Project

National University of Singapore (NUS) HCI-Lab

My time at NUS-HCI Lab as a UX researcher

During the summer of 2023, I had the opportunity to work with a team of UX researchers and engineers on the project to revolutionalise the future of audiobook experience. The project aimed to enhance the audiobook learning experience by introducing subtle and glanceable visual augmentations. We seek to leverage Optical See-Through Head-Mounted Displays (OHMDs) to provide users with visuals that complement the audio content of audiobooks.

Info

Role

UX Researcher

Timeline

June 2023 - September 2023

Research Methods

Participatory Design

Field Study

User Interviews & Studies

Literature Reviews

Overview

Problem

How can we increase memory retention and comprehension in audiobooks while listening on-the-go?

Outcome

83% of the users are confident in the feasibility of the product in real-life contexts.

Significant 33% improvement in recall and engagement. Insignificant effects on primary task efficiency.

CHI 2024

Figure: Published paper on ACM Digital Library CHI Conference 2024

Acceptance rate of 26.3%

I'm proud to say that our paper was one of the 1060 papers that got accepted into the most prestigious global conference for human computer interaction.

This year, CHI received a total of 4028 submissions and accepted 1060 papers which brings them to an acceptance rate of 26.3% globally.

Main Takeaways

Reflecting on the project outcomes

While my time in the lab was a blast, it came with its own challenges and learnings. As I went behind-the-scenes of writing and publishing a research paper, this experience has enriched my understanding of the dynamic nature of academia.

01
My love for interacting with users

One of the most rewarding aspects of this project was the opportunity to engage with participants. We ran >20 sessions with users in both physical and online settings.

I found genuine enjoyment in conversing with individuals who brought diverse perspectives and insights to the table. These interactions were instrumental in shaping our research and fine-tuning our approach.

It underscored the significance of user-centric design and the vital role that participant feedback plays in the development of our solutions.

02
Embracing Flexibility & Adaptability

In the volatile landscape of research, I often found myself having to adapt and change our research direction based on the results of our previous studies.

Coming in with an open mind allowed me to navigate unexpected challenges and seize unforeseen opportunities. It taught me to embrace change as integral components of the research process.

Motivation

A Vision for Augmented Audiobook Experience

Audiobook Current Landscape

Audiobooks have garnered immense popularity in today’s fast-paced world, due to its ease of access and the convenience of hands-free, eyes-free content consumption.

Up to 70% of audiobook listeners consume audio-first information while multitasking.

Despite its many advantages, prior research indicates that audio-first content typically results in lower memory retention and comprehension when compared to traditional text-based learning.

Audio lacks tangibility, and dissipates as soon as it’s narrated, failing to provide any visual anchor for the listener.

This motivated us to explore subtle and glanceable visual augmentations on Optical See-Through Head-Mounted Displays (or OHMDs) as a supportive and complementary channel to audio-first content.

Study 1 Methodology

Can visual augmentations enhance content recall and engagement without compromising primary task efficacy?

We employed a within-subjects design with 2 modalities, Audio-only & Audio+Illustrations, as well as 2 Primary activities, Walking navigation & Folding Laundry, which represent common everyday tasks undertaken while listening to audio-first content.

Results

Significant >30% improvement in recall & engagement

The results revealed that Participants exposed to the audio+illustrations modality showed a significant 33% improvement in immediate recall and a 32.7% improvement in 7-day recall, compared to those in the audio-only group.

Engagement Ratings as well as its subdomains also revealed significant improvements for the audio+illustrations modality.

No significant effect in primary task efficacy

Promisingly, the objective measure of primary task speed showed that the illustrations did not detrimentally affect task efficiency,

Final Words

This brief overview provides a glimpse into the core idea of the research paper. Feel free to watch the summary of the paper video preview here!

The video below showcases the full presentation of the research paper, providing an in-depth look into the dynamics of AudioXtend and the insights garnered from the analysis.