Territoriality in Collaborative Tabletop Workspaces
Date
2004-03-29
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Abstract
Researchers seeking alternatives to traditional desktop computers
have begun exploring the potential collaborative benefits of digital tabletop
displays. However, there are still many open issues related to the design of
collaborative tabletop interfaces, such as whether these systems should
automatically orient tabletop items or enforce ownership of tabletop content.
Understanding the natural interaction practices that people use during
tabletop collaboration with traditional media (e.g., pen and paper) can help
to address these issues. Interfaces that are modeled on these practices will
have the additional advantage of supporting the interaction skills people
have developed over years of collaborating at traditional tables. To gain a
deeper understanding of these interaction practices we conducted two
observational studies of traditional tabletop collaboration in both casual and
formal settings. Our results reveal that collaborators use three types of
tabletop territories to help coordinate their interactions within the shared
tabletop workspace: personal, group, and storage territories. Findings from
a spatial analysis of collaborators tabletop interactions reveal
important properties of these tabletop territories and the role that they
play in the collaboration process.
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Computer Science