2. Outline
• History, background
• Expert systems
• Design
– Innovation in design
– Context of design, • Medical decision
implementation, use…
support
• Methods
– Elaboration of solution
– Qualitative, case-based • Web site design
field studies
– Usability and materials
• Retrospective
• Ethnographic
• Case-based research
• Participant observation
and teaching
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3. History
• Research and teaching
• IT industry and
– AI: Knowledge consulting
representation, natural – Design
language processing
– Project management
– Social analysis of – Training
design
• Web design
– Human computer – Information
interaction, usability
architecture
– Sociology of science – Usability
and technology
– Ecommerce
coordination
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4. Design
• Design happens in present within design context.
• Artifact(s) of design implemented and used by
others within uncertain contexts in future.
– Bridge present and future through management of
design.
– Engagement of materials - physical and
representational - to project artifact into future contexts
(implementation, use, …)
– Articulate and project views of multiple stakeholders
into future contexts
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8. Participatory design…
Context of use
Context of design
user/designer team
“artifact evolves”
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9. Design in situ…
Context of implementation, use…
Model of market
Context of design
Work process
Information needs
Sales/Marketing
Design team
Model of users
Management
Users
Infrastructure
“artifact evolves”
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10. Research methods
• Small “N” Field studies
• What is a case?
– Case-based
– Comparative sampling
– Stakeholder interviews, • Large vs. small
e.g.,
• Short vs. long term
• Designers
– Conceptual
• Decision makers
development, e.g.,
• Users
• Quality of user
– Observations, e.g.,
modeling
• Meetings
• Elements of context of
• Work activity
use
• Offices, desks, shelves!
• Effectiveness of design
– Participation
materials
– Ease of access (!)
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11. InstrumentMaker: Scientific Instruments
• Designers (CS, • Marketing required DSS
biochemistry) building lab- to support use of line of
based DSS for planning rotors for ultracentrifuge.
centrifuge runs.
• Specialist viewed those
– Ultracentrifuge mature, rotors as inappropriate for
successful product.
“scientific” practice.
– Specialist retiring.
• Within context of use,
• Public and explicit provided two plans:
representation of specialist’s optimal and lab plan.
practice conflicted with – After specialist retired,
marketing and sales policy single plan provided.
for ultracentrifuges.
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12. AeroSystems: Aerospace firm
• Designer (third grade • Managers of assembly line
school teacher turned forbid workers to consult
developer) building directly with informational
informational tools for system
assembly line workers
– Authority over schedule,
– Translation of technical information, job
information into user descriptions, etc.
vocabulary.
• Designer intervened to
• Specifications from allow direct access.
engineers AND shop floor – Change of work process in
workers (users).
context of use provided
– “How do you describe the more productive use of time
sound?”
as well as educational
material.
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13. !
AcmeAir:! Aerospace Firm!
• Designers creating expert • Final artifact became
system to ``replace'' decision support system
retiring craftsman expert and DB of physical plant.
in power engineering.
• Within context of use
directly connects to:
• Numerous cycles through
– Users (craftsman),
design problems and – supportable infrastructure
articulated solutions.
(existing DB and its
• Trouble constructing administrator),
– robust work process (work
artifact supportable on ticket logging), and
infrastructure for users in – model of information
their work.
(blueprints and construction
documents).
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14. Medical Decision Support
• T-Helper: Decision • Design needs (Phase I)
support system to aid – Representation of
in recommendations of protocols
patients with HIV – Logic matching patient
disease to clinical characteristics to
protocol criteria
research protocols.
– DB of patient
– Support non-research
information, including
medical personnel
lab data
within county health
clinics.
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15. T-Helper
• Representation of • Logic matching patients to
protocols
Protocols
– Science versus practice
– Translation of text into (placing pts. on protocols)
rules (imperfect)
• Lab data (information)
– Proprietary interests on – Institutional responsibility
and authority
trials (who has
– Computer vs. paper
authority).
– Std’ized formats
– Tracking availability of • DB of patient information
patients and protocols – Nurses input: NOT!
(scooping the “good” – Work process redesign for
patients).
medical personnel
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16. DB of Patient Information
• Connection to existing • Infrastructure
systems
– Computers, ethernet, space
– Patient registration, ...
in exam rooms
• Connection to clinician – Technical support
reporting methods
• Electronic patient record
– Progress notes
– Computer use by physicians
• Integration of reporting – Vocabulary development
– Intervention into work
from multiple health
process
professionals
– Physicians, social workers,
…
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17. T-Helper: “Surgery was a success, but…”
• Ultimately, some computerized systems are far
ahead of their time
• Immaturity of material elements in context of use :
– Out patient clinics in county hospitals lack computing
infrastructure.
– Computer use by medical personnel growing, but low.
– EPR systems slowly gaining ground.
– Standardized medical vocabulary required.
– Systems to support the collaborative nature of health
work required.
– Agreed upon treatment for people with HIV disease.
– …
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18. Web Site Development
• Voluntary use of web sites by customers
– Control over context of use minimal, but material
maturity high
• PCs and Apple (sort of)
• HTML, JS, Java, ASP, IE, NSCP, Logo/home, “Amazon-like”
navigation/search/check-out/registration, etc.
• Usability as important as technical and visual
design:
– If user cannot find information, use an application, or
(!) complete the check out process, loss of revenue.
– Collaboration between technical, visual, and UI design
(if it exists), and marketing.
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19. Material Support for Collaboration
• Making context of implementation and use visible
within the context of design:
– User modeling, stakeholder interviews, competitive
landscape, usability tests
– Business objectives
– Page and site information architecture, navigational
support
– Vocabulary development
– Style development: colors, fonts, page comps,
templates for DB driven data
– Design/UI/Technology Guidelines
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29. Common Findings Across Cases
• Material maturity critical (design must anticipate
and rely upon resources in contexts of
implementation, adoption, use)
• Single stakeholders cannot dominate (for artifact
to successfully travel)
• Success/failure too blunt a metric (partial,
mundane use as effective)
• Ruts good (exploit existing organizational
structure)
– But, finding “good” ruts hard…
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30. Material Support for Collaboration
• Materials create boundary objects between
differing interests of organizational groups
• Work of articulating trajectories of each
group’s interests happens over and around
these materials
• Research focus on the existence, quality,
flexibility, authority, mobility of these
materials
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