CSCW research examples: From ethnographic studies to working prototypes

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CSCW research examplesFrom ethnographic studies
to working prototypes

• John C. Tang
• October 30, 2007

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Research Using video to support collaboration

• My research focuses on supporting collaboration
  (CSCW)
• Uses ethnographic studies for need-finding
• Example of design process, differences from
  popular trends

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Popular High fidelity video conferencing

• Cisco Telepresence
• HP Halo
• Polycom Real Presence Experience
• High fidelity video and audio

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Cisco Telepresence

• Target audience Company Executives
• Rules of Telepresence
• Present far end participants life size
• Provide virtual eye contact
• Do not pollute visual display with distractions
• Are these the main needs for successful everyday
  collaboration?

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Popular iChat AV desktop video conferencing
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Apple iChat AV

• Integrated into all Macintosh computers
• Very easy to use
• Attractive graphical presentation
• Are these the main needs for successful everyday
  collaboration?

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Awareness cues for remote collaboration

• Hard part is social problem
• Gracefully sharing a workspace
• Cues for negotiating interaction lost among
  remote collaborators (i.e., phone)
• Review research prototypes for remote
  collaboration
• VideoDraw
• VideoWhiteboard
• Innovation in mediated support for collaboration

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Ethnography

• Branch of anthropology that deals with the
  scientific description of specific human cultures
• Typically applied to study of foreign cultures
• More recently applied to work cultures or simply
  users of technology

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Ethnographic studies of collaboration activity

• Studying pairs and teams of people working
  together

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Shared drawing example
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Shared workspace

• Creating an engaging, interactive shared
  workspace among remote collaborators
• Sharing awareness cues that enable collaborators
  to negotiate
• Graceful turn-taking
• Gestures with respect to drawings
• Showing the process of creating drawings
• Sharing space
• Building on each others work

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VideoDraw shared drawing space

• Based on empirical studies of teams engaged in
  conceptual design
• Series of video-based prototypes for creating a
  shared drawing surface
• Table-sized VideoDraw
• Whiteboard-sized VideoWhiteboard
• Built in a Media Space environment
• Xerox PARC
• Scott Minneman and Media Space team

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VideoDraw Schematic
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VideoDraw (video)
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VideoDraw circa 2007

• Recently announced Microsoft Surface
• Research prototype application
• http//www.popularmechanics.com/blogs/technology_n
  ews/4213259.html

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VideoWhiteboard Schematic
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VideoWhiteboard demo
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Ethnography in HCI design

• Identifying user needs
• Sharing workspace
• Design implications for innovative technology
• Enabling doing new things in familiar
  ways

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For more information

• Tang, John C. and Scott L. Minneman, "VideoDraw
  A Video Interface for Collaborative Drawing", ACM
  Transactions on Information Systems, Vol. 9, No.
  2, April 1991, pp. 170-184.
• Tang, John C. and Scott L. Minneman,
  "VideoWhiteboard Video Shadows to Support Remote
  Collaboration", CHI '91, 1991, pp. 315-322.
• Tang, John C. and Scott L. Minneman, "VideoDraw
  A Video Interface for Collaborative Drawing", CHI
  '90, Seattle, WA, 1990, pp. 313-320.

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Group project assignment

• Checkpoint now due Nov. 7
• Sign up for 15-minute block from 1200-300 on
  Nov. 7 (Soda 405)
• Email btsao_at_berkeley.edu with 3-top choices of
  15-minute block by Thursday, Nov. 1 (he will
  publish schedule)
• Prepare 10-minute demo of at least 2 features
• Your opportunity to get feedback from us
• Public demo sesssion still Nov. 13
• Prepare poster by 500pm Sunday, Nov. 11