CSCW research examples: From ethnographic studies to working prototypes John C. Tang October 30, 2007

2 Research: Using video to support collaboration My research focuses on supporting collaboration (CSCW) My research focuses on supporting collaboration (CSCW) Uses ethnographic studies for need- finding Uses ethnographic studies for need- finding Example of design process, differences from popular trends Example of design process, differences from popular trends NEEDS DESIGN IMPLEMENTEVALUATE

3 Popular: High fidelity video conferencing Cisco Telepresence Cisco Telepresence HP Halo HP Halo Polycom Real Presence Experience Polycom Real Presence Experience High fidelity video and audio

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

5 Popular: iChat AV desktop video conferencing

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

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

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

9 Ethnographic studies of collaboration activity Studying pairs and teams of people working together Studying pairs and teams of people working together

10 Shared drawing example

11 Shared workspace Creating an engaging, interactive shared workspace among remote collaborators Creating an engaging, interactive shared workspace among remote collaborators Sharing awareness cues that enable collaborators to negotiate 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

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

13 VideoDraw Schematic

14 VideoDraw (video)

15 VideoDraw circa 2007 Recently announced Microsoft Surface Recently announced Microsoft Surface Research prototype application Research prototype applicationhttp://

16 VideoWhiteboard Schematic

17 VideoWhiteboard demo

18 Ethnography in HCI design Identifying user needs Identifying user needs –Sharing workspace Design implications for innovative technology Design implications for innovative technology Enabling doing new things in familiar ways

19 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 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 Tang, John C. and Scott L. Minneman, "VideoWhiteboard: Video Shadows to Support Remote Collaboration", CHI '91, 1991, pp Tang, John C. and Scott L. Minneman, "VideoWhiteboard: Video Shadows to Support Remote Collaboration", CHI '91, 1991, pp Tang, John C. and Scott L. Minneman, "VideoDraw: A Video Interface for Collaborative Drawing", CHI '90, Seattle, WA, 1990, pp Tang, John C. and Scott L. Minneman, "VideoDraw: A Video Interface for Collaborative Drawing", CHI '90, Seattle, WA, 1990, pp

20 Group project assignment Checkpoint now due Nov. 7 Checkpoint now due Nov. 7 –Sign up for 15-minute block from 12:00-3:00 on Nov. 7 (Soda 405) – 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 Public demo sesssion still Nov. 13 –Prepare poster by 5:00pm Sunday, Nov. 11