'Time' and the design of familial social connectivity systems

We introduce a multi-location interactive touch screen based system (Collage), which enables the sharing of digital images and textual content between distributed intergenerational familial homes. We further explore the significance and importance of 'time' for designing technologies, which aim to support social connectivity between families. The collage system was utilized by three independent families, named A, B and C (Figure 1). Each family had at least two homes, typically one for the Grandparent's (GP) and one for the nuclear family. Family C had three different homes for the same extended family. The system ran for between 6 to 10 weeks in each of the three settings. The study encompassed in-depth interview data, supported by videotaped observation, and analysis of system audit logs, which reveals participants' experience of the system. In this paper we highlight the temporal structures embedded in the users everyday activities with Collage and the temporal affordances of the system itself. We maintain that these temporal factors provided family members with a resource for sharing, receiving, and managing their social interactions through Collage. We conclude by articulating design implications for intergenerational social connectivity systems with an emphasis on temporality as a design resource for mobile and networked image displays.