Office Window of the Future?—Field-Based Analyses of a New Use of a Large Display
Citation
Friedman, B., Freier, N. G., Kahn Jr, P. H., Lin, P., & Sodeman, R. (2008). Office window of the future?—Field-based analyses of a new use of a large display. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 66(6), 452-465. doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhcs.2007.12.005
Researchers installed large flat-screen displays on the walls of seven university offices. These screens showed live, high-definition video of what was happening just outside the building, acting like digital windows. Over 16 weeks, the researchers studied how faculty and staff experienced having these displays in their offices.
They gathered information through interviews, personal journals, and email responses, creating a detailed picture of people’s experiences. Most participants valued the displays and reported several benefits. They felt more connected to the outdoor environment and to the broader campus community. Many also said the displays improved their mental well-being, and ability to think and focus. Over time, people naturally worked the screens into their daily routines.
At the same time, participants raised concerns the privacy of people whose images were captured in the public place by the HDTV camera. The study concludes by highlighting design challenges for future research.
Abstract
We installed large plasma displays on the walls of seven inside offices of faculty and staff at a university, and displayed, as the default image, real-time HDTV views of the immediate outside scene. Then, utilizing a field-study methodology, data were collected over a 16-week period to explore the user experience with these large display windows. Through the triangulation of data—652 pages of interview transcripts, journal entries, and responses to email inquiries—results showed that users deeply appreciated many aspects of their experience. Benefits included a reported increase in users’ connection to the wider social community, connection to the natural world, psychological wellbeing, and cognitive functioning. Users also integrated the large display window into their workplace practice. However, users expressed concerns particularly about the impacts on the privacy of people whose images were captured in the public place by the HDTV camera. Discussion focuses on design challenges for future investigations into related uses of large displays.