Abstract
Situated touchscreen information appliances have become commonplace in the last decade in retail and transport contexts, but seemingly less so in the workplace. One such device, the i-Line meeting room display, is being developed to meet the needs of users of meeting rooms and other 'bookable' spaces. Qualitative data from 19 organisations finds that they experience confusion and conflicts which could be resolved by better communication of room bookings, and also the ability to make and adjust bookings, at the point of need. The concept of i-Line is therefore justified, but a number of user concerns, motivational and attentional issues are exposed and discussed. In light of these findings, a detailed design is proposed that includes functions to visualise the relevant information, manage user attention and fulfil organisational control needs.
Further to this, an evaluation strategy specific to the needs of i-Line and other situated information appliances is proposed, although a review of the literature suggests that evaluation techniques in this area are currently underdeveloped.
