Technology Probes: Inspiring Design for and with Families

View/ Open
Date
2003-01-21Author
Hutchinson, Hilary
Bederson, Benjamin B.
Druin, Allison
Plaisant, Catherine
Mackay, Wendy
Evans, Helen
Hansen, Heiko
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
We describe a new methodology for designing technologies for and with families
called technology probes. Technology probes are simple, flexible, adaptable
technologies introduced into families' homes with three interdisciplinary goals:
the social science goal of collecting data about the use of the technology in a
real-world setting, the engineering goal of field-testing the technology, and
the design goal of inspiring users and designers to think about new
technologies. We present the results of designing and deploying two technology
probes, the MessageProbe and the VideoProbe, with families in France, Sweden,
and the U.S. We conclude with our plans for creating new technologies based on
our experiences.
Keywords
Design Methods, Computer Mediated Communication, Computer Supported Cooperative
Work (CSCW), Home,
Ethnography, Participatory Design and Cooperative Design, User Studies and
Fieldwork
(UMIACS-TR-2002-87)
(HCIL-TR-2002-16)