Major Project Booklet

HAVE YOU SEEN MY TIME?

HAVE YOU SEEN MY TIME?

AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE VISUALIZATION OF FOCUSED AND UNFOCUSED TIME USE

As a society, we are engaged in a constant

pursuit to be more productive. For the most

part, this is a good thing. We want to work

smarter. We crave efficiency. ‘Time seems

scarce. To make the most of it, we expand

the boundaries of usable time; pushing

our work and play into hours traditionally

reserved for sleep.’ (Smithsonian, 2006)

People often say they feel like there

‘aren’t enough hours in a day’, this project

is not only about managing time, but is

also concerned with shifting the common

perception of the lack of time. Time is a

constant we cannot change, no one person

has any longer than 24 hours in their day.

The mapping and visualization of time can

help people better understand their work

habits and focus on the ways in which they

utilize their time. This enables them to

visualize emerging patterns and to make

the most with the time they do have.

‘TIME GOES, YOU SAY? AH NO!ALAS, TIME STAYS, WE GO.’(HENRY AUSTIN DOBSON)

Time is our most precious commodity, and

productivity tools help us spend it more

wisely. This project intends to become a

tool of visualization. Visualization is the

first step to knowing an object. (Ast, 2006)

To be a successful student, it is important

to learn to manage your time and effort.

Finding the right balance between studies,

work and socialising is always a challenge

for students, especially those who are not

used to living independently and managing

their own time and resources. This case

study is a working day in the life of a

typical design student. Analysis of Internet

history, cell phone data, instant messaging

records, screen shots, email records and

diary keeping were utilised to create a

system for the visualization of time use.

In this report you will find analysis of the

information obtained during this case

study and information about the working

1.0 THE PROJECT1.0 THE PROJECT

habits of a design student who spends long

hours at the computer. This conceptual

system is designed to be used by anyone

wanting to visualize their time use, and to

help understand what influences working

habits and processes. The good, the bad &

the ugly. This report will also discuss and

define distractions, multitasking, working

and communication time.

On the flip side of this sheet you will

find a copy of the planned schedule and

agenda for the case study day. A schedule

can be defined as a plan for carrying out

a process or procedure, giving lists of

intended events and times.

Schedules, calendars, and to do lists help

organize people to make sure nothing is

forgotten and that everything gets done on

time. However, schedules and agendas are

only effective if you are consistent, specific

‘TIME SEEMS SCARCE. TO MAKE THE MOST OFIT, WE EXPAND THE BOUNDARIES OF USABLE TIME; PUSHING OUR WORK AND PLAY INTO HOURS TRADITIONALLY RESERVED FOR SLEEP.’

and committed. Inputting information in

weeks before may seem like great time

management, but if your systems are not

an integral part of your daily routine, tasks

will get forgotten and planning time will

be wasted. It is demonstrated that most

students spend around 10 minutes a day

planning their time, mostly in the form of

to do lists or digital planning devices like

Google Calendar or iCal.

However, 59% of students surveyed still

consider their time management practice

as poor or average. A whopping 90% of

those surveyed believed a more engaging

time management system would improve

their working habits. This conceptual time

visualization system intends to do just that.

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2.0FOCUSED TIME

During the course of this study, 448

minutes were spent on focused tasks.

Focused tasks are defined as activity that

was on the planned agenda or schedule for

the time period. This time total is made up

of 107 minutes of focused communication

including instant messaging, social media

and email messaging.

This time also includes 341 minutes of

focused work time which consists of work

on current projects, relevant research and

working critique.

UNFOCUSED TIME

During the course of this study, 207 minutes

were spent on unfocused tasks. Unfocused

work time is defined as activity that is not

related to the planned tasks for the time

period. This time total is made up of 160

minutes of unfocused communication

including instant messaging, social media

and email programs.

This time also includes 147 minutes of

unfocused work time which consists of

work on personal projects, all irrelevant

research and procrastination.

MISCELLANEOUS

FOCUSED COMMUNICATION

FOCUSED WORKING

UNFOCUSED COMMUNICATION

UNFOCUSED WORKING

PHYSICAL DISTRACTION

DIGITAL DISTRACTION

MISCELLANEOUS

This time includes planned and unplanned

health, exercise, entertainment, social,

transport, food and drink. This time is

important in achieving a well balanced

daily time plan and should make take up a

small section of your day in the morning,

at lunch time and in the evening.

This time is mainly unrelated to working

time and could be classified as ‘free time’,

if this time begins to take up large chunks

of focused time, you could have a problem.

DISTRACTIONS

During the course of this study, there were

23 recorded distractions. A distraction is

defined as an interruption to an activity that

prevents someone from giving full attention

to something.

Distractions can include (but are not limited

to) text messages, emails that are not part

of focused communication, coffee spills,

television, people speaking, open programs

that divert your attention (for example

Skype or Tweetdeck), telephone calls and

disruptions by pets.

MULTITASKING

During the course of this study, 152

minutes were spent multitasking.

Multitasking is defined as the

simultaneous execution of more than

one program or task by a single person.

People are more likely to have multiple

documents open at once than to focus

on one single task. Multitasking is shown

on the visualization as two smaller

strips running side by side. Focused

communication and focused work time

were most often multitasked in this study.

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3.0 OVERVIEW

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448 MINUTES SPENT DOING FOCUSED TASKS‘56% MULTITASK WHILE DOING

HOME WORK ON AT LEAST 4 DIFFERENT DEVICES’(KAISER GENERATION M2 STUDY 2010)

11:11 ADOBE INDESIGN +UNFOCUSED WEB SURFING

11:00

ADOBE INDESIGN +FOCUSED CRITIQUE

4.0 FOCUSED TIME

During the course of this working day

case study, 448 minutes were spent on

focused tasks. Focused tasks are defined

as activity that was on the planned agenda

or schedule for the time period. This

time total is made up of 107 minutes of

focused communication including instant

messaging, social media and email. This

time also includes 341 minutes of focused

work time which consists of work on

current projects, and relevant research.

11:38FOCUSED EMAILING +INSTANT MESSAGING

11:46 FOCUSED RESEARCH +FOCUSED INSTANT MESSAGING

‘THANKS TO THE INTERNET, STUDENTS SAY, FACTS ARE AT THEIR FINGERTIPS. IF THEY GET STUCK, HELP IS ONLY AN INSTANT MESSAGE AWAY.’(ARATANI, 2007)

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13:12FACEBOOK

207 MINUTES SPENT DOING UNFOCUSED TASKS

‘SOME STUDENTS NEED THE TIME PRESSURE TO PRODUCE THEIR BEST WORK.’

17:36UNFOCUSED WEB BROWSING& PROCRASTINATION

13:23UNFOCUSED INSTANT MESSAGINGWHILE USING ADOBE INDESIGN

13:44UNFOCUSED INSTANT MESSAGING

5.0 UNFOCUSED TIME

During the course of this working day

case study, 207 minutes were spent on

unfocused tasks. Unfocused work time

is defined by activity that is not related

to the planned tasks for the time period.

This time total is made up of 160 minutes

of unfocused communication including

instant messaging, social media and

email. This time also includes 147 minutes

of unfocused work time which consists

of work on personal projects, mindless

research and procrastination.

‘OUR THOUGHTS CREATE OUR REALITY WHERE WE PUT OUR FOCUS IS THE DIRECTION WE TEND TO GO.’(PETER MCWILLIAMS)

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152 MINUTES SPENT MULTI TASKING‘SHIFT ATTENTION RAPIDLY

FROM ONE TASK TO ANOTHER.’(OBLINGER, 2005)

14:11 ADOBE INDESIGN +FOCUSED INSTANT MESSAGING

14:41 UNFOCUSED RESEARCH/EMAILING +FOCUSED INSTANT MESSAGING

14:13 UNFOCUSED RESEARCH +FOCUSED/UNFOCUSED INSTANT MESSAGING [2 CONVERSATIONS]

14:00

ADOBE INDESIGN +FOCUSED/UNFOCUSED INSTANT MESSAGING [2 CONVERSATIONS]

6.0

6.0 MULTITASKING

Recognising the ability of students to use

multiple technologies at once presents a

new paradigm. Students currently studying

at university can be referred to as the ‘M’

generation, or the multitasking generation.

‘Often students may appear to be off

task if viewed from the expectations of

a traditional teaching model’ (Prensky,

2001). It is demonstrated that when

students are sitting at the computer

‘studying’ they’re also doing something

else 65% of the time. In 1999, 16%

of teenagers said they were media

multitaskers, defined by the use of several

types of media i.e. Television, cell phone

and computer use all at once. By 2005 this

number had risen to 26% and continues

to rise yearly. ‘Students that have been

raised with computers as part of their daily

lives deal with information differently than

previous generations. They’ve developed

really hypertext minds, they leap around.’

(Prensky, 2001). ‘

The students who do it say multitasking

makes them feel more productive and

less stressed,’ (Aratani, 2007). These

14:37 FACEBOOK + FOCUSED INSTANT MESSAGING

14:52FOCUSED EMAIL +WORKING IN INDESIGN

14:41 ADOBE INDESIGN +FOCUSED INSTANT MESSAGING

14:21ADOBE INDESIGN +FOCUSED INSTANT MESSAGING

‘TO BE TRULY CREATIVE, THERE HAS TO BE MENTAL SPACE FOR THE MIND TO WANDER.’

younger people do have one advantage

though, they are able to work even when

surrounded by distractions, whereas older

adults have problems blocking out outside

interference and activity.

Young people are most likely to be using

other media when they are working.

Students are often found ‘using multiple

programs at once, logging in to an instant

messaging program, listening to music,

browsing Web pages while working on an

assignment’ (Pew Internet and American

Life Project).

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10:17 COFFEE SPILL

24 DISTRACTIONSBOTH PHYSICAL AND DIGITALNOUN

A THING THAT PREVENTS SOMEONE FROM GIVING FULL ATTENTION TO SOMETHING ELSE.

(NEW OXFORD AMERICAN DICTIONARY)

7.0

DIGITAL DISTRACTIONS

For example; instant messaging, email,

Tweetdeck, Skype & other social media.

PHYSICAL DISTRACTIONS

For example; people, phone calls, hunger,

persistent pets & coffee spills.

10:29 EMAIL

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10:31 TEXT

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10:50 EMAIL

7.0 DISTRACTION

In an era of mobile devices, instant

connectivity, and automated mailing lists

and notifications, it is all too easy for

people to contact us. As a consequence,

we live our lives just trying to keep

our heads above water. Our ability

to prioritise and control our focus is

crippled by an unyielding flow of incoming

communication: email, texts, tweets,

facebook messages, phone calls, and so

on (and on). Without realizing it, most of us

have entered the new era of what is called

“reactionary workflow.” Rather than being

proactive with our energy, we are acting

in response to what is incoming. Having

relinquished control over our focus, it has

become harder and harder to embark on

our work with undivided attention.

‘HEAVY MEDIA MULTITASKERS ARE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO INTERFERENCE FROM IRRELEVANT ENVIRONMENTAL STIMULI.’ (ARATANI, 2007)

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MINUTES TOTAL OF FOCUSED WORKING

MINUTES TOTAL OF UNFOCUSED WORKING

MINUTES TOTAL OF WORKING

8.0

341

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MINUTES TOTAL OF FOCUSED COMMUNICATION

MINUTES TOTAL OF UNFOCUSED COMMUNICATION

MINUTES TOTAL OF COMMUNICATION

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08:17FOCUSED CRITIQUE

08:00UNFOCUSED WEB SURFING

08:12TWITTER

MISCELLANEOUS


FOCUSED WORKING


UNFOCUSED WORKING


DIGITAL DISTRACTION

08:18TWITTER

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FOCUSED INSTANT MESSAGING

9.0

08:36FOCUSED INSTANT MESSAGING& FOCUSED RESEARCH

08:32EMAIL DISTRACTION

08:48FOCUSED RESEARCH

17:00FOCUSED WORKINGIN ADOBE INDESIGN


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EMAIL MESSAGE

MISCELLANEOUS


FOCUSED WORKING


UNFOCUSED WORKING


DIGITAL DISTRACTION

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17:36UNFOCUSED EMAIL


17:45GETTING READY FOR THE GYM

17:40UNFOCUSED EMAIL + UNFOCUSED INSTANT MESSAGING

17: 27EMAIL + UNFOCUSED INSTANT MESSAGING

17:48TEXT MESSAGE

‘TO ME, IT’S NOTHING BUT CHAOS. BUT THESE KIDS? IT SEEMS TO WORK FOR THEM. IT’S HARD FOR ME TO BE IN THE SAME ROOM WHEN THIS IS GOING ON.’(CASADY, 2007)

‘TO ME, IT’S NOTHING BUT CHAOS. BUT THESE KIDS? IT SEEMS TO WORK FOR THEM. IT’S HARD FOR ME TO BE IN THE SAME ROOM WHEN THIS IS GOING ON.’

Major Project Booklet

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Transcript of Major Project Booklet