The subjective user-approach is the first interaction design approach specifically dedicated to personal information management (PIM). This approach offers design principles with PIM systems (eg operating systems, email applications, and web browsers) that can use systematically the use of subjective attributes (ie dependent on the user). This approach evolved in three stages: (a) theoretical foundation first published in the Journal of the American Society for Science and Information Technology during 2003. This paper introduces the approach and principles of its design (b) Evidence and implementation was published in another JASIST paper in 2008. This paper provides empirical evidence in support of the approach as well as the seven new design schemes derived from it (see also subjective-user website). It has won the best JASIST paper award in 2009. (c) specific design evaluation this stage has begun with the evaluation of the first user-subjective design prototype called GrayArea in the Human Factors Conference in Computing Systems paper published on the year 2009.
Video User-subjective approach
Theoretical foundation
A subjective-user approach makes use of the fact that in a PIM the person who retrieves the information is the same person who previously stored it. PIM can be seen as communication between that person and himself at two different times: storage time and retrieval time. The PIM system design should help facilitate unique communications by allowing users to use subjective (user-dependent) attributes in addition to standard objectives. PIM systems should capture these subjective attributes when a user interacts with an information item (either automatically or by using a direct manipulation interface) to help users retrieve the item later.
The subjective-user approach identifies three subjective attributes - the project whose items are classified, the importance importance important for the user, and the context > where the item is used during the interaction with him. This approach also provides the design principles for each. The principles (discussed below) are intentionally abstract to allow for different implementations.
The principle of subjective project classification
The principle of subjective project classification indicates that the PIM system design should allow all items of information related to the project to be classified in the same category regardless of whether they are files, emails, Web Favorites or other formats. This is in stark contrast to the current PIM system design where there are different folder hierarchies for each of these formats. The current design forces users to store information associated with one project in a separate location depending on the format causing the project fragmentation problem.
The principle of subjective importance
The principle of subjective importance indicates that the importance of subjective information will affect the level of meaning and visual accessibility: essential information items should be highly visible and accessible as they are more likely to be taken (promotional principles) and those less important should be lowered (ie making them less visible) so as not to distract the user ( demotion principle ). While the principle of promotion is not new and has been widely applied in the design of PIM systems, the principle of demotion is new and is only applied sporadically in this system. Currently this system only allows two options: storing information (where unneeded item information can clutter the folder and obfuscate the target item) and delete it (where there is a risk that the item will not exist when needed). Demotion suggests a third option in which the item is less visible so as not to distract the user but is stored in its original context in case the user will need it after all.
The principle of subjective context
The principle of subjective context indicates that the PIM system should allow users to retrieve their information items in the same context they previously used to bridge the time gap between these two events. The "context" approach refers to other information items used in interaction with an item, the thoughts users may have about the item, the phases that users perform in interactions with items and others that the user collaborates with the information items.
Maps User-subjective approach
Evidence and implementation
Evidence
The subjective-user approach was evaluated in a multi-purpose, designed study using questionnaires, screen shots and in-depth interviews ( N = 84). The study examined the use of subjective attributes in the current PIM system and its dependence on the design. The results show that participants use subjective attributes whenever the design allows them. When not, they use their own alternate way to use this attribute or avoid the use of subjective attributes at all.
About the subjective project classification principles - many of the latest files, emails and web pages of participants associated with the same project (showing that they work on the same project using a different format), and they have saved the file with the format different in the same project folder. However, since design does not recommend email storage and web favorites with files, users do not need to do it.
About subjective subjective principles - users tend to retrieve their important information from the highly visible and accessible locations offered by the current design (eg using the desktop), but because the current system does not offer a way to demote files low participants with subjective interests tend to use their own way around ways to do it (eg by moving them to a folder called "old" inside their original folder).
Regarding the principle of subjective context - participants tend to speak spontaneously about the context of their information items during an interview.
This evidence implies that the current PIM system may be improved if it allows users to use more subjective attributes of their personal information.
Implementations
Each of these subjective user-design principles can be implemented in various ways. In addition, because the approach is generative, it offers PIM designers to use these principles to create their own user's subjective design. Below is a design scheme that shows the implementation of each principle. A more complete implementation example can be found on the user-subjective website.
Single hierarchy solution - solve the problem of project fragmentation (the current situation where users store and retrieve files related to their projects, email and web favorites in different hierarchies) and apply subjective subjective classification principles by offering users a hierarchy of folders for all information items. At the operating system level, the user navigates to a folder and finds all project related files, emails, web favorites, tasks, contacts, and notes. This will allow them to retrieve all items of information related to their project from the singles location regardless of their format. When viewing these folders in their mailbox, users will only see their email and only web favorites through their browser. A single hierarchy design scheme has not been evaluated.
GrayArea - implements the demotion principle by allowing users to move the subjectively unimportant files into the gray area at the bottom of their folders. This cleans the top of the folder of unexpected files while allowing the user to retrieve these nonessential files in their original context if they are needed after all. The GrayArea design scheme is positively evaluated (see next section).
ItemHistory - is an implementation of the principle of subjective context. This allows the user to reach all the information items previously retrieved when the information item opens. This design scheme has not been evaluated to date.
Design custom design
A special design evaluation is the third and final step of the development approach. It starts with a GrayArea assessment.
Evaluation of GrayArea
GrayArea is evaluated by using a prototype that simulates the participants folder but includes a gray area where they can drag & amp; drop their unimportant subjective files. In the study 96 participants were asked to clean their folders from files that were not important once with GrayArea and once without them. The results show that the use of GrayArea reduces clutter in folders, making it easier for participants to demote files rather than deleting them and that they will be used if they are provided in the next operating system.
These results encourage the commercial implementation of GrayArea and the development and testing of other user subjective designs.
Chronological development
A user subjective approach developed by Ofer Bergman during Ph.D. at Tel Aviv University guided by prof. Rafi Nachmias and guided by prof. Ruth Beyth-Marom. The research was funded in part by the Sakta Rashi foundation. In 2003 they published a paper entitled "A user-subjective approach to personal information management" in the Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology. In 2004 this paper was recognized by The American Library Association as a field representative when selecting personal information management as one of the "top ten issues and technological trends in the library today". Then presented at scientific conferences including CHI, and ASIST and invited talks including at MIT Media Lab, HCI Lab, University of Maryland Human - Computer Interaction Lab and Microsoft Research in Cambridge.
In 2008 they published another JASIST paper called "The subjective approach of users to the design of personal information management systems: Evidence and implementation". This paper has won the best JASIST paper award for 2009. According to the jury, "This paper is considered true and documented, effective, understandable, and potentially useful and applicable."
In 2007 Dr. Bergman has completed his Ph.D. and continue to work on the approach with Prof. Steve Whittaker under the EU grant Mary Curie at Sheffield University. They produced a PIM workshop paper on the approach at the 2008 CHI conference, and together with Ed Cutrell from Microsoft Research a complete CHI paper entitled "It's not so important: Demoting personal information with low subjective grades using GrayArea" in 2009.
In the year 2010 Dr. Bergman received Marie Curie reintegration grant with prof. Judit Bar-Ilan, Head of the Department of Information Science at Bar Ilan University, and a faculty member in the department. The grant research plan called PIM includes further study of a subjective-user approach.
References
External links
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Source of the article : Wikipedia
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