This doctoral dissertation applies user experience and complex systems theory, combining eye-tracking data with verbal and observational data from user test instances, to study the effectiveness of metadata records that accompany digital primary source objects available on The Portal to Texas History.

I investigated several problems I have found concerning contemporary jewelry design. These problems are linked to the industrialization of jewelry making. The industrialization of jewelry making led to the preference of using less precious metal, of using Prong, Crown, and Channel stone-settings, and of using high polished mirror finish for surface treatment. My work addressed the prominence of metal in jewelry design and alternate forms and techniques of stone-setting and surface treatment.