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IM Here: Public Instant Messaging on Large Displays for Workgroup Interactions

This study examines the adoption and design factors of a public, large display IM system that aims to address the problems of informal communication in the workplace. The evaluation of the system yielded valuable results and reflections.

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IM Here: Public Instant Messaging on Large Displays for Workgroup Interactions

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  1. IM Here: Public Instant Messaging on Large, Shared Displays for Workgroup Interactions GVU Brown Bag April 1, 2004 Elaine M. Huang, Georgia Tech Daniel M. Russell, IBM Almaden Alison E. Sue, IBM Almaden

  2. Where is everyone??

  3. Often has adoption problems Valuable but not always accessible inspired the idea behind… study identified… informed the design of… Five Factors that affect LDGA adoption IM Here: a public, large display IM system addresses… evaluation yielded… in respect to… Results and Reflections Overview Large Display Groupware Applications (LDGAs) Informal communication in the workplace

  4. Often has adoption problems Valuable but not always accessible inspired the idea behind… study identified… informed the design of… Five Factors that affect LDGA adoption IM Here: a public, large display IM system addresses… evaluation yielded… in respect to… Results and Reflections Overview YOU ARE HERE Large Display Groupware Applications (LDGAs) Informal communication in the workplace

  5. Informal communication • Takes place throughout the workplace (Whittaker, non-CMC) • “Outeraction” communication to facilitate further interaction (Nardi, CMC) • Important and necessary part of work activities

  6. Problems to address • Make informal communication available where work takes place • Support outeraction in context • Need for access to computer-mediated communication throughout the workspace of IBM’s USER group

  7. Why might IM be valuable? • Lightweight, opportunistic, less obtrusive than other channels, flexible • Supports “outeraction” – negotiating availability, scheduling future communication (Nardi)

  8. Often has adoption problems Valuable but not always accessible inspired the idea behind… study identified… informed the design of… Five Factors that affect LDGA adoption IM Here: a public, large display IM system addresses… evaluation yielded… in respect to… Results and Reflections Overview YOU ARE HERE Large Display Groupware Applications (LDGAs) Informal communication in the workplace

  9. Large Display Groupware Applications (LDGAs)

  10. LDGA adoption • LDGAs often suffer from lack of use, failure of adoption • What factors affect adoption success?

  11. Study of large display groupware • Open-ended interviews and observation, primarily onsite, some over phone • Nine commercial and research systems, eight in real deployment • Inspired by Grudin

  12. Characteristics of LDGAs • Form factor- size, visual impact affect perception and interaction • Public audience and location – affects attention, visibility, and privacy • Not in personal workspace – affects time spent exploring and interacting • Not individually owned – affects perception of ownership and responsibility

  13. Five factors affecting the adoption of LDGAs • Task specificity and integration • Tool flexibility and generality • Visibility and exposure to others’ interactions • Low barriers to use • Dedicated core of users

  14. Often has adoption problems Valuable but not always accessible inspired the idea behind… study identified… informed the design of… Five Factors that affect LDGA adoption IM Here: a public, large display IM system evaluation yielded… in respect to… Results and Reflections Overview Large Display Groupware Applications (LDGAs) Informal communication in the workplace YOU ARE HERE addresses…

  15. IM Here • Enable quick and lightweight communication while mobile in the workplace • Design and deployment informed by results of study

  16. IM Here: System design

  17. IM Here Messaging Client • Built atop Lotus Sametime • Anonymous user, no login process • “Broadcast” feature

  18. Why anonymous? • Encourage walk-up-and-use, requires no badging, swiping, tags, etc • Prevents closure of existing clients on desktop or laptop, allows “sticky note” use • Anonymous name provides context to recipient using personal client

  19. IM Here Event Display • Built atop BlueBoard • Primarily for event awareness • Allowed anonymous posting from web form • Mostly managed by a dedicated administrator

  20. Addressing the five factors in the design • Task specificity and integration • Tool flexibility and generality • Visibility and exposure to others’ interactions • Low barriers to use • Dedicated core group of users

  21. Often has adoption problems Valuable but not always accessible inspired the idea behind… study identified… informed the design of… Five Factors that affect LDGA adoption IM Here: a public, large display IM system addresses… evaluation yielded… in respect to… Results and Reflections Overview Large Display Groupware Applications (LDGAs) Informal communication in the workplace YOU ARE HERE

  22. Evaluation • 24 researchers, engineers, administrative assistants, 13 regular Sametime users • Examined first six weeks of use • Logged interactions and messages • Eleven (11) open ended phone interviews with users • Informal onsite observations of use

  23. Results: overall use

  24. General numbers • 41 total use instances (165 messages) over 30 business days • 17 dyadic conversations ranging from 2 to 12 messages • 14 broadcasts • 2 one-line messages that required no response • 8 conversation attempts with no response

  25. Uses address motivation • IM Here helped people communicate informally from shared workspace 1:41:06PM IM Here: We're here now, Mark and Sid. 1:41:11PM Naomi: OK

  26. Uses address motivation • IM Here facilitated locationally-opportunistic outeraction 4:32:10PM IM Here: it's karen... where are you? 4:32:20PM IM Here: going back to my laptop... don't reply here 4:32:22PM Carl: im in a conference call right now 4:32:25PM IM Here: still??? 4:32:29PM IM Here: you're yakking it up! 4:32:34PM IM Here: could you IM me when you're done? 4:32:47PM Carl: yes!!! I promise 4:32:53PM IM Here: :) ok

  27. Uses address motivation • Situatedness of displays addresses communication needs of group in context 3:55:09PM IM Here: Is there teatime today? 3:55:15PM Janet: no 3:55:28PM IM Here: Ooops. I guess we'll wing it then. 3:55:37PM Janet: thx

  28. Value of broadcast • Broadcasting became a regular practice for scheduled events for the common room. 3:56:15PM IM Here Broadcast: Moon cakes now in [the common room]

  29. Unexpected uses • Messaging from the personal workspace to the public space 11:11:53AM Dave: Dear passerby -- Can you tell me if [the common room] is scheduled from 1- 2PM? (I'd look at the server myself, but I can't get there from here for some weird reason...) 11:14:51AM IM Here: 1 to 2 PM today looks open. 2 to 2:30 is booked. 11:15:06AM Dave: Thanks! (I'm at 2 - 2:30) -- BTW - who are you?

  30. Unexpected uses • Awareness from IM status and event postings • “Am I the last one in?” • Changing route to office • Transfer of content from Event Display to Messaging Client

  31. Reflections:Social norms mediate use • People generally identified themselves when sending messages • Broadcasts were used with discretion, no “vandalism,” no perception of overuse • Only one instance of “prank usage” with Messaging Client

  32. (The prank: bonus material!) • Probably novelty use (day 2 of deployment) • Likely between friends, not meant to annoy • Actually an interesting use of knowledge in the space • Not really even that funny 3:58:43PM IMHere: hey mark, Prostate Screening to be Offered at Almaden September 3 and 12 (by IBM!) ;) 3:58:58PM IMHere: yo chrisco, Prostate Screening to be Offered at Almaden September 3 and 12 (by IBM) ;)

  33. Reflections:Five factors and IM Here • Provided good design guidelines • Visibility of interactions helped establish Broadcast as a routine practice • Login process would have been a dealbreaker • Deployment for specific use made value overt

  34. Reflections:Public IM for workgroups • Has potential benefit as a supplement to existing informal communication channels • Supports different interactions than face-to-face or conventional IM • Locational opportunism – communication in the context where work happens

  35. Acknowledgments • Thanks to my co-authors and the IBM USER group for ideas and opportunities. • Thanks to members of the Everyday Computing Lab, various GVU folks, and UCalgary Grouplab for feedback and assistance

  36. Questions?

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