Designing technologies for developing world contexts - Workshop

Following on from the hct4d workshop a practical workshop at the LKL, London.

Tuesday 11 December 2007, 10:00am - 5:00pm A 1-day exploratory workshop

(for details)

"The aim of this 1-day exploratory workshop is to investigate the ways in which we can design technologies for use in developing countries, creating context-appropriate solutions. The day will focus on producing design scenarios that address real-world problems supported  by current and emerging mobile technologies. Participants are encouraged to take a 'hands-on' approach as part of small design teams."

To take part, please email your bio to design4dev@gmail.com 
Free, but space is limited to 15 participants

Organised by Niall Winters and Mike Ananny
Supported by the London Knowledge Lab, the VeSeL project, Stanford Dept of Communication and the Trudeau Foundation

The Future

Workshop participants agreed to promote the same theme for future BHCI conferences and expand on this. We felt that this area has specific concerns with the design of innovative technologies for development and while clearly related to the existing areas of HCI and ICT4D merits the formation of a new communities. There was also interest in a group specifically interested in human centred and participatory methods for design educational technologies for developing contexts.

Related Groups & Communities

Lone Dirckinck-Holmfeld mentioned a Masters program at Aalborg University on ICT for Development. Roger Tucker also mentioned Richard Heeks at Manchester and the ICT4D collective at Royal Holloway and IDS at Sussex were also mentioned. Please feel free to add to the list by commenting on this post.

Upcoming & Past Events

Please do add more you know about as comments on this post

Workshop at DIS 2008 (Cape Town)
Workshop at CHI 2008 (Florence)
Mini-track at HCI International 2009 (San Diego)
ALT-C 2008 - Rethinking the Digital Divide (Leeds, UK)
IUI4DR - Intelligent User Interfaces for Developing Regions

In the past

Panel & SIG at Interact 2007 (Rio de Janiero)
UCD4ID at CHI 2007
DSA conference at IDS Sussex

Value of on the ground research Breakout Group

Can someone who was in the group provide some summary, please. Just add it as comments on this post

Top-down/Bottom-up Breakout Group

Can someone from this group provide some summary, please. Just post a comment..

Context - Breakout Group

This group defined context generally as a rich picture of users/a community. With a mix of industry and academic researchers, a distinction was made between academic research and R&D (development in this case related to industrial activity not local economic development).

Lone made a distinction between participatory methods and a sociocultural approach: the latter regards local participants as partners or developers, rather than end users. Related to this was giving 'unfinished' products or tools to local people, for them to create and develop things. Yahoo was mentioned as an example, along with NTT DoCoMo. As opposed to user-led innovation of this sort, an alternative approach mentioned by Elizabeth Churchill and practiced by Yahoo and others is outright acquisition of specialised developers. Intellectual property is a related issue, and she added that when partnering with academic researchers, Yahoo sometimes doesn't seek to develop products jointly.

The issue of localisation, or 'glocalisation' was discussed. Lone suggested that this should include training, with local universities being regarded as middlemen. She also added that entire countries could become innovators, based on their historical context; a focus on historical context characterises the Scandinavian sociocultural approach.

Thanks

Thanks everyone for making this such a great day!

Watch this space for comments on the day, audio & video clips and publications news...

HCT4D Workshop Programme

Short presentations, video presentations and demonstrations will be interspersed with time for structured discussion, informal chat and networking. Really looking forward to an interesting day :-)

WORKSHOP SCHEDULE

8.30-9 Arrival and coffee

9-9.30 Introduction

9.30-10.30

• Designing 3ERP to meet use and users: methods to handle cultural diversity and collaborative networking in SMEs by Janni Nielsen and Lone Dirckinck-Holmfeld (Denmark)
• Innovative Design Approach for Technology Adoption for illiterate and Semi-illiterate Users in Rural Kenya by Daniel Orwa Ochieng and Lucy Macharia (U of Nairobi)
• Towards Participatory Design for M2O by Yishay Mor and Niall Winters (LKL)

10.30-11 Discussion & Coffee

11-12

• Found in Translation: Experiences from the Fair Tracing Project by Dorothea Kleine (Royal Holloway)
• E-Quality (quality in virtual campuses) in developing countries: Case study of Iran by Davoud Masoumi (Sweden)
• Technology Diffusion in Rural Markets – A User-centred Approach by Maryam Aziz and Graham I. Johnson (NCR, UK)

12-12.15 Discussion leading to lunch

12.15-13.45 Lunch

13.45-14 Summary of morning & introduce afternoon

14-15 3 talks

• HCT Design for the Developing world: Challenges Ahead by Riad Saba (Lebanon
• Capacity Building and ICTs in Remote First Nations Communities in Canada: a case study by Richard Smith and Jean Hébert (Canada)
• The Self-initiative use of IM in China for Learning by Hui Deng and Yinjuan Shao (China/Nottingham)

15-15.30 Discussion & Coffee

15.30-16.30

• Comparison of Participative Design Experience in UK and Kenya by Roger Tucker (StoryBank project, UK)
• Fluid technology design for development by Niall Winters and Josh Underwood (LKL)
• We come and go, what happens after the projects end by Dorothy Rachovides (Surrey)

16.30-17 Discussion & Coffee

17-18.30 Diva video & Demos & Discussion

...leading to pre-conference reception.

Abstracts and links to position papers below.

HCT Design for the Developing world: Challenges Ahead

presentation video

Riad Saba. University of Balamand, Tripoli, Lebanon

Abstract
Human Centered Technologies designed for developed countries often assume certain conditions that are not readily available in the developing world. This fact is illustrated by exposing some of the problems faced in the course of conducting PhD research carried with the University of Nottingham in the UK while being based in the University of Balamand in the north of the Middle Eastern country of Lebanon.

position paper pdf

Found in Translation: Experiences from the Fair Tracing Project

presentation video

Dorothea Kleine. Department of Geography, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK

Abstract
This position paper recounts some of the experiences and lessons learned from working as an interdisciplinary team on the EPSRC Fair Tracing Project. The benefits and challenges of working with different stakeholders and responding to diverse audiences are also discussed.
Keywords: interdisciplinarity, participation, multiple stakeholders, diverse audiences, politics, technology

position paper pdf

Innovative Design Approach for Technology Adoption for illiterate and Semi-illiterate Users in Rural Kenya

Daniel Orwa Ochieng & Lucy Macharia. School of Computing and informatics, University of Nairobi, Kenya

Abstract
Implementing existing design methods in developing user centered interfaces for rural computing applications exposes the designer to a number of pitfalls. For one, it is still largely unclear whether they are suitable for the developing world, and with large investments being made in ICT for development and education in the developing nations, it is important, rather, critical that these developments are in fact usable, useful, appropriate and well adapted to the communities in which they are intended to be used [1].

The target user in this situation is largely illiterate or at best, semi-illiterate and as such most have rudimentary skills and exposure to technology. Life in the rural areas is also fraught with extensive poverty making accessibility to things like computers a pipe dream for many. Poor infrastructure also makes it very costly and nearly impossible to implement wired systems. The fact that technology is one of the key effectors of economic turnaround of rural economies [2] as well as proliferation of wireless connectivity however presents wonderful opportunity for human centered design innovations targeting this unique group of users. Through investigation of various self – help groups in rural Ukambani in Kenya, we seek to identify unique characteristics and environments of the users, analyse this information in a multi-disciplinary design process and finally develop an innovative human centered design approach that combines existing and new technology with our rural farmer situation. [3]

position paper pdf

Not presented at the workshop

The Self-initiative use of IM in China for Learning

presentation video

Hui Deng & Yinjuan Shao. Learning Science Research Institute, University of Nottingham, UK & South West University,China

Abstract
In this study, we examined how undergraduates use QQ, the most popular IM software in China, and their behaviors related to academic purpose by online interviews. We found QQ is not only used as social software but also for learning purpose spontaneously. Learners initiate various learning through QQ without any guidance of tutors and teachers and all these learning activities happened mostly in informal settings.

position paper pdf

We come and go, what happens after the projects end?

presentation video

Dorothy Rachovides. Digital World Research Centre, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK

Abstract
This paper examines the problem that arises with projects like StoryBank who work closely with a community and at the end of the funding have to leave the site.
Keywords: Digital divide, ICT4D.Trust
The StoryBank project is one of four ICT-for-development research projects funded by UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council in the UK.

position paper pdf

Designing 3ERP to meet use and users

presentation video

- methods to handle cultural diversity and collaborative networking in SMEs

Janni Nielsen & Lone Dirckinck-Holmfeld. Copenhagen Business School, CAICT/HCI, Denmark

Abstract
The purpose is to describe a project the aim of which is to develop and validate the scientific methodological foundation for design of user friendly and usable, flexible and configurable global Enterprise Resource Planning system for Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) which are adoptable to cultural diversity and support the collaborative networking tasks embedded in 3gERP. Focus is on Human Centered Design methods and tools which must be developed to handle cultural diversity.

position paper pdf

Capacity Building and ICTs in Remote First Nations Communities in Canada: a case study

Richard Smith & Jean Hébert. Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Abstract
In this paper, we present the results of a year-long study looking at the challenges faced in providing all remote First Nations communities in British Columbia with high speed internet access. Lessons that can be drawn include (1) the value of local consultation at every step of the ICT rollout (from conception to capacity building to long range planning), (2) understanding the policy and bureaucratic framework of the various levels of government through which resources and key personnel can be effectively mobilized to ensure the project’s success and (3) utilizing software, hardware, and IT resources that are relevant, useful and appropriate to the specific needs and circumstances of each community affected by such projects.

position paper pdf

Not presented at the workshop

Towards Participatory Design for M2O

presentation video

Yishay Mor & Niall Winters. London Knowledge Lab, University of London , UK

Abstract
M2O (read: em two oh) stands for mobile access to participatory media. Participatory media (also known as ‘social software’) have a great empowering potential, in knowledge sharing, community organization and active citizenship. However, they are not accessible to those who do not have a networked computer. Furthermore, they tend to loose the local dimension of knowledge and social interaction. Following some pilot studies conducted at the London Knowledge Lab, we are seeking ways to engage in a field study of participatory design of M2O systems in a developing region.

position paper pdf

Comparison of Participative Design Experience in UK

presentation video

Roger Tucker, Outside Echo Ltd, UK; Pernilla Näsfors, Uppsala University, Sweden; Mucemi Gakuru, University of Nairobi, Kenya

Introduction
Participative design bridges the intellectual gap between the designer and end users to ensure that the product really does meet the needs of the end users. For technology, the gap can be very large even between users and designers belonging to the same culture and with similar education and life experience. When designing technology for the developing world, there may be so little commonality that it is almost impossible to judge what will work– even if the fundamentals of needs-gap, ease-of-
use and cost are well thought through.

This paper reflects on the differences between two participative design experiences, one in the UK and one in Kenya. The UK experience is of the first author designing a PC notetaking application to help dyslexic students with lectures. The Kenyan experience is of the three authors jointly designing an agricultural information voice portal for Kenyan farmers and smallholders.

position paper pdf

Fluid technology design for development

presentation video

Niall Winters & Josh Underwood. London Knowledge Lab, Institute of Education, University of London , UK

Abstract
Designing learning technologies for developmental contexts is a difficult problem. Based on an analysis of the development of the Zimbabwe Bush Pump [1], in this paper we apply the concept of ‘fluidity’ to technology design. The underlying principles are detailed and their relationship to issues in human computer interaction discussed.

position paper pdf

E-Quality (quality in virtual campuses) in developing countries: Case study of Iran

Davoud Masoumi

Introduction
Explosive growth of the ICT in the world has made it a popular platform for providing a wide range of electronic services (e-service) from business to education (Chiu, et al, 2005). It is widely accepted that advances in information technology and new developments in learning science provides opportunities to create well-designed, learner-centered, engaging, interactive, efficient, easily accessible, flexible, meaningful, distributed and facilitated e-learning environments (Khan 2005).
This rapid evolution and widespread penetration of new media and technologies represents both significant challenges as well as significant opportunities to the higher education systems of the “developing world”. Countries that lack a sound higher education infrastructure can thereby tap the resources of the more developed countries. However higher education and universities in developing countries are increasingly facing pressures from globalization and the knowledge society (Heydenrych, 2002), and there is a widening gap between the developed and developing worlds ("digital divide") in this area (Wolff and MacKinnon, 2002). It is obvious that ICT serve first those who have access to it, and therefore tend to put at higher priority exchanges between technologically equipped partner.

position paper pdf

Not presented at the workshop

Extended Deadline - 5 August

Deadline extended until 5 August

2nd Deadline Dates
05 Aug 07 - position paper deadline
15 Aug 07 - notification of acceptance
26 Aug 07 - presentation slides deadline
04 Sept 07 - workshop

Authors who submitted to the first deadline will be notified by 30 July.

Remember Early bird registration prices finish 5th August!
(see important dates on right ->)

Call For Participation

Workshop: Designing human centered technologies for the developing world: HCI but not as we know it. Tue, 4 Sept. 2007 at the HCI 2007 conference, Lancaster, UK

With huge investments being made in ICT for development (ICT4D) and education (e.g. "$100 laptop," UN programmes etc.) and high expectations being raised, it is critical to ensure that ICT developments are in fact usable, useful, appropriate and well adapted to the communities and contexts in which they are intended to be used. This requires well designed solutions, which in turn requires appropriate human-centred design methods. However, it is unclear that methods largely developed for and with users in the developed world will prove appropriate in the developing world. This workshop aims to bring together interested parties and strengthen the User-centred design for development (UCS4D) community, as well as contribute to the body of knowledge about designing for and with communities in the developing world.

GOALS OF THE WORKSHOP

• Share experiences of Human Centred Design in the developing world;
• Identify key issues and patterns;
• Explore new, alternative and modified methods for human centred and participatory design of Development Technologies;
• Develop new partnerships - particularly international partnerships;
• Disseminate learning from this workshop through online and and offline publication; and
• Strengthen the HCI in Development Technology community.

To participate in this workshop submit a two-page position paper to Kevin Walker k.walker@ioe.ac.uk by 5 August 07. Suggested formatting Word Template.

POSSIBLE THEMES

• Case studies of user-centred design and participatory experiences in the developing world - both successes and failures;
• The difficulties of separating development and research objectives;
• Design of educational technology for development;
• Participatory methods from community action, education, agriculture, technology design, theatre, etc..;
• Innovative methods for designing for and with communities with diverse needs; or
• Managing expectations in participatory design projects.

Cost: £80 before 5 Aug. (workshop only) see HCI 2007

Workshop Proposal Accepted

Workshop: - Designing human centred technologies for the developing world: HCI but not as we know it has been accepted for delivery at the HCI 2007 conference, to be held at Lancaster University, UK, September 3-7 2007.

Details on workshop date and submission procedure to follow...

ABSTRACT

ICT could be a powerful tool for development, but how appropriate are developed-world HCI methods? Should we 'parachute in' foreign methods, do we have more to learn than to teach?

Categories and Subject Descriptors
H.5.2 [User Interfaces]: Evaluation/methodology, Graphical User Interfaces, Input devices and strategies, Interaction styles, Prototyping, Screen design, Standardization, Style guides, Theory and methods, User-centered design

General Terms
Measurement, Documentation, Design, Reliability, Experimentation, Human Factors, Standardization.

Keywords
Development, developing world, Africa, Asia, participatory design

1. INTRODUCTION

With huge investments being made in ICT for development (ICT4D) and education (e.g. "$100 laptop," UN programmes etc.) and high expectations being raised, it is critical to ensure that ICT developments are in fact usable, useful, appropriate and well adapted to the communities and contexts in which they are intended to be used. This requires well designed solutions, which in turn requires appropriate human-centred design methods. However, it is unclear that methods largely developed for and with users in the developed world will prove appropriate in the developing world. This workshop aims to bring together interested parties and strengthen the User-centred design for development (UCD4D) community, as well as contribute to the body of knowledge about designing for and with communities in the developing world.

2. GOALS OF THE WORKSHOP

• Share experiences of Human Centred Design in the developing world;
• Identify key issues and patterns;
• Learn from each other's experiences;
• Explore new, alternative and modified methods for human centred and participatory design of Development Technologies;
• Develop new partnerships - particularly international partnerships;
• Disseminate learning from this workshop through online and and offline publication; and
• Strengthen the HCI in Development Technology community.

3. LIKELY PARTICIPANTS

We hope to attract participants from varied backgrounds, not just designers of ICT. Agriculture and technology, ICT for education, development and community action. We also expect participants from UK based 'Bridging the Global Digital Divide' projects and ICT for Development community. Our own backgrounds are in HCI, education, internationalisation, and technology and social action.

4. CALL FOR PAPERS

ICT4D is currently a 'hot research topic' in many fields with recent conferences (for example, eLearning Africa), conference tracks (CAL 07 ICT4D) and workshops (AI in ICT for Development Workshop) dedicated to the theme. However, until recently less attention has been paid to the specific difficulties of designing for and with communities in the developing world (see UCD4ID). How appropriate are developed-world participatory and human-centred methods? Should we be 'parachuting in' foreign methods and experts, or focusing attention on building local HCI expertise? Do we in fact have more to learn than to teach?

To participate in this workshop submit a two-page position paper. Possible themes are:

• Case studies of user-centred design and participatory experiences in the developing world - both successes and failures;
• The difficulties of separating development and research objectives;
• Design of educational technology for development;
• Participatory methods from community action, education, agriculture, technology design, theatre, etc..;
• Innovative methods for designing for and with communities with diverse needs; or
• Managing expectations in particpatory design projects.

5. BEFORE THE WORKSHOP

The workshop organisers will invite short position papers. These will be reviewed by committee. Accepted papers will then be made available online on workshop blog. Comments on papers will be enabled and participants will be encouraged to post comments to the blog Key issues arising from papers and comments will be identified prior to the conference. Outcomes from other recent workshop will also be linked from the blog and issues for discussion may also be drawn from there.

6. AT THE WORKSHOP

Facilitators will make short presentations around the key issues & challenges identified before the workshop.

Participants will then make short presentations, and will be encourgaged to address specific comments from the blog. If appropriate permissions are given we will record the presentations (and/or stream them live using Elluminate if possible) in order to broaden participation beyond those that are able to travel to the conference.

This will be followed by discussion. Participants will break in to small groups to discuss a subset of these issues and challenges with a facilitator.. Each group will summarise its discussions to the workshop as a whole.

We will produce a poster and presentation to summarise the workshop activity and outcomes.

7. AFTER THE WORKSHOP

The blog will act as a record of the workshop, and also the hub for a community in UCD4D. We will collect the output of the workshop and edit into a journal special issue, or book, as appropriate. We will also disseminate our findings in relevant networks, communities and organisations.

8.1 Coordinators

Andy Dearden (point of contact for communication) is a participatory designer with a background in human computer interaction. His recent work has investigated tools to support distributed forms of participation in design and the design of ICT systems to support ‘social action’ in voluntary and community groups, NGOs and ‘civil society’.

Lynne Dunckley, Ph.D. (Birmingham), is Professor of Information Technology at the Institute for IT at Thames Valley University. Prior to her academic career she worked for central and local government organizations, specialising in database design and project management. In addition she has worked as a usability consultant for cross-cultural design and interoperability. She has carried out consultancy for numerous e-Commerce companies and published work in the Journal of Decision Systems, Interacting with Computers, Interact, International Ergonomics Applications and major international conferences in Europe and USA. She is the author of a textbook on Multimedia Databases (2003) and a book for database practitioners on application development using rich media in Oracle (2007). She has chaired an international conference on the internationalisation of products and services.

Rosemary Luckin is Professor of Learner Centred Design at the London Knowledge Lab. Prior to this she was director and co-founder of the Interactive Digital Educational Applications Lab and the Human Centred Technology Research group at Sussex. She is an experienced project manager and has held a range of EU/EPSRC and ESRC grants. She is a member of several journal editorial boards and conference program committees in the area of educational technology, including those of the International Association of Artificial Intelligence in Education. She has numerous peer reviewed journal and conference publications and has acted as a consultant to various organisations including the BBC and the DFES. She has worked with schools in Brazil, has close working relationships with many UK schools and set up the Sussex Education Skills Exchange to foster exchanges of knowledge and skills between with practitioners.

8.2 Committee

Rose Luckin, London Knowledge Lab IOE
Lynne Dunckley, Thames Valley University
Andrew M. Dearden, Sheffield Hallam
Jose.Abdelnour-Nocera, Thames Valley University
Souleymane Camara, Thames Valley University
Liz Fearon, Aptivate
Cecilia Oyugi, Thames Valley University
Joshua Underwood, London Knowledge Lab
Tim Mwololo Waema, University of Nairobi
Kevin Walker, London Knowledge Lab

8.3 Contact

Kevin Walker
London Knowledge Lab
23-29 Emerald Street
London WC1N 3QS
+44 (0)20 7763 2170
k.walker@ioe.ac.uk