5 Evaluating and Design of Ubiquity

How do you analyze a system for ubiquity? You could test the invisibleness of the system through a Cognitive Walkthrough or an ethnographic interview. Either way, you would be listening specifically for the way a person describes their interaction with the system and read their mental model of the system. An example of a question one would answere is "What extent are you conscious about the artifact that you are interacting with as opposed to the work you are doing with this artifact?

 

Elizabeth Mynatt in a paper for CHI97, addresses three leverages17 to use when designing for ubiquitous applications. These take into account goals of UbiComp including invisibility, periphery, space/location and augmentation. :

Leverage existing tasks- leverage, not replace -example LiveBoard (the first UbiComp device to be deployed18 -high overhead of using the system vs. a regular blackboard

Leverage peripheral awareness capabilities "In most cases, our interaction with computational devices is either direct or non-existent. In contrast, our interaction with other dynamic things (other people, animals, even our cars) relies on our ability to peripherally perceive information about their activities. Primarily with auditory and visual input, we subconsciously monitor our world - the comings and goings of a colleague, the agitation (or lack thereof) of a pet dog, the smoothness of the ride of our car on the way home. We are constantly absorbing information without attending to the source. Although computational devices employ various types of visual and auditory alarms, they rarely ooze information unobtrusively. Even a vibrating pager is designed to disturb, not to subconsciously inform."

Leverage the physical world "For computers to become invisible, they must mesh with our relationship with the physical world. For example, a mobile work phone should switch to "roll-to-voicemail" when we enter our home, but perhaps shift back to on when we enter our study. Information about the activity and availability of a colleague should be available as we glance into their empty office."

Consider the above evaluation scheme and leverage system in analyzing a device, the PARCTAB19, a small device created a PARC was designed with the above concepts in mind. As far ubiquity goes, it is to be worn at all times, and it's size, wight, and features promote casual computing, differentiating it from the looming computer screens we are used to. .The PARCTAB has no power switch, it switches off and on for interaction and it provides location information, therefore, it is easily matched to the physical world leverage. It is periphery aware, with automatic power switching, meaning it is there when one needs it, but otherwise, it unobtrusive. It is constantly connected to the network. It is created to augment current lifestyle, keeping in touch with people and allowing them to keep in touch with the wearer.