EXPLORING THE DESIGN, DEPLOYMENT AND USE OF HERMES

This thesis explores the design, deployment and useof a system of interactive display-based ubicompprototypes, referred to as the Hermes system. TheHermes system provided a groupware applicationsupporting asynchronous messaging facilities to helpsupport awareness and coordination. Occupants ofoffices equipped with Hermes displays were able tomanually share personal context in the form of shorttextual messages or images. One novel aspect of thework on Hermes was longitudinal deployment outside ofthe lab which allowed exploration of adoption and usefrom door display owners. A key aim of the work onHermes was the involvement of display owners in thedesign process in order to avoid purelytechnology-led design. This user-centred approachgenerated valuable feedback to generate newrequirements and features to help inform the designwhich would not otherwise have been available.Additionally, the Hermes prototypes acted as a formof technology probe. One particular challenge raisedby the need to support adoption and maintain useduring a longitudinal deployment was the requirementfor high levels of reliability.