Modelling User Needs:Students as Enterprise Analysts

We illustrate a case study,where students designed enterprise architectures,that were not only welcome but successfully implemented.The success key was threefold.First the analysis framework,that integrates all the aspects of the systems that are relevant to users,namely user interface,rules,and information.Second,the analysis approach,that guides,trough confirmatory sessions,to elicit real requirements from users.Third,the model-to-model transformation,that assures consistency from the highest aggregate abstraction down to an executable model.

A study of changing information needs of contemporary public library users in China

Public libraries should be vigilant and responsive to the ever changing information needs of their clientele functioning in a society undergoing through rapid change due to technological innovations. China is currently experiencing a social and technological transformation of great magnitude in terms of metamorphosing itself from a traditional society to one that is driven by information technologies. Our research study, taking this proposition into account, did a questionnaire survey on 954 library information users at five major public libraries. This research study has discovered that the information needs of public library users today reflect some of the peculiar characteristics of their society in changing times which is driven largely by the rapid development and application of new information technologies. It shows that there is a newly added demand emphasis on certain categories of library resources and services by the Chinese reading public. Our research findings have identified such needs basically in the following five functional areas of public libraries, namely, 1) Increased demands for economic resources, 2) rising expectations for more effective and efficient library services, 3) a convenient location and an amicable environment congenial to learning, 4) a suitable place for engaging in intellectual dialogues and in socialization, and 5) a few other technological amenities and information technology-based digital resources and facilities in addition to a rich repository of library materials in print format. Finally, our paper concludes its discussion with a few observation remarks about the changing trend of public libraries' visions, missions and operations vis-à-vis a contextual background of the ever heightened public expectations for getting quality information services in a timely manner in order for them to function effectively in an information-oriented society such as that of ours today.

Customization Product Design Based on User's Emotion and Needs

The paper presents a design method that ensures the ingenuity of the product form as well as the whole and exact expression of user’s needs. The key idea is to establish an automatic design system which can transform the user’s language needs into the product features in real-time. A rifle was taken as a research instance and soldiers were chosen as evaluation customers. The theory of fuzzy set and semantic difference are adopted to evaluate the relationship between user’s needs and product features as well as their alternatives. FAHP (fuzzy analytic hierarchy process) is utilized to judge the user’s satisfactory forms. This method can also be applied to other product form designs.

Design and Application of Coordinator App Based on Needs Survey

The clothing industry is booming,and clothing prices are more affordable today.People's requirements for clothing are no longer limited to the question of enough clothing to wear.In order to solve the main problem that consumers have a lot of clothes but don't know how to match and look good,this article aims to design a matchmaker application(app)-Coordinator app.Through analyzing the current situation of existing apparel matching apps and typical case,the paper summarizes the existing clothing,the advantages and disadvantages of matching apps,and the combine with user needs survey feedback,to design the main four modules required by the Coordinator app which are elaborated and displayed separately.

Residential Revitalization through the Universal Heuristic Evaluation Model （UHEM）

The study aims to propose using a universal heuristic evaluation model （UHEM） to improve the functional and physical performance of residential buildings. Since, ＂everyone should be able to enter and use any part of the built environment as independently and naturally as possible＂, the old buildings should be revitalized with respect to an inclusive approach. However, research on current design practice showed that there is a lack of systematic evaluation and revitalization methods. Hence, the main objective of the proposed UHEM model is to evaluate existing residential environments and requalify them with respect to an inclusive approach. The study concludes by highlighting the importance of UHEM from two points of view： （i） the importance of a systematic evaluation approach to effectively deal with the challenge of requalifying the residential environments and （ii） the designers＇ key role during the revitalization process.

Communicating Uncertainty in Climate Information for China: Recommendations and Lessons Learned for Climate Services

Uncertainty is an inherent characteristic of climate forecasts and projections. While there is an expanding body of international research on identifying what climate information users need to know about uncertainty, and how this should be communicated, very little of this has been conducted in a Chinese cultural context. In this paper, we report on the findings of interviews with climate experts(n = 28) and(potential) users of climate information in China(n =18) at seasonal and multidecadal timescales, with the objective of addressing the following research questions:(1)What information about uncertainty in climate forecasts and projections is currently provided to users in China?(2)What do climate experts believe that users need to know about uncertainty?(3) What information about uncertainty would(potential) users like to receive?(4) What challenges do providers and users perceive with respect to the communication of uncertainty? We find that while seasonal forecasts are predominantly presented deterministically, current and potential users are aware that there is uncertainty associated with them. Climate experts highlight the probabilistic nature of forecasts and the conditional nature of forecast quality, as areas for communication development. Interviews with(potential) users indicate that(1) preferences for deterministic information are not unanimous;(2) probabilities associated with conditions being above/below normal may only be considered useful for decision-making if they are > 60%;and(3) forecasts that provide tailored statements on probability of user-relevant thresholds are preferred. At multidecadal timescales, we observe lower engagement with projections, and less evidence of interaction between providers and recipients, suggesting that development of climate services at multidecadal timescales will need to first highlight the added value of these. We present key recommendations for communicating uncertainty in seasonal forecasts and explore the potential value of multidecadal projections.