Introduction
Attention is a finite resource, A person can only spare so much of it. The more attention you spend on one thing the less you have to spend on something else.
Products and services that are connected to the web are now an important part of our lives. These products and services (email, social networks, Feed readers, etc) make their demands on our attention, many of them also record data about how we spend out attention (your browser records what websites you have visited), and some event use our attention data to improve it's self- For example- Google uses your search query (an indicator of what your attention is doing), to show you adverts that you are more likely to want to see.
This has given rise to a focus on attention by the web industry, it wants to do more with attention and attention data. It is also important that services that are 'attention heavy' require a lot of attention are designed to be sympathetic to the users attention.
Aims
The aims of this project are for the student to gain an understand of the part that attention and attention data has played, is playing and will play in new products and services; to research how people use and understand attention services and attention data; and to present design conclusions based on this.
Project Story
- If the proverbial tree of human knowledge were an apple tree it could be said that it's apples are the ideas that make up the sum of human understanding. These apples range from the profound to the banal.
- It's possible that at some point in the history of civilization it may have been possible for a single person to know every apple on the tree (or at least a fair chunk of it)...
- in this modern age however, the proverbial tree is pretty big...
- And some of it's apples are large and complex.
- As the tree has grown it has been the individuals who are able to use the tools to navigate around the tree efficiently who have been able to gain from it the most.
Prior to the information age where (apples) were only recorded in books, paintings, etc people could only navigate around the tree at a certain pace.
- Now; In the digital age, we have a wealth of tools that allow us to get to the apples we want quickly and with little or no cost. The internet means that a large part of our proverbial tree can be searched...
- Socially Bookmarked and Folksonomized...
- Shared...
- and we can subscribe to elements of it.
- The prevalence of these tools has meant that there is an increasing demand on our attention. It can feel like apples are being thrown at us from all directions.
- We have a finite amount of attention to spend on apples (our basket is only so big)
- Many apples escape our attention...
- ...Many rot or become obsolete before we can spare some attention to focus on them.
- ...And we end up spend our attention on apples that we would rather not.
Opportunity
- Due to the digital nature of the tools we use to find and consume apples, a lot of information that indicates how we spend our attention exists.
Information is recorded (or recordable) about...- What RSS feeds we subscribe to
- Who we are friends with
- What we are looking for and how long we spend looking at it when we find it (Search)
- What we find interesting enough to bookmark
- What we buy from e-commerce websites
- What events we attend
- What TV we watch
- And what we listen to.
- Some attempts have been made to use this data for commercial gain, some of the attempts have been successful some have not. Google AdWords is an excellent example of a service that uses attention data (what you are searching for) to serve adverts that it is more likely you will want to see. This provides a business model that enables users to enjoy a free service.
- Some services such as Phorm and Facebook beacon have lead to bad publicity. This is perhaps because of the perceived higher level of intrusion that these services require.
- Services and standards are emerging that have the potential to give the user the enhanced experience offered by Google but without sacrificing their privacy.
- And importantly there are proposed open standards for storing data about how people are spending their attention (APML).
- With these factors combined we could see a marked improvement in the services we use and their relationship to both our privacy and to our attention. This improvement could led the way towards user-centric (or people-centric) ambient intelligence and attention Nirvana!
Project
- With this in mind set out to better understand attention and its role in our lives. To look for insights into how design could improve on the situation.
I did this by first from a user-centric point of view... examining the services that currently do or could record attention data, looking at their existing attention interactions.
- I interviewed candidates about how they use these services and their general management of attention.
Raw interview files...
- And the psychological theory behind attention and how it works.
- Then I examined the subject from a system-centric point of view; examining what attention systems would need to know to be useful.
- Using the insights that my research had revealed I created a series of documents to help in the design of attention relative services.
Documents such as persona's
- Models and diagrams.
- With this information, with more time (and consultation with the wider community) it could be possible to draw up a comprehensive set of guidelines for creators of services that demand or record how our attention is being spent. For example- http://www.infodesignpatterns.com/