Do you value energy? Using common values in a social community to share and tailor strategies for reducing energy demand

Rachel Burrows Hilary Johnson Peter Johnson

GW4 CHI2 29th July

Eviz Project Overview

eViz is an EPSRC-funded project investigating how to reduce energy demand by transforming people’s understanding and behaviour.

Aim

To understand how social and digital media can be used to influence an individual’s or a group’s behaviour in a way that will reduce their carbon footprint.

Climate Change Climate change poses a serious threat.

Systems have been designed with the aim of influencing users to reduce their energy consumption behaviour.

Existing approaches often don’t take into account why particular behaviours are being carried out.

Consequently, many case studies report limited success and a lack of long-term engagement.

I am not engaged

Research Challenges

1. What leads to or prevents different forms of influence from having an effect

Research Challenges

1. What leads to or prevents different forms of influence from having an effect.

2. How technology can be leveraged to aid the above.

Underpinning Philosophy Do I value energy?

Saving energy is not always the governing or guiding principle around which everyday lives are organised.

Underpinning Philosophy

Do I value energy?

Our underpinning philosophy is that saving energy is not always the governing or guiding principle around which everyday lives are organised.

Everyday lives are organised primarily due to values, around contexts and ways of living.

Need to take into account the complex trade-offs that are made while maintaining values.  

Study 1 21 Participants

Photo Diary Study

Study 2 6 Participants Focus Group

Study 3 6 Participants Focus Group

Capture important aspects everyday life

Elicit information to model everyday life and the consequences on energy-use

How technology can support a reduction in energy-use in ways that are personalised and relevant to the user

STUDY 1 - PHOTO DIARY STUDY

Participants took photos that represented aspects of life that were: of value, everyday and routine, important, exceptional

Participants added caption to say why it was included

STUDY 2 - FOCUS GROUP

Sorted photos in order of highest value.

Divided points between photos according to most valued.

Categorised the photos (individually and then as a group)

Considered energy as a constrained resource

Health and Wellbeing Community Food / Drink

Walk more - errands, - enjoy nature, save

petrol

Eco-Tricity Energy

Company

Share cooking with others

STUDY 3 - FOCUS GROUP

Investigated how important user information could be utilised in system design

Activities involved how energy saving strategies may be visualised, rated and communicated online.

Value Category

Strategy supporting the value category

Value 1! Value 2! Value n!

Lifestyle!Aspect 1!

Lifestyle!Aspect 2!

Lifestyle!Aspect n!

Energy !Consumption!Behaviour 1!

Energy !Consumption!Behaviour 2!

Energy !Consumption!Behaviour n!

Modeling User Values: Information Types

Modeling User Values: Information Types

Value 1! Value 2! Value n!

Lifestyle!Aspect 1!

Lifestyle!Aspect 2!

Lifestyle!Aspect n!

Energy !Consumption!Behaviour 1!

Energy !Consumption!Behaviour 2!

Energy !Consumption!Behaviour n!

Modeling User Values: An example from studies

Health and Wellbeing

Family Hobbies

Healthy Eating Travelling / Holiday Gym Class

Baking Behaviour Travelling Behaviour

Modeling User Values: An example from studies

Health and Wellbeing

Family Hobbies

Healthy Eating Travelling / Holiday Gym Class

Baking Behaviour Travelling Behaviour

Cooking Birthday Party Cake

How could a model like this be utilised?

Social Media System MVC Architecture

View!

Model!

Controller!

Data!

Social Media System MVC Architecture

View!

Model!

Controller!

Data!

Browser!

<<component>>!Application Controller!

<<agent>>!Community Builder!

<<agent>>!Facilitator!

<<agent>>!Presenter!

<<agent>>!Negotiator!

CONTROLLER!LAYER!

VIEW!LAYER!

USER!

<<component>>!Model Service!

<<subsystem>> !User Model!

MODELS!LAYER!

<<subsystem>> !Community Model!

<<component>>!Data Access Service!

DATA!LAYER! Knowledge

Base!

<<component>>!User Interface components and views!

System Boundary!

Uses relationship KEY

Social Media System MVC Architecture

Social Media System MVC Architecture

View!

Model!

Controller!

Data!

Social Media System Architecture

Browser!

<<component>>!Application Controller!

<<agent>>!Community Builder!

<<agent>>!Facilitator!

<<agent>>!Presenter!

<<agent>>!Negotiator!

CONTROLLER!LAYER!

VIEW!LAYER!

USER!

<<component>>!Model Service!

<<subsystem>> !User Model!

MODELS!LAYER!

<<subsystem>> !Community Model!

<<component>>!Data Access Service!

DATA!LAYER! Knowledge

Base!

<<component>>!User Interface components and views!

System Boundary!

Uses relationship KEY

Conclusion

Conducted a series of studies into everyday life.

Modeled the associations between the important aspects of our lifestyle, the values they are instrumental to, and the consequences they have upon energy-use.

Investigated how energy-saving strategies could be communicated online in ways that are personalised and relevant to peoples lifestyle

Designed an online social media system that utlises values-based user modeling to influence users to reduce their energy consumption behaviour. The system supports users to discover, share and create energy saving strategies that are personalised and relevant to their lifestyle.

Social Media System UI

Thank you

Rachel Burrows Eviz Project, University of Bath, UK

r.burrows@bath.ac.uk http://www.cs.bath.ac.uk/eviz/

Illustration credits to Eamane Lolah

Illustra)on  Credits  to  Eamane  Lolah