Jon O'Brien

At home with the technology: an ethnographic study of a set-top-box trial

The rapid growth and development of the Internet and the resulting growth in interest in access to network facilities highlights an increasing prominence of computer technology in the home. In this paper we report on a study of the social organisation of a number of domestic environments in the north west of England and consider the ways in which an understanding of the nature of the home is of interest to the developers of future interactive technology. Thus, in the first half of the paper we consider the everyday nature of home-life and in the second half report on an ethnographically-based evaluation of a prototype set top box for the provision of digital services to the home. In addition to reflecting on the nature of activities in the home we conclude by considering the design implications that can be drawn from an examination of these activities.

Talk and embodiment in collaborative virtual environments

A B S T R A C T This paper presents some qualitative, interpretative analyses of social interaction in an internationally distributed, realtime, multi-party meeting held within a collaborative virtual environment (CVE). The analyses reveal some systematic problems with turn taking and participation in such environments. We also examine how the simple polygonal shapes by means of which users were represented and embodied in the environment are deployed in social interaction. Strikingly, some familiar coordinations of body movement are observed even though such embodiments are very minimal shapes. The paper concludes with some suggestions for technical development, derived from the empirical analyses, which might enhance interactivity in virtual worlds for collaboration and cooperative work.

Ethnomethodologically Informed Ethnography and Information System Design.

This paper describes ethnomethodologically informed ethnography (EM) as a methodology for information science research, illustrating the approach with the results of a study in a university library. We elucidate major differences between the practical orientation of EM and theoretical orientation of other ethnographic approaches in information science research. We address ways in which EM may be used to inform systems design and consider the issues that arise in coordinating the results of this research with the needs of information systems designers. We outline our approach to the “ethnographically informed” development of information systems in addressing some of the major problems of interdisciplinary work between system designers and EM researchers.

Presenting ethnography in the requirements process

We argue that the industrial development of interactive systems has to recognise the social dimension of work if these systems are to fully meet the real needs of their users. Under current approaches this depends on whether an individual requirements engineer implicitly applies a user centred approach, recognises the importance of cooperation and is sufficiently sympathetic and intuitive to understand the work and reflect this in the system requirements. We wish to move beyond this by allowing for the provision of a more systematic incorporation of the social dimensions of work. To this end we focus on developing a novel approach to the presentation of ethnographic material. Our approach is based on the use of number of viewpoints and is embodied within a general hypertext tool.

Interactive systems in domestic environments

This paper considers the nature of interactive systems design for domestic environments. As part of this work it highlights @e methodological issues faced in the design of systems for the home. The shortage of detailed knowledge of activities in the home is highlighted. A series of studies of domestic environments is presented alongside the design challenges they raise.

Practically accomplishing immersion: cooperation in and for virtual environments

Accomplishing Immersion: in and for Virtual Environments Jon O’Brien James Pycock Department of Sociology Department of Psychology Lancaster University, U.K. Manchester University, U.K. +44-1524-594186 +44-161-275-2682 soajeo @centl .lancs.ac.uk pycockj @?hera.psy.man. ac.uk Collaborative virtual environments (CVES) employ virtual reality technology to support cooperative work. Building on ethnographic and interaction analyses of CVES in use, we argue that many and varied activities are required to set up, maintain and troubleshoot CVES. These activities cross-over between virtual worlds and the real, physical environments which meeting participants inhabit. Thus, art understanding of CVES must attend to the relations between cooperation within a CVE and for it to be established as an arena for intelligible social action. These findings suggest a social scientifically informed respecification of what it is to be ‘immersed in a CVE.

Talking in the library: implications for the design of digital libraries

We describe the use of ethnomethodologically-informed ethnography as a means of informing the requirements elicitation, design, development and evaluation of digital libraries. We present the case for the contribution of such studies to the development of digital library technology to support the practices of information-searching. This is illustrated by a particular study of the help desk at a university library, examining the implications it has for designing appropriate functionality for a digital library. This requires us to address

Patterns of home life: Informing design for domestic environments

This paper considers how we may provide support for the development of general design principles in domestic environments. In particular, we examine the potential for usingdesign patterns as a means of presenting ethnographic material and outlining design solutions. The paper reports on the development of an initial pattern language based on our studies of a number of domestic, environments and offers a general structure for presenting these patterns. Finally, we briefly reflect on our experiences of developing an on-line set of patterns for this class of environment.

Understanding Technology in Domestic Environments: Lessons for Cooperative Buildings

This paper considers the nature of interactive technology within domestic environments and how we might want to consider the design of technology for domestic environments. As part of this work it highlights the methodological issues faced in the design of systems for the home environments. The shortage of detailed knowledge of activities in the home is highlighted as a major issue in understanding the situated nature of technologies. A series of studies of domestic environments is presented alongside the design challenges they raise.

Informing the design of collaborative virtual environments

This paper addresses the design of Collaborative Virtual Environments (CVEs). More specifically, it considers key design issues concerning the use of either real world ‘facsimile’ representations or more abstracted means of delivering CVEs. We suggest that the use of ethnographic studies of the context-of-use of the CVE under development is a useful means of informing these design issues in contrast to more in-principle means of drawing conclusions. This approach is illustrated by informing the development of a virtual environment from and ethnographic study of work.