MStoryG: Exploring serendipitous storytelling within high anxiety public spaces

Abstract

The proliferation of interactive displays within public spaces has steered research towards exploring situated engagement, user interaction and user-generated content on public displays. However, user behaviors such as display blindness and display avoidance, social embarrassment and participation inequality are just some of the limiting factors restricting user commitment to interaction and participation. So-called “non-places”, which include transportation terminals, are homogenized public spaces that seem to exist outside conventional notions of time and identity. These anonymous, fast-paced, high-anxiety spaces provide a significant challenge for designers hoping to engage the attention of passersby. Our study proposes to go beyond a traditional technology-centered approach and examine the relationship between individual, object, and space. We attempt to engage airport travelers in serendipitous interactive storytelling through reminiscence and nostalgia. We present our “in-the-wild” study at the baggage claim area of an international airport where 26 h of observations and 49 semi-structured interviews were collected.