Thesis Overview Improving Tool Support for Personal Information Management Richard Boardman Dept. of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Imperial College London

Research Area Personal Information Management (PIM) the collection, storage, organization and retrieval of items of digital information (e.g. email, files, appointments, reminders, contacts, bookmarks) by an individual in their personal computing environment (Lansdale, 1988)

Personal Information Management (PIM)

the collection, storage, organization and retrieval of items of digital information (e.g. email, files, appointments, reminders, contacts, bookmarks) by an individual in their personal computing environment (Lansdale, 1988)

Research Problem Evidence that many people struggle to manage their personal information Design challenge: improve PIM tools But under-researched (Whittaker et al., 2000) Popular design route = PIM-integration Problem 1: Lack of cross-tool requirements Problem 2: Lack of evaluation

Evidence that many people struggle to manage their personal information

Design challenge: improve PIM tools

But under-researched (Whittaker et al., 2000)

Popular design route = PIM-integration

Problem 1: Lack of cross-tool requirements

Problem 2: Lack of evaluation

Research Objectives Systematic investigation of integration as a design strategy to improve PIM-tools: Develop increased understanding of PIM behaviour and needs from a cross-tool perspective Design, implement and evaluate a novel PIM-integration mechanism Generate design and methodological recommendations

Systematic investigation of integration as a design strategy to improve PIM-tools:

Develop increased understanding of PIM behaviour and needs

from a cross-tool perspective

Design, implement and evaluate a novel PIM-integration mechanism

Generate design and methodological recommendations

User-centered Design Methodology Cross-tool Exploratory Study (Ch 4) Semi-structured interviews Design and implementation (Ch 5) Incremental design approach Cross-tool Main Study (Ch 6) Field Trial: (a) evaluate design and (b) longitudinal study Model development (Ch 4,6,7) Develop models to describe findings

Cross-tool Exploratory Study (Ch 4)

Semi-structured interviews

Design and implementation (Ch 5)

Incremental design approach

Cross-tool Main Study (Ch 6)

Field Trial: (a) evaluate design and (b) longitudinal study

Model development (Ch 4,6,7)

Develop models to describe findings

Contributions 1: Improved Knowledge on PIM Comparison of PIM behaviour between files, email and bookmarks (Ch 4) Improved classifications of organizing strategies (tool-specific and cross-tool) Model of incremental changes in organizing behaviour (Ch 6) cf. Balter 1997 Improvement of Barreau’s PIM model (Ch 7) To reflect cross-tool, supporting, ongoing properties of PIM

Comparison of PIM behaviour between files, email and bookmarks (Ch 4)

Improved classifications of organizing strategies (tool-specific and cross-tool)

Model of incremental changes in organizing behaviour (Ch 6)

cf. Balter 1997

Improvement of Barreau’s PIM model (Ch 7)

To reflect cross-tool, supporting, ongoing properties of PIM

Contributions 2: Design and Evaluation WorkspaceMirror prototype (Ch 5) Novel PIM-integration mechanism, driven by observations of folder overlap in Ch 4 Evaluation results (Ch 5,6) Promise of mirroring for top-level folders Design recommendations (Ch 7) Pros and cons of integration Methodological recommendations (Ch 7) Evaluate PIM designs from tool-specific and cross-tool perspectives

WorkspaceMirror prototype (Ch 5)

Novel PIM-integration mechanism, driven by observations of folder overlap in Ch 4

Evaluation results (Ch 5,6)

Promise of mirroring for top-level folders

Design recommendations (Ch 7)

Pros and cons of integration

Methodological recommendations (Ch 7)

Evaluate PIM designs from tool-specific and cross-tool perspectives

Questions and Discussion