Probing the Probes

Probing the Probes ‘Inspiration is not the special property of an elite but can be found in everyone’ Jean Dubuffet Terry Hemmings, Andy Crabtree and Tom Rodden Karen Clarke and Mark Rouncefield The School of Computer Science and Information Computing Department Technology SECAMS Building The University of Nottingham Lancaster University Jubilee Campus Lancaster Nottingham NGI 8BB, LA1 4YR UK UK. + 44(0) 1158466512 k.m.clarke, [email protected] tah,axc, [email protected] ABSTRACT Ethnographic studies of technology INTRODUCTION have focused on trying to understand the socially In October 2000, the UK Engineering and organised, naturally occurring uses of Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) technological artifacts in socio-technical launched the Equator IRC (Equator #1). The six- systems. This paper describes the design work of year programme is a collaborative venture two separate research groups utilising ‘cultural spanning eight research partnersi and multiple probes’ as a mode of participatory design for disciplines including computer science, domestic settings. The first group created electronics, social science, psychology, art, specially designed probes to analyse the design and architecture. motivations that shape home life, to inspire future designs. The second group used a cultural Equator research groups are creating devices and probe derivative as an adjunct to an ethnographic software platforms to interweave the physical study of a sensitive ‘home’ setting – a sheltered and the digital in new ways. Research groups are housing complex – and used them for developing innovative methods for designing ‘information’ rather than ‘inspiration’. The and evaluating these technologies. From the authors will contribute an innovative evaluation outset, the Equator programme has been of the use of these probes for a participatory committed to combining these technologies and approach to design and explore the ways in methods in a series of large-scale ‘collaborative’ which cultural probes and probes hybrids might projects that directly engage users in the design present alternative strategies for exploring process. In practice, this grounded approach has ‘sensitive’ settings. resulted in a series of practical evaluations that directly involve the participation of users Keywords through collaborations with museums, Methodology, participatory design, cultural performance groups, community support groups, probes, domestic probes, ethnography, art and care organisations, schools and other user design, design practice, home, workplace. collectivities. One of the fundamental challenges facing the © Computer Professionals Social Equator programme is to devise methods for Responsibility, 1998. This is the author’s understanding interaction for the purposes of version of the work. It is posted here for your design. In this paper, we discuss how two design personal use. Not for redistribution. The groups responded to the challenge, through an definitive version was published in exploration of their work. Proceedings of the 2002 Participatory Design Conference, pp. 42-50, Malmö, Sweden, 23- Both these design-oriented workgroups are 25 June: Computer Professionals Social involved in separate but related experience Responsibility. projects. Firstly, we discuss the design and interpretation work of the Computer Related probes etc. Within a domestic context, the Design (CRD) group based at the Royal College approach is concerned to address both what role of Art, UK. They are led by Bill Gaver, who technology might play in the home of the future pioneered the development of Cultural Probes and, specifically, how it can support existing [6]. This group of designers is involved in domestic values. The Cultural Probes approach, Domestic Environments Project that is Gaver argues, “act[s] as a design intervention developing innovative applications of that elicits inspirational material while avoiding technologies in the home. This is followed by an the understood social roles of researchers and introduction to the work of members of the researched” [6]. For Gaver, the ‘inspiration’ Cooperative Systems Engineering Group approach utilized by the CRD team brings the (CSEG) in the Department of Computing at user closer to the design space in a way that is Lancaster University, who have pioneered the seemingly different from conventional use of ethnography in design [4]. This group ethnographic methods widely used in domains employs a multidisciplinary research team to such as Computer-Supported Cooperative Work facilitate the development of enabling (CSCW) to uncover, elicit or validate technologies to assist care for specific user ‘requirements’ for technologies. groups with different support needs. The Digital Care Project is concerned with improving the This initial analysis is based on an ongoing quality of everyday life by developing investigation of the design domain and supporting technologies based on a incorporates what can best be described comprehensive understanding of user needs. The methodologically, as taking the CSEG group has an eclectic approach to methods ethnomethodological turn to studies of work. and is presently utilising a number of cultural Following Sharrock and Hughes probe techniques. recommendation, our approach places an emphasis upon the extent to which our reports Our investigation of the work of these two are joint productions; things that have been groups is not simply concerned with evaluating orchestrated by us and those under study [12]. the methodological rationale that underpins the Secondly, it emphasizes the “extent to which the use of the cultural probes approach. The aim is to organisation of the social setting is also a ‘joint promote an understanding of the ways in which construction’, something that is done between methods and procedures, strategically combined, and together by the participants in the setting” produce beneficial outcomes for collaborative [their emphasis]. We would argue that it might design work. also be useful if the notions of participation and collaboration further elaborated to include to inter-collaboration- with the ‘subjects’ of study CULTURAL PROBES and intra-collaboration- between researchers. The initial impetus for this paper arose from a methodological interest in ‘Cultural Probes’. INFORMATION OR INSPIRATION? Particularly the ways in which non-scientistic art It is important to point out that each workgroup and design methods might lend themselves to adopted Cultural Probes for different reasons. design studies of socially sensitive settings. We The theoretical and methodological concerns were curious to understand the relationship manifested in the Cultural Probes approach between (a) the Cultural Probes and the more developed by Gaver and Dunne [7] is located in conventional collaborative approaches to design the philosophical tradition of the artist-designer. research procedures such as ethnography and (b), Given the CRD group’s pedigree it is not how practitioners from different disciplines go surprisingly that Cultural Probes play a central about the practical work of operationalizing role in the CRD approach to design. Cultural Probes’ novel non-scientific approach to Alternatively, the CSEG group has a Computer design. Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) The Cultural Probes approach [7] has recently background and concentrates on bringing gained some prominence as means of ‘inspiring’ ethnographic findings to bear upon design interactive design. We use the notion of a matters. In the Digital Care project, however, the group’s ethnographer has made a pragmatic Cultural Probes approach as a generic term here, adaptation of the CP approach in order to be incorporating technology probes, domestic sensitive to the context of the research setting. Introducing a probe package has provided CSEG Designers were regularly involved in informal designers with ways of collecting contextual and impromptu discussions in the studio and ethnographic information unobtrusively from a other locations. During these conversations, socially sensitive setting. ideas for probe objects were ‘worked up’ through a process of organising a working Cultural Probes have been deployed recently in a division of knowledge and labour. Visualisations number of innovative design projects, for in the form of crafted prototypes, models, example the Presence Project [5]. Essentially, sketches and/or verbal descriptions of objects cultural probes are purposefully designed to were all considered fit material for design provoke, reveal and capture the motivational discussions. Talk was central to the design forces that shape an individual and his/her home process; in that assessing ‘just what counted’ as life. Cultural Probes are kits of provocative ‘appropriate’ for a probe object, was a materials meant to elicit inspiring responses from negotiated matter. A tacit local working people. They are used to learn about people's agreement, on what functional and aesthetic home lives for our research on domestic qualities were relevant for an object to be technologies. Designers draw upon probe returns classified as a candidate for inclusion, was as “inspirational data” for design. Probe objects arrived at and maintained in and through the talk include cameras, household rules packs, a of the designers. pinhole camera, a family and friends map, photogram paper, a domestic routine diary and We now move on to describe how the work of camera, a listening glass, a floorplan, a dream designing and constructing

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