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

Sabine Junginger; Beat Tödtli; Tom Ulmer

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

Sabine Junginger, Beat Tödtli, Tom Ulmer

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

Junginger, S., Tödtli, B., & Ulmer, T. (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/

Junginger, Sabine ; Tödtli, Beat ; Ulmer, Tom. / 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 = "Sabine Junginger and Beat T{\"o}dtli and Tom Ulmer",

year = "2023",

month = jul,

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",

booktitle = "12th International Conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement, DeSForM 2023",

address = "Hong Kong",

note = "12th International Conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement, DeSForM 2023 ; Conference date: 05-07-2023 Through 07-07-2023",

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Junginger, S, Tödtli, B & Ulmer, T 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? / Junginger, Sabine; Tödtli, Beat; Ulmer, Tom.
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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T1 - Giving Form to the Invisible

T2 - 12th International Conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement, DeSForM 2023

AU - Junginger, Sabine

AU - Tödtli, Beat

AU - Ulmer, Tom

PY - 2023/7/7

Y1 - 2023/7/7

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.

KW - data visualization

KW - designing in the digital age

KW - smart home

KW - user empowerment

KW - User research

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85190701230

M3 - Conference contribution

AN - SCOPUS:85190701230

SN - 9789623678704

T3 - International Conference on Design and Semantics of Form and Movement

SP - 50

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

A2 - Bruns, Miguel

A2 - Chen, Lin-Lin

A2 - Hu, Jun

A2 - Colombo, Sara

A2 - Lim, Yihyun

A2 - Kyffin, Steven

A2 - Vieira, Ozcan

A2 - Raijmakers, E. Jeroen

A2 - Rampino, Lucia

A2 - Ramirez, Edgar Rodriguez

A2 - Steffen, Dagmar Johanna

A2 - Wong, Calvin

PB - The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Y2 - 5 July 2023 through 7 July 2023

ER -

Junginger S, Tödtli B, Ulmer T. Giving Form to the Invisible: Can we make in-home network data traffic tangible to users? In Bruns M, Chen LL, 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

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