Making sense of Design & Requirements Perspectives - & their Inter-relations

I see myself as a commentator or discussant at this workshop as my research interests are on the "edge" of the RE area. Thus, for me, the question of what perspective we bring to bear on the issues we are debating is paramount. What I find interesting in some of the recent discussions is to what extent the issues and problems we are facing today are novel and distinct from those we were facing 10 or even 20 years ago, and how these are being discussed nowadays and heretofore. I provide some personal context for these remarks and show both some similarities and possible differences over the years in the ongoing discussions

Community Technology? Issues in Computer-Supported Work

In this paper I wish to discuss a number of issues concerning work practices, especially communication and cooperation among people, and examine how we can use the computer as a tool and/or medium for supporting such group activities. The intent is not to substitute computer-mediated for face to-face or other forms of communication, but rather to discover if there are additional possibilities that may be afforded us through use of computing technology. My emphasis is not with the technology per se, but with people, their needs and activities. My focus is on how we can augment human capabilities through use of the technology, rather than on how to simulate or replace labour processes with machines. I believe, along with Rosenbrock and many others, that our present-day utilization of information technology in work has tended to restrict, rather than expand human potential. This is not due solely to the nature of the technology itself, although it is not a neutral element, but also to the organization of work around the technology, and the general socio-economic and political rationale within our society which develops these machines and industrial systems. The paper does not present a carefully compiled rationale for an alternative technology, or an argument for the construction of new ''widgets'', but consists of a number of observations, reviews of rcsearch, experiences with current technologies, and speculations about possible future uses of technology in promoting communication between people. The intent is to sharpen our understanding of everyday activities, and open up alternative paths for future design of support technology. Reaction in the form of supportive or negative examples of technology use in group settings is particularly welcome from readers

Discovering the Human Actors in Human Factors

This essay discusses some problems and prospects for the field of human factors or ergonomics, specifically the more recent, and diversified field of human-computer interaction. Its main aim is to develop awareness of how an often unarticulated, though dominant perspective in the field can blind us to other more fruitful conceptions of human-computer interactions, and to emphasize the importance of shifting perspectives in the design process

CSCW - Four Characters in Search of a Context

The title of this paper was chosen to highlight the fact that the label CSCW, although widely adopted as the acronym for the field of Computer Supported Cooperative Work, has been applied to computer applications of very different ilk. It is not at all clear what are the unique identifying elements of this research area. This paper provides a framework for approaching the issue of cooperative work and its possible computer support. The core issues are identified and prospects for the field are outlined

Evaluation of Prototypes and the Problem of Possible Futures

There is a blind spot in HCI’s evaluation methodology: we rarely consider the implications of the fact that a prototype can never be fully evaluated in a study. A prototype under study exists firmly in the present world, in the circumstances created in the study, but its real context of use is a partially unknown future state of affairs. This present–future gap is implicit in any evaluation of prototypes, be they usability tests, controlled experiments, or field trials. A carelessly designed evaluation may inadvertently evaluate the wrong futures, contexts, or user groups, thereby leading to false conclusions and expensive design failures. The essay analyses evaluation methodology from this perspective, illuminating how to mitigate the present–future gap.Peer reviewe

Designing Interactive Sonic Artefacts for Dance Performance: an Ecological Approach

In this paper, we propose to consider the sonic interactions that occurs in a dance performance from an ecological perspective. In particular, we suggest using the conceptual models of artefact ecology and design space. As a case study, we present a work developed during a two weeks artistic residency in collaboration between a sound designer, one choreographer, and two dancers. During the residency both an interactive sound artefact based on a motion capture system, and a dance performance were developed. We present the ecology of an interactive sound artefact developed for the dance performance, with the objective to analyse how the ecology of multiple actors relate themselves to the interactive artefact

Human-computer interaction to human-computer-context interaction : towards a conceptual framework for conducting user studies for shifting interfaces

Computer interfaces have been diversifying: from mobile and wearable technologies to the human body as an interface. Moreover, new sensing possibilities have allowed input to interfaces to go beyond the traditional mouse- and keyboard. This has resulted in a shift from manifest to latent interactions, where interactions between the human and the computer are becoming less visible. Currently, there is no framework available that fully captures the complexity of the multidimensional, multimodal, often latent interactions with these constantly shifting interfaces. In this manuscript, the Hu-man-Computer-Context Interaction (HCCI) framework is proposed. This framework defines 5 relevant interaction levels to be considered during user research in all stages of the new product development process in order to optimize user experience. More specifically, the interaction context is defined in terms of user-object, user-user, user-content, user-platform and user-context interactions. The HCCI framework serves as a concrete tool to use in a new product development process by HCI researchers, design-ers, and developers and aims to be technology independent and future-proof. This framework is a preliminary suggestion to be matched against other innovation devel-opment projects and needs to be further validated