An Interactive Message Board as a Technology Probe for Family

Communication and Coordination

Hilary Hutchinson, Catherine Plaisant,

Ben Bederson, Allison Druin,

and the interLiving Project

interLiving

International – Sweden, France, U.S.

Interdisciplinary– CS, Education, Design, Ethnography

Intergenerational– 7 families, ~3 households per family

Goals and Challenges Process: codesign for and with families Technology: support family needs Impact: understand effect on family life

Process Ethnography

– Interviews– Cultural Probes

Participatory Design– Workshops– Low-tech prototyping

Technology Probes– Message Board

Message Board

Prototypes

Play Movie

Workshops: Results Communication

– Removing distance– Sharing feelings

Coordination– Calendaring– Reminding– Locating

Awareness– Privacy– Security

Next Steps

Codesign Technology– Embedded and mobile coordination– Between and within families and communities

Use Technology– Design partners– Others

Understand Impact– Interviews– Comparison/usability studies

Preliminary Conclusions

Process– Families CAN be design partners

Technology– Very clear, practical needs and desires

Impact– Families are excited about their role

More Information

Hilary Hutchinson

hilary@cs.umd.edu

interLiving Project

http://interliving.kth.se