Patterns of Interaction:
a Pattern Language for CSCW
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Pattern: Accounting for an unseen artefact
Essence of the Pattern: This pattern is concerned with the manner in which one actor can make available (or not) details of a local artefact (for example, a computer system) and their interaction with it when involved in communicating with another actor. This focuses on situations in which the artefact is unavailable to the second actor as communication is through a remote channel such as the telephone. Certain interactional practices can be employed to bring the artefact into greater mutual consideration. For example, with various degrees of explicitness details of the system and one's interaction with it can be indicated within the conversation - from simple indications of interaction (e.g. "I'll just input that") to descriptions of screens.
Design For Dependability
Why Useful? In situations where one actor in a remote communication has access to an artefact details of the artefact may be brought forward or demoted. In a situation where the artefact is a computer system and the one actor is requiring details of the other in order to input information or carry out requests it may be particularly useful to design a system which is more 'visible' to the other. Secondly it may be important to promote conversational practices which convey details of the system and the process of interaction. This should enhance mutual intelligibility and promote more succinct interaction (particularly over repeated interactions).
Where Used? The pattern has been documented in two settings so far. One setting - telephone banking - is seen as a successful example of the pattern while the other - 911 emergency services. - is seen as problematic. The focus is on the practices employed to make the system and the actor's interaction with it visible. These are multiple in one setting and fairly non-existent in the other. Both are broadly speaking, customer service situations where the operator interacts with a system while speaking to a customer/caller.
This pattern is illustrated with vignettes from the following field work:
- Telephone Banking. An instance where the accounting for an unseen computer system is successful in promoting better mutual orientation to the system and the process between a call operator.
- 911 Emergency Services. An instance where a 911 caller is clearly not oriented to the system requirements for logging a call and the operator does little to promote them.
Design for dependability? Various possibilities are available for promoting the artefact during such an interaction. Solutions may be technical or work oriented. For example, in certain situations one may want to enhance the noise of keystrokes and system messages so these may be heard by the caller. There is even the possibility of specifically designing, for example, a system with the notion that it has a conversationally shared interface to be used in such situations. Work solutions may generally involve promoting conversational practices in the workforce which enhance the sharedness of the artefact, this may be managed through techniques such as scripting, but may simply involve requesting staff to talk about the system (implicitly and more explicitly) with callers as they interact. A balance needs to be found as the is no requirement to talk about the artefact/system exhaustively but rather this should be oriented to completing the tasks in hand. Furthermore, there may be situations where the artefact might need to be demoted in such an interaction - for example if a mistake is made or the system does something unexpected. Variations on this pattern are possible with different mediating technologies such as videoconferencing and bring in different requirements for how artefacts are brought into view.
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