E-Composer: Enabling the Composition of Mobile Assistants

ELEments for Pervasive and Handheld AssistaNTs) is a system that aims to integrate a broad range of users (e.g. designers, domain experts and end users) with different backgrounds in the process of developing personal mobile assistants. In this paper we present a user study that we have conducted for two reasons: First, to screen characteristics of modeling mobile assistants by non-experts of mobile software development; and second, to test a first prototype of the ELEPHANT system's graphical modeling tool (E-Composer). In order to derive essential feedback regarding the ELEPHANT's composer tool, its reception by users and its functionalities, we describe in this paper usability tests that we conducted to measure user satisfaction from working with the tool and the overall performance of the tool. A small test scenario was setup, where users were given the task of modeling a mobile assistant using the ELEPHANT composer. Based on the user reactions and suggestions during and after the tests, conclusions were drawn regarding the performance and efficacy of the composer and how it may be improved. In this paper we present a description about the usability tests, the set-up and the data, what we intend to deduce from these usability tests and what methods we used to evaluate the data.