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Neustaedter, C. (2007)
Domestic Awareness and the Role of Family Calendars. PhD thesis, Department of Computer Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, February.
Type: PhD thesis.
Note: Neustaedter was under my supervision.
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Abstract.
Everyday family life involves a myriad of mundane activities that need to be planned, scheduled, and coordinated. Paper calendars are one tool used by families to help stay organized; yet, the downside is they are only available in one location and can be hard to synchronize if multiple calendars are used. Digital calendars offer promise to overcome these challenges by making family calendaring information ubiquitously accessible. However, we do not yet know how to best design digital family calendars in order to meet the coordination needs of families. I address this problem through three research stages. First, I outline a model of interpersonal awareness that is derived from contextual studies of 29 individuals. This model reveals how and why people maintain an awareness of individuals from three social groupings: home inhabitants, intimate socials, and extended socials. Second, I present an empirically-based understanding of family calendaring routines that is derived from contextual interviews with 44 families. Third, I outline the participatory design and evaluation of the LINC digital family calendar. Field trials of LINC with four families show that LINC is a viable alternative to paper calendars as it allows families to maintain the benefits of their existing calendar routine while extending it in ways not afforded by paper calendars.