Bob Fields

Designing for Expert Information Finding Strategies

This paper reports on a study of evaluating and generating requirements for the user interface of a digital library. The study involved observation of librarians using the digital library, working on information finding problems on behalf of clients of the library. The study showed that librarians, familiar with the particular digital library system and with information retrieval work in general, possess a repertoire of relatively simple, yet effective, strategies for carrying out searches, and that non-librarians tend not to deploy the same strategies. After describing the study and the most commonly observed strategies, this paper makes some suggestions for how an understanding of how the librarians organize their activities may generate design ideas for user interfaces that aid ‘ordinary’ users in making use of the strategies that help librarians to be effective users.

Function allocation: a perspective from studies of work practice

Abstract Function allocation is a central component of systems engineering and its main aim is to provide a rational means of determining which system-level functions should be carried out by humans and which by machines. Such allocation, it is assumed, can take place early in design life cycle. Such a rational approach to work design sits uneasily with studies of work practice reported in the ACI and CSCW literature. In this paper we present two case studies of work in practice. The first highlights the difference between functional abstractions used for function allocation decision making and what is required to make those functions work in practice. The second highlights how practice and technology can co-evolve in ways that change the meanings of functions allocated early in design. The case studies raise a number of implications for function allocation. One implication is that there is a need for richer representations of the work context in function allocation methods. Although some progress has been made in function allocation methodologies, it is suggested that the method of Contextual Design might offer useful insights. A second implication is that there is a need for better theories of work to inform function allocation decision making. Activity Theory is considered as a possible candidate since it incorporates a cultural-historical view of work evolution. Both Contextual Design and Activity Theory challenge assumptions that are deeply embedded in the human factors and systems engineering communities. In particular, that functions and tasks are an appropriate unit of analysis for function allocation.

Dynamic digital libraries for children

The majority of current digital libraries (DLs) are not designed forchildren. For DLs to be popular with children, they need to be fun, easy-to-use and empower them, whether as readers or authors. This paper describes a new childrens DL emphasizing its design and evaluation, working with the children (11-14 year olds) as design partners and testers. A truly participatory process was used, and observational study was used as a means of refinement to the initial design of the DL prototype. In contrast with current DLs, the childrens DL provides both a static as well as a dynamic environment to encourage active engagement of children in using it. Design, implementation and security issues are also raised.

Representing collaborative work: the airport as common information space

This paper reports a field study of work in a complex setting:an airport. The study was largely focused on the Air Traffic Control activities carried out in the airport control tower, but also investigated other work sites around the airport. An important feature of the successful operation of the airport, then, is the way that the activities occurring in these different sites become articulated through explicit communicative acts and through common understandings of the work of the airport. The airport is viewed as a common information space, a perspective that emphasises meaning and interpretation and the processes by which meanings become common across a heterogeneous work system. A characteristic of the environment studied here is that while meanings may not be common across the different communities of practice working at the airport, interpretations appear to be sufficiently common as to pose few problems in most circumstances.

The application of mHealth to mental health: opportunities and challenges

Advances in smartphones and wearable biosensors enable real-time psychological, behavioural, and physiological data to be gathered in increasingly precise and unobtrusive ways. Thus, moment-to-moment information about an individuals moods, cognitions, and activities can be collected, in addition to automated data about their whereabouts, behaviour, and physiological states. In this report, we discuss the potential of these new mobile digital technologies to transform mental health research and clinical practice. By drawing on results from the INSIGHT research project, we show how traditional boundaries between research and clinical practice are becoming increasingly blurred and how, in turn, this is leading to exciting new developments in the assessment and management of common mental disorders. Furthermore, we discuss the potential risks and key challenges associated with applying mobile technology to mental health.

DMVIS: Design, Modelling and Validation of Interactive Systems

Much of the work reported in the first three DSVIS conferences has concentrated on techniques and languages for specifying and developing interactive systems. In this paper, we argue that a change of emphasis may be necessary as the field matures. We argue that real projects with specific objectives for formal methods are more likely to employ a range of diverse, lightweight modelling techniques. We explore this view by showing how, on one example, several quite different kinds of analysis can be performed using different models.

Disrupting digital library development with scenario informed design

In recent years, there has been great interest in scenario-based design and other forms of user-centred design. However, there are many design processes that, often for good reason, remain technology-centred. We present a case study of introducing scenarios into two digital library development processes. This was found to disrupt established patterns of working and to bring together conflicting value systems. In particular, the human factors approach of identifying users and anticipating what they are likely to do with a system (and what problems they might encounter) did not sit well with a development culture in which the rapid generation and informal evaluation of possible solutions (that are technically feasible and compatible with stable system components) is the norm. We found that developers tended to think in terms of two kinds of user: one who was exploring the system with no particular goal in mind and one who knew as much as the developer; scenarios typically work with richer user descriptions that challenge that thinking. In addition, the development practice of breaking down the design problem into discrete functions to make it manageable does not fit well with a scenario-based approach to thinking about user behaviour and interactions. The compromise reached was scenario-informed design, whereby scenarios were generated to support reasoning about the use of selected functions within the system. These scenarios helped create productive common ground between perspectives.

Exploring Design Options Rationally

This paper describes a design technique for interactive systems that allows designs to be specified and refined formally, using a notation based on Action Systems. The rationale underlying the choices made by designers is recorded in a style based on the “Questions, Options, Criteria” notation. The means of capturing formal specifications and the reasoning behind design decisions are presented as parts of a uniform framework; a formal account is given of how design options satisfy criteria and how design options can be combined to answer larger design questions.

SensePath: Understanding the Sensemaking Process Through Analytic Provenance

Sensemaking is described as the process of comprehension, finding meaning and gaining insight from information, producing new knowledge and informing further action. Understanding the sensemaking process allows building effective visual analytics tools to make sense of large and complex datasets. Currently, it is often a manual and time-consuming undertaking to comprehend this: researchers collect observation data, transcribe screen capture videos and think-aloud recordings, identify recurring patterns, and eventually abstract the sensemaking process into a general model. In this paper, we propose a general approach to facilitate such a qualitative analysis process, and introduce a prototype, SensePath, to demonstrate the application of this approach with a focus on browser-based online sensemaking. The approach is based on a study of a number of qualitative research sessions including observations of users performing sensemaking tasks and post hoc analyses to uncover their sensemaking processes. Based on the study results and a follow-up participatory design session with HCI researchers, we decided to focus on the transcription and coding stages of thematic analysis. SensePath automatically captures users sensemaking actions, i.e., analytic provenance, and provides multi-linked views to support their further analysis. A number of other requirements elicited from the design session are also implemented in SensePath, such as easy integration with existing qualitative analysis workflow and non-intrusive for participants. The tool was used by an experienced HCI researcher to analyze two sensemaking sessions. The researcher found the tool intuitive and considerably reduced analysis time, allowing better understanding of the sensemaking process.

Lo-fi prototyping to design interactive-tabletop applications for children

Interactive tabletops are an exiting new platform for supporting childrens collaboration. With design guidelines and standardized interaction principles still immature, there is a considerable need for iterative prototyping to define the task and interface. Lo-fi prototypes---using cardboard, paper, etc.---are easy to develop, flexible to adjust during design sessions, and intuitive for users to manipulate. Using them can be a valuable step in designing tabletop applications. In this paper, we detail the design process of two tabletop applications, concentrating on the role of lo-fi prototyping. TransTime is a pattern game for 5--6 year olds to engage how time progresses. OurSpace is a design tool for 7--9 year olds to arrange desks and assign seats for students in their classroom. By comparing the experiences, we arrive at a better understanding of the benefits, challenges, and limits of using lo-fi prototypes to design interactive-tabletop applications for children.