Public Displays and Private Devices: a design space analysis

Alan Dix and Corina Sas, Public displays and private devices: A design space analysis, Proceedings of the SIGCHI conference on Human factors in computing systems (CHI 2008).

Interaction device uses

• selection or pointing
• text input
• personal memory/storage
• personal identification
• display identification
• content identification
• bespoke sensing
• display/interaction surface

people in an urban theatre

• performers
• participants (witting & unwitting)
  
• bystanders (witting & unwitting)
• passers-by

The uninteresting parts of interaction can be offloaded to the mobile device during the period of interaction.

Conlflicts

• content
• conflict between the use of the screen for content or interactive feedback
• conflict between different users wanting specific content
• conflict between the particular requirements of an individual and maintaining a content stream that is appealing for the bystanders
  
• pace: The pace of the user is different from that of the system as s/he is not the only one controlling the system.
• Not having the things right when they want it
• the flow of information can not be altered by any particular user

Spatial context

• fully public
• semi-public
• semi-private
• bound to the context
• no coupling
• weak coupling
• close coupling
• dynamic coupling

Device interactions

• alternative interface: Content is shared across the displays
  
• secondary interface: Using SMS to update the display (e.g.)
  
• coherent interface: single interaction that involves both screens
• The displays are used simultaneously