Scaling Up HCI Research: from Clinical Trials to Deployment in the Wild.

ABSTRACTIn this paper, we describe two case studies of research projects that attempt to scale up HCI research beyond traditional small evaluation studies. The first of these projects focused on evaluating an interactive web application for promoting problem-solving in self-management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in a randomized clinical trial; the second one included deployment in the wild of a smartphone app that provided individuals with T2DM with personalized predictions for changes in blood glucose levels in response to meals. We highlight lessons learned during these two projects and describe four different design considerations important for large scale studies. These include designing for longevity, diversity, adoption, and abandonment. We then discuss implications for future research that targets large scale deployment studies.