Element: An Ambient Display System for Evoking Self-Reflections and Supporting Social-Interactions in a Workspace

Abstract

In this paper, we present the design of Element, an ambient display system that displays the user’s emotional engagement level through color and shape change on a light fixture. Given the increasing number of people who experience exhaustion or burnout in professional contexts, our goal is to design an interface that helps people keep track of their engagements through an ambient display of real-time physiological data. We conduct two qualitative studies to investigate its possible benefits and users’ concerns from an individual perspective and social contexts with multiple users. The result shows that our design can not only aid users’ self-reflections and discovery on the intrapersonal level, it also shows the potential to help participants understand others’ emotional engagement and provide vital support when needed. Interestingly, our findings also highlighted the ethical concerns of displaying personal data in a public space. Reflecting on this crucial challenge, we also propose three social guidelines for helping users establish positive mindsets and cultures of using Element appropriately in sociotechnical environments.