Exploring Mobile Devices as Personal Public Displays

Abstract

fixed locations [28] as opposed to smartphones which are used with more frequency and across more contexts [15]. Motivated by the fact that laptops are mobile but seemingly unsuitable beyond a few set locations, we sought to address this gap between the perceived usefulness of laptops for productivity and the possibility for its relevance across an increasing number of social contexts.To explore the potential ways that laptops might be more socially relevant to people across different environments, we developed a prototype application called "Billboard," which runs on a commercially available dual-screen laptop. The device works like a regular laptop computer as shown in Figure 1, but with an additional second screen on the cover of the device that can display different information from the primary internal facing screen. Figure 1. Billboard app on dual-screen hardwareBillboard enables users to display text and graphical messages on the laptop's public-facing screen. Messages are also available on any public WiFi network, which allows others in proximity to interact with the content. For example, in a coffee shop, a user projecting a favorite image or quote on their public-facing display could receive "likes" from collocated others on the same network. This feedback functionality is similar to response mechanisms available on social networking sites like Facebook, but Billboard differs in that the content is only available for interaction if you have line of sight to the display. Furthermore, while Billboard is instantiated as a digital experience, it does not preclude the possibility of the message poster and bystanders interacting with each other through face-to-face conversation-thus supporting a range of real-time social interactions between people from purely digital to in-person. ABSTRACTWe present design research on personal public displays: mobile and wearable displays that direct user designated content towards other collocated individuals. We built display software that projects text and image on the outer facing side of a two-screen laptop and used this prototype as a design probe with three different groups: (1) attendees at a 300-person conference, (2) eight office workers, and (3) twenty design students. We analyze how users crafted content for the displays, identifying that in close-knit groups, the social pressure to appear witty with text posts led to a preference for using images. The mobility afforded by the display allowed users to explore new relationships between physical location and digital content, and we also discuss how bystanders observed the displays and repurposed the messages for use with other outsiders. We conclude with a discussion of potential applications for future design and research work.

Investigating user generated presentations of self in face-to-face interaction between strangers

“…However, they did find that scanning the environment to find others was a core use function. Recently, Kleinman et al (2015) investigated how an additional outwardly facing display attached to a notebook computer, called Billboard, was used in different settings (e.g., conference, office and university). Billboard enabled users to post texts and images to the second display.…”

“…Billboard enabled users to post texts and images to the second display. Kleinman et al (2015) found that, in addition to functional purposes, such as leaving a note to others, Billboard was used to make connections to nearby people based on the media they were willing to share. However, they did not analyse if, and in what way, media was used during face-to-face interactions.…”

Head-mounted Displays, Smartphones, or Smartwatches? -- Augmenting Conversations with Digital Representation of Self

“…As the participant numbers differ between groups, the data were normalised to be representative. Our participants consisted of 20 males and eight females (M = 27, range [22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39]. Most users were strangers (91%), with 7% being friends and 2% classified as 'known people' (familiar strangers).…”

Augmented self-presentation

“…Previous work focused on lab experiments [6] or a narrow context [2,3]. Thus, a first step is gaining a broader understanding of context as a factor for augmented self-presentation.…”