Situatedness of Awareness Information: Impact on the Design and Usage of Awareness Systems

Abstract

This chapter focuses on our exploration of awareness-related messaging by users of a situated display-based messaging system. The system, known as Hermes, was initially deployed outside offices in the Computing Department at Lancaster University (see Cheverst et al., 2003a,b) and a significant portion of its use related to awareness, e.g. a member of staff posting a message on her door display accounting for her absence or indicating her future presence. A second version of the Hermes system has recently been across 40 offices in the Computing Department’s new home, a building called Infolab.