SUMMARY
Design and Research for Well-being Solutions in the Pandemic by Reflecting Time
This project reports a procedure and the results of a design workshop to reflect on time and timekeeping practices. The project began with a digital diary study design and later continued with the deployment and the analysis of the diary entries and concluded with a workshop. The workshop aimed to explore answers to the following questions:
> where does the work-life end, and where does private life begin?
> How can we manage the boundaries between work-time / non-work-time in which the way we work, relax, and socialize has drastically changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic?
> Do we have control over our time?
> Which conflicts and tensions does our lack of control of our time lead to?
> where does the work-life end, and where does private life begin?
> How can we manage the boundaries between work-time / non-work-time in which the way we work, relax, and socialize has drastically changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic?
> Do we have control over our time?
> Which conflicts and tensions does our lack of control of our time lead to?
Time is a precious resource, perhaps the most valuable among others. How we plan and spend our time directly impacts our well-being. Research indicates that top-down time management practices imposed upon us by modern life (e.g., the concept of fixed work time) create pressure on our wellbeing. This pressure has surely been recently multiplied by the COVID-19 pandemic.
METHODS
> Foundational Research
> Digital Diary Design
> Generative Workshop
> Qualitative Analysis
> Speculative Design
> Graphic Design
> Project Management
> Digital Diary Design
> Generative Workshop
> Qualitative Analysis
> Speculative Design
> Graphic Design
> Project Management
Diary Tasks
RESULTS
Insight 1: Fractured Time Checking Practices
More Than Seeing Numbers
Diaries revealed that current digital and/or app-based timekeeping technologies such as digital clocks and calendars do not fully cover the richness of subjective perception of time. New ways of representing time are necessary to better grasp the notion of time checking and activate positive thoughts while checking time. In this respect, timekeeping technologies can use (personalized) “things” that are meaningful for that user. For example, several design proposals mentioned ‘daily life activities’ as new means of representing time (e.g., using the coffee preparation process to visualize time).
Insight 2: Experiencing the Progression of Time
More than Static Points
Timekeeping technologies (e.g., mobile phone apps that track task efficiencies based on timers) are not fully integrated into our lives. The findings illustrated the necessity of experiencing the progression of time in new ways. The progression of time can be represented through non-circular and non-repetitive clock designs. For example, “Tetris” can be an example of using it as a metaphor for illustrating the progression of activities. Lastly, ideas-focused on “having an ability to be in the conversation” with timekeeping technologies to better grasp the notion of progression.
Insight 3: Intersections of the Schedules and Activities
More than Dull Calendars
Work and leisure time got fuzzy; work time has been transforming into something that is extensively long and overwhelming, and leisure time is gradually disappearing, resulting in an accumulation of negative emotions towards time. For example, some diaries mentioned their problems due to overwhelming work time (e.g., going into “depression sleep”); others raised the importance of equally valuing leisure time with work time.
Overall, the findings emphasized that current work time allocations are slot-based and that experiencing time through these slots (e.g., work time between 9:00-5:00 or meeting in 1:30 hours) causes negative emotions towards their perception of time. To address this problem, diaries suggested rethinking timekeeping tools as smart agents. The calendar was given as an example to take the initiative, and better communicate with its user by indicating: “Hey John, you were checking out ... and I see an open slot; maybe you can book for this slot?”. They indicated that such a solution would help them take back the control of time, which they have lost due to intersections between work and leisure-related activities.
FURTHER DETAILS
Take Back Control of Your Time: Design Activity for Reflecting on Time and Timekeeping Practices Mert Yildiz, Sila Umulu, Aykut Coskun and Bahar Sener. 2021. In Proceedings of the 23rd International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education (E&PDE 2021), VIA Design
Time Perceptions as a Material for Designing New Representations of Time Mert Yildiz and Aykut Coşkun. 2020. In Extended Abstracts of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '20). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, 1–7. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1145/3334480.3382950
Children in 2077: Designing children's technologies in the age of transhumanism Oğuz 'Oz' Buruk, [...] Annika Wolff, and Mert Yildiz. 2020. In Extended Abstracts of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA '20). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, 1–14. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1145/3334480.3381821