“What do you want for dinner?”: need anticipation and the design of proactive technologies for the home

This paper examines ‘the routine shop’ as part of a project that is exploring automation and autonomy in the Internet of Things. In particular we explicate the ‘work’ involved in anticipating need using an ethnomethodological analysis that makes visible the mundane, ‘seen but unnoticed’ methodologies that household members accountably employ to organise list construction and accomplish calculation on the shop floor. We discuss and reflect on the challenges members’ methodologies pose for proactive systems that seek to support domestic grocery shopping, including the challenges of sensing, learning and predicting, and gearing autonomous agents into social practice within the home

Visions, Values, and Videos: Revisiting Envisionings in Service of UbiComp Design for the Home

UbiComp has been envisioned to bring about a future dominated by calm computing technologies making our everyday lives ever more convenient. Yet the same vision has also attracted criticism for encouraging a solitary and passive lifestyle. The aim of this paper is to explore and elaborate these tensions further by examining the human values surrounding future domestic UbiComp solutions. Drawing on envisioning and contravisioning, we probe members of the public (N=28) through the presentation and focus group discussion of two contrasting animated video scenarios, where one is inspired by "calm" and the other by "engaging" visions of future UbiComp technology. By analysing the reasoning of our participants, we identify and elaborate a number of relevant values involved in balancing the two perspectives. In conclusion, we articulate practically applicable takeaways in the form of a set of key design questions and challenges.Comment: DIS'20, July 6-10, 2020, Eindhoven, Netherland

Data as a Resource for Designing Digitally Enhanced Consumer Packaged Goods

The incorporation of digital functionalities into consumer packaged goods (CPG) has the potential to improve our lives by supporting us in our daily practises. However, despite the increasing availability of data about their use, research is needed to explore how these data can be harnessed to create such digital enhancements. This paper explores how consumers can utilise data about interactions with CPGs to conceptualise their enhanced versions. We devised a data-inspired ideation approach, using data visualisations and design cards to facilitate the conceptualisation of enhanced CPGs. Analysing the role of data as expressed through participants’ comments and designs, we found that data served as a basis for the creation of unique concepts imbued with greater consideration for the experiences of others and attention to their own interests. Our study shows the value of empowering consumers through data to broaden and inform their contributions towards the creation of smart products

“What do you want for dinner?” – need anticipation and the design of proactive technologies for the home

This paper examines ‘the routine shop’ as part of a project that is exploring automation and autonomy in the Internet of Things. In particular we explicate the ‘work’ involved in anticipating need using an ethnomethodological analysis that makes visible the mundane, ‘seen but unnoticed’ methodologies that household members accountably employ to organise list construction and accomplish calculation on the shop floor. We discuss and reflect on the challenges members’ methodologies pose for proactive systems that seek to support domestic grocery shopping, including the challenges of sensing, learning and predicting, and gearing autonomous agents into social practice within the home

Digitally enhanced consumer packaged goods: a data-inspired ideation approach

Consumer packaged goods (CPG) are disposable, relatively low-price, frequently-purchased products such as a bottle of milk or a bar of chocolate. CPGs have a pervasive presence in our everyday practices, and a number of instances have shown the potential of integrating their existing functionalities into the Internet of Things (IoT). Such innovations as, for example, a pill container which reminds one when to take their medication, or a disposable toothbrush which teaches children about oral hygiene, illustrate the capacity of digitally enhanced CPGs to have a positive impact in countless aspects of our lives. However, despite recent research in human-computer interaction (HCI) aimed specifically at enhancing interactions with CPGs, devising enhanced versions of these goods which meet people's needs and reflect their values remains quite elusive. Many challenges in the design of enhanced CPGs stem from their defining characteristics, including their disposability and frequent need to be replenished, as well as from the fact that they are rarely used in isolation, but rather in conjunction with one another as sets. While it has been demonstrated that providing data about item usage during the design process represents a substantially powerful approach for creating effective products, this has not yet been applied in the creation of enhanced CPGs, as we currently lack even a rudimentary understanding of their use. This thesis represents the body of knowledge gathered through the completion of two fieldwork studies focused on how CPGs are used in the practice of cooking. Furthermore, it utilises an understanding of CPG interactions and, through two participatory design workshops, explores how such insights can inspire the conceptualisation of enhanced CPGs. The fieldwork study of this thesis focused on the interactions of CPGs in cooking, which was chosen due to it being one of the most prevalent everyday practices involving CPGs. We examined cooking in two situational contexts: the preparation of familiar meals (those which could be prepared from memory) and that of unfamiliar meals (those which people had never cooked before). The first analysis was concerned with only the preparation of the unfamiliar meals, while in the second analysis we conducted a comparative analysis between familiar and unfamiliar meals. We employed a mixed-methods approach for blending quantitative and qualitative analysis methods. Overall, these studies revealed different characteristics of CPG interactions, including aspects of information-gathering, frequency of task saturation, and the sets of CPGs and utensils which appear together often. One example of our findings was that meal preparation was generally similar regardless of familiarity, as revealed by the repeated use of a select few CPGs across many meals and the consistency of their number of interactions. We then discussed the implications these findings have for the design of digitally-enhanced CPGs with the overall goal of promoting enhancements which fit our routines and habits rather than require us to adapt our practices to the IoT. Inspired by frameworks which have placed data at the centre of the design process, the participatory designs employed in this thesis, made use of the data gathered from the above mentioned fieldwork studies as a tool for participants to inspire the design of enhanced CPGs. We devised a structured workshop to study how participants drew upon the data, as well as how they perceive the influence this approach had on their ideation process. To facilitate their use of the data, we devised an array of design resources including data visualisations and design cards. We explored our approach in two studies: one which consisted of participants from the general public, and the other which consisted of professional designers. Analysing the role of data as expressed through participants’ comments and designs, we found that data served as a basis for the creation of unique concepts imbued with a sense of empathy and a greater consideration for the experiences and interests of others. Furthermore, we found that participants considered possible negative ramifications of the use of data for design, including ethical and privacy issues which may stem from such data collection, as well as a potential bias towards focusing on aspects highlighted by the data. This thesis makes a number of contributions in showing that a detailed understanding of CPG interactions in practice can lead to insights which inspire the design of technologically-enhanced CPGs. It also presents analysis methods to further study the use of CPGs in practice, as well as an approach which enables people with no relevant formal training to utilise data effectively. In addition, this work provides implications for designing enhanced versions of CPGs which fit their practical contexts of use. For an accurate view of this research and its contributions, its limitations must be acknowledged, such as the relatively small size of our data sample and our bias towards the use of technologies to provide product enhancements. Nevertheless, our work highlights the need for an understanding of the practical use of objects to better design technological innovations which fit well into their real-world interactions, and serves to emphasise the need to continue research on CPG innovations. This work represents merely the first steps towards CPGs which are designed using a solid foundation of an empirical working knowledge of the practices in which CPGs play a role

Digitally enhanced consumer packaged goods: a data-inspired ideation approach

Consumer packaged goods (CPG) are disposable, relatively low-price, frequently-purchased products such as a bottle of milk or a bar of chocolate. CPGs have a pervasive presence in our everyday practices, and a number of instances have shown the potential of integrating their existing functionalities into the Internet of Things (IoT). Such innovations as, for example, a pill container which reminds one when to take their medication, or a disposable toothbrush which teaches children about oral hygiene, illustrate the capacity of digitally enhanced CPGs to have a positive impact in countless aspects of our lives. However, despite recent research in human-computer interaction (HCI) aimed specifically at enhancing interactions with CPGs, devising enhanced versions of these goods which meet people's needs and reflect their values remains quite elusive. Many challenges in the design of enhanced CPGs stem from their defining characteristics, including their disposability and frequent need to be replenished, as well as from the fact that they are rarely used in isolation, but rather in conjunction with one another as sets. While it has been demonstrated that providing data about item usage during the design process represents a substantially powerful approach for creating effective products, this has not yet been applied in the creation of enhanced CPGs, as we currently lack even a rudimentary understanding of their use. This thesis represents the body of knowledge gathered through the completion of two fieldwork studies focused on how CPGs are used in the practice of cooking. Furthermore, it utilises an understanding of CPG interactions and, through two participatory design workshops, explores how such insights can inspire the conceptualisation of enhanced CPGs. The fieldwork study of this thesis focused on the interactions of CPGs in cooking, which was chosen due to it being one of the most prevalent everyday practices involving CPGs. We examined cooking in two situational contexts: the preparation of familiar meals (those which could be prepared from memory) and that of unfamiliar meals (those which people had never cooked before). The first analysis was concerned with only the preparation of the unfamiliar meals, while in the second analysis we conducted a comparative analysis between familiar and unfamiliar meals. We employed a mixed-methods approach for blending quantitative and qualitative analysis methods. Overall, these studies revealed different characteristics of CPG interactions, including aspects of information-gathering, frequency of task saturation, and the sets of CPGs and utensils which appear together often. One example of our findings was that meal preparation was generally similar regardless of familiarity, as revealed by the repeated use of a select few CPGs across many meals and the consistency of their number of interactions. We then discussed the implications these findings have for the design of digitally-enhanced CPGs with the overall goal of promoting enhancements which fit our routines and habits rather than require us to adapt our practices to the IoT. Inspired by frameworks which have placed data at the centre of the design process, the participatory designs employed in this thesis, made use of the data gathered from the above mentioned fieldwork studies as a tool for participants to inspire the design of enhanced CPGs. We devised a structured workshop to study how participants drew upon the data, as well as how they perceive the influence this approach had on their ideation process. To facilitate their use of the data, we devised an array of design resources including data visualisations and design cards. We explored our approach in two studies: one which consisted of participants from the general public, and the other which consisted of professional designers. Analysing the role of data as expressed through participants’ comments and designs, we found that data served as a basis for the creation of unique concepts imbued with a sense of empathy and a greater consideration for the experiences and interests of others. Furthermore, we found that participants considered possible negative ramifications of the use of data for design, including ethical and privacy issues which may stem from such data collection, as well as a potential bias towards focusing on aspects highlighted by the data. This thesis makes a number of contributions in showing that a detailed understanding of CPG interactions in practice can lead to insights which inspire the design of technologically-enhanced CPGs. It also presents analysis methods to further study the use of CPGs in practice, as well as an approach which enables people with no relevant formal training to utilise data effectively. In addition, this work provides implications for designing enhanced versions of CPGs which fit their practical contexts of use. For an accurate view of this research and its contributions, its limitations must be acknowledged, such as the relatively small size of our data sample and our bias towards the use of technologies to provide product enhancements. Nevertheless, our work highlights the need for an understanding of the practical use of objects to better design technological innovations which fit well into their real-world interactions, and serves to emphasise the need to continue research on CPG innovations. This work represents merely the first steps towards CPGs which are designed using a solid foundation of an empirical working knowledge of the practices in which CPGs play a role