Designer selves: Construction of technologically mediated identity within graphical, multiuser virtual environments

McDonough, Jerome

doi:10.1002/(sici)1097-4571(1999)50:10<855::aid-asi3>3.0.co;2-6

Cited by 14 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…As researchers point out, an avatar is "the result of a dialogue between user and interface" [20:239]. McDonough stresses that because the designers of virtual worlds used to be young middle-class white males, the resulting VEs were limited in their conceptions of an avatar [21]. However, these designers may not fully understand how different groups of users want to represent themselves online, especially when there are new user groups venturing in to VEs.…”

Section: Avatarsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Negotiating stereotypes of older adults through avatars

Carrasco

Baker

Waycott

et al. 2017

Proceedings of the 29th Australian Conference on Computer-Human Interaction

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Virtual Avatars can bring opportunities for enjoyment, social participation and exploration of identities. However, the configuration of avatar creation software may marginalise some groups of users due to them reinforcing social stereotypes that privilege youth and beauty, rather than representing the broader variety of human identities. Older adults are one group who may be disadvantaged with respect to avatars as avatar studies have typically focused on younger users. Considering that older populations are growing and that their participation in virtual environments is increasing, it is timely to investigate older adults' preferences in relation to avatars. We conducted a study with 23 participants (70+ years old) to understand the representational requirements of older adults when creating a humanoid virtual avatar. Our findings demonstrate that older adults are negotiating ageing stereotypes when creating a virtual body. These negotiations of body appearances range from: the Actual Avatar that by mirroring the self suggests an acceptance of the ageing body; the Vibrant Avatar that is idealising the physical condition of the self; the Other Avatar, that aims to explore other identities; and the Companion Avatar that creates another persona as company. These findings highlight that older adults have specific representational requirements when designing virtual avatars. CCS CONCEPTS 1 • Human-centered computing → Empirical studies in interaction design • Human-centered computing → Graphical user interfaces

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Section: Avatarsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Negotiating stereotypes of older adults through avatars

Carrasco

Baker

Waycott

et al. 2017

Proceedings of the 29th Australian Conference on Computer-Human Interaction

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“…In these creations, the researcher or observer is always present, overtly or covertly, as part of the assumed audience. Also in ICT research it has been shown that technologies create conditions for users' identity construction, expression and performance (Light 2011, McDonough 1999, Oulasvirta and Blom 2007, Van House 2011, but technologies may also be modified by users to reflect their identities (Akah and Bardzell 2010, Alvarez 2008, Light 2011, Oulasvirta and Blom 2007. Related to children, some technologies have also been designed to allow identity expression, exploration and construction (Bers et al 2001, Bers and Cassell 1998, Brynskov and Ludvigsen 2006, Komlodi et al 2007).…”

Section: Implications On Hci Research and Practice Involving Videos Amentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These studies have been carried out in various empirical settings (see e.g., Alvarez, 2001;Alvarez, 2002;Finken, 2003;Nielsen, 1999;Sarkkinen, 2004;Sarkkinen and Karsten, 2005), for example arguing that discourses in ICT development advocate the voice of managers and silence that of users (Finken, 2003;Nielsen, 1999;Sarkkinen, 2004;Sarkkinen and Karsten, 2005) as well as showing how identities are performed during requirements elicitation interviews (Alvarez, 2001 and2002). The aspect of identity construction and exploration has been addressed also in other studies within ICT research, these studies arguing that designers' identities influence the design process and outcome (Kilker, 1999;Levina, 2005;McDonough, 1999) and designers create the conditions for users' identity performances (McDonough, 1999;Van House, 2011). It has also been pointed out that ICT use contributes to people's identities (Alvarez, 2008;Burnett and McKinley, 1998;Carroll et al, 2001;Van House, 2011) but ICT may also be modified by users to reflect their identities (Akah and Bardzell, 2010;Alvarez, 2008;Light, 2011, Oulasvirta andBlom, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Video diary as a means for data gathering with children – Encountering identities in the making

Iivari

Kinnula

Kuure

et al. 2014

International Journal of Human-Computer Studies

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This paper examines video diaries gathered from 10-11-year-old pupils with the aim of inquiring children's technology use in their everyday life. A discourse lens is utilized to provide novel insights into the nature and use of videos and diaries in Human Computer Interaction (HCI) research and design. The paper shows how the children, given the same assignment, produced their video diaries from a range of different positions such as 'a diarist', 'a news anchor' and 'a stage performer', and through a variety of widely known genres such as 'an intimate, confessional diary entry', 'a news broadcast', and 'a homework assignment'. The children also smoothly moved between the positions and genres sometimes changing them several times even during one video clip. Our findings bear implications on two types of HCI research: firstly, studies using diaries for research and design purposes and, secondly, studies interested in videos produced by the research subjects. The paper emphasizes videos and diaries as a multifaceted resource not only revealing facts from the producers' lives but also playful experimenting with different positions and genres highlighting constant identity exploration and construction going on during the creation of the data. During the data analysis it is useful to consider within what kind of positionings and genres the pieces of data or 'facts' have been created as these genres and positions always frame and limit what is said and how. The paper also suggests that researchers could try to guide the research subjects to adopt certain positions and to rely on certain genres in producing their diaries or video clips to obtain better-focused data for particular research or design purposes. On the other hand, challenges involved with this kind of an attempt are also highlighted.

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“…Based on Nisbett and Norenzayan's (2002) research in culture and cognition, a possible way to connect the two resides in understanding that cognitive styles are contextually shaped systems of organized information. These culturally influenced cognitive styles, when employed by Web designers, result in information production that is dictated by existing culturally bound patterns of thinking (see also McDonough, 1999). For example, the shaping of designer information production can be identified by a range of Web design components in the developmental stage of site design.…”

Section: Cultural Cognitive Stylementioning

confidence: 99%

Cultural Cognitive Style and Web Design: Beyond a Behavioral Inquiry into Computer-Mediated Communication

Faiola

Matei²

2005

J Comp Mediated Comm

100

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Numerous studies have identified links among culture, user preferences, and Web site usability. Most of these studies were reports of findings from a behavioral perspective in explaining how cultural factors affect processes of Web‐related content design and use. Based on the research of Vygotsky and Nisbett, the authors propose a broader model, referred to as “cultural cognition theory,” by which Web design, like other types of information production, is seen as being shaped by cultural cognitive processes that impact the designers’ cognitive style. This study explores issues related to Web designers’ cultural cognitive styles and their impact on user responses. The results of an online experiment that exposed American1 and Chinese users to sites created by both Chinese and American designers indicate that users perform information‐seeking tasks faster when using Web content created by designers from their own cultures.

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Designer selves: Construction of technologically mediated identity within graphical, multiuser virtual environments

Cited by 14 publications

References 15 publications

Negotiating stereotypes of older adults through avatars

Negotiating stereotypes of older adults through avatars

Video diary as a means for data gathering with children – Encountering identities in the making

Cultural Cognitive Style and Web Design: Beyond a Behavioral Inquiry into Computer-Mediated Communication

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