Establishing Interaction Specifications for Online-to-Offline (O2O) Service Systems

Information technology products such as smart phones, tablet PCs, eBooks and the intelligent-interactive digital signage have evolved and perfectly merged with the service systems to provide user-friendly user-interfaces and innovative service patterns. Online-to-offline (O2O) service model is one of the newest developments in the service systems where users in the physical world can interact with service providers in the cyberspace through various devices. Although traditional HCI studies have provided various research frameworks to describe interfaces and activities involved, there is a lack of interaction specifications which can clearly describe HCI in the realm of O2O service systems. This study developed a formal language that facilitates establishment of HCI specifications for O2O applications in proximity commerce based on interaction styles consisting of 4 interaction types represented in an interaction diagram. The formal language thus provides a common ground for service provider and service implementer to communicate and develop a concrete prototype effectively.