Connection Crystals: Initiating Spontaneous Online Interactions through Ambient Design
Authors
Term
4. Term
Publication year
2021
Submitted on
2021-06-10
Pages
11
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to create spontaneous online interactions and a sense of togetherness in a friend group of six friends during the COVID-19 Pandemic, where social interactions have mostly been moved to online environments. The approach of this study has been research through design, using an exploratory prototype to investigate how to initiate a conversation through an ambient display. The deployment period lasted for one month, and data was gathered through interviews, diaries and data logging of the prototype. The exploratory prototype, Connection Crystals, created more online interactions in the friend group and created a shift in who initiated the interactions. Furthermore, the online interactions created using the prototype were mainly voice communication, whereas they would usually use text before the deployment. The prototype helped people who self-identified as shy and introverted to initiate spontaneous online interactions. The participants perceived the prototype as not disruptive as it operated sufficiently in the background during working hours.
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