Exploring Interusability Factors for Crossmedial, Complementary Services - A Compilation of Key Interusability Factors for Digital Platforms within the Module House Manufacturing Context

Abstract

Over the past three decades, services distributed over more than one computing platform, also called cross-platform services, have become more and more common. Today, users frequently perform tasks by using more than one platform (both software and hardware) in order to achieve their goals. Therefore, when considering the usability of cross-platform services, it is not enough to only consider the usability of each individual platform interface in isolation. Thus the concept of interusability was born, i.e. the usability across several components in a system. In this master thesis, the field of interusability and cross-platform interaction was explored with regards to the current composition of A-hus cross-platform service. A-hus is a house manufacturer company offering a service selling module houses (complete house models). Their digital platforms are of a crossmedial, complementary composition. At the start of this masters thesis, there was little theory or previous studies available concerning interusability of cross-platform services with crossmedial system delivery and a complementary component organization. By using A-hus as a case study, the goal was to identify and establish what factors that are relevant for the composition and context of A-hus’ cross-platform service, and thus answer the research question: What are key interusability factors for crossmedial, complementary cross-platform services within a module house manufacturing context? To explore the field of interusability, and establish key interusability factors, the original design of A-hus was evaluated to outline the circumstances of current interusability. Based on the evaluation and current available theory, new design solutions were created to increase the interusability. These designs were then evaluated, by re-using the same evaluation as the original design underwent. This evaluation worked as a validating tool, where the resulting data pointed at the impact of the alterations and served as a basis when establishing key interusability factors within the module house manufacturing (MHM) context. This resulted in nine interusability factors that are believed to be important to understand and to consider when designing for this kind of cross-platform service. However, the factors are in need of validation and iteration. Keywords: