Short answer
Instead of striving for perfect, pre-defined user journeys, design for systems that can adapt and evolve alongside users, particularly during moments of friction.
- Field
- Innovation & Design
- Source
- Human-Computer Interaction (2023)
- Method
- Ethnographic study
- Sample
- 11 households
- Evidence
- Moderate effect
Everyday conflicts and crises with automated home technology are not failures to be eliminated, but rather emergent opportunities for users and systems to co-create new, contextually relevant interfaces. This innovation & design research insight is drawn from a 2023 study published in Human-Computer Interaction. Using Ethnographic study with 11 households, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Instead of striving for perfect, pre-defined user journeys, design for systems that can adapt and evolve alongside users, particularly during moments of friction.
Design Crises as Opportunities for Novel Interface Co-creation
Everyday conflicts and crises with automated home technology are not failures to be eliminated, but rather emergent opportunities for users and systems to co-create new, contextually relevant interfaces.
Human-Computer Interaction · 2023
Key Findings
- 01Crises in automated homes highlight fundamental disagreements about what is considered appropriate user-technology interaction.
- 02Residents actively reconfigure their interactions with technology in response to these everyday disruptions.
- 03New interfaces are not solely pre-designed but are dynamically 'enacted' through these responses to crises.
Application
Design takeaway
Instead of striving for perfect, pre-defined user journeys, design for systems that can adapt and evolve alongside users, particularly during moments of friction.
How to apply
During user testing, intentionally introduce minor disruptions or unexpected scenarios to observe how users adapt and what new interaction patterns emerge. Use these observations to inform future design iterations.
Project actions
- 01When researching user interactions, look for moments of frustration or confusion – these are often rich with design insights.
- 02Consider how your design might evolve over time based on user adaptation, rather than being fixed from the start.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Provides a novel 'more-than-human' perspective on interface design.
- +Utilizes rich ethnographic data to capture real-world user experiences.
Limitations
The study's findings are specific to the context of home automation and may not directly apply to other domains. The ethnographic method can be time-consuming and resource-intensive.
Reliability & validity
The qualitative nature of ethnography provides rich, in-depth data but may have lower generalizability. Triangulation of data (observations, interviews) enhances validity.
Think critically
To what extent can designers proactively design for 'crises' and emergent interfaces, rather than simply reacting to them?
Design Principles
"Embrace emergent interaction: Design systems that learn and adapt through user-driven responses to unexpected events and conflicts."
This perspective shifts the focus from solely optimizing for seamless user experiences to understanding how disruptions can drive innovation. By embracing 'crises' as design moments, practitioners can uncover user needs and behaviors that lead to more adaptive and deeply integrated technological solutions.
What This Means for Your Design
When smart home gadgets don't work as expected, it's actually a chance to make them better by seeing how people figure out new ways to use them.
How to use in your project
- 1.Reference this study when discussing how user-generated workarounds and adaptations can inform the design of interactive systems, particularly in the context of smart home technology.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
This research highlights that conflicts and crises in the use of automated home technology are not merely design flaws but represent opportunities for users and systems to co-create novel interfaces. By observing how residents reconfigure their interactions in response to everyday disruptions, designers can gain insights into emergent user needs and develop more adaptive and contextually relevant solutions.
Source
Human-Computer Interaction
The everyday enactment of interfaces: a study of crises and conflicts in the more-than-human home
journal · 2023
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about design crises as opportunities for novel interface co-creation?
- Instead of striving for perfect, pre-defined user journeys, design for systems that can adapt and evolve alongside users, particularly during moments of friction. Evidence: Human-Computer Interaction (2023).
- Why does "Design Crises as Opportunities for Novel Interface Co-creation" matter for design?
- This perspective shifts the focus from solely optimizing for seamless user experiences to understanding how disruptions can drive innovation. By embracing 'crises' as design moments, practitioners can uncover user needs and behaviors that lead to more adaptive and deeply integrated technological solutions.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Instead of striving for perfect, pre-defined user journeys, design for systems that can adapt and evolve alongside users, particularly during moments of friction.
- What were the main findings?
- Crises in automated homes highlight fundamental disagreements about what is considered appropriate user-technology interaction.. Residents actively reconfigure their interactions with technology in response to these everyday disruptions.. New interfaces are not solely pre-designed but are dynamically 'enacted' through these responses to crises.
- What research method was used?
- Ethnographic study with 11 households.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2023 journal from Human-Computer Interaction.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- During user testing, intentionally introduce minor disruptions or unexpected scenarios to observe how users adapt and what new interaction patterns emerge. Use these observations to inform future design iterations.
- What are the limitations?
- The study is based on a small sample of households, and the findings may not be generalizable to all types of automated systems or user demographics. The definition of 'crisis' can be subjective.