Designing and Deploying an

Information Awareness Interface

Bert Gao

Computer-Supported Collaborated Work

Background

The Concept of Awareness has received increasing attention

Most of the Awareness Interface have been limited deployments of research protypes

“Sideshow”----Introduction

Sideshow started as one more idea for an interface designed

Sideshow provides peripheral awareness of a broad range of information from virtually any accessible web site or database

Sideshow was rapidly adopted by thousands of people in Microsoft

Proves

There is a tremendous wealth of data that people would like to maintain in peripheral awareness and access with minimal effort.Users are willing to give up a portion of their screen space permanently for a peripheral awareness application .Using the peripheral interface as a launch point for easy drill down substantially increased the amount and value of information made accessible to the users.

Prior awareness research

Sideshow design

Deploying Sideshow

Prior awareness research

Awareness on Primary Displays

Awareness on Secondary Displays

Ambient Awareness Displays

Awareness on Mobile Devices

Sideshow design

Sidebar & Tickets

Sideshow design

Managing and Organizing Tickets

Sideshow design

Tickets that Interrupt Writing Custom Tickets Design Principles make it always present minimize motion make it personal make Sideshow extensible support quick drilldown and escape make it scalable

Sideshow design

Windows Vista Sidebar

Deploying Sideshow

Sideshow had been installed by nearly 4000 people and was being used by nearly 2000 people.

Deploying Sideshow

Surveys to explain Sideshow’s deployment experience

Deploying Sideshow

Surveys to explain Sideshow’s deployment experience

Deploying Sideshow

Ticket Feedback & Authoring

Deploying Sideshow

Other Factors Contributing to Success iterative design cycle

Sideshow team tried to release new versions of Sideshow frequently.

Sideshow team tried to keep a constant dialog with its user community.

Sideshow application was designed to be very easy to update.

Company’s culture also contributed to Sideshow’s iterative design effort.

Conclusion

Sideshow is an early demonstration

Iterative deployment-driven design

Sideshow is in continual use

Deeper research

Pros & Cons

Pros Many applications are quickly reachable Information & Notification is more real-time Personalization iterative design cycle

Cons High resource cost Work may be disturbed by notification Distracting (Based on individuals) Conclusion based on employees

Further Development

Windows SideShow is a new platform in Microsoft Windows Vista (Longhorn)A display embedded in a laptop lidWindows Sideshow Team - Auxiliary Displa

ys (new laptop feature coming next year)

A display in a keyboardSidebar in Palm/PPC