Designing an Interactive Message Board as a Technology Probe for Family Communication. http.pdf

Designing an Interactive Message Board as a Technology Probe for Family Communication Hilary Browne, Benjamin B. Bederson, Catherine Plaisant, Allison Druin Human-Computer Interaction Lab Institute for Advanced Computer Studies University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 USA {hbrowne, bederson, plaisant, allisond}@ ABSTRACT In this paper, we describe the design issues and te chnical implementation of an interactive Family Message Boa rd. The Family Message Board enables members of a distributed family to communicate with one another both synchronously and asynchronously via simple, pen-ba sed, digital notes. Each household running this Java-bas ed software can view, create, and manipulate notes in a zoomable space. The Family Message Board will be us ed as a “technology probe” to help us understand the communication eeds of distributed families, and to help us design ew devices to meet those needs. Keywords Technology for families, CSCW, shared communication , remote awareness, zooming user interfaces, ZUIs, disappearing computer, cooperative design, particip atory design, technology probes. INTRODUCTION Todays families are more geographically distribute d than ever. Children attend schools far away from their p arents; grandparents may live in a different country than grandchildren. Letters, email, instant messages, an d telephone conversations can help keep remote family members up to date on major family events, but the patterns of everyday life are often missed. In addition, these communication techniques are all ei ther strictly synchronous or asynchronous, and each suff ers from some bothersome complications. Letters and email are asynchronous activities that don’t provide any remote awareness to the participating p arties about one another. Letters are addressed to only one household and require atrip to the mailbox or post office. Email requires computer and internet competence, ti me wasted dialing up and lo