| Although technologies such as media spaces have been designed to facilitate collaborative work at a distance, the existing systems have primarily focused on the use of computer managed audio and video as mechanisms to support meetings and video phone calls. Research has shown that frequent and spontaneous informal communication is crucial for project coordination and work progress. It has also found that the amount of collaboration that occurs varies directly with the proximity of co-workers. However, proximity is not always possible or desirable in today's work world. In this thesis, we introduce the concept of a virtual open office, a simulated shared open office environment which creates proximity without its inherent disadvantages. We suggest that a large amount of communication among co-workers is not from actual intentional communication contact but from opportunistic contact and environmental scanning in which each individual is picking up valuable coordination information. We propose that it is this aspect of the constant contact of an open office environment which provides the closeness and cohesion necessary for effective work coordination. Based on this premise, we argue for a set of unique user requirements for the virtual open office and demonstrate an instantiation of these requirements in a working prototype, called VOODOO. Results of the usability study on the interface for the VOODOO system support our design premises but suggest a set of modifications to the current implementation. |
