Mainstream mobile devices are being loaded with sensors. These devices can be used to create experiences that are tailored, adaptive and responsive to the way people live and work. Location-awareness allows devices to respond to place, networked address books enable socially rich communication experiences, and motion and gestural sensors empower designers to respond to context of use. All these elements are creating a ’sensitive ecosystem’; mobile devices that adapt gracefully to context and use. This presentation will explore some of the design and technology trends that are shaping design for mobile devices, show examples of devices and services that are starting to take advantage of these trends, then explain how designers need to rethink design problems to take advantage of this technological ground-shift. Presented at Web Direction South '08.

1. Context, Sensing & Mobiles
Web Directions South
September 25, 2008

2. // START
Mobile phones are stupid

3. // START

4. // START HERE
What does sensing
mean for mobile?

5. // START HERE
How do people and devices
communicate intent?

6. // START HERE
A lot of this comes
down to context

7. // SITUATIONAL CONTEXT
Context is the defining problem of
the design of mobile devices

8. // SITUATIONAL CONTEXT
Let’s talk about
situational context

9. // SITUATIONAL CONTEXT
Situational context
=
What’s going on around the
device?

10. // SITUATIONAL CONTEXT
[pic of someone at a desktop]

11. // SITUATIONAL CONTEXT

12. // SITUATIONAL CONTEXT

13. // SITUATIONAL CONTEXT

14. // SITUATIONAL CONTEXT
Distraction? Interruption?
Concurrency?

15. // SITUATIONAL CONTEXT

16. // SITUATIONAL CONTEXT

17. // SITUATIONAL CONTEXT

18. // CONVERSATIONAL CONTEXT
Let’s talk about
conversational context

19. // CONVERSATIONAL CONTEXT
Situational context
=
What’s going on around the
device?

20. // CONVERSATIONAL CONTEXT
Conversational context
=
How do people and devices
communicate intent?

21. // CONVERSATIONAL CONTEXT
Versus

22. // CONVERSATIONAL CONTEXT
Explicit & Declarative
vs
Implicit & Gestural

23. // CONVERSATIONAL CONTEXT
Technological
Making devices smarter about
what’s going on by adding sensors.

24. // CONVERSATIONAL CONTEXT
Social
Making people smarter by adding
information and cues that help
them make better judgments.

25. // CONVERSATIONAL CONTEXT
Context
Situational Conversational
Technological
Social

26. // TECHNOLOGICAL
Let’s talk about the
technological conversation

27. // TECHNOLOGICAL
[mountain pic]

28. // TECHNOLOGICAL
[date pic]

29. // TECHNOLOGICAL
[conference]

30. // TECHNOLOGICAL
My phone doesn’t adapt its
behaviour to my activity

31. // TECHNOLOGICAL

32. // TECHNOLOGICAL

33. // TECHNOLOGICAL

34. // TECHNOLOGICAL
The device augments its behaviour
based on what’s going on

35. // TECHNOLOGICAL

36. // TECHNOLOGICAL
1 x GPS
2 x Accelerometers
1 x Touch sensitive surface
2 x Proximity sensors
1 x Light sensor

37. // TECHNOLOGICAL
Let’s talk about
location sensors

38. // TECHNOLOGICAL

39. // TECHNOLOGICAL

40. // TECHNOLOGICAL

41. // TECHNOLOGICAL

42. // TECHNOLOGICAL
This is about gestures,
as well as information

43. // TECHNOLOGICAL
Let’s talk about
proximity sensors

44. // TECHNOLOGICAL

45. // TECHNOLOGICAL
Source: Elastic Space

46. // TECHNOLOGICAL

47. // TECHNOLOGICAL

48. // TECHNOLOGICAL
Gestures allow for implicit
interaction

49. // TECHNOLOGICAL
Let’s talk about
movement

50. // TECHNOLOGICAL
Touch encourages more gesturing

51. // TECHNOLOGICAL

52. // TECHNOLOGICAL

53. // TECHNOLOGICAL

54. // TECHNOLOGICAL

55. // TECHNOLOGICAL

56. // TECHNOLOGICAL
Sensors are allowing for implicit,
gestural conversations between
users and their devices

57. // TECHNOLOGICAL

58. // TECHNOLOGICAL
Source: petitinvention

59. // RECAP
Context
Situational Conversational
Technological
Social

60. // SOCIAL

61. // SOCIAL

62. // SOCIAL

63. // SOCIAL

64. // SOCIAL
Social context is being
communicated, allowing for social
judgement

65. // SOCIAL

66. // SOCIAL

67. // SOCIAL
The communication of social
context enables us to sense how to
better interact with people

68. // SOCIAL
It takes advantage of our great
ability to be social sensors

69. // START HERE
What does sensing
mean for mobile?

70. // START HERE
How do people and devices
communicate intent?

71. // WRAP
Sensors allow us to communicate
implicitly with devices.
Showing social information allows
people to sense intelligently.

72. // WRAP
For more inspiration:
Dan Lockton - Architectures of Control
Nicholas Nova - Pasta & Vinegar
Jan Chipchase - Future Perfect
Adam Greenfield - Speedbird
Timo Arnall - Elastic Space

73. Thanks.
Gabriel White
white@punchcut.com