[Apologies for cross-posting] [DEADLINE EXTENDED: please submit position before April 27th]

From CSCW to new workstations: the itsme project

Tutorial at GROUP 2009 May 10, 2009 Sanibel Island, Florida (USA) http://www.group2009conference.org/ Giorgio De Michelis and Marco Loregian DISCo, University of Milano-Bicocca and itsme srl Milan, Italy {gdemich,loregian}@disco.unimib.it Tutorial description -------------------- In the last 30 years, the desktop metaphor has become the standard user interface for workstations, with its pros (e.g., ease of learning) and cons (e.g., interaction constraints for skilled users, lack of context awareness). In this tutorial we present itsme, an initiative to create the next-generation workstation – especially designed for users who think that what they do holds value. Much of what we present derives from CSCW research, while Interaction Design research shapes the project, as well as the involvement of a wide and heterogeneous community of contributing people. The early design phases of the project led to the definition of a new metaphor for personal computing, called ‘stories and venues’. The metaphor is being adopted for the development of a radically new front-end for the Linux operating system. The tutorial illustrates (through the itsme case) how CSCW research can drive the design and development of an innovative project, for example: - from a theoretical concept (conversations), to its embodiment in a metaphor (stories), and how to deal with it (venues); - from studies on communities, to how to communicate with them and involve them in appropriate ways (e.g., participatory design). Tutorial outline ---------------- We cover the following topics: - The scenario: the evolution of the PC market - What CSCW research taught us about Personal Computers and workstations - The impact of the Web - A new idea for a new workstation: the metaphor of “stories and venues” - The itsme project: design and development of the concept - The creation of a community coupling design and future marketing Important dates --------------- Apr 5th, 2009: Early registration deadline for GROUP 2009 (extended) Apr 27th, 2009: Submission of participants bio (and position statements) May 10th, 2009: Tutorial Submission information ---------------------- In order to know the audience of the tutorial in advance, we kindly request to people interested in the tutorial to send a short bio (and optionally a very short position statement, with respect to the topic of the tutorial) to loregian@disco.unimib.it References ---------- - G. De Michelis, M. Loregian and C. Moderini. itsme: Interaction Design Innovating Workstations. Know. Techn. Pol. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12130-009-9069-9 - Itsme website: http://www.itsme.it - http://www.slideshare.net/itsmesrl/itsme-a-new-workstation-to-exploit-the-po... Please pass on this invitation to colleagues who might be interested.