DESIGN FOR INDIVIDUALS, DESIGN FOR GROUPS:TRADEOFFS BETWEEN POWER AND WORKSPACE AWARENESS
Date
1998-04-01
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Users of synchronous groupware systems act both as individuals and as members
of a group, and designers must try to support both roles. However, the
requirements of individuals and groups often conflict, forcing designers to
support one at the expense of the other. The tradeoff is particularly evident
in the design of interaction techniques for shared workspaces. Individuals
demand powerful and flexible means for interacting with the workspace and its
artifacts, while groups require information about each other to maintain
awareness. Although these conflicting requirements present real problems to
designers, the tension can be reduced in some cases. We consider the tradeoff
in three areas of groupware design: workspace navigation, artifact
manipulation, and view representation. We show techniques such as multiple
viewports, process feedthrough, action indicators, and view translations that
support the needs of both individuals and groups.
Description
Keywords
Computer Science