Connection Crystals: Initiating Spontaneous Online Interactions through Ambient Design
Authors
Jensen, Anja Ryom ; Rose, Clara Sofie ; Breindahl, Gustav
Term
4. Term
Publication year
2021
Submitted on
2021-06-10
Pages
11
Abstract
Under COVID-19 blev sociale aktiviteter flyttet online, hvilket gjorde spontane kontakter svære. Dette studie havde til formål at skabe mere spontane online-interaktioner og en følelse af samhørighed i en vennegruppe på seks personer. Vi brugte en research-through-design-tilgang, hvor man designer og prøver prototyper for at undersøge et fænomen, og udforskede, hvordan et ambient display (et diskret display i baggrunden, der giver små visuelle signaler) kan sætte samtaler i gang. Vi udviklede en tidlig, eksperimentel prototype kaldet Connection Crystals og afprøvede den i en måned. Data blev indsamlet gennem interviews, deltageres dagbøger og automatisk registrering af brug (data logging). Prototypen øgede antallet af online-interaktioner i gruppen og ændrede, hvem der tog initiativet. De samtaler, der blev udløst af prototypen, foregik oftest som tale frem for tekst, i modsætning til gruppens tidligere vaner. Den hjalp også personer, der beskrev sig selv som generte eller introverte, med at starte spontane online-kontakter. Deltagerne oplevede prototypen som ikke-forstyrrende, fordi den fungerede i baggrunden under arbejdstiden.
During COVID-19, social life moved online, making spontaneous contact harder. This study aimed to spark more spontaneous online interactions and a sense of togetherness within a group of six friends. Using a research-through-design approach—designing and testing prototypes to learn about a phenomenon—we explored how an ambient display (a subtle, in-the-background display that provides small visual cues) could initiate conversation. We built an early, exploratory prototype called Connection Crystals and deployed it for one month. Data were collected through interviews, participant diaries, and automatic usage logging. The prototype increased online interactions in the group and shifted who initiated them. Interactions triggered by the prototype were mainly voice communication rather than text, compared to the group’s usual practice. It also helped people who identified as shy or introverted to start spontaneous online interactions. Participants found the prototype non-disruptive, as it operated quietly in the background during working hours.
[This summary has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]
Keywords
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