Second Workshop on
Designing for Attention

3 - 7 September 2007 - Lancaster University UK
Mary Zajicek and Claudia Roda

Workshop at HCI 2007
21st Conference of the British HCI Group

Workshop Format

Scenarios are stories which present possible ways to use a system to accomplish some desired function. Thinking about and modelling attention is a complex process and for this reason we propose to use scenarios as a means of describing instances of attentional support. This method has been used successfully by the workshop organizers in the EU STREP Project Atgentive to develop a conceptual framework for attentional support in two differing applications.
Scenarios provide a useful framework within which to discuss the parameters of attentional support and ultimately provide a specification for software development.

Pre workshop activity
Those interested in participating will be asked to submit a position paper and three short scenarios illustrating practical applications of the issues addressed in the position paper. These will undergo a blind review process.
At most 10 papers with scenarios will be selected for oral presentation in the morning of the workshop.
To facilitate interaction, in advance of the workshop the organizers will analyze the selected scenarios, group them and identify particular attentional issues that arise. They will then develop discussion topics around these issues and collate them into a presentation which will be used to generate discussion. In this way the interests of participants are supported and a structure for discussion is identified to facilitate breakout group discussion during the afternoon of the workshop. The scenarios themselves will also provide a rich framework within which to discuss attention management in computing environments.

Workshop agenda
The programme for the day will be as follows:

Introduction to submitted scenarios – the organizers will make a presentation on the grouped scenarios and attentional issues that have arisen, together with the framework within which the discussions that follow will take place.

Presentation of selected papers and scenarios – participants will make short (15 mins) presentation of their papers and scenarios.

Group discussion of papers and scenarios – we will break into groups in the afternoon. Each group will be given a discussion topic and asked to further discuss the issues involved.

Report back – Each group will then report back, presenting a summary of its discussion.

Social activity – the group will go out for a social activity in the evening as a step towards building a collaborative community.