Browsing by Author "Saaty, Morva"

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
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    Chatterbox Opener: A Game to Support Healthy Communication and Relationships
    Wang, Wei-Lu; Haqq, Derek; Saaty, Morva; Cao, Yusheng; Fan, Jixiang; Patel, Jaitun V.; McCrickard, D. Scott (ACM, 2023-10-06)
    Computer Mediation Communication (CMC) applications are utilized to foster closer relationships between individuals. Various shared experience strategy designs were widely applied to technologies in order to enhance communications and interactions in family relationships. However, there needs to be more research on how shared experience approaches work in different family communication patterns. This paper presents insights into the effectiveness of three types of shared experience approaches for different family communication patterns and design considerations for game design from a diary study of Chatterbox Opener, the game we developed for families and couples to enhance communication orientation.
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    Education in HCI Outdoors: A Diary Study Approach
    Fan, Jixiang; Saaty, Morva; McCrickard, D. Scott (ACM, 2024-06-05)
    To assist students and educators in more deeply grasping user technology needs in busy outdoor settings, we recommend using diary study assignments adapted from social science and humancomputer interaction (HCI) research. This suggestion is based on insights that the field of HCI has expanded from computer use in controlled, indoor environments to technology application research in broader contexts, especially outdoor environments, where diary studies yield important insights. This can be seen in areas like social media, augmented reality, citizen science, and geolocationbased games, where it is difficult to understand the user experience for these areas through short-term, controlled exposure. Instead, educators must encourage students to step out of the classroom and into the real world to observe and experience interactions during multiple-use sessions over an extended time period, which offers students in-depth insights into real-world technology use, thereby setting the stage for them to design more human-focused technology applications and services that better meet user needs. This paper explores the utilization of the diary study methodology within the context of HCI education, examining its distinctive benefits and exposing tradeoffs in its challenges. Benefits discussed in the paper include adaptability to a wide array of user needs and circumstances, the capability to yield profound insights into the application of technology in real-world settings, and effectiveness in uncovering privacy concerns in daily life. Concurrently, we identify some practical challenges and introduce targeted strategies for addressing them, such as maintaining consistent student engagement, devising creative approaches for analyzing data, and encouraging deeper reflective practices among students. In so doing, this manuscript seeks to provide actionable guidance for crafting more impactful and immersive HCI educational initiatives through diary study assignments.
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    Fit to Draw: An Elevation of Location-Based Exergames
    Saxena, Roshni; Gaydos, Zachary; Saaty, Morva; Haqq, Derek; Nair, Priyanka; Grutzik, Gary; Wang, Wei Lu; Patel, Jaitun (ACM, 2023-10-06)
    Many location-based games have a multiplayer aspect; however, this is typically inconsequential to the actual gameplay, which is usually geared toward a single-player experience. Thus, we present Fit to Draw, a multiplayer location-based exergame that combines simple picture-guessing gameplay with physical movement. While other location-based games have the gameplay elements tangentially related to physical movement, Fit to Draw requires players to walk outdoors to draw a picture based on a given word. Companion players then guess what other players drew to earn points, providing a multiplayer and social experience that many other location-based games do not have. The goals of Fit to Draw are to motivate users to exercise, enjoy the outdoors, socialize, and have an opportunity to be creative.
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    Griot-Style Methodology: Longitudinal Study of Navigating Design With Unwritten Stories
    Kotut, Lindah; Bhatti, Neelma; Hassan, Taha; Haqq, Derek; Saaty, Morva (ACM, 2024-05-11)
    We describe a seven-year longitudinal study conducted in collaboration with an indigenous community in Kenya. We detail the process of conducting research with an oral community: the deliberate practice of understanding and collecting stories; working with inter-generational community to envision and design technologies that support their ways of storytelling and story preservation; and to infuence the design of other technologies. We chronicle how we contended with translating oral stories with rich metaphors to new mediums, and the dimensions of trust we have established and continue to reinforce. We ofer our griot-style methodology, informed by working with the community and retroftting existing HCI approaches: as an example model of what has worked, and the dimensions of challenges at each stage of the research work. The griot-style methodology has prompted a refection on how we approach research, and present opportunities for other HCI research and practice of handling community stories.
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    Pokémon GO with Social Distancing: Social Media Analysis of Players' Experiences with Location-based Games
    Saaty, Morva; Haqq, Derek; Beyki, Mohammadreza; Hassan, Taha; McCrickard, D. Scott (ACM, 2022-10-29)
    Pokémon GO is a popular location-based mobile game that seeks to inspire players to be more active, socialize physically and virtually, and spend more time outside. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, several game mechanics of Pokémon GO were changed to accommodate socially-distanced play. This research aims to understand the impacts of the pandemic and subsequent game adjustments on user perceptions of the game. We used an exploratory mixed-method approach, a machine learning technique (Latent Dirichlet Allocation) for topic modeling, and thematic analysis for qualitative coding of top-level Reddit comments to identify whether and how the social distancing approach changes the players’ behaviors. The results demonstrate that players were less physically active, less eager to discover, and more interested in remote social practices. We discuss which players leverage social distancing changes and reflect on key game features that provide a better gaming experience in the age of remote play.
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    Toward a Design Theory of Game-Mediated Social Experiences - A Study of Among Us
    Haqq, Derek; Saaty, Morva; Rukaj, Jonathan; Marulkar, Saylee; Israel, Justin; Newton, Emily; Patel, Rudra; Tan, Stephen; McCrickard, D. Scott (ACM, 2021-10-15)
    The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected face-to-face social interaction with and among relational partners - relatives, friends, and others. Prior to the pandemic, many people relied on face-toface social play experiences to help them maintain relationships and satisfy relatedness needs. However, growing coronavirus-related concerns have made such activities unwelcome or inaccessible, leading many to turn to technology-mediated experiences, as a safer alternative means of supporting recreational play with nonproximal relational partners. But how does one design technologymediated recreational play experiences to satisfy a diverse range of user needs, interests, and preferences? To explore this area of interest we study the social experience afforded by the multiplayer game, Among Us. We conduct a diary study with students enrolled in an undergraduate HCI course and report on the findings of a post-study reflective activity. Our findings highlight that casual interdependent games that explicitly and implicitly foster social interaction among players, do provide opportunities for satisfying remote play social experiences when augmented by rich communication technologies.