My roommates and I decided to make a picture calendar to put in our kitchen. Three of us sat around one computer and went through pictures we wanted to use. This task had several steps (choosing the pictures, deciding the order, making each month, etc.)
One issue with sharing a single-display that we had was not knowing when everyone was ready to transition between activities. While someone was still looking through and sorting pictures, the other two people were ready to look online for a calendar template. Scott, Grant and Mandryk (2003) implicate the fluidity of transitioning from one activity to another to be an important criteria for single-display groupware. The less focus there is on switching activities, the more group members can focus on communicating with one another.
Another issue that came up was the necessity of grounding. Because there were multiple images on the screen at a time, it was not ok to say, “I like that one, or this one.” It was necessary to ground your assertion by describing the picture, or by pointing to the screen. Sharing one display made it easy to keep everyone on the same page, since everyone had to be looking at the same thing. On the other hand, when talking about specifics, making sure everyone knew what you were talking about was key.
Lastly, while we were sorting through pictures, the owner of the computer got an e-mail she wanted to read. This brought up the issue of privacy and awareness. I decided it was not as appropriate to continue staring at her screen while she read and replied to an e-mail. A shared space transitioned to a private space, and we had to coordinate our responses accordingly.
I think since the task we were performing was fun and simple, I wouldn’t really change anything. Sharing the same display worked out well, and best suited what we wanted to accomplish.
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Small issues like often arise with my roommates if we're doing something like ordering on campusfood.com since not everyone can choose things all at once. We only want to put in one order, so everyone has to wait their turn or instruct the person with the computer as to what they want. Picking pictures is probably harder than just selecting food items because they do have to be described (unless there were captions or numbers labeling the pictures?)
ReplyDeleteThe one thing using one computer would be good for in my case is perhaps ordering items that everyone is going to share rather than individual things, since everyone can view the same thing and then easily discuss the options.
Another issue that may arise from single display in a group, in-group formation could cause problems within figuring out what images to choose for the calendar. Working together was a good idea as you stated in putting less focus on the activities involved and more together on figuring exactly what to do. The issue of grounding is interesting in figuring out what pictures works for everyone else and if everyone had the same idea in mind.
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