Evaluation Design
To evaluate the research setting, we developed a mixed-methods approach following a standardized evaluation process with invited 22 participants, taking into account diversity as much as possible. Quantitative sensor data (biofeedback and camera image) were collected, visualized, and used to validate the collected qualitative data: In order to capture subjective experiences, the participants were asked to complete an online questionnaire during the experiment followed by an interview. The interviews were analyzed using Qualitative Data Analysis (MaxQDA) and the patterns were reviewed with the online diary.
All participants were introduced to the experiment according to a standardized protocol. To level personal somatic and psychophysiological variations, they were calibrated with a three-part exercise wearing the wristband. To be able to investigate which embedded interfaces and AIS designs were recognized by the participants themselves, Test Group A was not given any explanations about the features and functionalities of the AIS beforehand. Test Group B was told that the colored wall lights, speaker sounds, and vibrations of the table in the work area represented their heartbeat, and that the movement of their left arm and head produced water sounds. They were also made aware that the vibrator under the sofa and the fan in the rest area were responding to them.
Since the experimental facility was spatially separated from the rest of the lab only by partition walls, the participants were not completely isolated from other people working in the lab. This allowed us to study whether they considered the display of their somatic signals in the semi-public space to be problematic in terms of data privacy.
To obtain feedback during the experiment, participants were asked by an acoustic signal to make an entry in an online diary. This was triggered at 20-minute intervals and for particular behaviors, for example, if the participant did not move for a long time or if his heart rate exceeded 90 bpm. It contained three standard questions about their mood, the environmental influence on their mood and their productivity, that could be rated with a 5-point Likert scale. The repeated questioning served to generate a quantitative picture of the course of the dimensions surveyed (pulse survey).
We conducted guideline-based interviews that allowed us to gain insight into the reality of the subjects. The questions covered topics such as the condition of the day, tasks performed, influence of the responsive environment on the state of mind, characterization of the environment, the perception of the AIS interaction modes, and the use of the setting as a workplace. The qualitative data analysis (QDA) was based on categories such as: affection, interpretation, attitude, privacy, well-being, and productivity.