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Colloquium Details

Two projects: (a) Food Information Network--Informed Shopping for Healthier Living and (b) NutriStat--Tracking Young Child Nutrition

Authors:(a) Jiawei Rong University of Oregon
Leo Ochoa University of Oregon
Lee Ritter University of Oregon
Erik Brown University of Oregon
(b) Victor Hanson-Smith University of Oregon
Daya Wimalasuriya University of Oregon
Andrew Fortier University of Oregon
Date:April 11, 2006
Time:15:00 - special early start time
Location:220 Deschutes
Host:Anthony Hornof

Abstract

Two groups of students will present posters that they will be presenting at the CHI 2006 Student Design Competition. CHI is the leading annual conference in the field of human-computer interaction. It will be held this year in Montreal. The competition challenged students to develop computer-based systems that could address problems of nutrition and health.

Rong, Ochoa, Ritter, and Brown designed a "Food Information Network" to help people make better choices about the food products they purchase. The design process followed a scenario-based design methodology, which included field studies, writing activity scenarios, and early user testing with a paper-based prototype. A portion of the system was implemented, and additional user testing was done in an actual grocery store with the system running on a cell phone and a Palm simulator.

Hanson-Smith, Wimalasuriya, and Fortier addressed the national crisis of Type II Diabetes by designing a system called NutriStat that tracks a child's nutritional intake throughout the day. The system is useful for situations such as when a child is fed breakfast by one caregiver, lunch by another, and dinner by another. As part of their requirements analysis, the students interviewed food-bank administrators, parents of young children, a pediatric nutritionist, and an expert on the topic of fast-food media.

The projects submitted by these students were selected by expert judges to compete in the next round of the competition at the conference. At this colloquium, students will also present 10-minute presentations they they will present at CHI if they are selected to compete in the next round.

The projects were developed in two classes that were integrated in the Fall term. The classes were CIS 443/543 User Interfaces, taught by Prof. Anthony Hornof, and ARTD 463/563 Communication Design, taught by Prof. Ying Tan in the Digital Arts program. The students and faculty in the two courses collaborated in the classroom and on their projects. Two of the students in the first group (Ochoa and Ritter) are students in the Digital Arts program.

At the request of Prof. Hornof, NSF is providing funding for representatives from the two student groups to travel to CHI to present their projects.

Please come ready to ask questions as if you were attending the conference!

More information on the CHI 2006 Student Design Competition is available at: www.chi2006.org/call/designcomp.php.