Information Design Journal - Volume 29, Issue 2, 2024

In this qualitative study a new urology questionnaire to assess Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms (LUTS) in men was incrementally developed. The patient’s perspective was always paramount. Thirty-seven male participants aged 40 and over with different levels of health literacy completed several versions of the new questionnaire. Participants were asked to think aloud while completing the task. Participants’ utterances and comments in a follow-up interview were used to create improved versions of the questionnaire. The final version was the Dutch Reduced Illustrated Prostate Symptom Score (DRIPSS), a questionnaire consisting of pictorial scales. Participants’ feedback suggests that the DRIPSS will largely eliminate patients’ completion problems.

This paper reports three separate studies. Study 1 consisted of route map observations; study 2 looked at map creator’s perspective, and study 3 considered user research and route map usage. It was observed that the route maps issued by one bus service provider in Fukuoka, Japan, have as many as 24 types of design variations. According to the route map creators, limited resources was the main reason for this practice. Route map usability testing, keyword sorting and interviews were conducted as part of a user-focused research. Map-reading tests revealed several practices that have a negative impact on user’s ability to read route maps, and the user research revealed that users prefer a unified design.

This study explored the effectiveness of outbreak data dashboards in presenting relevant information during global health emergencies using mouse-tracking measures. Firstly, several problems in the visual design and information layout of the dashboard were identified by analyzing the path, mouse-movements and clicks made by users when using the dashboard. Secondly, suggestions on the process of how dashboards were used and their design were collected through user feedback and follow-up interviews during the experimental process. The results of the study provide insights into user-centered design solutions for visual dashboards, which can guide the design of similar epidemiological dashboards in the future.