Giving Form to the Invisible: Can we make in-home network data traffic tangible to users?

Junginger Sabine; Tödtli Beat; Ulmer Tom

Giving Form to the Invisible: Can we make in-home network data traffic tangible to users?

Junginger Sabine, Tödtli Beat, Ulmer Tom

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

Abstract

Most people now connect to the Internet of Things (IoT) through a number of devices within the privacy of their homes. The data traffic generated by smart home and other connected devices remains invisible and intangible to everyday users. Is it possible to make these complex data flows somehow visible, and with that also accessible and graspable for users? Is there a path for everyday users to participate in desirable future developments, meaningful services, and relevant policies? If so, how do we go about conducting such user research? In this paper, we report and reflect on an experimental study conducted by an interdisciplinary research team with these questions in mind. We explore the possibilities and limitations of a non-intrusive, plug & play network monitoring device. Our findings point to opportunities for empowering participants in sensitive environments like the home and produce insights into how designers may collaborate with researchers in data analysis to make the invisible visible.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	12th International Conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement, DeSForM 2023
Editors	Miguel Bruns, Lin-Lin Chen, Jun Hu, Sara Colombo, Yihyun Lim, Steven Kyffin, Ozcan Vieira, E. Jeroen Raijmakers, Lucia Rampino, Edgar Rodriguez Ramirez, Dagmar Johanna Steffen, Calvin Wong
Publisher	The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Pages	50-61
Number of pages	12
ISBN (Print)	9789623678704
Publication status	Published - 7 Jul 2023
Externally published	Yes
Event	12th International Conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement, DeSForM 2023 - Hong Kong, Hong Kong Duration: 5 Jul 2023 → 7 Jul 2023

Publication series

Name	International Conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement
ISSN (Electronic)	2706-6150

Conference

Conference	12th International Conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement, DeSForM 2023
Country/Territory	Hong Kong
City	Hong Kong
Period	5/07/23 → 7/07/23

Keywords

data visualization
designing in the digital age
smart home
user empowerment
User research

Access to Document

https://sites.hslu.ch/va-pepr/en/publications/va-pepr-goes-to-hong-kong/

Cite this

Sabine, J., Beat, T., & Tom, U. (2023). Giving Form to the Invisible: Can we make in-home network data traffic tangible to users? In M. Bruns, L-L. Chen, J. Hu, S. Colombo, Y. Lim, S. Kyffin, O. Vieira, E. J. Raijmakers, L. Rampino, E. R. Ramirez, D. J. Steffen, & C. Wong (Eds.), 12th International Conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement, DeSForM 2023 (pp. 50-61). (International Conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement). The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. https://sites.hslu.ch/va-pepr/en/publications/va-pepr-goes-to-hong-kong/

Sabine, Junginger ; Beat, Tödtli ; Tom, Ulmer. / Giving Form to the Invisible : Can we make in-home network data traffic tangible to users?. 12th International Conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement, DeSForM 2023. editor / Miguel Bruns ; Lin-Lin Chen ; Jun Hu ; Sara Colombo ; Yihyun Lim ; Steven Kyffin ; Ozcan Vieira ; E. Jeroen Raijmakers ; Lucia Rampino ; Edgar Rodriguez Ramirez ; Dagmar Johanna Steffen ; Calvin Wong. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 2023. pp. 50-61 (International Conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement).

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title = "Giving Form to the Invisible: Can we make in-home network data traffic tangible to users?",

abstract = "Most people now connect to the Internet of Things (IoT) through a number of devices within the privacy of their homes. The data traffic generated by smart home and other connected devices remains invisible and intangible to everyday users. Is it possible to make these complex data flows somehow visible, and with that also accessible and graspable for users? Is there a path for everyday users to participate in desirable future developments, meaningful services, and relevant policies? If so, how do we go about conducting such user research? In this paper, we report and reflect on an experimental study conducted by an interdisciplinary research team with these questions in mind. We explore the possibilities and limitations of a non-intrusive, plug & play network monitoring device. Our findings point to opportunities for empowering participants in sensitive environments like the home and produce insights into how designers may collaborate with researchers in data analysis to make the invisible visible.",

keywords = "data visualization, designing in the digital age, smart home, user empowerment, User research",

author = "Junginger Sabine and T{\"o}dtli Beat and Ulmer Tom",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. All rights reserved.; 12th International Conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement, DeSForM 2023 ; Conference date: 05-07-2023 Through 07-07-2023",

year = "2023",

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day = "7",

language = "English",

isbn = "9789623678704",

series = "International Conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement",

publisher = "The Hong Kong Polytechnic University",

pages = "50--61",

editor = "Miguel Bruns and Lin-Lin Chen and Jun Hu and Sara Colombo and Yihyun Lim and Steven Kyffin and Ozcan Vieira and Raijmakers, {E. Jeroen} and Lucia Rampino and Ramirez, {Edgar Rodriguez} and Steffen, {Dagmar Johanna} and Calvin Wong",

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Sabine, J, Beat, T & Tom, U 2023, Giving Form to the Invisible: Can we make in-home network data traffic tangible to users? in M Bruns, L-L Chen, J Hu, S Colombo, Y Lim, S Kyffin, O Vieira, EJ Raijmakers, L Rampino, ER Ramirez, DJ Steffen & C Wong (eds), 12th International Conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement, DeSForM 2023. International Conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, pp. 50-61, 12th International Conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement, DeSForM 2023, Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 5/07/23. <https://sites.hslu.ch/va-pepr/en/publications/va-pepr-goes-to-hong-kong/>

Giving Form to the Invisible: Can we make in-home network data traffic tangible to users? / Sabine, Junginger; Beat, Tödtli; Tom, Ulmer.
12th International Conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement, DeSForM 2023. ed. / Miguel Bruns; Lin-Lin Chen; Jun Hu; Sara Colombo; Yihyun Lim; Steven Kyffin; Ozcan Vieira; E. Jeroen Raijmakers; Lucia Rampino; Edgar Rodriguez Ramirez; Dagmar Johanna Steffen; Calvin Wong. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 2023. p. 50-61 (International Conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › peer-review

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PY - 2023/7/7

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N2 - Most people now connect to the Internet of Things (IoT) through a number of devices within the privacy of their homes. The data traffic generated by smart home and other connected devices remains invisible and intangible to everyday users. Is it possible to make these complex data flows somehow visible, and with that also accessible and graspable for users? Is there a path for everyday users to participate in desirable future developments, meaningful services, and relevant policies? If so, how do we go about conducting such user research? In this paper, we report and reflect on an experimental study conducted by an interdisciplinary research team with these questions in mind. We explore the possibilities and limitations of a non-intrusive, plug & play network monitoring device. Our findings point to opportunities for empowering participants in sensitive environments like the home and produce insights into how designers may collaborate with researchers in data analysis to make the invisible visible.

AB - Most people now connect to the Internet of Things (IoT) through a number of devices within the privacy of their homes. The data traffic generated by smart home and other connected devices remains invisible and intangible to everyday users. Is it possible to make these complex data flows somehow visible, and with that also accessible and graspable for users? Is there a path for everyday users to participate in desirable future developments, meaningful services, and relevant policies? If so, how do we go about conducting such user research? In this paper, we report and reflect on an experimental study conducted by an interdisciplinary research team with these questions in mind. We explore the possibilities and limitations of a non-intrusive, plug & play network monitoring device. Our findings point to opportunities for empowering participants in sensitive environments like the home and produce insights into how designers may collaborate with researchers in data analysis to make the invisible visible.

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KW - user empowerment

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BT - 12th International Conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement, DeSForM 2023

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A2 - Hu, Jun

A2 - Colombo, Sara

A2 - Lim, Yihyun

A2 - Kyffin, Steven

A2 - Vieira, Ozcan

A2 - Raijmakers, E. Jeroen

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A2 - Ramirez, Edgar Rodriguez

A2 - Steffen, Dagmar Johanna

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PB - The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

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ER -

Sabine J, Beat T, Tom U. Giving Form to the Invisible: Can we make in-home network data traffic tangible to users? In Bruns M, Chen L-L, Hu J, Colombo S, Lim Y, Kyffin S, Vieira O, Raijmakers EJ, Rampino L, Ramirez ER, Steffen DJ, Wong C, editors, 12th International Conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement, DeSForM 2023. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. 2023. p. 50-61. (International Conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement).

Giving Form to the Invisible: Can we make in-home network data traffic tangible to users?

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

Keywords

Access to Document

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