Designing for Effective Interactions with Data in the Internet of Things

Abstract

The Internet of Things (IoT), a type of cyber-physical system, has led to a drastic growth in the number of devices and sensors connected to each other and to the digital word. This has further led to an exponential increase in the amount of data being produced and disseminated throughout such systems. This data has the potential to provide valuable insights into user behavior that can inform a design process. It also comprises an important aspect of an IoT product or service that an end user might interact to gain actionable insights. For example, when to use energy in the home, how to avoid polluted or flooded areas, or to visit the shops at quiet times. These same users may also be one source of the data that is analysed to provide this intelligence. However, in many case more intelligence is gained by combining different data sets. This raises questions about how to help both designers and end-users to get the most value from the insights acquired through the combination and analysis of IoT data, whilst being sensitive to issues around privacy and security of data contributed by the public. There is currently no clear framework to support designers in navigating through a design process that uses and combines such complex data. The aim of this one day workshop is to explore how to effectively incorporate data into a design process and how to design for more effective interactions between humans and data within IoT technologies. It will also create a roadmap for development of new methods and tools to support responsible, data-driven, co-design of new IoT interactive products and services.