Audience Funnel

Figure: The Audience Funnel framework
(Michelis, Müller (2011) International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction  Volume 27, Issue 6)

Paper Abstract

Data are presented from observations of Magical Mirrors, a set of four large public displays with gesture-based interaction installed in downtown Berlin, Germany. The displays show a mirror image of the environment in front of them and react with optical effects to the gestures of the audience. Observations of audience behavior revealed recurring behavioral patterns, like glancing at a first display while passing it, moving the arms to cause some effects, then directly approaching one of the following displays and positioning oneself in the center of the display. This was often followed by positioning oneself in the center of the other displays to explore the possibilities of the different effects, and sometimes by taking photographs or videos. From these observations a framework of interaction with gesture-based public display systems was deduced. It describes the phases of passing by a display, viewing & reacting, subtle interaction, direct interaction, multiple interactions, and follow-up actions. Quantitative data of these behavioral phases was collected by observing 660 passers-by on 2 weekend evenings. This article shows how many passers-by pass the thresholds between these phases. This “Audience Funnel” should provide a framework to encourage systematic investigation of public display systems and enable comparability between different studies.

Download full text on the publisher’s website.

Book Preview at Google Books

I just came across my book “Interactive Displays in Public Space – A theoretical analysis of intrinsically motivating design elements” at Google Books (only in German language).

English Abstract:

“Interactive large format displays have presently found their way into many places in public space. After a long phase of experimenting with prototypes only recently have technically mature applications been observed that are used in an increasing number of potential areas. This dissertation examines the motivations behind the use of these applications.

Serving as the point of departure are four large format displays of the installation Magical Mirrors, developed as prototypes by the author of this work, and which allowed the first experiences with the use of interactive large format displays in public space to be collected even before the beginning of the investigation. These initial experiences were taken into consideration in developing the research questions and design.
At the center of the work is an analysis of theoretical motivations in which five motivational factors are determined according to previous research work and in consideration of the demands specific to interactive large format displays. In the analysis of these factors a set of tools of fundamental motivations are identified from which design elements for interactive large format displays in public space can be derived. The results of the analysis are subjected to an empirical examination. In 15 partial experiments the observed user behavior of a total of 4640 passersby is analyzed.
On the basis of this empirical investigation this dissertation presents – as one of the first scholarly works in this area – a contribution to the understanding of the fundamental motivations behind the use of interactive large format displays in public space.”

PhD Thesis Submitted Yesterday

Sorry for not posting for a long time. During the last months I was finalizing my PhD thesis. Finally, I submitted it to the Institute for Media and Communications Management at the University of St. Gallen yesterday.

In the next weeks, I will publish selected results and write about ongoing work on interactive displays in public space.

Experiments & Additional Survey Completed

In November and December 2006, in a series of experiments, a total of almost 5000 passersby were observed. Within the scope of different experimental setups, for example, the reaction time of the particular effects or the total number of displays was altered.
In addition to the experiments, during the last days, some results of the investigations were being assessed and expanded by means of a survey.
Both, experiments and the additional survey are now completed.

Last days…

Magical Mirrors will be shut down shortly. The survey continues tonight and tomorrow night. Make sure to drop by for a last visit.

Final Survey

After almost 18 month, Magical Mirrors will shortly be replaced by the next installation on the SAP media-façade. During these last days the empirical research will be completed. The final survey started today and continues till the end of the week.

Don’t miss the upcoming installation that will soon be launched by DEON…

Magical Mirrors extended

The installation Magical Mirrors will be extended from February to April 2007. An additional survey will therefore be conducted in March.

Survey Pretest

In addition to the observation a survey will be conducted in front of the façade. To check the questionnaire and to determine whether further revision is needed a first pretest was carried out today. The questionnaire will be revised in the following days.