Andrea Crosser’s research while affiliated with University of Houston - Clear Lake and other places

This paper is a culmination of a three-phased research project which examined the lack of usability and effectiveness of wayfinding in complex, multi-building hospitals. Researchers evaluated multiple interfaces, such as wayfinding kiosks and mobile applications, using various human factors methods. Results indicate that this problem is multi-faceted and wayfinding solutions must consider the other available aids in the environment. Incorporation of user centered design principles and requirements for the inclusion of end users in the development of wayfinding aids are needed. Beyond usability, the key learning is that wayfinding systems cannot be created in a vacuum, rather the interfaces, the placement of signage and systems, and the environment of the hospital must be considered. The wayfinding kiosk and application information should complement environmental information such as color coding, graphics, landmarks, room and elevator labeling and signage. To this end, we have included design guidelines to aid in successful wayfinding.

Technological advances and decreases in cost have allowed eye trackers to become available to a wider range of industries. This research sought to examine the accuracy of a mid-range eye tracker while viewing small and large targets on two static mounts. Total dwell time was collected for 16 participants with the tripod-mount and laptop-mount. The results indicated that the size of the target significantly affects the accuracy, however the type of mount did not affect the accuracy. The findings indicate that either mount type can be used as long as defined Areas of Interest (AOI) are large enough for successful detection.

This research examined the usability and effectiveness of wayfinding in multiple large, complex, multi-building hospitals. The initial research explored three large hospitals’ touchscreen wayfinding interfaces. Errors and issues consistently observed were organized and developed into heuristics and design recommendations. In phase two, a promising mobile application was chosen and both a heuristic analysis and an onsite test of effectiveness were conducted by four researchers. Though the application met many requirements and solved many issues from phase one, it did not meet the expectation of real time navigation. For phase three we chose an app that provided real time navigation and conducted a usability test onsite. Results indicate that this problem is multi-faceted and wayfinding solutions must consider the other available aids in the environment. Incorporation of user centered design principles and requiring the evaluations of users in the development of wayfinding aids are needed. Beyond usability, the key learning is that the wayfinding systems cannot be created in a vacuum, rather the interfaces, the placement of the wayfinding system and the environment of the hospital must be considered. The wayfinding kiosk or app information should complement the environmental information such as color coding, landmarks, room and elevator labeling and signage.

This paper is part of a larger body of work researching wayfinding systems in large, complex, hospital environments. The focus of this second phase of research was to discover usability issues that impact the effectiveness of a mobile wayfinding application used by a large multi-building hospital complex, as well as provide informed recommendations to enhance users’ navigation performance. Four researchers conducted a heuristic analysis composed of twenty dimensions across six categories including language, effectiveness of wayfinding instructions, consistency between the environment and application, interface interaction, accessibility and cognitive workload. Primary recommendations consisted of adding a universal search option, orienting navigation cues to user view, and providing assistance to find a help desk. Results from this paper will provide a guideline for the development of mobile wayfinding applications for large hospitals and similar settings.

The integration of interactive wayfinding systems, alongside traditional signage and static map displays, has become an increasing trend in hospitals. These systems are aimed at increasing convenience for visitors while lessening the burden on employees often tasked with helping visitors get to their destination. However, in order for an interactive system to be useful, it should first be usable, with a design tailored to the users’ needs, expectations and cognitive abilities. Previous research has demonstrated that users often experience difficulties with these systems, hindering rather than enhancing their ability to get where they need to go. The current research assessed the usability and effectiveness of the interactive wayfinding system at a large hospital complex in Houston, Texas. Issues that participants consistently faced when given various tasks were organized and later developed into suggestions for system design, such as organizing information effectively, reducing memory overload, and allowing the user to control their interaction pace when given automated information. Recommendations from this study, as a piece of a larger body of work, aim to inform future designs of interactive wayfinding interfaces in numerous multi-building, complex environments.

This research began with an examination of the usability and effectiveness of three large hospitals’ interactive touchscreen, wayfinding interfaces. Participants were recruited onsite from each of three major hospitals and completed various tasks using the wayfinding display in their hospital. Errors and issues consistently observed were organized and developed into insights and recommendations to aid in future design. We found basic heuristics, such as classifying information according to user expectations, including a universal search, minimizing unnecessary on-screen information, adhering to platform standards, presenting visual aids effectively, and orienting navigation information effectively were often overlooked. However, the biggest takeaway was that the mismatch between the system and the environment created the most difficult obstacle to wayfinding success in these complex environments. Our next steps will be analyzing wayfinding apps in hospital environments. Results from these studies will be used to develop design guidelines. These guidelines will recommend a more holistic approach when iterating and creating wayfinding interfaces within the complex environment of large multi-building hospitals.

This research examined the usability and effectiveness of three large hospitals’ wayfinding interfaces. Participants recruited from three hospitals completed various tasks using the wayfinding interface. Errors and issues consistently observed were organized and developed into insights and recommendations, such as classifying information according to user expectations, including a universal search, minimizing unnecessary on-screen information, adhering to platform standards, presenting visual aids effectively, orienting navigation information effectively, and providing relevant environmental cues. Results from this paper will help inform researchers and designers to develop necessary guidelines when creating and iterating wayfinding interfaces, both in large multi-building hospitals and similar settings.

The integration of interactive wayfinding systems, alongside traditional signage and static map displays, has become an increasing trend in hospitals. These systems are aimed at increasing convenience for visitors while lessening the burden on employees often tasked with helping visitors get to their destination. However, in order for an interactive system to be useful, it should first be usable, with a design tailored to the users’ needs, expectations and cognitive abilities. Previous research has demonstrated that users often experience difficulties with these systems, hindering rather than enhancing their ability to get where they need to go. The current research assessed the usability and effectiveness of the interactive wayfinding system at a large hospital complex in Houston, Texas. Issues that participants consistently faced when given various tasks were organized and later developed into suggestions for system design, such as organizing information effectively, reducing memory overload, and allowing the user to control their pace when given automated information. Recommendations from this study, as a piece of a larger body of work (to be presented at the International HFES Annual Meeting) aim to inform future designs of interactive wayfinding interfaces in numerous settings from hospitals to airports to malls and beyond.