Mental Models: Design of User Interaction and Interfaces for Domestic Energy Systems PDF

Features

Provides a contemporary description of mental models

Offers a systems approach to designing for appropriate mental models

Illustrates the development of a method used for eliciting mental models

Includes case studies of the effects of different mental models on behavior

Links the relationships between mental models and energy use

Uses empirical data from studies to show the effects of design on mental models

Summary

There is a resurgence of interest in mental models due to advances in our understanding of how they can be used to help design and due to the development of practical methods to elicit them. This book brings both areas together with a focus on reducing domestic energy consumption. The book focuses on how mental models can be applied in design to bring out behaviour change resulting in increased achievement of home heating goals (reduced waste and improved comfort). This book also offers a method to extract and apply mental models to interface design. The approach enables mental models to be applied across domains when behaviour change was sought, and is validated as a useful design method.

Authors: Kirsten M. A. Revell, Neville A. Stanton