the issue by replacing the desktop environment with a full-screen application that offers a complete interface. However, my work relied on being able to use a diverse range of applications for different tasks. If the computer as a general-purpose platform is something we wish to preserve, this will need to change.

 

November + December 2012

Taking this concept to the next level, Lui et al. recently demonstrated how a USB stick embedded within a glowing ball can be used as a way of playfully sharing files in an office [ 9]. They argue that this is far from trivial: There are characteristics to such interactions that will be key to supporting the next generation of office workers. Other such features include the ability to share data directly between the desk and personal devices [ 10, 11]. This is suggestive of a much broader design space, a function of which would be to support a diverse technological ecosystem.

 

interactions

Collaboration

Horizontal surfaces are known
to promote collaboration. Indeed,
the desk was brilliant for facilitat-
ing quick discussion and collating
ideas. We would often flip up to
the monitor to Google information.
However, like most multitouch
devices, the desk interface was
not multi-user. Being unable to
distinguish different users at the
application level has limitations,
but the most severe limitation
in my experience was that the
operating system supported inter-
action with only one application
at a time. This had the effect of
forcing everyone at the desk to be
constantly aware of how and when
those around them were interact-
ing. It severely restricted the num-
ber of ways in which collaborative
work could take place.

Acceptance and Practice

Although there were many technical limitations, none were severe enough to prevent me from accepting the desk into my workflow or achieving my goals. Nevertheless, the influence of these limitations on how I interacted and established practices was very high. Factors like low resolution were silent governors over how I did what I did. While this would probably change given better technology, I remain convinced that my experience would not have been as positive had it not been for the failsafe of the vertical monitor. However, as I was the developer of the system, my tolerance to problems is considerably higher than would normally be the case.

Most of what I perceived as a benefit of the desk stemmed from its role as an output device rather than an input device. Even with limited UI controls, the size of the desk encouraged me to spread information over my working environment and throughout multiple applications. Indeed, different tasks invoke different cognitive processes, and it is around a user interface that many of these processes are often structured. Giving people control over their environment allows them to construct processes that are illustrative of any personal requirements and the task they are doing.