Towards Designing Persuasive Ambient Visualization Andrew Vande Moere Key Centre of Design Computing and Cognition The University of Sydney andrew@arch.usyd.edu.au ABSTRACT user engagement and augment the user experience [5]. This paper discusses an alternative application area for Ambient displays thus aim for more artistically inclined ambient information systems, coined as ‘persuasive and emotionally engaging ways of data representation, visualization’. It investigates the recent evolution of going beyond simply ‘informing’ people of specific data ambient displays, from simply aiming to inform people patterns. An ambient display tends to be calm, non- about data patterns towards increasing awareness of themes obtrusive and opportunistic, revealing meaningful underlying the data. Accordingly, this paper proposes the information only for interested users who are willing to potential of ambient display techniques to encourage users invest time and effort. The value of interpreting an ambient to modify their behavior. First, the evolution of past display by long-term or repeated exposure is further ambient display applications is analyzed according to their enhanced by its general lack of direct user interaction, such persuasive capabilities and environmental contexts, ranging as the exploration, filtering or selection of information. from large-scale installations towards more personalized Because such a display is able to convey information in a applications of ubiquitous and wearable computing. subjectively pleasant way over a relatively long period of Accordingly, ambient displays could become a useful time, this paper claims that particular ambient display platform for unobtrusive, aesthetic applications that can techniques have the potential to be used for persuasive augment our awareness and encourage positive behavior applications. Persuasive technology uses specific modifications relating to socially relevant issues. techniques to encourage behaviour, belief or attitude Keywords change by providing personalized messages at teachable persuasive technology, ambient display, information moments, at the right time and right place, when a person is visualization, wearable computing receptive to information [4]. Persuasive applications are different from normal feedback displays in that they require INTRODUCTION active involvement of those being monitored in attaining a The concept of ambient visualization or ambient display is desired behaviour change. Various persuasive techniques defined as a category of data representations that conveys are founded on increasing human awareness, often by time-varying information in the periphery of human informing people explicitly of relevant aspects that sustain attention. According to Mankoff’s evaluation model [12], or underlie specific attitudes or behaviours. An ambient an ideal ambient display should adhere up to eight different display could increase human awareness by conveying such heuristic principles that are founded from functional, relevant issues within a relevant and timely environmental effectiveness and aesthetical considerations. Most ambient context. It can make important influential factors visible displays are similar to classic data visualization techniques and tangible, to allow people to better understand their in the focus on conveying meaningful visual patterns to personal attitudes. Furthermore, the aesthetic and augment the understanding of the dataset. However, opportunistic qualities of an ambient display allow for a ambient displays and data visualizations are different in long-term sustained usage, and reduces the risk to “nag” or that ambient representations can be quite ambiguous and annoy users. non-intuitive to interpret. In other words, ambient metaphors “may not be immediately understandable, but This paper proposes that ambient display is currently users should be able to discover meaning through subtle changing character and is becoming increasingly interaction.” [17]. Accordingly, by including aspects of persuasive. It investigates the evolution of ambient display ambiguity in their designs [5], multiple, potentially techniques from relatively large-scale spatial installations competing, interpretations are created, which can stimulate towards more personalized applications in the realm of ubiquitous and wearable computing. Accordingly, it discusses various design and evaluation considerations for Copyright is held by the author/owner(s). Copyright Pervasive ‘07 Workshop: W9is -held by theInformation Ambient authors. Systems a new visualization direction, coined as persuasive May 13, 2007; Toronto, Ontario, Canada Information Systems Pervasive '07 Workshop: W9 - Ambient visualization, which aims to modify human behavior by May 13, 2007; Toronto, Ontario, Canada This position paper is not an official publication of Pervasive '07. This position paper is not an official publication of Pervasive '07. augmenting the awareness of people within an appropriate context and in a non-obtrusive way. Figure 1. Spatial ambient display examples (see also [15]). Figure 2. Ambient display artifact examples. Left: an egg Left: a plant display showing the traditional country flowers shaped USB device that wiggles and moves in reaction to in relation to what products people buy in a coffee shop emotions communicated during online chat conversations (Designers: Huong Nguyen et al.). Right: a wallpaper style (Designer: James Kim); Right: a working computer mouse display capturing real-time environmental parameters in that changes temperature hot/cold depending on the input of three computer labs (Designers: Mitchell Page et al.). textual humans emotions (Designer: Irene Chen). SPATIAL AMBIENT DISPLAY AMBIENT DISPLAY ARTEFACTS Most ambient displays take form as large-scale, spatial More recent ambient display applications focus on installations placed within public settings. Such displays producing small-scale physical artifacts. Although tend to represent dynamically changing, non-critical influenced by physical computing, product design and information that is relevant to their actual environmental electronic gadgetry, the design of these data-driven objects context (e.g. time, location and people), such as the weather still largely follows traditional ambient display heuristics. [8] or local bus schedule [12]. Because of their physical The prototyping of these displays has become possible due context, such displays are closely integrated within the to the recent appearance of community-driven physical architectural setting. They stimulate the human senses in a computing platforms (e.g. Arduino, Processing), which aim direct way, including vision (e.g. projections), sound (e.g. to reduce the technical complexity of programming micro- data sonification), touch (e.g. wind fans, temperature electronic devices for the enthusiastic interaction designer. changes) or smell (e.g. odor emitters) [18]. Existing ambient display artifacts vary from elaborate Figure 1 shows two typical spatial ambient displays, robotic plants that convey the recycling behavior of people developed as part of an undergraduate studio design course [9], to simple color-changing objects such as the Ambient at the University of Sydney [15]. On the left, a collection of Orb, commercialized by Ambient Devices Inc. Figure 2 flowers represents the country of origin of products as they shows two typical ambient artifacts developed by are purchased at a local coffee shop. On the right, an postgraduate students. On the left, an egg-shaped and color- organic-style wallpaper displays the real-time network changing device wiggles and rocks in different motion usage and sound levels within four computer labs, while typologies in reaction to the human emotions depicted rhythmically alternating light bulbs convey the waiting during an online chat conversation. On the right, the fabric time of the printing and plotting devices placed below. surface of a working computer mouse changes temperature Although not noticeable on first sight, these ambient (i.e. hot or cold) depending on the emotions detected in displays were initially motivated by persuasive intentions. textual computer documents. For instance, the coffee shop installation aimed to change Both examples show how ambient display artifacts aim for unsustainable shopping behavior: by indirectly increasing alternative, non-graphical (or non screen- or projection- the awareness of the amount of foreign products purchases, based) ways of communicating information. They it was expected that customers would choose more local demonstrate more explorative design approaches that are products that require less transportation costs and lead to more inspired by digital, interactive art works than less environmental impact. Similarly, the wallpaper concept traditional data mapping algorithms. By deliberately aspired to influence the decisions of students of which exploring the borders of human’s cognitive perceptive computer lab to go to, for instance the one that is the most capabilities through infotropic stimulation by way of quiet, least occupied, and with the fastest network. motion, light, or temperature, these displays deliberately However, these persuasive considerations have not been provoke unpredictable interpretations. However, because clearly translated, as they were diluted by concerns about the objects are more directly related to their environmental the physical adaptation to the environmental context, the context, the resulting interpretations are more narrow than general acceptability by users and a desire for artistic for spatial installations. Whereas typical ambient displays originality. Because the display designs concealed the true focus on conveying simple but meaningful patterns within intentions and their environmental contexts were too broad datasets, ambient artifacts ‘utilize’ the data to communicate for accurate interpretation, the resulting persuasive impact a more elaborate, subjective message. In other words, the was low. representation of patterns within the data is overturned in favor of interpretative meanings that underlie the data. Instead of augmenting knowledge about a dataset, such displays aim for changing subjective attitudes of users. The dataset is then reduced to a medium, used as a real-world context and justification for the existence of the artifact. Such displays do not aim for objective observation, but rather provoke personal interpretation, quite similar to good works of art. As ambient artifacts convey underlying messages related to real-time data, they are able to inform and involve people. It is this capability to stimulate higher level reasoning based on information that forms the persuasive potential of ambient display applications. Figure 3. Wearable ambient visualization. Left: a light- WEARABLE / UBIQUITOUS AMBIENT DISPLAY emitting basketball jersey showing game-related information From building facades to small artifacts, from mobile (Designer: Mitchell Page, [14]); Right: a wearable folding devices to electronic fashion, information access seems to device conveying activity information (Designer: Monika be reaching the borders of technology miniaturization. At Hoinkis, [16]). the same time, information becomes increasingly related to Dissimilar to fashion, which is ultimately decided by the the actual environmental context of the user, such as the wearer, a wearable display determines its visual presence actual location, situation, activity or social status. The most autonomously, depending on sensor-depending recent advances in ambient display target the ubiquitous or instructions. As the wearer thus looses the power to pervasive paradigm, or the use of computational devices determine her visual presence, such display can become a that enhance the experience of everyday life by interfaces useful tool for persuasive purposes: to influence the that are embedded within the physical environment [6]. display, the wearer will ultimately need to alter her Several potential benefits of ubiquitous computing have behavior. Figure 3 shows two wearable ambient displays. been described that demonstrate how technology can On the left, TeamAwear, an electronically-enhanced support activities and values that are fundamentally basketball jersey that is capable of displaying publicly different from those that are existing today [3]. Whereas available sports data related to the wearer (e.g. fouls, score, most ubiquitous computing research efforts focus on time clocks)[14]. On the right, a fashion-neutral wearable improving sensor analysis and context recognition device that creates fabric folds depending on environmental performance, only few research projects exist that focus on data related to the wearer, such as the amount of how such context-related information can be fed back to movements, sounds and social contacts over the time span the users. ‘Wearable visualization’, the use of wearable of a day [16]. The designs of both displays were inspired by computing technology to represent information, is a the ambient display concept: they both attempt to convey recently emerging application area based on insights from information through “subtle changes in form, movement, ambient display and electronic fashion. A wearable sound, color, smell, temperature, or light” [18], are based visualization uses small computers that can be continuously on ‘non-critical’ dynamic data streams, can be observed in worn on the human body to communicate information, the periphery of human attention, are meant for a non- either to the wearer herself, or to other people in the expert audience, and are designed with attention to visual wearer’s vicinity. It differs from more common visual aesthetics to increase their general acceptance by the applications on mobile devices in that wearables are public. Both displays contain subtle persuasive qualities, specifically designed to be unobtrusively integrated within aiming to alter the behavior of the wearers to some degree. the user’s clothing. By merging visualization with fashion, For instance, the TeamAwear’s original design hypothesis clothing is considered as a sort of public display that is consisted of providing additional information to the players meant to ‘signal’ an interpretable meaning [11]. Because of in a non-intrusive way. By wearing these jerseys, it was its continuous and public setting, a wearable display can expected that players would make better in-game decisions potentially alter the experience of the wearer or of other and thus experience a more challenging game-play. people present in the immediate vicinity. Ultimately, those However, although the players felt more confident, the onlookers might even be experiencing the presence of the highest impact was reported by the referees, coaches and wearer differently. Wearable visualization shifts the context audience members. Similar to an ambient display, the in which people perceive and interpret information from folding display was specifically designed to become space and architecture (i.e. spatial ambient display), or understandable over time, only by those people that had object affordances and product usability (i.e. ambient extensive exposure to the display, or were personally artifact), towards the presence of the user herself, who informed by the wearer about the used data mapping constantly shifts her contextual setting depending on algorithms. Here, the design deliberately used an location, activities or time of day. ambiguous metaphor of fabric folding to ‘encrypt’ the data in time and effort for obvious privacy reasons. In contrast to the large-scale context of spatial ambient displays, wearable visualizations represent information within the environmental context of the wearer, with the aim to alter awareness of underlying principles, and ultimately aim to the experience of that context for the wearer and any encourage behavioral changes. However, it is still onlookers. Because of its close relationship to the context, undefined whether the unique qualities of ambient displays wearable visualization seems to be an ideal platform for are more suitable for such purposes than direct feedback or persuasive applications. self-reporting methods. PERSUASIVE VISUALIZATION Design and Evaluation Considerations Sustainable living, energy conservation, water The goals and expectations of persuasive visualization management, health prevention trust, social integration, and require that the current assumptions and heuristics of ethics are only a few examples of potential application ambient display need to be reassessed. For instance, the areas that often utilize information presentations to increase concerns about aesthetic quality should reach beyond people’s awareness and change their behavior. Imagine adapting the design to its environmental setting. Instead, a being able to ambiently represent the true environmental persuasive visualization could be assessed on how it impact of products, the energy consumption of activities, or ‘convinces’ or ‘encourages’ behavioral change, alters the health risks of food items at the exact moment when opinions and attitudes, augments human awareness or leads such decisions are made. Different from other feedback to ‘reflection’ or ‘discussion’. New evaluation methods are approaches, and because of the ambient qualities, such required to objectively measure behavioral change. As display should be able to not unnecessarily disturb the user novelty and curiosity might initially be the major factors during this activity. Such displays would allow people to that drive behavioral changes, longitudinal studies are make more informed decisions while buying specific required to assess user compliance and long-term sustained products, eating fast food, taking a shower or choosing the effects. However, traditional long-term behavior and stairs or the elevator, but avoid the tendency to nag or attitude capturing methods, including self-monitoring annoy users. Such displays should be different from techniques such as diaries and retrospective reporting, have traditional feedback methods, in that they personally typical low success rates. They either require physically involve the user when he or she wishes to do so. Ambient carrying around a diary or the retrospective completion of display could become an ideal platform for this task, in its reports at the end of the day. The effort of carrying around focus on real-time data, context dependency, aesthetics and a diary results in a low long-term user compliance. personal interpretation. Retrospective reporting is relatively unreliable due to recall bias and cognitive errors. In addition, the continuous self- Background monitoring ultimately might even influence the behavior Several visualization projects already exist that directly or change more than the displays, either positively or indirectly aim to encourage human behavior modification, negatively. However, alternative evaluation opportunities and could be classified under the term “persuasive exist in measuring behavioral changes over random visualization”. For instance, the original Bus Schedule intervals, or by monitoring the direct effects of behavior visualization was evaluated by measuring whether more changes, instead of the attitudes themselves. students were logging off the university computers in tact with the bus schedule after the display was installed [12]. Ethical Considerations DiMicco et al. [2] conducted a behavioral study to examine A persuasive visualization is different from an ambient how a shared graphical display of individual speaker- display in that people need to rely on and trust the participation rates impacted the behavior of a group during information shown, so that they are willing to alter their a collaboration task. A visualization of the power behavior. Whereas all visualizations should be trustworthy, consumption of radiators helped people understand and no real danger is involved when an international weather reflect upon their energy usage [7]. Several creative design diagram is miscomprehended. However, an ambient local interventions in public space aimed to promote energy bus schedule might immediately loose its functionality, and awareness, increasing awareness and provoking responses probably never recover, when people stop trusting its and discussion [10]. A short evaluation study showed how accurateness. Naturally, this concern shifts even further a subtle plant display positively influenced the recycling when people should become willing to modify their habits of students [9]. The impact of this display resulted in personal behavior based on what they understand from the more than just informing people about their recycling display, for instance when purchasing more healthy food habits, as people effectively changed their recycling products, conducting a more sustainable lifestyle or making behavior. Morris [13] recently developed a social network social contacts. This issue becomes even more evident for visualization with sensor-generated and self-reported data, persuasive purposes that rely on personal data, such as to foster awareness and empowerment of social health. health information or physiological sensor readings, which Other researchers developed a semi-graphical mobile phone could potentially lead to adverse behavior changes. application to encourage physical activity [1]. These CONCLUSION examples prove how socially relevant information can be This paper discussed a recent shift in ambient information represented in persuasive ways. They shift simple systems, which can be coined as a focus towards information representation towards augmenting human ‘persuasive visualization’. It identified a recent tendency of ambient displays to become smaller, more personal and 8. Holmquist, L.E., Skog, T.: Informative Art: Information more persuasive, and showed how ambient displays Visualization in Everyday Environments. 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