Exploring cultural context using the contextual scenario framework

Abstract

In applications where individuals in different contexts interact with a technology system, cultural issues present complex challenges for developers attempting to understand context of use. Three features of culture stand out: individuals embody overlapping cultural memberships; cultures and roles interact; and individuals make erroneous assumptions of others' cultural membership. This paper illustrates how the Contextual Scenario Framework (CSF) can address these cultural challenges. The CSF is a tool that supports scenario-based design by structuring, organizing and automatically recalling contextual information. The mechanisms of the CSF enable exploration of human activity in context, linking characters within scenarios to contextual influences discovered in primary field research and secondary analysis. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.