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  • 1.
    Acevedo, Carlos
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Computing, Department of Technology and Aesthetics.
    Developing Inclusive Innovation Processes and Co-Evolutionary University-Society Approaches in Bolivia2018Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    This study is part of a worldwide debate on inclusive innovation systems in developing

    countries and particularly on the co-evolutionary processes taking place, seen from the

    perspective of a public university. The increasing literature that discusses how innovation

    systems and development can foster more inclusive and sustainable societies has

    inspired this thesis work. Thus, the main problem handled in the research concerns the

    question how socially sensitive research practices and policies at a public university in

    Bolivia can be stimulated within emerging innovation system dynamics. In that vein,

    empirical knowledge is developed at the Universidad Mayor de San SimoÅLn (UMSS),

    Cochabamba as a contribution to experience-based learning in the field. Analysis are

    nourished by a dialogue with the work of prominent Latin American scholars and

    practitioners around the idea of a developmental university and the democratization

    of knowledge. The reader will be able to recognize a recursive transit between theory

    and practice, where a number of relevant concepts are contextualized and connected

    in order to enable keys of critical interpretation and paths of practices amplification

    for social inclusion purposes established. The study shows how, based on a previous

    experience, new competences and capacities for the Technology Transfer Unit (UTT)

    at UMSS were produced, in this case transforming itself into a University Innovation

    Centre. Main lessons gained in that experience came from two pilot cluster development

    (food and leather sectors) and a multidisciplinary researchers network (UMSS

    Innovation Team) where insights found can improve future collaborative relations between

    university and society for inclusive innovation processes within the Bolivian

    context.

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  • 2. Acevedo Peña, Carlos Gonzalo
    Developing Inclusive Innovation Processes and Co-Evolutionary Approaches in Bolivia2015Licentiate thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    The concept of National Innovation Systems (NIS) has been widely adopted in developing countries, particularly in Latin American countries, for the last two decades. The concept is used mainly as an ex-ante framework to organize and increase the dynamics of those institutions linked to science, technology and innovation, for catching-up processes of development. In the particular case of Bolivia, and after several decades of social and economic crisis, the promise of a national innovation system reconciles a framework for collaboration between the university, the government and the socio-productive sectors. Dynamics of collaboration generated within NIS can be a useful tool for the pursuit of inclusive development ambitions.

     

    This thesis is focused on inclusive innovation processes and the generation of co-evolutionary processes between university, government and socio-productive sectors. This is the result of 8 years of participatory action research influenced by Mode 2 knowledge-production and Technoscientific approaches.

     

    The study explores the policy paths the Bolivian government has followed in the last three decades in order to organize science, technology and innovation. It reveals that Bolivia has an emerging national innovation system, where its demand-pulled innovation model presents an inclusive approach. Innovation policy efforts in Bolivia are led by the Vice-Ministry of Science and Technology (VCyT). Moreover, NIS involves relational and collaborative approaches between institutions, which imply structural and organizational challenges, particularly for public universities, as they concentrate most of the research capabilities in the country. These universities are challenged to participate in NIS within contexts of weak demanding sectors. 

     

    This research focuses on the early empirical approaches and transformations at Universidad Mayor de San Simón (UMSS) in Cochabamba. The aim to strengthen internal innovation capabilities of the university and enhance the relevance of research activities in society by supporting socio-economic development in the framework of innovation systems is led by the Technology Transfer Unit (UTT) at UMSS. UTT has become a recognized innovation facilitator unit, inside and outside the university, by proposing pro-active initiatives to support emerging innovation systems. Because of its complexity, the study focuses particularly on cluster development promoted by UTT. Open clusters are based on linking mechanisms between the university research capabilities, the socio-productive actors and government. Cluster development has shown to be a practical mechanism for the university to meet the demanding sector (government and socio-productive actors) and to develop trust-based inclusive innovation processes. The experiences from cluster activities have inspired the development of new research policies at UMSS, with a strong orientation to foster research activities towards an increased focus on socio-economic development. The experiences gained at UMSS are discussed and presented as a “developmental university” approach.

     

    Inclusive innovation processes with co-evolutionary approaches seem to constitute an alternative path supporting achievement of inclusive development ambitions in Bolivia. 

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  • 3.
    Aeddula, Omsri
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering.
    Navigating Data Challenges: AI-Driven Decision Support for Product-Service System Development2024Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    Solution providers are transitioning from product-centric models to service-oriented solutions. This shift has led to the rise of Product-Service Systems (PSS), which offer a holistic approach by integrating physical products with associated services. However, the inherent complexity and collaborative nature of PSS development present a significant challenge: information gathering, analysis, and knowledge building. This is further amplified in the early stages of PSS development due to data challenges such as uncertainty, ambiguity, and complexity. This complicates informed decision-making, potentially leading to the risk of sub-optimal outcomes and impacting the success of final offerings.

    This research proposes an AI-powered data analysis approach to address these data challenges and augment the decision-making process of PSS development. The focus is on supporting early-stage decision-making, as decisions made at this stage greatly impact the success of final solutions. The research investigates how data can be utilized and visualized to extract actionable insights, ultimately facilitating informed decision-making.

    The presented research demonstrates that AI-powered data analysis effectively supports informed decision-making in early-stage PSS development. By extracting actionable insights from complex data, handling data limitations, and enabling informed strategic decisions, knowledge sharing, and collaboration are facilitated among stakeholders. Furthermore, integrating AI with visualization tools fosters knowledge building and a deeper understanding of system behavior, ultimately leading to more successful PSS solutions. The efficacy of AI-powered data analysis for handling diverse data types across application domains is demonstrated, potentially leading to benefits such as a deeper understanding of system behavior and proactive solution strategies. These advancements contribute to developing decision support systems specifically for PSS development.

    Overall, this research demonstrates the efficacy of AI-powered data analysis in overcoming data challenges and empowering decision-makers in early-stage PSS development. This translates to more informed choices, leading to the creation of successful and efficient PSS solutions.

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  • 4.
    Aeddula, Omsri
    et al.
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering.
    Wall, Johan
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering.
    Larsson, Tobias
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering.
    Artificial Neural Networks Supporting Cause-and-Effect Studies in Product–Service System Development2021In: Design for Tomorrow—Volume 2: Proceedings of ICoRD 2021 / [ed] Chakrabarti, A., Poovaiah, R., Bokil, P., Kant, V. (Eds.), Springer, 2021, p. 53-64Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    A data analysis method based on artificial neural networks aiming to support cause-and-effect analysis in design exploration studies is presented. The method clusters and aggregates the effects of multiple design variables based on the structural hierarchy of the evaluated system. The proposed method is exemplified in a case study showing that the predictive capability of the created, clustered, a dataset is comparable to the original, unmodified, one. The proposed method is evaluated using coefficient-of-determination, root mean square error, average relative error, and mean square error. Data analysis approach with artificial neural networks is believed to significantly improve the comprehensibility of the evaluated cause-and-effect relationships studying PSS concepts in a cross-functional team and thereby assisting the difficult and resource-demanding negotiations process at the conceptual stage of the design.

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    ICORD_21
  • 5.
    Akama-kisseh, Jerome
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Computing, Department of Creative Technologies.
    EXPLORING COMPUTERIZED TROUBLE TICKETING SYSTEM AND ITS BENEFITS IN VODAFONE GHANA2016Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (One Year)), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    Today more than ever, Computerized Trouble Ticketing System is becoming a booming information technology system that makes the difference between staying in business in a competitive global telecommunication arena.

    This quantitative exploratory survey utilised conveniently selected research subjects to explore computerized trouble ticketing system and its inherent benefits in Vodafone Ghana Plc. Cross section of vital data set collected with the aid of structured questionnaires haven been analyzed using descriptive statistics model.

    The study revealed that, effective and efficient usage of computerized trouble ticketing systems benefit the company in terms of its customer satisfaction, competitive advantage and business intelligence in competitive telecom arena. Nevertheless, the smooth realization of these inherent benefits are constantly challenged by complexity in managing volumes of data generated, intense era of competition, high cost of trouble ticketing system, as well as, rapid technological obsolesce in computerized trouble ticketing applications in telecommunication market.

    The study recommended for the quick and effective adoption of differentiation strategy, cost leadership strategy and customer relationship management, which are customer-centric measures that can build sustainable long-term customer relationship that can create value for the company, as well as, for the customers.

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  • 6.
    AKTAR, SHAMIMA
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Spatial Planning.
    Urban Public Space: A Case from Developing Country2017Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (One Year)), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    Cities in developing world are inadequately equipped with public spaces. The increasing urbanizations trend is attracting more people to come to the cities without having proper sustainable plan for public spaces. However, this social public place holds the important function for urban well-being and collective recognition. This is the place where human can participate as fully fledged social subjects in complex civic life. Unfortunately, in most cases the provision of public space in these cities is always neglected or poorly integrated in planning legislations. So, in many cases community people make their own ways of social interaction that gives public space a new definition. Khulna, one of the divisional cities of Bangladesh, is going through the similar developing country situation. Lack of fund and space restricts development agencies to make new public spaces in this city. On the other hand management and coordination challenges between multilevel planning authorities also making existing public spaces malfunctioned. Sustainably planned, created and managed public spaces are hence urged for the cities of developing world to get livable and healthy urban environment.

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    BTH2017Aktar
  • 7.
    Andersson, Dennis
    et al.
    Blekinge Institute of Technology.
    Artale, Jacques
    Blekinge Institute of Technology.
    Tracing Integration Errors to Upstream Development Activities: An exploratory study2023Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    The Eiffel Protocol provides traceability downstream and upstream of all activities that transpire inside the CI/CD pipeline. The traceability achieved by the Eiffel Protocol comes with great benefits even though it does not cover all development activities as it pertains only to the CI/CD pipeline. Our research aims to explore the idea of extending the Eiffel Protocol to cover all activities and discuss what benefits could be seen, especially in the scope of reducing the number of integration failures. A literature study was first carried out to find the root causes of these failures. After the literature study, we conducted a focus group session to gather data about the potential benefits and problems of an extension, what analyses could be drawn, and how it can affect integration errors. Our results show that an extension is beneficial as analyses that can be made with the generated data can tackle some of the biggest issues found in software development teams, especially in larger organizations. The complexity, cost involved and the time needed to see a return on investment does however weigh it down. Thus, while it is beneficial it is not enough for organizations to consider it as a priority to integrate with their environments when thinking of the costs involved to do so. Further implementation solutions need to be researched before it shows its worth.

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    Tracing Integration Errors to Upstream Development Activities - An exploratory study
  • 8.
    Andersson, Mattias
    et al.
    Blekinge Institute of Technology.
    Bernstrup, Erik
    Blekinge Institute of Technology.
    Signalling commitment to sustainability on the mutual fund market: An investigation of the Swedish equity mutual fund market2020Independent thesis Advanced level (professional degree), 20 credits / 30 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    In the midst of climate change and growing concern about social aspects, investors want to make informed sustainable choices regarding their consumption and investments. Many companies are trying to stay ahead of the curve by engaging in Corporate Social Responsibility. Mutual funds have noticed this trend and subsequently have started to offer ethical mutual funds as a result. These ethical claims are difficult to scrutinize for investors creating a problem of asymmetric information.

    This study analyses how ethical claims and how eco-labels, in this case, the Nordic Swan Ecolabel relate to demand for equity mutual funds. In a world where more investors are seeking ethical investments, how is ethical commitment communicated in a trustworthy way?

    Data on daily Net Asset Value (NAV) and monthly Total Net Assets (TNA) between 2016-01-01 and 2019-12-31, for 217 equity mutual funds sold on the Swedish market were collected from Thomson & Reuters database Eikon. These mutual funds were categorized into three groups, conventional, non-labelled ethical, and eco-labelled mutual funds. The data was structured as panel data and both random effect and fixed effect models were used to estimate the factor loadings.

    The study shows that Nordic Swan Ecolabelled mutual funds tend to experience higher demand than both non-labelled ethical mutual funds and conventional mutual funds. In other words, the Nordic Swan Ecolabelled group distinguishes itself from the other mutual fund groups. Hence, the results of the study suggest that the Nordic Swan Ecolabel sends a signal that relates positively to the demand for mutual funds. Further, the results implicate that mutual fund companies that aim to introduce mutual funds that are truly ethical or sustainable should consider acquiring the Nordic Swan Ecolabel to signal their sustainability commitment since the results suggest that Nordic Swan Ecolabelled mutual funds have a positive relation to demand, both compared to conventional mutual funds and non-labelled ethical mutual funds.

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  • 9.
    Andrén, Sebastian
    et al.
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Industrial Economics.
    Sahyouni, Mohamad
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Industrial Economics.
    Exploring the Impact of the Project Management Office on Project Performance, A Quantitative Study2019Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    Purpose - The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between the establishment of a Project Management Office and project performance. Particularly, whether or not the establishment of a Project Management Office leads to enhanced project performance in project based organizations.

     

    Framework - The framework developed for the purpose of this study is made out of the different categories of Project Management Office services and functions on the one side and the different dimensions of project performance on the other. The model created tests the individual relationships between the constructs on each side.

     

    Methodology- The study employs a quantitative research design. Project Management Offices in organizations from across the globe and operating in a range of industries and industry segments are investigated. The data for the study is collected using an online questionnaire.

     

    Findings - The findings of this study lead to the belief that the establishment of a Project Management Office and the implementation of a certain set of its services and function will indeed lead to enhanced project performance

     

    Managerial Implications - Managers are made aware of the impact of the Project Management Office on project performance. Moreover, they are given guidelines as to what services and functions to adopt if there were only interested in seeing results on the project level.

    Limitations - The approach to exploring the subject in hand, the choice of participating organizations, the size of the sample tested, and the framework chosen for the evaluation of project performance are all seen as limitations for this study.

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    Exploring the Impact of the Project Management Office
  • 10.
    Apostolidou, Ilektra-Georgia
    et al.
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Industrial Economics.
    Karmiris, Georgios
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Industrial Economics.
    Risk-adjusted Earned Value and Earned Duration Management models for project performance forecasting2019Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    Project control is essential to ensure that the investment on a project is providing the intended benefits and is valuable to the customers. Previous methods offer project performance monitoring and forecasting tools, but they lack accuracy and the associated techniques omit the project financial risk (any unplanned event that has an impact on schedule and budget); the main factor of project failure. Poor project execution, and particularly failure to control and accurately forecast the project performance, may lead to increased costs, upset customers and eventually loss of market share. These gaps have been filled in this study by the development of novel models that use statistical analysis of the previous project performance, including risk evaluation techniques. The proposed models succeeded in providing remarkably improved forecasts in three project dimensions: duration, cost and resources. The robustness of the models has been verified by testing them on real projects. The results show superiority in terms of accuracy and easy application compared to any existing method, proving that the risk inclusion provides improvement compared to previous studies. The most important features of the models are: risk-based adjustment of the forecasted values, periodic and completion forecasts, statistical processing and holistic approach. The greatest advancements have been made in the cost forecast, for which the risk adjustment inclusion is examined for the first time. The resources (man-hours) forecast is another pioneer element of the proposed models. All the above provide a complete image of the project status and paint the picture of future performance. The models results are fed in a Decision Support System, which highlights the overperforming and underperforming areas of the project. This confirms the proposition that the model results can be used to initiate restorative action. The contribution of this study to the project management field is easy-to-use and accurate models, which include the financial risk and facilitate the project manager’s decisions and actions. Anticipation of the project performance, by considering the risk, can result to significant time and cost savings, crucial for project success.   

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  • 11.
    Aronsson, Christian
    Blekinge Institute of Technology.
    Användarvänlighet i utvecklarverktygen Django och Node JS: En jämförelse mellan utvecklingsverktygen Django och Node.js2022Independent thesis Basic level (university diploma), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [sv]

    I dag finns det många olika ramverk att välja bland när det kommer till applikationsutveckling och det kan vara svårt att veta vilket av dessa man ska använda sig av. Denna rapport kommer undersöka två olika ramverk som skrivs i två olika programmeringsspråk vilka är Django och Node.js. Jämförelsen mellan dessa ramverk kommer handla om skillnader i användarvänligheten, det vill säga vilka typer av applikationer som bäst stödjs av något av ramverken, vilka serverleverantörer som har stöd för respektive ramverk samt vilka kunskaper utvecklaren bör ha för att behärska dessa ramverk.

    De metoder som används i denna rapport är insamling och analysering av olika dokument och artiklar samt intervjuer som utförts hos ett företag som arbetar med ramverket Django för att kunna besvara forskningsfrågorna. Vid sidan av detta har även en applikation skriven i Django implementerats för att öka kunskaperna kring detta ramverk.

    De resultat som framkommit är att ramverket Django främjar en snabbare utveckling och är mer tidseffektivt än vad Node.js är. Applikationer skrivna i Django besitter även en högre grundsäkerhet och detta för att det finns inbygga säkerhetsmoduler i ramverket. Node.js å andra sidan har ett större utbud av serverleverantörer samt en annan möjlighet att skräddarsy applikationer. Valet av ramverk är i detta fall mer en fråga om vilket programmeringsspråk som utvecklaren behärskar bäst.

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  • 12.
    Bengtsson, Daniel
    et al.
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Computing, Department of Computer Science.
    Jursenaite, Giedre
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Computing, Department of Computer Science.
    A user study to analyse the experience of augmented reality board games2019Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    Background. Augmented Reality (AR) is a variant of virtual reality (VR), but where VR replaces reality with a virtual one, AR expands it allowing the user to see the real world and virtual information at the same time. Many have tried to adapt this technology for video and board games and although there are plenty of AR video games or mobile game applications there are no one selling AR board games. Some studies keep coming up from time to time trying to enhance board games with AR through graphics and extra information about player statistics, but there are not many that adapt game logic in AR games.Objectives. A literature review was conducted on related topics building the theoretical background. Then a multiplayer board game that could be played both with and without AR was created. The game was created in the Unity Engine using the Vuforia Engine for the AR, and assets were created for the AR. Design game logic with Unity and player interaction with AR. Create the analog assets. Conduct a user study for participants to rate the experience and analyse the gathered data from the user study.Methods. A user study was conducted with twelve participants who played two versions of the same board game within a controlled environment. One version was analog, and the other featuring AR. After each of the versions, the participants answered a questionnaire about the experience as described in the Game Experience Questionnaire. Results. The results show that participants thought the AR board game was a fun and interesting take on the traditional board games. However, participants also thought that the AR stability and the discomfort of holding up a mobile phone while playing was a worse experience. The statistical results also concluded that there was no significant difference between AR and none-AR board game versions.Conclusions. With the results gathered, the experience were more or less the same. Participants thought the AR version of the board game was fun and interesting because it improved their sense of discovery and imagination. However, because the AR felt unstable and uncomfortable, it disrupted the game flow and player immersion. With better implementation and a more suited device, AR could be enjoyable.

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    A user study to analyse
  • 13.
    Bensköld, Manda
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Spatial Planning.
    Social hållbarhet i planeringsprocessen: En undersökning om synsätt och utrymme2021Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 20 credits / 30 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [sv]

    Denna studie är gjord som ett examensarbete inom Masterprogrammet i strategisk fysisk planering på Blekinge Tekniska Högskola under våren 2021. Hållbarhet diskuteras såväl globalt som lokalt och frågor om hållbar utveckling har fått allt mer uppmärksamhet senaste åren. Den sociala dimensionen av hållbarhet har genomgående nedprioriterats gentemot ekonomisk och ekologisk hållbarhet vilket skapar intresse att undersöka vilket utrymme social hållbarhet får i planeringsprocessen. Det finns inte en entydig definition av social hållbarhet och detta ger upphov till flera möjliga förståelser och tolkningar. Vad finns det för synsätt på social hållbarhet? Vad tillskrivs social hållbarhet för betydelse och vilka aktörer och kompetenser får delta i definieringen? I Sverige vilar ett stort ansvar på kommuner att planera för en hållbar framtid och därför har social hållbarhet undersökts på kommunal nivå. Undersökningen har skett som fallstudie, där Lunds kommun och Västerås Stad fungerat som fall. Kvalitativ innehållsanalys av dokument och semi-strukturerade intervjuer har genomförts. Resultat och analys presenteras tillsammans i en tematisk uppdelning och analysen ramas in av uppsatsens teoretiska perspektiv, makt i planeringsprocessen. Rent konkret innebär detta att arbetets teoretiska perspektiv utgår ifrån begreppen makt som handlingsförmåga och makt som uteslutning samt makttekniken kontrollera diskursen. Analysen pekar på att betydelsen av social hållbarhet är kontextberoende och påverkas av sociala och fysiska åtgärder i samhället. Vad social hållbarhet tillskrivs för betydelse påverkas bland annat av den plats som är aktuell, de utmaningar och problem som finns där samt vilka aktörer och kompetenser som får tillträde till processerna kring social hållbarhet. Olika kompetenser inom kommunerna har visat sig ha skilda perspektiv på betydelsen av social hållbarhet. Utifrån genomförda intervjuer framkommer fler betydelser av social hållbarhet än vad som kan urskiljas från dokumenten. Detta betyder att det existerar perspektiv på social hållbarhet som inte är representerade i de publicerade dokumenten. Av dokumenten framträder social hållbarhet som fysiska åtgärder som det primära perspektivet.  Detta tyder på att det finns ett dominerande synsätt då mjukare perspektiv på social hållbarhet inte representeras inte i samma utsträckning i dokumenten. I det långa loppet kan detta innebära att mjukare perspektiv nedprioriteras och marginaliseras. Berördas upplevelse av möjligheten att påverka och delta i planeringsprocessen kring social hållbarhet skiljer sig åt. På strategisk nivå är upplevelsen att samtliga har möjlighet att tillträda processen och påverka, medan mer verksamhetsnära nivå inte delar detta perspektiv. Utifrån undersökningen råder det en viss kunskaps- och kompetensselektivitet i planeringsprocessen kring social hållbarhet, där mjukare perspektiv inte väger lika tungt som hårdare.

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    Social hållbarhet i planeringsprocessen - En undersökning om synsätt och utrymme
  • 14.
    Berggren, Jonas
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Computing, Department of Computer Science.
    Evaluating user preference when applying mipmap LOD in shadow covered textures2020Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    Background. Shadow mapping is a method that is used for generating and imitating shadows in 3D-spaces. This technique has been used in the entertainment media industry in the form of games, movies and 3D renderings of environments to create a more realistic experience for consumers. Shadow mapping is not a perfect technique, and is performance costing on the GPU; however, some methods save performance by reducing the complexity of geometrical shapes and textures depending on the distance between observer and object. These techniques are based on that the observer will not notice the complexity reductions; can the usage of such methods be extended to textures covered in shadows without any consequences in the aspect of visual appearance and preference?

    Objectives. This thesis aims to examine if there is a possibility to extend the usage of LOD techniques to shadowed textures and to analyze individuals’ preferences of texture variants that are covered in shadows. Additionally, proposing the method of lowering texture resolution by using DirectX:s sampler data type, which is configurable to increase the level of details with mipmapping when sampling textures.

    Methods. This document presents a user study using the Two-alternative forced choice method and PsychoPy application to create a visual test. The visual test was conducted in a controlled and observed environment with volunteering participants. The objective of the visual test was to go through several sets of different images, and to choose which image of each set that was preferred. The stimulus was repeated with the initial images fading in and out slowly to prevent carry over effects. After the test participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire. The questionnaire assessed if they noticed any differences within the shadows, and if they had any additional thoughts about the experiment.

    Results. The results from the study were then evaluated through a binomial test that yielded that there was no statistically significant difference in preference between the lowered texture resolution in shadows and normal texture resolution in shadows. Separately evaluating the environments showed that there was a preference for shadowed low-resolution textures in environments that were dark. The environments with high illumination had more varied results. There were 17 participants that volunteered in the test and were ranging from the ages 18 to 29.

    Conclusions. With the results presented it was shown that the shadowed lowresolution textures were preferred in environments with low illumination. This suggests that the proposed concept method is better suited for similar environments. However, several factors may have affected the results. Factors such as images being too dark, the lack of exaggerated images, images fading in and out too fast, few participants, more partaking will assure there is less chance for bias.

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    Evaluating user preference when applying mipmap LOD in shadow covered textures
  • 15.
    Bertoni, Marco
    et al.
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering.
    Rondini, Alice
    University of Bergamo, ITA.
    Pezzotta, Giuditta
    University of Bergamo, ITA.
    A systematic review of value metrics for PSS design2017In: Procedia CIRP, Elsevier, 2017, Vol. 64, p. 289-294Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    The notion of ‘value’ has become pivotal in the PSS domain, with a plethora of ‘indicators’, ‘drivers’ and ‘measurements’ proposed to guide the assessment of PSS concepts across the design process. This paper presents the results of a systematic literature review that maps existing contributions dealing with metrics for PSS value in early design. The findings reveal the lack of a common taxonomy to define what PSS value is, as well as differences in terms of granularity of the applied metrics, which span from very generic to highly case-study specific. This mapping aims at validating a proposed classification framework for such metrics, which balances customer and provider value perspectives in early stage PSS concept assessment activities. Its goal is to raise the cross-functional design team awareness on the multiple value types impacted by early stage design decisions when working with MADM matrixes; hence to highlight opportunities for improvement, recombination and refinement. 

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  • 16.
    Boer, de, Wiebe Douwe
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Computing, Department of Creative Technologies.
    Participatory Design Ideals2015Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 20 credits / 30 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    The Swedish academic discipline Informatics has roots in the Scandinavian design approach Participatory Design (PD). PD’s point of departure is to design ICT and the new environment it becomes part of together with the future users driven by the ideal to bring more democracy to the workplace. PD builds further on the Action Research and industrial democracy tradition already starting in the 1960s in Scandinavia, in which the powerful Scandinavian trade unions have a central role. The aim of the unions is to prepare the workers and have influence on the introduction of new technologies that (are expected to) change the work and work environment of the workers. In the 1970s, when more computers emerge in the work place, this leads to the development of PD. Important difference with AR is that the aim of PD is to actually design new ICT and the new environment it becomes part of.

    During the in PD literature much referred to project UTOPIA in the first half of the 1980s, led by project leader and PD pioneer Pelle Ehn, it is discovered that bringing the different expertise of designers/researchers and workers together in design-by-doing processes also result in more appropriate ICT.

     

    With ICT being ubiquitous nowadays, influencing most aspects of our lives, inside and outside the workplace, and another role of trade unions in (Scandinavian) society, a question is how PD should further develop. PD pioneer Morten Kyng (also a UTOPIA designer/researcher) proposes a framework for next PD practices in a discussion paper. The first element he mentions in the framework is ideals; The designer/researcher should as a first step consider what ideals to pursue as a person and for the project, and then to consider how to discuss the goals of the project partners, for which Kyng does no further suggestions how to approach this.

    This design and research thesis has as aim to design and propose some PD processes to come at the beginning of a PD/design project to shared ideals to pursue, based on a better understanding of the political and philosophical background of PD, including design as a discipline in its own right.

     

    For a better understanding of the political and philosophical roots of PD, and design as a discipline in its own right, Pelle Ehns’s early (PD research) work and (PD) influences and supporting theories are explored, next to Kyng’s discussion paper (framework) and reactions from his debate partners on this. Find out is that politics and what ideals to pursue in PD are sensitive and (still) important subjects in PD, and in a broader sense also for design in general one could argue. In relation to this also related disciplines like Computer Ethics, Value Sensitive Design, and more recent formulated ideals for PD and its relation to ethics are explored. As a result a proposal for a redesigned framework for next PD practices as a design artefact is designed, in which the element ideals is most elaborated.

    Before the understanding of design as a discipline in its own right is further explored by exploring a selection of different models and quotes from related (design) literature, on which is reflected also in relation to PD, and which are used as reminders in a design process to come to a proposal for a model that tries to reframe the relation between design, practice and research.

     

    Finally some methods, processes and techniques used in PD, design, AR and related literature that can contribute to design proposals for design processes that enable the design of ideals using a PD approach, are explored. These are used as reminders in design-by-doing processes, in which suggestions for techniques and processes to design ideals together with participants are tried out in real live situations, reflected on and iteratively further developed. Trying to avoid framing as much as possible, (semi-) anonymity and silence seem to be important ingredients in these processes to stimulate the generation of idea(l)s as much as possible free from bias and dominance patterns. An additional design artefact developed in this context is a template for an annotated portfolio used to describe and reflect on the different processes. 

  • 17.
    Bond, David
    et al.
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Computing, Department of Computer Science.
    Nyblom, Madelein
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Computing, Department of Computer Science.
    Evaluation of four different virtual locomotion techniques in an interactive environment2019Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    Background: Virtual Reality (VR) devices are becoming more and more common as game systems. Even though modern VR Head Mounted Displays (HMD) allow the user to walk in real life, it still limits the user to the space of the room they are playing in and the player will need virtual locomotion in games where the environment size exceeds that of the real life play area. Evaluations of multiple VR locomotion techniques have already been done, usually evaluating motion sickness or usability. A common theme in many of these is that the task is search based, in an environment with low focus on interaction. Therefore in this thesis, four VR locomotion techniques are evaluated in an environment with focus on interaction, to see if a difference exists and whether one technique is optimal. The VR locomotion techniques are: Arm-Swinging, Point-Tugging, Teleportation, and Trackpad.

    Objectives: A VR environment is created with focus on interaction in this thesis. In this environment the user has to grab and hold onto objects while using a locomotion technique. This study then evaluates which VR locomotion technique is preferred in the environment. This study also evaluates whether there is a difference in preference and motion sickness, in an environment with high focus in interaction compared to one with low focus.

    Methods: A user study was conducted with 15 participants. Every participant performed a task with every VR locomotion technique, which involved interaction. After each technique, the participant answered a simulator sickness questionnaire, and an overall usability questionnaire.

    Results: The results achieved in this thesis indicated that Arm-Swinging was the most enjoyed locomotion technique in the overall usability questionnaire. But it also showed that Teleportation had the best rating in tiredness and overwhelment. Teleportation also did not cause motion sickness, while the rest of the locomotion techniques did.

    Conclusions: As a conclusion, a difference can be seen for VR locomotion techniques between an environment with low focus on interaction, to an environment with high focus. This difference was seen in both the overall usability questionnaire and the motion sickness questionnaire. It was concluded that Arm-Swinging could be the most fitting VR locomotion technique for an interactive environment, however Teleportation could be more optimal for longer sessions.

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  • 18. Borland, Moa
    et al.
    Hall, Alexander
    Industry 4.0: Overcoming the barriers of Industry 4.0 by effective change management2021Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (One Year)), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    Background Industry 4.0 is the next industrial revolution. By connecting the industry with the IT development, cloud base solutions and in the end be able to monitor and act before implications occur. Implementing Industry 4.0 in the manufacturing industry will require changes to the way the production operates. There are many articles discussing what this new technology is and what it means for each industry, but few have studied how these technologies should be implemented and the barriers(a structure that prevents to move forward) concerning technology and employee behaviour that pose challenges to the implementation. Furthermore, how a change strategy could be developed to suit a production industry that attempts to implement advanced technology. 

    Objective Identify barriers towards Industry 4.0 and present suggestions for how managers can overcome these barriers by considering success factors and utilizing effective change management to increase the chance of successful implementation of Industry 4.0. 

    Method Qualitative interviews conducted with 11 technology experts and change leaders at one global manufacturing conglomerate. Employees that operated in complex production facilities in many parts of the world that has started their journey towards Industry 4.0. The findings from the interviews were analysed towards the research questions and coded into main categories. These categories were later on compared toward literature to find gaps or similarities between them. 

    Findings and discussion There are numerous barriers and success factors to consider while implementing Industry 4.0 at a manufacturing firm. The study confirmed findings from previous research such that employee resistance is a barrier and that communication, collaboration, participation are success factors. In addition, this study indicates that trust among employees and managers is a major success factor for Industry 4.0 and perhaps technology shifts in general, which has been unexplored in previous research. This aspect would be interesting to study quantitatively in future research, but even if this research focused on Industry 4.0 many barriers and the suggested action to be included in a strategy could probably be adapted to technology shifts. To succeed with the change a strategy for the implementation of Industry 4.0 needs to be developed. Key aspects such as good information, including the right employees and that the change is in line with overall goals and vision of the company were both found in the literature of classic change management and during the interviews. An interesting finding was that the change strategy could be influenced by an IT development process but also where the change will be managed. This study suggests that this requires further research before any general recommendation can be made. 

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  • 19.
    Borén, Sven
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Strategic Sustainable Development.
    Sustainable Personal Road Transport: The Role of Electric Vehicles2016Licentiate thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    Electric vehicles can play an important role in a future sustainable road transport system and many Swedish politicians would like to see them implemented faster. This is likely desirable to reach the target of a fossil independent vehicle fleet in Sweden by 2030 and a greenhouse gas neutral Swedish society no later than 2050. However, to reach both these targets, and certainly to support the full scope of sustainability, it is important to consider the whole life-cycle of the vehicles and also the interaction between the transport sector and other sectors. So far, there are no plans for transitions towards a sustainable transport system applying a sufficiently wide systems perspective, in Sweden or elsewhere. This implies a great risk for sub-optimizations.

    The overall aim of this work is to elaborate methodological support for development of sustainable personal road transport systems that is informed by a strategic sustainable development perspective.

    The Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD) is used as a foundation for the work to ensure a sufficiently wide systems perspective and coordinated collaboration across disciplines and sectors, both in the research and application. Maxwell’s Qualitative Research Design and the Design Research Methodology are used as overall guides for the research approach. Specific research methods and techniques include literature studies, action research seminars, interviews, and measurements of energy use, costs, and noise. Moreover, a case study on the conditions for a breakthrough for vehicles in southeast Sweden has been used as a test and development platform.

    Specific results include a preliminary vision for electrical vehicles in southeast Sweden, framed by the principled sustainability definition of the FSSD, an assessment of the current reality in relation to that vision, and proposed solutions to bridge the gap, organized into a preliminary roadmap. The studies show that electric vehicles have several sustainability advantages even when their whole life-cycle is considered, provided that they are charged with electricity from new renewable sources. Electrical vehicles also imply a low total cost of ownership and could promote new local ‘green jobs’ under certain conditions. Particularly promising results are seen for electric buses in public transport. As a general result, partly based on the experiences from the specific case, a generic community planning process model is proposed and its usefulness for sustainable transport system development is discussed.

    The strategic sustainable development perspective of this thesis broadens the analysis beyond the more common focus on climate change issues and reduces the risk of sub-optimizations in community and transport system development. The generic support for multi-stakeholder collaboration could potentially also promote a more participatory democratic approach to community development, grounded in a scientific foundation. Future research will explore specific decision support systems for sustainable transport development based on the generic planning process model.

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  • 20.
    Borén, Sven
    et al.
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Strategic Sustainable Development.
    Ny, Henrik
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Strategic Sustainable Development.
    Tenart, Juliette
    Bax and Company, ESP.
    Mazouzi, Marco
    Eneka Energie and Karten GmbH, DEU.
    A Process and a Catalogue of Solutions for Sustainable Cross-Border and Regional Public Transport2021In: ACM International Conference Proceeding Series, Association for Computing Machinery , 2021, p. 184-191Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    The current public transport offers in the South Baltic region seldom meet customer expectations for easiness and attractivity of cross-border/regional journeys and rarely include integrated tickets for multimodal rides. To address that, stakeholders from six regions around the southern Baltic Sea developed the INTERCONNECT project that was guided by a holistic perspective on sustainability. Informed by that, this paper's objective was to propose a tool/method containing a planning process with a comprehensive and on-line open-access catalogue of solutions for sustainable cross-border/regional public transport services to inspire and guide planning and decision-making. The tool/method that was developed in this paper include a 7-step process and a catalogue of 42 solutions that were developed through several workshops and discussions among the authors and other experts in the field. The findings were compared and integrated with literature findings, practical experiences, then assessed against a principled definition of sustainability, and finally scrutinized and reviewed by project partners and external experts. The authors expect the results to sufficiently cover possible solutions for strategic sustainable development of cross-border/regional public transport and to inspire further development in other regions with similar infrastructure and financial means. © 2021 Owner/Author.

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  • 21.
    Bowin, Hampus
    et al.
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Computing, Department of Software Engineering.
    Johansson, Daniel
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Computing, Department of Software Engineering.
    Scalability of the Bitcoin and Nano protocols: a comparative analysis2018Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    In the past year cryptocurrencies have gained a lot of attention because of the increase in price. This attention has increased the number of people trading and investing in different cryptocurrencies which has lead to an increased number of transactions flowing through the different networks. This has revealed scalability issues in some of them, especially in the most popular cryptocurrency, Bitcoin. Many people are working on solutions to this problem. One proposed solution replaces the blockchain with a DAG structure. In this report the scalability of Bitcoin’s protocol will be compared to the scalability of the protocol used in the newer cryptocurrency, Nano. The comparison is conducted in terms of throughput and latency. To perform this comparison, an experiment was conducted where tests were run with an increasing number of nodes and each test sent different number of transactions per second from every node. Our results show that Nano’s protocol scales better regarding both throughput and latency, and we argue that the reason for this is that the Bitcoin protocol uses a blockchain as a global data-structure unlike Nano that uses a block-lattice structure where each node has their own local blockchain.

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    BTH2018BowinJohansson
  • 22.
    Broman, Göran
    et al.
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Strategic Sustainable Development.
    Robèrt, Karl-Henrik
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Strategic Sustainable Development.
    A framework for strategic sustainable development2017In: Journal of Cleaner Production, ISSN 0959-6526, E-ISSN 1879-1786, Vol. 140, no Part 1, p. 17-31Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    The purpose of this paper is to give a comprehensive and cohesive description of the most recent version of the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development (FSSD), and also to describe and discuss the overall method for developing the FSSD, elaborate on the general rational for and general benefits of a framework of this type, and Validate benefits of the FSSD through examples of its application. The purpose is also to point to pertinent future work. In preparation of this paper, we have reviewed previous publications and other documents related to the FSSD and reflected on the 25-year learning process between scientists and practitioners. We conclude that the FSSD has proven to aid organizations in thoroughly understanding and putting themselves in context of the global sustainability challenge, and to move themselves strategically towards sustainability, i.e., to stepwise reduce their negative impacts on ecological and social systems at large while strengthening the own organization through capturing of innovation opportunities, including new business models, exploration of new markets and winning of new market shares, and through reduced risks and operation costs. Specifically, we conclude that the FSSD aids more effective management of system boundaries and trade-offs, makes it possible to model and assess sustainable potentials for various materials and practices before investments are made, and offers the possibility for more effective collaboration across disciplines and sectors, regions, value-chains and stakeholder groups. We also conclude that the FSSD makes it possible to prevent damages, even from yet unknown problems, and not the least, to guide selection, development and combination of supplementary methods, tools, and other forms of support, which makes it possible to increase their utility for strategic sustainable development. Finally, we have shown that the FSSD is useful for structuring transdisciplinary academic education and research. Several examples of ongoing FSSD related research, as well as ideas for future work, are given. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  • 23.
    Bron, Mikael
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Computing, Department of Communication Systems.
    Hantering av fysiska säkerhetsrisker – en kunskapsöversikt2013Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    The competence to manage risks related to health, security, fire and safety is a sought-after skill.This is especially noticeable in both business and public administration job postings for therecruitment process of managers, administrators or coordinators to security departments. At thesame time there is little specialist literature available in Swedish on the subject of risk managementin the context of protecting assets and people from physical security threats. The lack of literatureaffects the study of risk management from a physical and procedural security perspective,particularly at an academic level where this is a relatively new topic. To move forward and expandthe field of knowledge is an important step, not only for the scientific community but also for theindustry. This bachelor thesis attempts to be an initial but significant contribution to a topic thatis likely to grow. By mapping what has already been published on the subject in English as wellas summing up and analyzing the scientific knowledge from similar disciplines the thesis has alsohad an additional goal: to reach out with knowledge to those dealing with risk management inpractice, and thus raising their awareness and developing their professional skills.The purpose of this study is to present the current state of knowledge and at the same time toshow the width and depth of the risk management process. This is done by identifying similaritiesand differences in definitions, process descriptions, problems and best practice of the studied areaswhile at the same time account for any criticism offered against risk management as a concept.The results show that there are more similarities than differences in the risk management processand methods regardless of whether the purpose is to protect people and assets from healthhazards, crime, fire or accidents.The paper has been conducted as a descriptive literature study and a comparative textual analysis.The risk management process has been described with reference to the generic ISO standard(31000:2009, Risk management - Principles and guidelines). Also, ten common risk analysismethods that cover all steps in the risk assessment process have been described. The narrative andrelated analysis follow the same order as the ISO-standard process description.The material has been supplemented and compared with guidelines and scientific papers from threetypes of risks management contexts: (1) health hazards, (2) fire and safety, and (3) security.The paper also provides examples of the inconsistent use of terms and definitions both between andwithin different disciplines involved in risk management. One of the conclusions of the report is thatcreating a unified, universal terminology to be used in the security context probably is impossibleas well as being not necessary. Instead, certain terminological misunderstandings can be avoided byproviding clear definitions and explanations of their meaning in each particular case.

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  • 24.
    Chen, Guo
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Spatial Planning.
    Migrating Cities: How to redefine the regional development in China2015Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (One Year)), 40 credits / 60 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    With the rapid development of the urbanization in China, more and more migrants who are mainly from the relatively poor areas move to big cities in order to obtain the economic benefits. However, rather than living condition of migrants and rural development, people pay more attention to the economic development of the city. Migrants cannot achieve reasonable living condition in the urban context, at the same time, they may lose their land and source of income if they come back hometown although they have devoted themselves to the construction of big cities and economic development of rural areas. I analyze the characters of migrants’ living conditions in the big cities and the transfer of labors in rural areas, claiming that we should consider the situation of migrants scientifically when we are conducting the urban planning and urbanization. To explain the phenomenon of migration intuitively, I choose the Zhejiang village in Beijing and four villages in Henan Province as the example to study and analysis in the following. Firstly, Beijing is the capital of China so that it is the most popular place for migrants to move in. Zhejiang village is the famous historic problem in China and there are a lot of literatures and data collections that can be useful for my thesis. Secondly, Henan Province has the largest population in China and the migration is popular there. After the case study and survey, I analyze the reasons of the problem from different perspective such as government, economic differences, migrants’ education and so on. The paper suggests the solutions to solve the problems from relevant aspects.

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  • 25.
    China, Cecilia R.
    et al.
    The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), Tanzania.
    Mgumia, Athman
    Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH), Tanzania.
    Trojer, Lena
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Computing, Department of Technology and Aesthetics.
    Nungu, Amos
    Tanzania Commission for Science and Technology (COSTECH), Tanzania.
    Exploring innovation and collaboration in the leather processing industry through the case study of the KIWANGO Leather Cluster2024In: Discover Applied Sciences, E-ISSN 3004-9261, Vol. 6, no 9, article id 456Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    In the era of Industry 4.0, fostering innovation through strong collaboration among universities, industry, and government is crucial. However, the Tanzanian economy has faced challenges due to, among others, weak links between these entities. To address this, Sida initiated the Innovation Systems and Cluster Development Program (ISCP-Tz) in partnership with the University of Dar es Salaam. This was followed by a program at COSTECH focused on fostering innovation for socio-economic development. As part of these programs, 15 clusters, including KIWANGO Leather, were selected for documentation of their experiences. KIWANGO Leather exemplifies successful collaboration between cluster firms, the university, local government, and research institutions. Operationalizing guidelines for collaboration led to cooperative innovations, knowledge exchange, internships, and long-term partnerships established through Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The cluster's experiences highlight a less-linear, inclusive innovation process with positive outcomes. Thus, this paper not only illustrates a less linear, inclusive innovation process, but also its results can motivate actors in emerging innovation ecosystems in the Global South to adopt and scale up suggested approaches for knowledge co-creation benefitting sustainable development. By adopting these approaches and fostering collaborative networks, countries can leverage their resources and expertise to drive innovation, create economic growth, and address societal challenges.

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  • 26.
    Colton, Anthony
    et al.
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Computing, Department of Software Engineering.
    Säbom, Sebastian
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Computing, Department of Software Engineering.
    Virtual Reality as an Educational Tool in the Training of Explosives for the Swedish Armed Forces Personnel2022Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    Virtual reality (VR) is not part of the curriculum of explosives for the Swedish Armed Forces (SAF) today. According to the research department at the Swedish EOD and Demining Centre (SWEDEC), this study is the first step in introducing VR to modernize the educational system for explosives within the SAF. This study investigates why VR is not used as a complement in the education of explosives for the SAF and finds the potential benefits and risks of implementing it. Qualitative data was collected through the survey method `case study research' where experts in the field of explosives tried a VR prototype made specifically for this study before being interviewed. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the results from the interviews.This study shows that VR is not part of the curriculum of explosives today because the older generation who decides either has a reluctant mindset or lacks the knowledge and awareness to see what it has to offer. The interviewees agree on the potential benefits of implementing VR in this field, the main benefits are cost reduction, safety, and logistics.  If the quality of the program is poor, the safety aspect and learning behaviors could be jeopardized because a user is treating the program like a game. To implement VR as a complement in the education of explosives for the SAF has more potential benefits than potential risks, and the potential risks can be reduced by using a program with quality assurance. There is an overwhelming interest among the interviewees where all participants agree that the education in explosives could benefit from implementing VR.

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  • 27.
    Dorner, Michael
    et al.
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Computing, Department of Software Engineering.
    Šmite, Darja
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Computing, Department of Software Engineering.
    Mendez, Daniel
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Computing, Department of Software Engineering.
    Wnuk, Krzysztof
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Computing, Department of Software Engineering.
    Czerwonka, Jacek
    Microsoft Research, USA.
    Only Time Will Tell: Modelling Information Diffusion in Code Review with Time-Varying Hypergraphs2022In: ESEM '22: Proceedings of the 16th ACM / IEEE International Symposium on Empirical Software Engineering and Measurement / [ed] Madeiral F., Lassenius C., Lassenius C., Conte T., Mannisto T., Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), 2022, p. 195-204Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Background: Modern code review is expected to facilitate knowledge sharing: All relevant information, the collective expertise, and meta-information around the code change and its context become evident, transparent, and explicit in the corresponding code review discussion. The discussion participants can leverage this information in the following code reviews; the information diffuses through the communication network that emerges from code review. Traditional time-aggregated graphs fall short in rendering information diffusion as those models ignore the temporal order of the information exchange: Information can only be passed on if it is available in the first place.

    Aim: This manuscript presents a novel model based on time-varying hypergraphs for rendering information diffusion that overcomes the inherent limitations of traditional, time-aggregated graph-based models. 

    Method: In an in-silico experiment, we simulate an information diffusion within the internal code review at Microsoft and show the empirical impact of time on a key characteristic of information diffusion: the number of reachable participants. 

    Results: Time-aggregation significantly overestimates the paths of information diffusion available in communication networks and, thus, is neither precise nor accurate for modelling and measuring the spread of information within communication networks that emerge from code review. 

    Conclusion: Our model overcomes the inherent limitations of traditional, static or time-aggregated, graph-based communication models and sheds the first light on information diffusion through code review. We believe that our model can serve as a foundation for understanding, measuring, managing, and improving knowledge sharing in code review in particular and information diffusion in software engineering in general.

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  • 28.
    Elfsberg, Jenny
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering. Blekinge Institute of Technology.
    Innovation Engineering in Practice: Bridging Exploration and Exploitation in Large Manufacturing Incumbents2023Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    This thesis discusses how large manufacturing incumbent companies potentially can ensure their longevity and future-proof themselves by infusing ambidexterity throughout their organizations. Ambidextrous companies are equipped to achieve success in both current and future business environments, providing valued solutions to customers today and in the future. While these companies often excel at making incremental improvements to existing products, business, and operational models, they lack the skill set necessary for exploring new ways of creating value for customers, and commonly fail to bring promising breakthrough innovations from proven concept to revenue generation. 

    To address these challenges, this thesis proposes a methodology consisting of four foundational principles for strengthening the innovation capacity of large manufacturing incumbents. The term "innovation engineering" is introduced and described to distinctly differentiate exploration-oriented work from exploitation-oriented work and demystify the exploration process and skills. The thesis also presents the concept of "intentional PSS design" as an approach to incorporate future aspirations and current capabilities into an evolutionary design process, connecting current limitations with future anticipated possibilities.

    The thesis proposes tools for leaders and coaches to support innovation engineering teams in their exploration journeys and bridge the gap between exploration and exploitation. The overall aim of the research is to future-proof large manufacturing incumbents by providing understanding about common challenges and possibilities, a framework for strengthened innovation capacity, incorporating the innovation engineering skills as core competencies, and the innovation engineering process as equally important to and diametrically different from the exploitation process.

    The research aims to increase awareness and knowledge about innovation engineering and enable infused ambidexterity so that large manufacturing incumbents can find their ways to adapt to a changing environment and reinvention of their ways to meet customer needs. The thesis also proposes ways to bridge between exploration and exploitation to enable a company-wide transition from a product-selling to problem-solving enterprise. By doing so, large manufacturing companies might prolong their lifespan and contribute solving 

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  • 29.
    Elfsberg, Jenny
    et al.
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering.
    Larsson, Andreas
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering.
    Johansson Askling, Christian
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering.
    Larsson, Tobias
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering.
    Root, Sheryl
    Carnegie Mellon University, USA.
    Lost in translation between explore and exploit: From selling products to solving problems in large manufacturing incumbentsManuscript (preprint) (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    As large manufacturing incumbents are adopting digital technologies and shifting their business models from selling products to solving problems, through PSS (product-service-system) solutions, their development processes need to shift as well. Organizational ambidexterity, the ability to both explore new opportunities and exploit existing customer offerings, is considered to be crucial to companies’ current and future success. In this study it is observed that a gap between exploration and exploitation work streams lead to promising conceptual PSS solutions never reaching a revenue generating stage. This is because product-centricity along with exploitation-optimized processes and mindsets are not equipped to carry the integrated solutions further, from proven concept to market ready solution. This article summarizes a multiple case study, where systematic innovation engineering work has resulted in promising conceptual PSS solutions never reaching market launch. In addition to the in-depth case studies, leaders of exploration-oriented teams in manufacturing incumbents shared their insights which confirmed that the problem is common across companies and industries, and several roadblocks are general. One of the authors has been responsible for a successful shift from a product-centric to an integrated solution-oriented organization and contributed insights from that experience to this study. The authors suggest that the gap between explore and exploit, and the shift from product-centric to PSS-oriented can be managed through an approach where ambidexterity is infused into the entire organization and exploration is demystified, enabling a transparent and concerted shift.

  • 30.
    Enarsson, Kim
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Computing, Department of Computer Science.
    Particle Simulation using Asynchronous Compute: A Study of The Hardware2020Independent thesis Advanced level (professional degree), 20 credits / 30 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    Background. With the introduction of the compute shader, followed by the application programming interface (API) DirectX 12, the modern GPU is now going through a transformation. Previously the GPU was used as a massive computational tool for running a single task at unparalleled speed. The compute shader made it possible to run CPU like programs on the GPU, DirectX 12 takes this even further by introducing a multi-engine architecture. Multi-engine architecture unlocks the possibility of running the compute shader alongside the regular graphical stages, this concept is called asynchronous compute. Objectives. This thesis aims to investigate if asynchronous compute can be used to increase the performance of particle simulations. The key metrics being studied are total frame time, rendered frames per second, and overlap time. The frst two are used to determine if asynchronous compute improves performance or not, while the last is used to determine if the particle simulation is running asynchronous compute or not.Methods. For this thesis, the particle simulation used is the N-body particle simulation.The N-body particle simulation is implemented using a compute shader and is part of a larger DirectX 12 framework. One application is implemented that run two different execution models, one is the standard sequential execution model and one is the asynchronous compute model. The main difference between the two execution models is that the sequential execution model will be using only one command queue, this being a 3D command queue. The asynchronous compute model will be running a separate compute command queue alongside the 3D command queue. The performance metrics being studied are all collected using a custom-built GPU profiler. Results. The results indicate that it is possible to increase the performance of particle simulations using asynchronous compute. The registered performance gain reaches as high as 34% on hardware that supports asynchronous compute while hardware that according to NVIDIA does not support asynchronous compute registered performance gains up towards 11%. In terms of overlap time between the compute workload and the graphical workload, the AMD GPU showed an overlap time that matched the frame time. However, NVIDIA GPUs did not show the expected overlap time. Conclusions. It can be determined that asynchronous compute provide benefits when compared to the sequential execution model, it can be used to increase the performance of particle simulations. However, since the research in this thesis only made use of a single particle simulation, more work needs to be done, for example, work to test if the performance gain can be improved even further using different methods like, workload pairing or utilizing multiple GPUs, however that kind of work requires the use of a larger-scale application that consists of multiple different tasks other than just a single particle simulation.

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  • 31.
    Eriksson, Jesper
    Blekinge Institute of Technology.
    Implementing a Level Design Tool for Calculating and Tuning the Travel Time of Paths in a Digital Game2018Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
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  • 32.
    Evaldsson, Tom
    et al.
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Computing, Department of Software Engineering.
    Bardakani, Mohamad Yazan
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Computing, Department of Software Engineering.
    GraalVM’s Ahead-of-Time Compilation: Benefits and Challenges in Production2024Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    The widespread adoption of containerization for application deployment emphasizes the need for improved performance and efficiency, particularly in Java Virtual Machine (JVM)-based applications. Traditional JVMs often struggle with resource efficiency and long startup times, leading to increased operational costs and a larger environmental footprint. This is especially significant in microservices architectures where resource optimization is crucial for sustainability and cost-effectiveness.

    This thesis aims to evaluate the effectiveness of GraalVM’s Ahead-of-Time (AOT)compilation and native image support in enhancing the performance of JVM-based applications within a microservices architecture. The focus is reducing startup times, improving resource utilization, and overall operational efficiency at Ericsson, contributing to a greener economy.

    The research involved migrating a JVM-based program to run on GraalVM. Systematic performance tests measured key metrics such as startup time, memory usage, and performance. Semi-structured interviews with industry professionals were also utilized to gather qualitative insights into the migration challenges and benefits.

    The results indicated that native images significantly reduced startup times and memory usage compared to standard JVMs. Profile Guided Optimization (PGO)massively increased performance but at the cost of compilation time, memory usage, and build size. Interviews revealed that developers are cautiously optimistic about the benefits of AOT compilation with GraalVM but also revealed major concerns about complexity and compatibility.

    GraalVM’s AOT benefits make it a viable option for both microservice and serverless architectures. However, the decision to adopt GraalVM requires careful consideration of the trade-offs. These include larger build sizes, longer compilation times, and the need for specialized knowledge to maintain stability. Future work should focus on case studies in real-world environments to further validate and explore the benefits and drawbacks of AOT compilation..

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  • 33.
    Fagerberg, Marie
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Spatial Planning.
    Vad händer med norra Bohusläns skärgårds- och kustområde?: riksintresse för turism och friluftsliv.2015Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (One Year)), 20 credits / 30 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [sv]

    Uppsatsens syfte har varit att studera hur hanteringen av riksintresset enligt 4:e kap. 1-2 §§ Miljöbalken och motsvarande tidigare regleringar har fungerat över tid i norra Bohuslän, genom att undersöka den faktiska bebyggelseutvecklingen 1976- 2013. Syftet är även att undersöka hur kommunala politiker och tjänstemän samt Länsstyrelsen ser på denna utvecklig och inför framtiden. Detta för att få en indikation om hur området skulle kunna komma vara exploaterat i framtiden. Syftet har besvarats genom följande frågeställningar:

    Hur har bebyggelseutvecklingen skett i kustlandskapet Norra Bohuslän 1976-2013?Hur ser kommunala politiker och tjänstemän samt Länsstyrelsen på denna utveckling?Hur ser kommunala politiker och tjänstemän samt Länsstyrelsen på lagbestämmelserna,4 kap 1-2 § MB, inför framtiden?

    Utgångpunkterna som denna uppsats baseras på är olika förhållningssätt som kunnat urskiljas i den litteratur som studerats.

    Undersökningen i uppsatsen har byggts på två innehållsanalyser, en kvantitativ som baserats dels på kartmaterial från 1976 och 2013 och dels en kvalitativ baserat på intervjuer med utvalda kommunala tjänstemän och politiker samt från Länsstyrelsen.

    I den kvantitativa innehållsanalysen har hela norra Bohusläns kust- och skärgårdsområde omfattandes av ca 60 kartblad av ekonomiska kartan från 1976-1977 studerats och jämförts med fastighetskartan från 2013 för att skapa en bild av hur bebyggelseutvecklingen skett. Resultatet har presenterats generellt utifrån ett helhetsperspektiv för hela kustområdet. I den kvalitativa innehållsanalysen har totalt tio personer intervjuats som antingen i yrket verksamma med fysisk planering inom kustområdet eller har en viktig roll vid beslut kring dem.

    I resultaten av den kvantitativa analysen framkom bl.a. att förhållandevis stor andel av den bebyggelse som tillkommit 1976-2013 har tillkommit på landsbygden, inom ca 1 km från strand- och kustlinje och består i majoritet av bebyggelse för boende. Många av dessa områden består av 4-10 hus, men de färre större områdena med mer än 10 hus, tar ungefär lika mycket mark i anspråk. Av de större områdena som omfattas av bostadsbebyggelsen, består endast ett område i majoritet av helårboende – andelen delårsboende är till stor del övervägande inom kustområdet. Denna huvudsakliga lokalisering nära kust- och strandlinje och på landsbygden stämmer inte med de förespråkande förhållningssätt som kunnat urskiljas. Även om en mindre åtskillnad kan sägas göras idag mellan helår- och delårsboende så påverkar detta kommunernas bostadsplanering, där endast ett område med majoritet helårsboende utgör för liten grund för att slutsatser ska kunna kopplas till förhållande till strand- och kustlinjen. Att mer än hälften av områdena med bebyggelsen för boende har tillkommit i form av mindre omfattande ingrepp stämmer överens med det förhållningssätt som kunnat urskiljas. En förhållandevis liten andel av den bebyggelse som tillkommit på landsbygden är på campingar, tar förhållandevis liten markyta i anspråk, men har ofta tillkommit i attraktiva strandnära lägen som generellt anses ha stort värde för friluftslivet, vilket kan ses som förenligt utifrån det förhållningssätt som kunnat urskiljas, under förutsättning att bebyggelsen används för uthyrning och inte privatiseras. Sammantaget är detta en utveckling inom kustlandskapet som utifrån de förhållningssätt som kunnat urskiljas, en utveckling som kan ses som tveksam, men att kommunerna gör avvägningar mellan olika intressen som enligt planparadigmet är förenligt med intentionerna för riksintressebestämmelserna.

    I resultaten av den kvalitativa analysen framkom bl.a. att kommunala tjänstemän och politiker samt Länsstyrelsen har svårt att bedöma hur utvecklingen skett inom kustlandskapet på landsbygden (utifrån kartstudierna) och hur exploateringen har påverkat helheten och att de uppfattar nuvarande lagbestämmelser (4 kap. 1-2 §§) som vaga, svaga och svårtolkade. Det framkom även att bestämmelserna uppfattas som viktiga men behöver ses över, att förståelsen kring ämnet behöver öka och rutiner ses över.

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  • 34. Flood, Petter
    et al.
    Hallin, Emil
    A User Study of the Just Noticeable Difference in Animation Level of Detail Set in a Game Environment2019Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    Background. A previous study on performance benefits of joint reduction for animations was made by the authors of this thesis. The results of the study showed that a reduction in joint count is highly beneficial for performance. What that study left out was the perception of Level of Detail (LoD) of animations, and what the Just Noticeable Difference (JND) of a percentage decrease on the joint count would be. Thus motivating a study on peoples’ perception of animation quality.

    Objectives. The aim is to study the perception of LoD of animations in a game-like environment whilst doing a simple search-and-click task. Aiming to find the JND between animations with a different number of joints while the players are set with a task that does not involve interacting with the characters performing the animation.

    Methods. A psychophysical experiment was performed using a game implementation in Unity. Unity was chosen because it has easy access to develop scripts and a game environment. Furthermore, it has a marketplace where already made content can be downloaded and reused, which made the user study much easier to create.

    Results. A total of 85.71% did not see any difference between the different qualities used for the animations. The 14.29% that saw a difference in the animations all saw the difference between the lowest and the one next to the lowest quality animation.

    Conclusions. Three out of 21 participants were able to see a difference in the lowest animation quality, whilst no one saw any difference in the other qualities. Thus, people were not able to see a density reduction of up to 62.26% fewer joints for the chosen animation. Due to the low number of positive detections in the quality change of the animations, the JND could not be reliably computed.

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    2019BTHHallinFlood
  • 35.
    Fransson, Emil
    et al.
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Computing.
    Hermansson, Jonatan
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Computing.
    Performance comparison of WebGPU and WebGL in the Godot game engine2023Independent thesis Advanced level (professional degree), 20 credits / 30 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    Background. For rendering graphics on the web, WebGL has been the standard API to employ over the years. A new technology, WebGPU, has been set to release in 2023 and utilizes many of the novel rendering approaches and features common for the native modern graphics APIs, such as Vulkan. Currently, very limited research exists regarding WebGPU:s rasterization capabilities. In particular, no research exists pertaining to its capabilities when used as a rendering backend in game engines.Objectives. This paper aims to investigate performance differences between WebGL and WebGPU. This is done in the context of the game engine Godot, and the measured performance is that of the CPU and GPU frame time. The tests consist of six games for analyzing real-world cases and a number of synthetic test cases that target specific parts of the rendering pipeline. To perform the comparisons a WebGPU backend Rasterizer was implemented with the intended scope of being ableto render basic 2D games.Method. The existing WebGL Rasterizer in Godot was deconstructed to match the scope of the intended rendering functionality. The WebGPU Rasterizer was then implemented in its image and the performance of the implementations was measured in different scopes. These scopes include the frame time on the GPU and CPU and some essential rendering functions on the CPU side. Lastly, the means were calculated, and a t-test was performed to validate the significance of the difference between Rasterizers.Results. The results show that WebGPU performs better than WebGL when used as a rendering backend in Godot, for both the games tests and the synthetic tests. The comparisons clearly show that WebGPU performs faster in mean CPU and GPU frame time. This held true also for 95% lowest frame time. The results varied for the cases of the mean 1% high frame time, with WebGPU generally performing better. The results for the essential rendering functions saw WebGL performing consistently better.Conclusions. In conclusion, WebGPU outperformed WebGL. In most of the tests conducted, substantially and with high statistical significance. In order to better realize the performance benefits of WebGPU in the environment of game engines the implementation could be further expanded on in order to support more advanced games and 3D scenes. Still, the findings of this thesis show WebGPU as a strong contender to WebGL for web rendering. 

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  • 36.
    Gould, Rachael
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Strategic Sustainable Development.
    The individual human side of supporting sustainable design beginners2018Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    Starting to include sustainability considerations in a design project is a transition requiring a change in how things are done, that is, a change in behaviour. Furthermore, this transition takes place in the midst of the usual pressures of product design. Prior research on sustainable design has mostly explored the so-called technical side – identifying what tasks should be performed, such as specifics of including sustainability criteria when analysing product concepts. However, this has not been enough. These tasks are not being performed to the extent that they could, or that is needed. Recent studies have advocated the consideration of the human nature of the people who are to execute these ‘technical’ tasks. In other words, there is a need to work with the socio-psychological factors in order to help sustainable design beginners to adopt new mindsets and practice (their usual way of doing design).

    My aim was therefore to investigate how to support individual product design team members with the human aspects of transitioning to executing sustainable design. In particular, I focused on supporting good individual decision-making and individual behaviour change. This aim was addressed through multiple research projects with four partner companies working with the early phases of product design. Given a focus to change practice, I followed an action research approach with a particular emphasis on theory building. This action research approach comprised two phases: understanding the challenge and context, and then iteratively developing solutions through a theorise–design-act-observe-reflect cycle.

    Through the research projects, my colleagues and I found that there are challenges related to behaviour change and decision-making that are hindering execution of sustainable design. In order to help organisations to overcome or avoid these challenges, we found that it may be beneficial for those developing sustainable design tools and methods to (i) use techniques to mitigate for cognitive illusions, (ii) provide individuals with the opportunity to implement sustainable design while helping those individuals to increase their motivation and capability to execute sustainable design, and (iii) communicate with these individuals in such a way as to avoid triggering psychological barriers (self-defence mechanisms). I combined these points into two models.

    Together with the partner organisations, we applied the two models to design some actions that we then tested. The actions included integrating behaviour change and decision-making considerations into sustainable design tools as well as stand-alone interventions in the culture.

    Given the findings of these studies, I urge developers of sustainable design tools to see implementation of their tool as a learning journey. The beginning of the journey should comprise small steps supported by handrails, which then increase in size and decrease in support as the journey continues. Especially in the beginning, tool developers will also need to help travellers to avoid the decision-making errors that occur due to being in unfamiliar territory.

     

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  • 37.
    Gould, Rachael
    et al.
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Strategic Sustainable Development.
    Bratt, Cecilia
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Strategic Sustainable Development.
    Svensson, Martin
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Industrial Economics.
    Broman, Göran
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Strategic Sustainable Development.
    Shrinking and scaffolding: supporting behaviour change towards implementing sustainable design2018Manuscript (preprint) (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    To start to include sustainability in a design project is a transition. This transition requires change in how people do things, that is, behaviour change, and it takes place in the midst of the usual pressures of product design. Prior research on sustainable design has mostly explored the so-called technical side – identifying what tasks should be performed, such as specifics of including sustainability criteria when analysing product concepts. Recent studies have advocated the consideration of the human nature of the people who are to implement these ‘technical’ tasks, to undergo and drive the transition.

    We therefore embarked on an action research project to support behaviour change towards implementing sustainable design in the individual members of design project teams. Our action research partner was a design consultancy who wanted to begin working with sustainable design. Our research question was: How might the partner organisation support individual behaviour change towards implementing sustainable design?

    Firstly, we identified some barriers to behaviour change; these barriers were related to motivation, capability and opportunity to apply sustainable design. Secondly, to investigate how to address the barriers and support individual behaviour change, we integrated concepts on behaviour change, motivation, learning for sustainability and climate communication to form a conceptual system (a theoretical model). In parallel, we undertook a participatory action research project with the consultancy, where we iteratively and collaboratively employed our model to develop ideas for specific actions that the organisation could take. We also tried out some of these actions and observed the outcomes.

    We learnt that it is important to not just define what ‘technical’ tasks project teams should ideally perform, but to also scaffold the journey as a series of simpler steps. Shrinking the ‘technical’ tasks into meaningful steps that are within reach helps individuals to feel confident and competent, which in turn leads to increased intrinsic motivation and behaviour change. Progressively achieving small steps aligned with their values reduces the risk of dissonance and denial, and therefore increases the potential for action.

    In this article, we present our model and our learnings.

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  • 38.
    Gould, Rachael
    et al.
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Strategic Sustainable Development.
    Missimer, Merlina
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Strategic Sustainable Development.
    Lagun Mesquita, Patricia
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Strategic Sustainable Development.
    Using social sustainability principles to analyse activities of the extraction lifecycle phase: Learnings from designing support for concept selection2017In: Journal of Cleaner Production, ISSN 0959-6526, E-ISSN 1879-1786, Vol. 140, no 1, p. 267-276Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Analysing product concepts with respect to social sustainability is a contemporary challenge for which there is little support available for product developers. Our aim was to build on previous work to support product developers in a case company with this challenge. We designed a first prototype of support for product developers to use a previously developed definition when analysing the extraction lifecycle activities associated with their product concepts. The prototype instructs users to model the location of the extraction activities and then use existing databases and indicators to analyse the social sustainability performance of each location. The databases and indicators were selected according to their relevance to scientific principles for social sustainability. We then performed initial evaluation of the support, through which we learnt that the approach may make it possible for product developers to analyse extraction activities, but the level of accuracy of analysis that is possible is not good enough for comparing the concepts in the case study decision. We discuss the implications of these challenges and suggest that it may be better to re-design our approach in order to provide learningful support for product developers or support for other decision-making in the company.

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  • 39.
    Gould, Rachael
    et al.
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Strategic Sustainable Development.
    Svensson, Martin
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Industrial Economics.
    Sustainable product development and tricks on the mind: Formulating conceptual models of cognitive illusions and mitigating actions2018Manuscript (preprint) (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    Similar to visual illusions playing tricks on your eyes, cognitive illusions cause you to misjudge reality and therefore potentially make biased decisions. You are especially vulnerable when starting to introduce sustainability into concept development decision-making since this setting offers unfamiliarity, and complexity. Given a shortage of theories regarding which cognitive illusions product developers are susceptible to, we formulated a conceptual model. This model is based on the decision-making tasks that product developers undertake when they are developing concepts and the conditions that they experience when integrating sustainability into this decision-making. From decision-making literature, we identified the following cognitive illusions as occurring when undertaking those tasks under those conditions: availability, anchoring and confirmation bias when generating ideas; illusory correlation and validity effect when selecting between ideas; evaluability bias and status quo bias when gate reviewing. Based on the model, we synthesised literature on how to mitigate for the identified illusions and organised this synthesis according to when (during which task type) a product developer should perform the mitigating actions. These mitigating actions vary according to task type and focus on the quality of the decision-making process.

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  • 40.
    Grendler, Filip
    et al.
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Computing, Department of Computer Science.
    Wallenskog, Nicolas
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Computing, Department of Computer Science.
    Animated Online Advertisement: Investigating the Impact of Different Shading Styles on Recognition2020Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    Background. Since e-commerce has grown rapidly the focus and attention towards online advertisement are critical. Twitch.tv, one of the big streaming websites had in April 2020 an average of 2.48 million concurrent viewers.  Bigger brands have taken notice and started to invest in advertisements during e-sports and other online streams. This thesis has conducted an experiment that analyses the recognition of animated advertisements with different shading styles during gameplay streaming.

    Objectives. This thesis compared animated advertisements shaded in two different ways. The advertisements were shown during a clip from a game. One of the shadings was a toon-shading which was the same art style as the game. This was compared with Unreal Engine 4’s standard shading (Default Lit with Surface as Material Domain). The aim was to find out which of the shading styles were more likely to be recognized.

    Methods. An experiment was conducted where participants watched a clip of gameplay from Borderlands 2. At certain moments during the clip different advertisements would appear for a short time, one at a time.  The advertisements had different shadings, toon-shading, or standard-shading. The goal was to find out which type of shading participants would recognize more than the other. The participants answered a survey after watching the clip where they chose from different images. The images were either images of the animated advertisement or mock images to test what the participant recognized.

    Results. The data gathered from the survey showed that the standard shading in Unreal Engine 4 had a recognition rate of 75.0% whilst toon-shaded characters had 82.7%. This means that there was a difference of 7.7% in the rate of recognition between the shading styles. There were a total of 26 participants between the ages of 19 to 30.

    Conclusions. The expected outcome was that the users would not recognize the cartoon styled advertisements since it would blend into the gameplay of Borderlands 2. The standard shaded advertisements would not blend in with the gameplay and should have a higher recognition rate. The result, however, proved that the expected outcome of the experiment was incorrect. There were a few other noteworthy findings that can be further researched.

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    Animated Online Advertisement: Investigating the Impact of Different Shading Styles on Recognition
  • 41.
    Gustafsson, Kevin
    et al.
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Computing, Department of Computer Science and Engineering.
    Sundstedt, Emil
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Computing, Department of Computer Science and Engineering.
    Automated file extraction in a cloud environment for forensic analysis2017Independent thesis Advanced level (professional degree), 20 credits / 30 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    The possibility to use the snapshot functionality of OpenStack as a method of securing evidence has been examined in this paper. In addition, the possibility of extracting evidence automatically using an existing operation tool has been investigated. The usability of snapshots in a forensic investigation was examined by conducting a series of tests on both snapshots and physical disk images. The results of the tests were then compared to evaluate the usefulness of the snapshot. Automatic extraction of evidence was investigated by implementing a solution using Ansible and evaluating the algorithm based on the existing standard ISO 27037. It was concluded that the snapshots created by OpenStack behaves similar enough to disks to be useful in a forensic investigation. The algorithm proposed to extract evidence automatically seems to not breach the standard.

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  • 42.
    Hall, Anton
    et al.
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Spatial Planning.
    Sundell, Simon
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Spatial Planning.
    Innerstaden och externhandeln. En konflikt eller ett planeringsideal?: En komparativ fallstudie över politiska förhållningssätt till stadsplanering och handeln2019Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [sv]

    Handeln har haft en betydande roll för stadens uppkomst och utveckling, idag är stadens många funktioner som karaktärisera staden som attraktiv med ett myllrande gatuliv. Men sedan bilens framfart har handelsområden etableras utanför stadens kärna som har möjliggjort en större kundkrets och ett större utbud. Under 90-talet ändrades Plan- och bygglagen i syfte att främja den fria marknaden och konkurrensen, vilket möjliggjorde etableringen av externhandel som den ser ut idag. Idag står den för en tredjedel av handeln i Sverige och etableringen har även lockat internationella butikskedjor som har pressat priserna och flertalet forskare menar nu att det riskerar att utarma staden på handel och service.

    Under kursen Planering och hållbarhet i programmet Fysisk Planering på Blekinge Tekniska Högskola stötte vi för första gången på allvar på problematiken med externhandeln. Externa köpcentrum lyftes främst som ett miljömässigt problem, men också som en lösning ur ett socialt och ekonomiskt perspektiv. Frustration uppstod inom oss när vi insåg att kommunerna tillsynes krigar om externhandeln och det väckte flera frågor. Kommunpolitiker framställde många av problemen oansenligt och ofullständigt, med godtyckliga lösningar. Underlaget i kursen gav oss känsla av att kommunrepresentanter och politiker inte vågar trotsa nyetableringar av externa handelsområden i rädsla av att ställa sig emot utvecklingen av företagsamhet. Men måste de två stå i motsats till varandra? Eftersom vi under programmet diskuterat externhandel ur ett kritiskt perspektiv har vi följaktligen antagit en mycket kritisk ansats mot handelsfunktionen. Som nämnt ovan uppstod intresset för forskningsområdet ur känslomässig frustration och irritation. Det kan därför vara värdefullt att poängtera möjligheten för en förkonstruerad subjektiv bias mot externhandeln i arbetet.

    Detta kandidatarbete utgör en komparativ fallstudie över två kommuner, Landskrona och Karlskrona, som är för- respektive emot etablering av externhandel, för att studera hur olika planeringsideal påverkar innerstaden. I urvalet av studieobjekt valdes de aktuella kommunerna sådant att de yttre faktorerna, såsom geografisk lokalisering, medianinkomsten i kommunen och befolkningsmängd, är så lika varandra som möjligt så att skillnader i de politiska planeringsidealernas effekter tydliggörs. En dokumentanalys över kommunala dokument har legat till grund för tio attribut för staden, som agerat verktyg för att beskriva påverkan och effekter på innerstaden.

    Fallstudien visade att Landskrona, som opponerat sig mot etablering av externhandel, driver en konkret och strikt planeringspolitik för att göra innerstaden till en attraktiv plats med konkurrenskraft och god ekonomisk tillväxt. Karlskrona, som opponerat sig för etablering av externhandel, driver en nätverkande planeringspolitik, där flera aktörer har möjlighet att driva planeringsfrågor och påverka processer. Resultatet visade att Landskronas innerstad har sämre ekonomisk tillväxt än Karlskrona, trots kommunens omfattande strategier att nå en ekonomiskt stark stadskärna. 

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    Innerstaden och externhandeln.
  • 43.
    Hallstedt, Sophie
    et al.
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Strategic Sustainable Development.
    Pigosso, Daniella
    Danmarks Tekniske Universitet, DEN.
    Sustainability integration in a technology readiness assessment framework2017In: DS87-5 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 21ST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ENGINEERING DESIGN (ICED 17), VOL 5: DESIGN FOR X, DESIGN TO X / [ed] Van der Loos M.,Salustri F.,Oehmen J.,Fadel G.,Kokkolaras M.,Maier A.M.,Skec S.,Kim H., The Design Society, 2017, Vol. 5, no DS87-5, p. 229-238, article id DS87-5Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    In this paper, an approach to systematically include sustainability into the Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) is proposed. The aim is to answer the question "how can sustainability provide systematic guidance in technology development and early product development?". Results from a case study illustrate that the suggested approach can support i) the inclusion of sustainability into the early design stages, when only limited data and information is available; ii) the enhancement of the comprehensiveness of sustainability and ease of use in the day-to-day engineering working environment; and iii) simplified sustainability assessments without being too simplistic and/or reducing the sustainability scope. The proposed approach is being co-developed in collaboration with a case company, and tests on an actual technology development project are planned. The next steps are related to the application of the proposed approach in other companies to test its robustness and enhance its generalization for application in diverse contexts.

  • 44.
    Hansson, Kim
    et al.
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Computing, Department of Creative Technologies.
    Hörlin, Erik
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Computing, Department of Creative Technologies.
    Active learning via Transduction in Regression Forests2015Independent thesis Advanced level (professional degree), 20 credits / 30 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    Context. The amount of training data required to build accurate modelsis a common problem in machine learning. Active learning is a techniquethat tries to reduce the amount of required training data by making activechoices of which training data holds the greatest value.Objectives. This thesis aims to design, implement and evaluate the Ran-dom Forests algorithm combined with active learning that is suitable forpredictive tasks with real-value data outcomes where the amount of train-ing data is small. machine learning algorithms traditionally requires largeamounts of training data to create a general model, and training data is inmany cases sparse and expensive or difficult to create.Methods.The research methods used for this thesis is implementation andscientific experiment. An approach to active learning was implementedbased on previous work for classification type problems. The approachuses the Mahalanobis distance to perform active learning via transduction.Evaluation was done using several data sets were the decrease in predictionerror was measured over several iterations. The results of the evaluationwas then analyzed using nonparametric statistical testing.Results. The statistical analysis of the evaluation results failed to detect adifference between our approach and a non active learning approach, eventhough the proposed algorithm showed irregular performance. The evalu-ation of our tree-based traversal method, and the evaluation of the Maha-lanobis distance for transduction both showed that these methods performedbetter than Euclidean distance and complete graph traversal.Conclusions. We conclude that the proposed solution did not decreasethe amount of required training data on a significant level. However, theapproach has potential and future work could lead to a working active learn-ing solution. Further work is needed on key areas of the implementation,such as the choice of instances for active learning through transduction un-certainty as well as choice of method for going from transduction model toinduction model.

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  • 45.
    Irshad, Mohsin
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Computing, Department of Software Engineering.
    Assessing Reusability in Automated Acceptance Tests2018Licentiate thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
    Abstract [en]

    Context: Automated acceptance tests have become a core practice of agile software development (e.g. Extreme Programming). These tests are closely tied to requirements specifications and these tests provide a mechanism for continuous validation of software requirements. Software reuse has evolved with the introduction of each new reusable artefact (e.g., reuse of code, reuse of frameworks, tools etc.). In this study, we have investigated the reusability of automated acceptance tests keeping in view their close association with textual requirements.

    Objective: As automated acceptance tests are closely related to software requirements, we have used existing research in software engineering to identify reusability related characteristics of software requirements and used these characteristics for automated acceptance tests.This study attempts to address the following aspects: (i) what important reuse characteristics should be considered when measuring reusability of automated acceptance tests? (ii) how reusability can be measured in automated acceptance tests?, and (iii) how cost avoided through reuse of automated acceptance tests can be calculated?

    Method: We have used a combination of research methods to answer different aspects of our study. We started by identifying reusability related characteristics of software requirements, with help of systematic literature review. Later, we tried to identify the reusability related characteristics of defect reports and the process is documented using an experience report. After identifying the characteristics from the previous two studies, we used these characteristics on two case-studies conducted on Behaviour driven development test cases (i.e., acceptance tests of textual nature). We proposed two approaches that can identify the reuse potential of automated acceptance tests and evaluated these approaches in the industry. Later, to calculate the cost avoided through reuse, we proposed and evaluated a method that is applicable to any reusable artifact.

    Results: The results from the systematic literature review shows that text-based requirements reuse approaches are most commonly used in the industry. Structuring these text-based requirements and identifying the reusable requirements by matching are the two commonly used methods for enabling requirements to reuse. The results from the second study, industrial experience report, indicates that defect reports can be formulated in template and defect triage meeting can be used to identify important test-cases related to defect reports. The results from these two studies, text-based requirements reuse approaches and template based defect reports, were included when identifying approaches to measure reuse potential of BDD test-cases. The two proposed approaches, Normalised Compression Distance (NCD) and Similarity Ratio, for measuring reuse potential were evaluated in the industry. The evaluation indicated that Similarity ratio approach performed better than the NCD approach, however, the results from both approaches were comparable with the results gathered with the help of expert analysis. The cost related aspects of reusable acceptance tests were addressed and evaluated using a method that calculates the cost-avoidance through reuse. The industrial evaluation of the method and guidelines show that the method is an artifact independent method. 

    Conclusions: The evidence from this study shows that the automated acceptance tests are reusable, similar to text-based software requirements and their reuse potential can be calculated as well. The industrial evaluation of the three studies (i.e. approaches to measure reuse potential, calculation of cost avoidance and defect reports in triage meetings) shows that the overall results are applicable to the industry. However, further work is required to evaluate the reuse potential of automated acceptance tests in different contexts. 

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  • 46.
    Isaksson, Ola
    et al.
    Chalmers University of Technology, SWE.
    Eckert, Claudia
    The Open University, GBR.
    Borgue, Olivia
    Chalmers University of Technology, SWE.
    Hallstedt, Sophie
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Strategic Sustainable Development.
    Hein, Andreas Makoto
    Université Paris-Saclay, FRA.
    Gericke, Killian
    University of Luxembourg, LUX.
    Massimo, Panarotto
    Chalmers University of Technology, SWE.
    Reich, Yoram
    Tel Aviv University, ISR.
    Öhrwall Rönnbäck, Anna B
    Luleå University of Technology, SWE.
    PERSPECTIVES ON INNOVATION: THE ROLE OF ENGINEERING DESIGN2019In: Proceedings of the Design Society: International Conference on Engineering Design 2019, Cambridge University Press, 2019, Vol. 1, p. 1235-1244Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    The aim of the paper is to foster a discussion in the engineering design community about itsunderstanding of the innovation phenomena and the unique contribution that comes from engineeringdesign. The paper reports on the dialouge originating from a series of workshops with participants fromdifferent backgrounds in engineering design, systems engineering, industrial design psychology andbusiness.Definitions of innovation are revisited as used in business, management and engineering designcontexts. The role of innovation is then discussed related to product development from (i) themanagement perspective, (ii) a systems architecture perspective and (iii) in relation to sustainabledevelopment as one driver of innovation.It is argued that engineering design has a central role in how to realise the novelty aspect of innovationand often plays a critical role in maturing these into the valuable products, and there is a need to articulatethe role of engineering design in innovation to better resonate with the business and managementresearch.

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  • 47.
    Ivarsson, Gabriel
    et al.
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Computing, Department of Software Engineering.
    Håkansson, Noah
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Computing, Department of Software Engineering.
    The impacts of code structure analysis, powered by the language model FastText2023Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE creditsStudent thesis
    Abstract [en]

    The goal of this study was to investigate how the use of language models in the context of code structure analysis could impact how developers manage code structure. To do this, a prototype tool GOSPLAT (GoLang Static Package Language-model Analysis Tool) was created. The objective was to, in a qualitative manner, find themes of both the strengths and shortcomings of GOSPLAT as well as the perceived need and willingness of a tool like this in a company setting. Methods used for this case study were primarily interviews and observations, where the researchers observed subjects when using the tool, as well as further investigating by conducting interviews at which they were more freely able to talk about their experiences. In this case study, both project managers and developers in a company participated. The results were mixed, with the solution both showing promising results for improvements in code quality, as well as limitations where it might have misled the developer. However, during the entire study, all subjects were adamant in their belief in a tool like GOSPLAT, showing genuine interest in incorporating such a tool into their workflow. In conclusion, a genuine need for tools like GOSPLAT was found to exist, and improvement areas were identified to enhance their effectiveness.

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  • 48.
    Jaghbeer, Yasmeen
    et al.
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Strategic Sustainable Development.
    Motyka, Yvonne
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Strategic Sustainable Development.
    Hallstedt, Sophie
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Strategic Sustainable Development.
    A process for designing lean-and sustainable production2017In: Proceedings of the International Conference on Engineering Design, ICED, The Design Society, 2017, no DS87-1, p. 51-60, article id DS87-1Conference paper (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Today's trends such as globalization, increased customer demands, and increased sustainability challenges have caused a paradigm shift, where the importance of designing lean-and sustainable modern manufacturing systems is realized by many companies. This study proposes a process of action steps using Value Stream Mapping method integrated with sustainability life cycle analysis and sustainability compliance index to assist in designing lean-and sustainable production systems. The developed process was validated through a case study to test the adopted tools and how they can capture and improve the lean-and sustainability levels. The current sustainability and lean levels were explored first, followed by analyzing and developing the future improved state. A roadmap of about 40 actions was suggested to the case company distributed on a one year time plan. The key contribution of this study is an applicable and generic process of action steps including several adopted tools from the leanand sustainable product development fields to help manufacturing companies in creating roadmaps for more lean-and sustainable production systems.

  • 49.
    Jagtap, Santosh
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering.
    Design creativity: refined method for novelty assessment2019In: International Journal of Design Creativity and Innovation, Vol. 7, no 1-2, p. 99-115Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Novelty is an important characteristic of a creative idea, forming a core component of creativity. Measurement of novelty is therefore essential to assess creativity. We found deficiencies in a frequently cited method of novelty assessment found in the literature. We refine this method by proposing four modifications, supported by drawing on examples of products and ideas. The refined method and the original method are evaluated by benchmarking them against the collective, intuitive assessment of product novelty by experienced designers. The overall achievement of the refined method as presented in this paper is its contribution to a better assessment of product novelty.

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  • 50.
    Jagtap, Santosh
    Blekinge Institute of Technology, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering.
    Intentions and Inspiration in Shaping Visual Appearance of Products: The Practice of Professional Industrial Designers in India2018In: The Design Journal, ISSN 1460-6925, E-ISSN 1756-3062, Vol. 21, no 1, p. 85-107Article in journal (Refereed)
    Abstract [en]

    Eliciting specific intentions and seeking inspiration are important activities in the process of shaping a product’s visual appearance. A survey of the professional industrial designers was conducted to identify intentions (e.g. attributes, emotions) that they attempt to elicit, and also to identify inspiration sources and their media that they prefer not only in generating ideas to realise intentions but also in analysing and communicating intentions. The findings indicate that the designers frequently intend to elicit some specific attributes and emotions. Regarding inspiration sources and media, commonalities as well as differences were observed in the activities - analysing intentions, communicating intentions, and generating ideas to realise intentions.

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