Martin R. Gibbs

Mediating intimacy: designing technologies to support strong-tie relationships

Intimacy is a crucial element of domestic life, and many interactive technologies designed for other purposes have been appropriated for use within intimate relationships. However, there is a deficit in current understandings of how technologies are used within intimate relationships, and how to design technologies to support intimate acts. In this paper we report on work that has addressed these deficits. We used cultural probes and contextual interviews and other ethnographically informed techniques to investigate how interactive technologies are used within intimate relationships. From this empirical work we generated a thematic understanding of intimacy and the use of interactional technologies to support intimate acts. We used this understanding to inform the design of intimate technologies. A selection of our design concepts is also presented.

Designing sports: a framework for exertion games

Exertion games require investing physical effort. The fact that such games can support physical health is tempered by our limited understanding of how to design for engaging exertion experiences. This paper introduces the Exertion Framework as a way to think and talk about Exertion Games, both for their formative design and summative analysis. Our Exertion Framework is based on the ways in which we can conceive of the body investing in game-directed exertion, supported by four perspectives on the body (the Responding Body, Moving Body, Sensing Body and Relating Body) and three perspectives on gaming (rules, play and context). The paper illustrates how this framework was derived from prior systems and theory, and presents a case study of how it has been used to inspire novel exertion interactions.

Knowledge strategy in organizations : refining the model of Hansen, Nohria and Tierney

We assessed the model of knowledge strategy and IT support proposed by Hansen, Nohria and Tierney. Their main argument is that, in order to enable effective use of knowledge, organizations should select an 80/20 knowledge strategy mix of codification and personalization with one of these strategies dominant. We examined the knowledge strategy emphasis (codification or personalization) in each of four case organizations. These organizations represented different combinations of the codification and personalization knowledge strategy mix. Our cases indicate some support for Hansen et al.s main argument, but also highlight the need for refinements to their model. Based on our assessment, we conclude that the advice of Hansen et al. is useful for deciding upon an initial strategic direction and setting suitable priorities. We propose the following refinements to the model. First, organizations may find it necessary to evolve their knowledge strategy mix over time, augmenting the alternate strategy as a result of the intertwined nature of knowledge processes. Second, we propose two strategic pathways that organizations could adopt on their journey towards effective use of organizational knowledge. Lastly, we identify additional considerations for deciding upon a particular knowledge strategy direction.

Taxonomy of exertion games

A new set of computationally-augmented games have emerged recently that require the user to move their body. These exertion games are believed to contribute to social, mental and in particular, physical benefits, marking a change in how we perceive computer gaming. However, although these games are a commercial success, research is lacking a theoretical understanding how to analyse existing and guide future designs. We present initial investigations towards a taxonomy of such exertion games with a focus on social aspects, based on work on traditional play and sports. Our contribution lays the foundation for the creation of a theoretical framework on exertion games, expanding our understanding of this exciting new area.

Balancing exertion experiences

Exercising with others, such as jogging in pairs, can be socially engaging. However, if exercise partners have different fitness levels then the activity can be too strenuous for one and not challenging enough for the other, compromising engagement and health benefits. Our system, Jogging over a Distance, uses heart rate data and spatialized sound to create an equitable, balanced experience between joggers of different fitness levels who are geographically distributed. We extend this prior work by analyzing the experience of 32 joggers to detail how specific design features facilitated, and hindered, an engaging and balanced exertion experience. With this knowledge, we derive four dimensions that describe a design space for balancing exertion experiences: Measurement, Adjustment, Presentation and Control. We also present six design tactics for creating balanced exertion experiences described by these dimensions. By aiding designers in supporting participants of different physical abilities, we hope to increase participation and engagement with physical activity and facilitate the many benefits it brings about.

#Funeral and Instagram: death, social media, and platform vernacular

This paper presents findings from a study of Instagram use and funerary practices that analysed photographs shared on public profiles tagged with ‘#funeral’. We found that the majority of images uploaded with the hashtag #funeral often communicated a persons emotional circumstances and affective context, and allowed them to reposition their funeral experience amongst wider networks of acquaintances, friends, and family. We argue that photo-sharing through Instagram echoes broader shifts in commemorative and memorialization practices, moving away from formal and institutionalized rituals to informal and personalized, vernacular practices. Finally, we consider how Instagrams ‘platform vernacular’ unfolds in relation to traditions and contexts of death, mourning, and memorialization. This research contributes to a broader understanding of how platform vernaculars are shaped through the logics of architecture and use. This research also directly contributes to the understanding of death and digital media by examining how social media is being mobilized in relation to death, the differences that different media platforms make, and the ways social media are increasingly entwined with the places, events, and rituals of mourning.

Design influence on social play in distributed exertion games

Exertion games are an emerging form of interactive games that require players to invest significant physical effort as part of the gameplay, rather than just pressing buttons. These exertion games have potential health benefits by promoting exercise. It is also believed that they can facilitate social play between players and that social play can improve participation in exertion games. However, there is currently a lack of understanding of how to design games to support these effects. In this paper, we present a qualitative case study that illustrates how networked environments support social play in exertion games and how this can help to gain an understanding of existing games and support the design of future games. This work offers a preliminary analytical and descriptive account of the relationship between exertion and social play in such a game and highlights the influence of design with the aim of utilizing the attributed benefits of exertion and social play.

Time, Space and Technology in the Working-Home: An Unsettled Nexus

The research reported here draws upon four homes in Melbourne, Australia, where variable practices and strategies in the use of information and communication technologies are adopted in negotiating the temporal and spatial dynamics of the working-home. Informed by theories from Science and Technology Studies, we argue that these strategies arise in concernful relation with others — both human and non-human — that enable and constrain the possibilities for action.

Towards understanding how to design for social play in exertion games

Players invest significant physical effort when playing exertion games. In addition to improving physical health, exertion games are also believed to facilitate social play amongst players. Despite these advantages, our understanding of how to design these games to successfully support social play is limited. In this paper, we present a qualitative analysis of player data from “Table Tennis for Three”, a mediated exertion game for three players, that contributes to our understanding of how the design of an exertion game facilitates social play. We use the concept of “space” to frame our findings in order to create themes that can be used to analyze existing and to design future exertion games. We hope our work can support researchers gain an understanding of this exciting new field, while also help designers utilize the many benefits of exertion games.

“I Wish We Could Get Together”: Exploring Intergenerational Play Across a Distance via a ‘Magic Box’

ABSTRACT It is well documented that ongoing social connection between the young and the elderly increase the sense of well-being of both parties. However it may be difficult to maintain and cultivate intergenerational relationships in which physical, temporal, or social distances exist between grandparents and their grandchildren. This paper outlines findings from an ethnographic research study which explores the nature of intergenerational play and interaction across a distance. Our aim is to understand playful engagement as a means for designing technologies that will support intergenerational play across a distance. The paper highlights examples of data produced by a small number of Australian families using cultural probes. This data originates from personal scrapbooks, the daily exchange of special items via a ‘Magic Box’ and from interviews with participants. The scrapbooks and ‘magic box’ methods, in particular, encouraged the exchange of a range of thought-provoking and non-traditional media. Much of this media was exchanged with a view to encouraging play or playful activity; however there were serious issues of family history, culture, and storytelling which underlay the selection of particular items. Items exchanged between distributed households included feathers, dolls, toys, food and letters. While all the exchanges were in some way indicative of the special relationships which existed amongst these diverse families, there are a number of themes which arise across the families. The paper illustrates that intergenerational play and communication are intrinsically intertwined with a range of themes including family history, culture, and storytelling; and familial ideas of magic, science, and fun. It is anticipated that the next phase of the research will produce suggestions for technological prototypes which might help to further support intergenerational exchanges across a distance.