Roger Whitham

Investigating media use and the television user experience in the home

In this paper we report on a study conducted in 2007 and 2008 looking at the media use habits of 27 families in the Greater London area. The project builds on previous work studying media use within a similar group in 2006. The study investigated attitudes towards different types of media and the role television (TV) currently plays and could play within the home environment. To facilitate the study we rapidly prototyped an experimental home media device and asked participants to use and respond to it. We explored issues of interactional simplicity and sharing media using a TV and employed the experimental device as a focal point for discussion and the generation of new ideas. Our key findings indicate a strong desire for services which support media presentation and consumption through the TV (combined with a suitable control device) and cater for social interaction within the home such as sharing photos and videos with other household members. In addition we found a strong user preference for services that offer fast and immediate access to specialised online activities, such as quick checks of e-mail accounts and social networking services.

Bringing the television experience to other media in the home: an ethnographic study

In this paper we report on a study conducted in 2007 and 2008 looking at the media use habits of 27 families in the Greater London area. The project builds on previous ethnographic work studying media use within a similar group in 2006. The study investigated attitudes towards different types of media and the role Television (TV) currently plays and could play within the home environment. Following a participatory design methodology, we rapidly prototyped an experimental home media device and asked participants and use and respond to it. We explored the issues such as interactional simplicity and sharing media using a TV using the experimental device as a focal point for discussion and the generation of new ideas.

Investigating pay-as-you-go to address issues of trust, privacy and security around media use at home

This paper explores the use of a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) concept as a means of addressing issues of trust, privacy, billing and security around media in the home. The findings are based on a study conducted in 2007 and 2008, looking at the media-use habits of 27 families in the Greater London area. The study investigated attitudes towards uses of various forms of media within the home environment, with a particular emphasis on television (TV). To facilitate the study, a rapid prototype of an experimental home media device was produced, asking participants to use and respond to it. The key findings show the desirability of devices and services that incorporate a payment system which would help in regulating spending and allow household members to manage their own media purchases. The PAYG concept was well received by study participants as a means to prevent unauthorised spending and help manage costs. Participants were also enthusiastic about more transparent billing mechanisms and the possibility of monitoring the TV and media use of younger household members.

The Function and Future of the Folder

Folders are a commonplace metaphor in computing environments, constituting a link to physical work materials and are a key means for individuals to impose order on their digital work materials. This paper presents the findings of a novel qualitative study examining folder use by 12 information workers, using logging to accurately capture how folders were used in individual everyday work over 6 weeks, and challenging participants to work without using folders. Through observation and interviews, the study provides new descriptions of how folders are used and the dependence some study participants had on their folders to think and create, as well as to access files. The findings call into question whether search and recency-based lists of files could fulfil the functional role of folders, identified as key means for individuals to construct and specialize their work environments. Implications are discussed for document management tools, and more generally for operating system design.