1. DIAM : TOWARDS A MODEL
FOR DESCRIBING
APPROPRIATION PROCESSES
THROUGH THE EVOLUTION OF
DIGITAL ARTIFACTS
Amaury Belin, Yannick Prié
Université de Lyon, CNRS Université Lyon 1
LIRIS, UMR5205, F-69622
amaury.belin@liris.cnrs.fr
yannick.prie@liris.cnrs.fr
1

2. MOTIVATIONS
Context Knowledge work Mediation Digital Tools
 evolution of digital material
Problem
Appropriation of Digital Complex process
Important topic in design
Technology Multiple dimensions
Scattered body of works and theories
Literature Taken from social perspective
Distant from technical concern
Contribution • A model to see appropriation through the
evolution of digital artifacts
• An additional way to consider appropriation
 artifact oriented  objective
2

3. OUTLINE
1. Appropriation of (digital) Technology
1. Digital Instrument Appropriation Model (DIAM)
2. Validation of the DIAM Model : Case Study
3. Conclusion & Perspectives
3

4. APPROPRIATION OF
TECHNOLOGY
“Appropriation is the way in which technologies are adopted, adapted and
incorporated into working practice.“ [Dourish, 2003]
Reorganization of activity Customization
New skills and knowledge Assigning new functions
User Artifact
Appropriation
Practice Sharing
Organization Collaborative Settings
4

5. APPROPRIATION OF
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY
Appropriation
User Digital Device
Bridging
the
Information
Conceptualization Gap
Digital Representations
Developing new Setting up
understandings of information
information structures
5

6. A MODEL FOR APPROPRATION:
REQUIREMENTS
• Account for the richness of appropriation
process
• Variety of related processes
• Situated into a social / cultural / technological
context
• Explain specifics of digital technology
appropriation
• Gap between user and digital representations
• Structures and operations to bridge this gap
6

7. OUTLINE
1. Appropriation of (digital) Technology
1. Digital Instrument Appropriation Model (DIAM)
• Theoritical Fundation : Instrumental Theory
• Static model of an appropriated artifact
• Exemple of an artifact (re)appropriation
• Dynamic model of artifact appropriation
2. Validation of the DIAM Model : Case Study
3. Conclusion & Perspectives
7

8. DIAM : INSTRUMENTAL THEORY
[Rabardel & Bourmaud, 2003]
Abstraction of a functional unit :
Instrument
Customization
Functional perception
Artifact
Function Set of Goals
Developing skills
& strategies Utilization
Schemes
User Object
8

9. DIAM : DIGITAL INSTRUMENT ?
Artifact
User Function
Utilization
Schemes
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10. DIGITAL Artifact
INSTRUMENT
Component
(STATIC) Interaction Structure Data Structure
Interaction Data
Schema Schema
User User Function
particularization particularization
“I’ll be really
busy next
Appropriation Utilization
week !”
Schema Schemes
Schemes
User Component

11. DIAM: A STATIC INSTRUMENT
Appropriation

12. DIAM: INSTRUMENT EVOLUTION

13. DIAM: INSTRUMENT EVOLUTION

14. DIAM: INSTRUMENT EVOLUTION

15. DIAM: INSTRUMENT EVOLUTION

16. DIAM: INSTRUMENT EVOLUTION
1 Problem
2 New Category
3 Duplication
4 Solution
=> New Habits

17. DIAM: INSTRUMENT EVOLUTION
1 Problem
2 New Category
1
3 Duplication
4 Solution
=> New Habits

18. DIAM: INSTRUMENT EVOLUTION
1 Problem
2 New Category
1
3 Duplication
2
4 Solution
=> New Habits

19. DIAM: INSTRUMENT EVOLUTION
1 Problem
2 New Category
1
3
3 Duplication
2
4 Solution
=> New Habits

20. DIAM: INSTRUMENT EVOLUTION
1 Problem
2 New Category
1
3
3 Duplication
2
4 Solution 4
=> New Habits

21. DIAM: INSTRUMENT EVOLUTION
1 Problem
2 New Category
1
3
3 Duplication
2
4 Solution 4
=> New Habits

22. DIGITAL Artifact
INSTRUMENT Component
(DYNAMIC) Interaction Structure Data Structure
MODEL
Interaction Data
Schema Schema
User User Function
particularization particularization
Appropriation Utilization
Schema Schemes
Circulation Schemes
Component
initiated by the
User user

23. DIGITAL Artifact
INSTRUMENT Component
(DYNAMIC) Interaction Structure Data Structure
MODEL
Circulation
initiated by the
designer Interaction Data
Designer Schema Schema
User User Function
particularization particularization
Appropriation Utilization
Schema Schemes
Circulation Schemes
Component
initiated by the
User user

24. DIGITAL Artifact
INSTRUMENT Component
(DYNAMIC) Interaction Structure Data Structure
MODEL
Circulation
Interaction Data
initiated by the
Schema Schema
designer
Designer User User Function
particularization particularization
Appropriation Utilization
Schema Schemes
Circulation Schemes
Component
initiated by the
User user

25. OUTLINE
1. Appropriation of (digital) Technology
1. Digital Instrument Appropriation Model (DIAM)
2. Validation of the DIAM Model : Case Study
3. Conclusion & Perspectives
25

26. CASE STUDY: PRESENTATION
• Context
• 7 Cinema Researchers
• New Video Annotation Tool
• Collaborative Movie Analysis Practice
• Research Question
• To what extent does DIAM help to describe
appropriation?
• Material
• Pre & Post Interviews (14)
• On field-observations
• Interaction traces & Screenshots
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27. CASE STUDY: CIRCULATIONS 1
Graphical User Interface of Lignes de Temps

28. CASE STUDY: CIRCULATIONS 2
Graphical User Interface of Lignes de Temps
28

29. CASE STUDY : CONCLUSION
The model helps to describe appropriation
• Explain user particularization of information
structures
The model fails into taking into account
• Instrument based on multiple-tool
• Collaborative dimension of appropriation
Potential of interaction traces
• Detect circulation and moment of instrumental
instability
• Detect utilization schemes
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30. CONCLUSIONS
• A dynamic model to describe evolutions of
digital artifact over the appropriation process
• Extending Instrumental Theory
• Taking into account specifics about appropriation of
digital artifacts
• First experimentation promising
• Key concepts to design and evaluate
appropriability of artifacts
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31. PERSPECTIVES
Fine-grained modelling of interaction level
Understand the role of mediation over users’
representation of data
Overstepping the « 1 Instrument = 1 Application »
simplification
Towards appropriation-aware technology ?
• From interaction traces to appropriation traces
• Better understanding of usage evolution over time
• Assist user with instrumental development
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