zebra

	year(s):	2006
	role:	Primary Researcher and Designer
	project duration:	4 months
	skills:	field experiment, brainstorming sessions, questionnaires, interviewing, participatory design, technology probes
	final stage:	deployed the field prototype
	deliverables:	working prototoype, conference paper, design iterations, field study, data

The Zebra project consisted in two parallel studies. In the first one, I studied informal collaboration in the public spaces of our research lab. In the second one, I studied how technology probes promote engagement in participatory design. For this project, I designed and implemented an automated video observation tool which I used as a technology probe to engage participants in the design space. As a result of this study, I identified technology probe as a great proxy for engaging users in a participatory design process. By using the probe, participants were able to engage with design concepts without having to disrupt their routines and habits. Building upon their experience, they were able to quicly and efficiently participate in participatory design workshops.

The Zebra probe is an automated video capture system allowing researchers to collect data in the field automatically. Participants can choose not be b recorded using a button next to the probe's feedback screen. The data is then analyzed in collaboration with study participants via a dedicated website allowing to review the collected videos.


Various states of the zebra probe's video feedback: Nothing to record, recording, ignoring recording (privacy feature).


Overview of the Zebra website allowing participants and researchers to review, tag and comment videos captured by the probe.


Schema of the Zebra probe system.

Zebra : Exploring participatory design engagement in fieldwork

Yann Riche, Stephen Viller, Matthew Simpson, Proceedings of DIS2008 (the ACM SIGCHI Conference on Designing Interactive Systems).