Candid Interaction: Revealing Hidden Mobile and Wearable Computing Activities in Submission to UIST 2015
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Candid Interaction: Revealing Hidden Mobile and Wearable Computing Activities Barrett Ens1,2, Tovi Grossman1, Fraser Anderson1, Justin Matejka1, George Fitzmaurice1 1Autodesk Research 2University of Manitoba {firstname.lastname}@autodesk.com [email protected] Figure 1. a) People often use mobile and wearable devices in the presence of others. b-e) We explore Candid Interaction through several prototypes for sharing device activity using a range of technologies. b) Grounding Notifications provide common ground through toast notifications. c) The Fog Hat projects wearable device activity onto a physical though cloud. d) A Status Wristband encodes activity into patterns of coloured light. e) Iconic Jewellery communicate app activity through motion. ABSTRACT displays makes it increasingly difficult for others nearby to The growth of mobile and wearable technologies has made it perceive how someone is using their technology. often difficult to understand what people in our surroundings are doing with their technology. In this paper, we introduce Researchers have sought ways to promote the transparency the concept of candid interaction: techniques for providing of computing activity in collaborative settings. One awareness about our mobile and wearable device usage to important strategy of collaborative software designers is to others in the vicinity. We motivate and ground this provide users with awareness about the state of the shared exploration through a survey on current attitudes toward workspace and their collaborators’ activities [9, 13, 14]. This device usage during interpersonal encounters. We then can be accomplished with feedthrough, which conveys explore a design space for candid interaction through seven information about the interaction and its effects to others, prototypes that utilize a wide range of technological analogous to feedback in single-user software [13]. While enhancements, such as Augmented Reality, shape memory these concepts have gained traction in the domain of muscle wire, and wearable projection. From a user computer-supported cooperative work, they have been evaluation of our prototypes we present several findings to applied less in the realm of everyday mobile and wearable encourage further exploration of the trade-offs between the device use. benefits of sharing and the protection of privacy. We propose a new class of computing called candid INTRODUCTION interaction, where devices provide feedthrough about a The rising prevalence of mobile devices is now echoed by user’s interactions to others around them, specifically when the introduction of wearable devices such as smart watches that device is difficult to observe (Figure 1). For example, and smart eyewear. A consequence of our attainment of someone wearing smart glasses can make a companion omnipresent information access is the encroachment of aware that they are taking notes, as opposed to checking computer interaction into the realm of public, social and email during a conversation; or a meeting participant can workplace encounters. Regardless of perceptions, people are subtlety let others know they are not distracted by their apt to conduct activities, such as checking messages during smartphone but instead looking up information on a relevant a meeting or playing a game while lounging with friends topic. Revealing the nature of our device usage to those in (Figure 1a). However, the personal nature of wearable our surroundings could make these interactions more socially acceptable [30]. This approach contrasts prior research which has attempted to facilitate social acceptance by hiding devices [3] or keeping interaction subtle [4, 24, 39]. In Submission to UIST 2015 Page 1 There are many conceivable methods of providing awareness Social Acceptability about device use. We explore a wide range of designs in this As novel mobile interaction techniques were developed, paper, from pragmatic to provocative. In the most basic case researchers began to notice the importance of observers. we explore how current technology can be leveraged to Rico and Brewster [36] found willingness to perform mobile provide feedthrough, while in other designs we incorporate device gestures varied by context and audience. Following novel technologies to exceed basic device capabilities, for this work, Reeves et al. [35] developed a framework for instance with proxemic-based augmented reality, muscle designing public interactions which considered observability wire activated motion jewellery and a mobile-projected of both the user’s manipulations and the resulting effects. thought cloud. Later study of this categorization [30] found that ‘suspenseful’ gestures, i.e. observable manipulations with This paper makes several contributions: First, we introduce hidden effects, were perceived as less socially acceptable the novel concept of candid interaction for explicitly sharing than others. In a similar finding, psychologists [28, 29] awareness about mobile and wearable device usage during proposed a ‘need-to-listen’ effect when people overhear interpersonal encounters. Second, we present results from a partial phone conversations; bystanders found conversations survey of 100 participants to investigate what types of more noticeable and intrusive if they could hear only one of information people might be willing to share, and in what the speakers. contexts. Third, we propose a design space for candid interaction to assist an exploration of its many possible Research since Rico and Brewster’s study has confirmed that manifestations. Fourth, we implement seven prototype context affects acceptability [2] and found perceptions in designs that represent a wide coverage of our design space. public depends on configuration of the surrounding space Finally, we conduct a preliminary evaluation of our [12]. Other research has investigated differences in the implementations, collecting high-level usability ratings as viewpoints of users and observers [1]. Beyond gestures, well as qualitative participant feedback. We conclude by studies have also investigated the social acceptability of discussing future designs for candid interaction and projection-based interfaces [7, 22]. With the introduction of important issues which should be considered. wearables, researchers are also now interested in acceptability in the context of always-on cameras [8, 17]. RELATED WORK Our work relies on concepts discovered in the development In this paper we design our prototypes with social of multi-user software for collaborative work. In applying acceptability in mind, in particular users’ perceptions about these concepts to everyday device interaction, we also draw sharing device usage information in various contexts. from work on social acceptability and social interaction. Public Displays for Social Interaction Awareness in Collaborative Systems Greenberg et al.’s seminal paper on collaboration describes Provision of awareness information is a fundamental feature the complex relationship between personal information and of collaborative software [27] and is theoretically supported public displays [11]. Since then, a number of concepts have by Clark and Brennan’s theory of grounding [6]. This theory been introduced for promoting social awareness using non- describes how ‘common ground’, or a basic set of shared traditional information displays, such as name tags [5], knowledge between participants of a conversation is bracelets [20], clothing [19], shoulder bags [23] and even essential to the conversational efficiency. Monk [27] later coffee mugs [21]. Recent work by Pearson et al. [33] used this theory to explain the need for designers to support explores using a smart watch to publicly display a variety of grounding in electronically mediated communication. types of information. Early pioneers of collaborative software (e.g. [9, 14]) We take inspiration from these areas of research, and our focused on development of features for sharing information design space builds upon this prior literature. However our about the state of a workspace and the interactions of others work specifically focuses on the delivery of information therein. Gutwin and Greenberg [12] later formalized a related to activities occurring on mobile and wearable framework for workspace awareness. They specify the devices that may not be visible to others. importance of feedthrough as a method of providing awareness about the manipulation of artifacts. MOTIVATION FOR CANDID INTERACTION The goal of candid interaction is to provide awareness to Recent research has also explored methods for signalling others nearby about how someone is using technology. For information outside of software systems, for instance by example, a conversation may be interrupted by a message using cooperative [16, 31] or large, noticeable gestures [37]. notification, or one participant of a conversation may consult Other work has explored methods for detecting the physical a search engine and report the results to the other. In such positions and orientations of group members [24] and situations, if appropriate contextual information is shared leveraging this information in device interactions [26]. between participants, it can help to ground the interaction In our work, we apply the concepts of awareness and and prevent conversational overhead. However, sharing cues feedthrough to device interaction in everyday contexts that about device activities can be challenging when the device may not be explicitly collaborative. has a wearable form factor.