In this paper, we describe an approach to allocation of function that makes use of scenarios as its basic unit of analysis. Our use of scenarios is driven by a desire to ensure that allocation decisions are sensitive to the context in which the system will be used and by insights from economic utility theory. We use the scenarios to focus the attention of decision makers on the relative financial costs of developing automated support for the activities of the scenario, the relative impact of functions on the performance of the operator's primary role and on the relative demands placed on an operator within the scenario. By focussing on relative demands and relative costs, our method seeks to allocate the operator's limited resources to the most important and most productive tasks within the work system, and to direct the effort of the design organisation to the development of automated support for those functions that deliver the greatest benefit for the effective operation of the inte...

The production of design-oriented knowledge cannot be dealt with fruitfully based on traditional epistemology. In this paper the concept of design artefacts is suggested as a possible backbone in a future design-oriented pragmatic epistemology. It is claimed that a general understanding of how design is mediated is a necessary first step in understanding the use and production of designoriented knowledge Keywords: Design artefacts, epistemology, design, activity theory.

The elicitation or communication of user requirements comprises an early and critical but highly error-prone stage in system development. Socially-oriented methodologies provide more support for user involvement in design than the rigidity of more traditional methods, facilitating the degree of user-designer communication and the ‘capture ’ of requirements. A more emergent and collaborative view of requirements elicitation and communication is required to encompass the user, contextual and organisational factors. From this accompanying literature in communication issues in requirements elicitation, a four-dimensional framework is outlined and used to appraise comparatively four different methodologies seeking to promote a closer working relationship between users and designers. The facilitation of communication between users and designers is subject to discussion of the ways in which communicative activities can be ‘optimised ’ for successful requirements gathering, by making recommendations based on the four dimensions to provide fruitful considerations for system designers. 1.

2003 I dedicate this thesis to my son, Shuntaro, who came into this world on December

Function allocation is a central component of systems engineering and its main aim is to provide a rational means of determining which system-level functions should be carried out by humans and which by machines. Such allocation it is assumed can take place early in design life cycle. Such a rational approach to work design sits uneasily with studies of work practice reported in the HCI and CSCW literature. In this paper we present two case studies of work in practice. The first highlights the difference between functional abstractions used for function allocation decision making and what is required to make those functions work in practice. The second highlights how practice and technology can co-evolve in ways that change the meanings of functions allocated early in design. The case studies raise a number of implications for function allocation. One implication is that there is a need for richer representations of the work context in function allocation methods. Although some progres...

During participatory development different professional groups with different professional languages meet. They have to communicate about the future software in a profound way. To enable that, a common way to talk about the future software has to be developed, relating concepts of the use context and concepts of software development. An example of the development of such a project language is given and the relevance of this for design is argued for. To support the development of a project language a toolkit is provided in which methods are compiled that respects the creative side of ordinary language.

Abstract: This paper considers some of the everyday practicalities of delivering an electronic health record project within an NHS Hospital Trust. Using ethnographic, observational, data we document how and in what ways the orderly character of project work is achieved against a background of battles and negotiations to deliver the project within and despite various organisational contingencies and constraints.

The case study features a distributed international Community of Practice (CoP). CoPs are currently playing a major role in Knowledge Management (KM), and as organizations need to operate in a global economy, CoPs are

This paper discusses two examples of how shared technical support platforms are adapted and developed in organizations. One is support for object oriented design and programming, the other, production of documents in an office. These two cases represent longitudinal studies of the use, the adaptation and the development of these platforms. This development involved active mediation of platform coordinators, who were users of the shared environment, at the same time as they possessed, and developed further, skills and procedures to undertake its continued development. The paper applies a developmental perspective in that its concern is how the technical platform and the work practices surrounding it, are developing over time, and how the technical and organizational conditions have been in support of or a hindrance to this development. Tailoring and platform coordination The development in use of technical platforms is in literature often called tailoring. This process has been studied widely for some time, as have the roles of the tailors, or, as they are called in this paper, platform coordinators. Whereas e.g. (Gantt &

Technological change has led to the proceduralisation of flight deck work. Yet accidents attributable to pilot error still occur. CSCW studies of work suggest work as prescribed does not always reflect work as practised. While one might expect this to be less true of safety critical settings like the flight deck, the case studies we present provide support for this distinction. We present two re-framings which better capture the status of procedures on the flight deck. One case study illustrates what else is required in order to make procedures work. The second illustrates how procedures are customised. Instead of seeing them as prescriptions of work we view them as resources for action and boundary objects. We discuss design implications of this re-framing KEYWORDS Pilot error, CSCW, procedures, practices, resources for action, boundary object, due process. INTRODUCTION There have been many technological advances in the commercial aviation industry. A modern aircraft is now capabl...