Evaluation of interactive installations for public spaces. Recommendations and case study.

Abstract

This master’s thesis describes the evaluation test plan of an interactive installation designed for a public space, and the discussion of the issues arose during its implementation. Evaluation is a critical aspect of the iterative development process of any application or system. It allows creating better products, with less errors, and better achievement of the user’s requirements. It is even more important when the system is intended for a public space due to the problems associated with this kind of settings. The user and design requirements are more difficult to capture and to define, and at the same time the complexity of the evaluation is considerably increased. The evaluation experience described and the suggested recommendations might be of interest for any future attempt to develop and evaluate technology for a public space, as it is the case of the Milk Market project (the Recipe Station)