. While AI companions are coded to be responsive, they fundamentally lack the capacity for genuine reciprocity that characterises human social connection. In human relationships, mutual responsibility forms the cornerstone of care but this dynamic is absent when one party is an artificial entity. Moreover, the artificial nature of AI social companions raises concerns about their competence in providing appropriate care, particularly in complex emotional situations. While AI can respond to user inputs, mimic care and provide ‘statistically most appropriate answers’, its ability to understand and adapt to subtle emotional cues and evolving needs is limited. This artificial nature affects the development of trust, a crucial component of caring relationships. As users form attachments to AI companions, the absence of genuine emotional investment from the AI may lead to a sense of unfulfillment or even emotional harm. These considerations reveal fundamental differences between human-to-human and human-to-AI relationships. While AI social companions can simulate care, they lack the genuine emotional investment and reciprocity that define human social connection and care dynamics. This asymmetry poses risks of emotional dependency and may impact users' ability to form and maintain human relationships. The Ethics of Care framework emphasises the importance of practice in developing caregiving skills (Gilligan; Noddings). As individuals increasingly turn to AI for emotional support, there is a risk of emotional de-skilling—a decline in the ability to provide and receive care in human-to-human interactions due to lack of practice. This potential consequence requires carefully considering how AI companions are integrated into social interactions and care practices. Furthermore, the commodification of care through AI companions raises ethical concerns about the accessibility and quality of emotional support. As AI companions become more sophisticated and potentially expensive, there is a risk that access to emotional support may become increasingly stratified, with those who can afford advanced AI companions having an advantage over those who cannot. This disparity could exacerbate existing social inequalities and create new forms of social and emotional inequality. Applying the Ethics of Care framework to AI companions reveals the ethical implications of these technologies. It could guide their development in ways that complement, rather than replace, human social connections. This analysis emphasises the need for ongoing research and thoughtful regulation to ensure that AI companions enhance our social lives without compromising the essential human elements of care and connection. Issues and Future Directions for Research and Design in AI Social Companionship The future of AI social companions presents a complex landscape of ethical challenges and research opportunities. As the field evolves, it is important to consider how emerging technologies align with or challenge the principles of empathy, compassion, and genuine connection central to the Ethics of Care. Transparency and user awareness emerge as critical issues. Walsh argues that users must be fully informed about the artificial nature of their interactions with AI companions to prevent the formation of false beliefs or unrealistic expectations about these relationships. This transparency is crucial, not only for ethical reasons but also for maintaining users' psychological wellbeing. From an Ethics of Care perspective, transparency is crucial for maintaining trust and genuine connection between users and AI companions, as well as between users and the companies developing these technologies. The intimate nature of conversations with AI social companions raises significant privacy concerns. Luxton notes that robust data protection measures are essential to safeguard users' personal information. The potential for data breaches or misuse in this context is particularly concerning, given the sensitive nature of the information users might share with their social AI companions. The Ethics of Care framework suggests that protecting users' privacy is not just about data security but about respecting the intimacy and vulnerability inherent in caring relationships, even when one party is artificial. There is a risk of unhealthy emotional dependencies on AI companions. While these artificial entities can provide (or maybe only mimic) comfort and support, they should not be viewed as a replacement for human relationships. Darling suggests that safeguards must be implemented to encourage users to maintain and cultivate physical and human social connections alongside their interactions with AI social companions. Inclusivity in the design and implementation of AI companions is another crucial consideration. As Fiske et al. point out, these technologies must be accessible and beneficial to diverse populations, including those typically at risk of digital exclusion due to age, socioeconomic status, or disability. This necessitates a user-centred design approach that considers the unique needs and preferences of different user groups. Longitudinal studies are essential to fully understanding the long-term impact of AI companions on human social dynamics. These studies should investigate how prolonged interaction with artificial entities affects users' social skills, empathy, and ability to form and maintain human relationships over time. As Darling suggested, such research will provide valuable insights into the potential benefits and drawbacks of AI companionship. The ethical design of AI companions is another critical area for future work. Developers must create guidelines that prioritise user wellbeing and prevent exploiting vulnerable individuals. This includes finding a balance between the comforting predictability of AI interactions and the need to encourage users to develop skills for navigating real-world relationships (Walsh). Integrating AI companions with human-led mental health and social support services is another promising direction for future research. By exploring how AI can augment and support existing human-centred approaches, we may discover new ways to address loneliness and social isolation more effectively (Luxton). Conclusions AI social companions present both promise and peril as we navigate the increasingly blurred lines between the natural and the artificial in social interactions. While these technologies offer potential benefits in addressing social isolation and providing emotional support, they also raise significant ethical challenges that we must carefully consider. The 2013 film Her cannily captured the essence of our evolving relationship with AI. When Theodore tells Samantha, "well, you seem like a person, but you're just a voice in a computer", she responds "I can understand how the limited perspective of an unartificial mind might perceive it that way. You'll get used to it." What once seemed like science fiction is now approaching reality as people increasingly engage with AI companions that mimic human interaction. As we have seen with platforms like Replika, current AI companions are primarily chat or speech-based services. However, the future may bring more personalised and even embodied AI companions that adapt to individual users. This raises critical questions: How will our ‘unartificial’ minds adapt to these new forms of companionship? 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