The Pure-Emic User Interface Design Methodology for an Online Community Policing Hub

Abstract

The pervasiveness of the internet and internet-ready devices has greatly facilitated the rapid and unprecedented adoption of online social networks and their attendant online communities. In this case, an online community is a group of people who are tied together by a common interest, purpose, goal, practice, etc. Hence, the centre of attraction to an online community is the interest, the purpose or the goal that the members share or will stand to achieve either collectively or individually. Online Community Hub (OCH) is a collaborative virtual platform on the web where the entire people, institutions, technologies, tools, resources and service delivery frameworks that are relevant for any community are made visible and accessible. Online Community Policing Hub (OCPH) is an Online Community Hub where the shared community interest, purpose or goal is community policing. The thrust of the work in this paper is to present a methodical approach to a community centered user interface design for an Online Community Policing Hub (OCPH). The paper presents a Pure-Emic User Interface Design (PEUID) approach underpinned by knowledge from various fields such as ergonomics, cognitive psychology, anthropology and software engineering in ensuring the well-being of the system users and the need for zero-training without deviations from the users’ mental model of the system.

Keywords: Geo-Community, Online community, Community policing, Community Hub, Ergonomics, Anthropology, Software Engineering