Abstract: Exploring user interaction in specific contexts is often based on simulated environments and semi-functional prototypes of interactive systems. In this paper, we address a combination of context simulation with the Wizard of Oz method, where a human “wizard” simulates missing functionalities or system intelligence. The goal of our work is to provide a software framework for fast and flexible prototyping and concurrent evaluation during user studies embedded in an iterative interaction design processes. Contextual interaction research is particularly challenging in high-dynamic interaction contexts like ambient environments and includes the simulation of various context parameters to elaborate interaction designs in the target context. For this purpose, we have developed a prototyping software framework that allows to setup and handle different contextual situations during user studies. The framework is highly flexible, modular and adjustable at runtime. The modularity allows the application in a big variety of study contexts in in-situ and in-vitro settings. A detailed description of the framework’s requirements and architecture is presented in this paper. The framework is evaluated from two perspectives. We show the applicability of the framework by using it in two different settings including a simulated factory and a pedestrian navigation context. We evaluate the framework with different user groups, namely developers, researchers, and wizards, who conduct contextual user studies. Results are discussed and the insights are presented in this paper. The challenges posed by settings in different contextual environments provides us with in-depth insights about the usage of the ConWIZ – Wizard of Oz framework. The identified improvements and potentials experienced during the usage of the framework have been analyzed and provide valuable findings for further iterations.
Keywords: Wizard of Oz, context simulation, prototyping, human computer interaction, study support
