TY - JOUR
T1 - Artefacts as designed, artefacts as used
T2 - Resources for uncovering activity dynamics
AU - Ramduny-Ellis, Devina
AU - Dix, Alan
AU - Rayson, Paul
AU - Onditi, Victor
AU - Sommerville, Ian
AU - Ransom, Jane
PY - 2005/6/7
Y1 - 2005/6/7
N2 - This paper addresses the use of artefacts as a powerful resource for analysis, focusing on the 'artefact as designed' as a means of eliciting the designers' explicit and implicit knowledge and 'artefacts as used' as a means of uncovering the trail left by currently inactive processes. Artefact analysis is particularly suitable in situations where direct observation is ineffective, especially in activities that occur infrequently. We demonstrate the usefulness of our technique through the analysis of artefacts within both the office and the meeting environment. This is part of a wider study aimed at understanding the nature of decisions in meetings with the view of producing a tool to aid decision management and hence reduce rework. We conclude by drawing out some general lessons from our analysis, which reaffirms the intricate role that artefacts play in maintaining activity dynamics.
AB - This paper addresses the use of artefacts as a powerful resource for analysis, focusing on the 'artefact as designed' as a means of eliciting the designers' explicit and implicit knowledge and 'artefacts as used' as a means of uncovering the trail left by currently inactive processes. Artefact analysis is particularly suitable in situations where direct observation is ineffective, especially in activities that occur infrequently. We demonstrate the usefulness of our technique through the analysis of artefacts within both the office and the meeting environment. This is part of a wider study aimed at understanding the nature of decisions in meetings with the view of producing a tool to aid decision management and hence reduce rework. We conclude by drawing out some general lessons from our analysis, which reaffirms the intricate role that artefacts play in maintaining activity dynamics.
KW - Activity dynamics
KW - Archaeologically inspired artefact analysis
KW - Artefacts
KW - Decision
KW - Field study methodology
KW - Meetings
KW - Transect analysis
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=24944563057&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10111-005-0179-1
DO - 10.1007/s10111-005-0179-1
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:24944563057
SN - 1435-5558
VL - 7
SP - 76
EP - 87
JO - Cognition, Technology and Work
JF - Cognition, Technology and Work
IS - 2
ER -