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 systems. This paper describes the design work of six-year programme is a collaborative venture two separate research groups utilising ‘cultural spanning eight research partners1 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 probe derivative as an adjunct to an and software platforms to interweave the ethnographic study of a sensitive ‘home’ setting physical and the digital in new ways. Research – a sheltered housing complex – and used them groups are developing innovative methods for for ‘information’ rather than ‘inspiration’. The designing and evaluating these technologies. authors will contribute an innovative evaluation From the outset, the Equator programme has of the use of these probes for a participatory been committed to combining these technologies approach to design and explore the ways in and methods in a series of large-scale which cultural probes and probes hybrids might ‘collaborative’ projects that directly engage present alternative strategies for exploring users in the design process. In practice, this ‘sensitive’ settings. grounded approach has resulted in a series of practical evaluations that directly involve the Keywords participation of users through collaborations Methodology, participatory design, cultural with museums, performance groups, community probes, domestic probes, ethnography, art and support groups, care organisations, schools and design, design practice, home, workplace. other user collectivities. One of the fundamental challenges facing the Equator programme is to devise methods for understanding interaction for the purposes of design. In this paper, we discuss how two design groups responded to the challenge, through an exploration of their work. Both these design-oriented workgroups are The Cultural Probes approach [7] has recently involved in separate but related experience gained some prominence as means of ‘inspiring’ projects. Firstly, we discuss the design and interactive design. We use the notion of a interpretation work of the Computer Related Cultural Probes approach as a generic term here, Design (CRD) group based at the Royal College incorporating technology probes, domestic of Art, UK. They are led by Bill Gaver, who probes etc. Within a domestic context, the pioneered the development of Cultural Probes approach is concerned to address both what role [6]. This group of designers is involved in technology might play in the home of the future Domestic Environments Project that is and, specifically, how it can support existing developing innovative applications of domestic values. The Cultural Probes approach, technologies in the home. This is followed by an Gaver argues, “act[s] as a design intervention introduction to the work of members of the that elicits inspirational material while avoiding Cooperative Systems Engineering Group the understood social roles of researchers and (CSEG) in the Department of Computing at researched” [6]. For Gaver, the ‘inspiration’ Lancaster University, who have pioneered the approach utilized by the CRD team brings the use of ethnography in design [4]. This group user closer to the design space in a way that is employs a multidisciplinary research team to seemingly different from conventional facilitate the development of enabling ethnographic methods widely used in domains technologies to assist care for specific user such as Computer-Supported Cooperative Work groups with different support needs. The Digital (CSCW) to uncover, elicit or validate Care Project is concerned with improving the ‘requirements’ for technologies. quality of everyday life by developing supporting technologies based on a comprehensive This initial analysis is based on an ongoing understanding of user needs. The CSEG group investigation of the design domain and has an eclectic approach to methods and is incorporates what can best be described presently utilising a number of cultural probe methodologically, as taking the techniques. ethnomethodological turn to studies of work. Following Sharrock and Hughes Our investigation of the work of these two recommendation, our approach places an groups is not simply concerned with evaluating emphasis upon the extent to which our reports the methodological rationale that underpins the are joint productions; things that have been use of the cultural probes approach. The aim is orchestrated by us and those under study [12]. to promote an understanding of the ways in Secondly, it emphasizes the “extent to which the which methods and procedures, strategically organisation of the social setting is also a ‘joint combined, produce beneficial outcomes for construction’, something that is done between collaborative design work. and together by the participants in the setting” [their emphasis]. We would argue that it might also be useful if the notions of participation and CULTURAL PROBES collaboration further elaborated to include to The initial impetus for this paper arose from a inter-collaboration- with the ‘subjects’ of study methodological interest in ‘Cultural Probes’. and intra-collaboration- between researchers. Particularly the ways in which non-scientistic art and design methods might lend themselves INFORMATION OR INSPIRATION? to design studies of socially sensitive settings. It is important to point out that each workgroup We were curious to understand the relationship adopted Cultural Probes for different reasons. between (a) the Cultural Probes and the more The theoretical and methodological concerns conventional collaborative approaches to design manifested in the Cultural Probes approach research procedures such as ethnography and developed by Gaver and Dunne [7] is located in (b), how practitioners from different disciplines the philosophical tradition of the artist-designer. go about the practical work of operationalizing Given the CRD group’s pedigree it is not Cultural Probes’ novel non-scientific approach surprisingly that Cultural Probes play a central to design. role in the CRD approach to design. Alternatively, the CSEG group has a Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) sensitivities of the then unknown volunteer background and concentrates on bringing adjunct researchers/participants, also ethnographic findings to bear upon design demonstrates the skills required in constructing matters. In the Digital Care project, however, cultural probes. These skills are combined with the group’s ethnographer has made a pragmatic a range of more mundane contingent matters adaptation of the CP approach in order to be including a working knowledge of material costs sensitive to the context of the research setting. and availability. Introducing a probe package has provided CSEG designers with ways of collecting Designers were regularly involved in informal contextual ethnographic information and impromptu discussions in the studio and unobtrusively from a socially sensitive setting. other locations. During these conversations, ideas for probe objects were ‘worked up’ Cultural Probes have been deployed recently in a through a process of organising a working number of innovative design projects, for division of knowledge and labour. example the Presence Project [5]. Essentially, Visualisations in the form of crafted prototypes, cultural probes are purposefully designed to models, sketches and/or verbal descriptions of provoke, reveal and capture the motivational objects were all considered fit material for forces that shape an individual and his/her home design discussions. Talk was central to the life. Cultural Probes are kits of provocative design process; in that assessing ‘just what materials meant to elicit inspiring responses counted’ as ‘appropriate’ for a probe object, from people. They are used to learn about was a negotiated matter. A tacit local working people's home lives for our research on domestic agreement, on what functional and aesthetic technologies. Designers draw upon probe qualities were relevant for an object to be returns as “inspirational data” for design. Probe classified as a candidate for inclusion, was objects include cameras, household rules packs, arrived at and maintained in and through the a pinhole camera, a family and friends map, talk of the designers. photogram paper, a domestic routine diary and camera, a listening glass, a floorplan, a dream We now move on to describe how the work of recorder, a bathroom pad, a visitor’s log and a designing and constructing

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