Interfaces for Background Awareness

Problem
As computing capabilities become more ubiquitously available, the uses of computing will shift to include more everyday tasks in contrast to current production-oriented tasks such as word processing and financial planning. Everyday tasks, such as managing multiple schedules and demands on your time to communicating with family and friends, are typically more ambiguous, context-dependent and serendipitous. One notable everyday task is maintaining an awareness of people, activities and places that are important to you, even if they are not the focus of some current task at hand. Most computer applications, including personal productivity appliances, still demand your full attention during use. Very few try to convey information with peripheral awareness without distracting you from your current focus. The goal of this project is to design interfaces for background awareness that:

• provide information to the user via background, peripheral cues that do not unduly distract the user from foreground activities.
• are context-aware but not super smart. The system will have a good guess as to who you are, where you are, who is around you and what time it is. Use this context wisely to help the user manage their life and to support serendipitous interaction.

Project Tasks

Read these papers concerned with user interfaces for background awareness using a variety of media:

• Desiging Audio Aura by Mynat et al (CHI '98) uses auditory cues triggered by movements in physical space to provide awareness of email and colleagues' presence and activities.
• AROMA: Abstract Representation Of Presence Supporting Mutual Awareness by Pedersen and Sokoler (CHI '97) uses abstract visual cues for background awareness of distant colleagues.
• Tangible Bits: Towards Seamless Interfaces between People, Bits and Atoms by Ishii and Ullmer (CHI '97) explores using light and other media for background awareness.

Choose a scenario to drive your design:

• Student life at Georgia Tech: What do you need to be aware of on a day-to-day basis?
• Awareness of sensors: With more and more sensors and cameras out in the environments, how can you be aware of how you are being monitored and how that information might be used?
• Home setting:How should you be aware of your family and your house? Also check out the FCE project Domisilica.
• Fill in your scenario here.

Examine your scenario is some detail identifying typical activities and opportunities for background awareness.

Sketch out some initial interface designs using your favorite tool (pencil/paper, drawing app, prototype builder). Although we're not all great artists, at least indicate the intended aesthetic feel of your interface. Clarity counts a bunch.

Deliverables

• Meet with Dr. Mynatt to discuss readings, scenario choice, and initial design ideas.
• Write an analysis of your scenario, identifying typical activities and opportunities for background awareness. (~3 pages)
• Using a series of sketches, illustrate key interactions with your system.
• Write a description of you system (~6 pages) including a narrative of a typical user's experience, i.e. what does it feel like to use this system, and an analysis to what it would take to implement the system highlighting the technical and user-interface challenges.