Hi there,
My name is Jared Donovan. I'm a PhD student at the University of Queensland.
I'm writing to tell you about myself and my research.
I've been reading the PhD-Design list for about two years now, and until
today I've never posted. I've found the list very useful for my research.
What I appreciate most is the diversity of approaches and attitudes to
design, (although, sometimes it's easier to just 'mark all as read').
For a while I've been considering adding my own voice to the mix (there's
only so much you can learn by listening). So, here's a recent summary of my
research project.
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No-One Knows how to Design a Gesture Interface, Even Though we've Made So
Many.
Gesture interfaces are computer interfaces that allow people to interact
with computers or electronic devices by using movements of their body. In
workplaces like Dental Surgeries, traditional computer interfaces interfere
with the way that dentists would otherwise go about their work. Gesture
interfaces promise to make computers easier and more natural to use.
Although there has been over two decades of research into gesture
interfaces, most of the research has been concerned with solving technical
challenges or exploring the interaction possibilities of gesture interfaces.
Although technical challenges remain, the technical feasibility of gesture
interfaces has largely been demonstrated.
The most pressing problem for researchers into gesture interfaces is now to
find out how to make gesture interfaces work in real-world contexts. In my
research, I am designing a gesture interface for dentists that will allow
them to update an electronic patient record. The design challenge is to
create an interface that will not interfere with their preferred work
routines or with the relationship between the dentist, assistant and
patient. I am doing this by looking at what happens in dental surgeries and
involving dental practitioners in the design process.
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That's less than 200 words. I hope you appreciate how difficult it is for a
PhD student to summarise their work like that :).
The purposes of my PhD are:
* To develop design methods that can scaffold designer and participant
ability to design gesture interfaces
* To gain insights into the applicability of theoretical understandings of
human gesture for informing the design of gesture interfaces
* To reflect on the role of movement in participatory design
If anyone:
* takes offence at...
* falls in love with...
* falls over laughing at...
* has a useful reference for...
* is working in a similar area to...
...any of these aspects of my research, I'd love to hear from you.
Kind regards,
Jared Donovan.
(you can Google me, but my webpage is a fossil.)
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