PhD fellowship in HCI: Designing incentive user interaction: notations and tools
Context.
Interactive systems dedicated to Digital Behavior Change Intervention (DBCI) implement a user interaction designed to support behavior change and/or the adoption of a new behavior. For instance, Fitbit application combined with a smartwatch is designed to support regular physical activity. In this PhD, the focus is on the design of DBCI’s user interaction.
To build an interactive system, we usually follow the main phases of software engineering process. Particularly, at the design phase, before implementing the software, we usually start by describing and specifying the main aspects of the interactive system, including user interaction and interface. To do so, the design and development team often employs design tools and/or notations such as UML or, more specifically, task models (e.g., Concur Task Tree) to specify user interaction.
This design phase is multidisciplinary as it requires different experts, including software engineers but also cognitive psychologists. Also, the designs produced during the this phase support communication among these experts.
Challenge.
Currently, building DBCI interactive system is still an ad hoc process because of a lack of appropriate design tools. Furthermore, the software engineer must master models and theories in psychology (e.g., social psychology) to choose an appropriate behavior change model that fits the targeted behavior change supported by the DBCI. None of the existing specification languages or notations are suitable to specify user interaction according to a behavior change model.
Goal.
This PhD will study and propose a novel design tool for the design of interactive systems that implement a DBCI.
Tasks in the context of the ANR ePsyCHI research project (French research funding agency).
- State of art on design tools for DBCI systems
- Development of an innovative semi-formal notation or language for the design of DBCI systems
- Development of a low- and high-fidelity prototype and/or interaction technique to support this semi-formal notation or language
- experimental evaluations in order to validate the scientific contributions
Supervisors.
- Computer science/HCI (Université Grenoble-Alpes): Yann Laurillau, Sybille Caffiau
- Psychology/Human Factors (Université de Lorraine): Christian Bastien
Starting date (flexible).
Between September and November 2022
Application.
The application has to be sent by email to Yann.Laurillau@univ-grenoble-alpes.fr and must contain: a full CV, a short paragraph showing you interest for scientific research, Master’s thesis (if achieved) or a synthesis of your Master’s project (~3 pages), copies of their university degree and/or study transcripts and grades (Master only), name and address of a referee (teacher, supervisor, etc.).
Modalities.
Applications will be evaluated within 15 days and might include an interview, rolling until the position is filled. For non-EU citizens: an additional delay must be considered (up to 2 months) to obtain a work permit and then to establish the work contract.
Location and work conditions.
- Workplace: Grenoble, in the French Alps, at the Laboratory of Informatics LIG (liglab.fr), on the campus of Saint Martin d’Hères (IMAG building), near the mountains
- Work contract: fixed-term 3-years UGA doctoral contract, founded by the French research agency (ANR)
- Salary: ranges from 1450 Euros to 1600 Euros per month after taxes (including healthcare, pensions, 50% of transit costs or bonuses for bike use), 45 days of vacation. Financial support is included for computer equipment and conferences.
- Co-supervision with University of Lorraine involving visits (Metz) during the PhD (includes financial support for transport and accommodation) at PERrSEUs laboratory (PERsEUs).
Academic requirements.
Master degree in Computer Science or engineering. We seek a highly skilled profile in software design and development of interactive systems, excellent written and oral communication skills, a strong interest for HCI. Curiosity toward cognitive sciences and psychology are not mandatory but are a plus.
This work will be conducted in the context of the contract ePsyCHI.