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In this paper we present our approach for informing the design of ubiquitous computing by using pattern languages of human practice. By linking ethnography and design, this approach makes it possible to tackle the social dimension of ubiquitous computing in the design processes. Adding to the existing research on patterns of human practice for design, we solidify the methodology for creating pattern language by identifying its links with grounded theory and action research and, via an example of a navigation support system for frontline firefighters, showing how a pattern language becomes part of the design process. Reflecting on our work, we conclude that the pattern language approach provides a framework to design for existing practice and helps to reflect the impact of novel computing artifacts.

This graduation project focuses on the city center as a place for people to walk. Everyone knows that walking is the most primary form of mobility in the city. And the most of us do it every day. It is the most essential way for us to move around. It gives us the opportunity to explore and experience the surrounding environment. But, most certainly, everyone have experienced that some urban environments are less attractive or more difficult to travel through by walking compared with others. Did we ever made the decision not to walk, because of the urban environment? Maybe you felt unsafe or it was just too far to walk or any other reason? At that moment the urban environment could not provide the conditions for you to walk. To be able to walk safely, conveniently, directly and comfortably, you will need an urban environment that corresponds to your needs, as a pedestrian. This graduation project researches the required conditions for the urban environment to facilitate and encourage people to walk, especially for city centers.

Collaboration Engineering is an approach for the design and deployment of repeatable collaboration processes that can be executed by practitioners without the support of collaboration professionals such as facilitators. A critical challenge in Collaboration Engineering concerns how the design activities have to be executed and which design choices have to be made to create a process design. We report on a four year design science study, in which we developed a design approach for Collaboration Engineering thatincorporates existing process design methods, pattern based design principles, and insights from expert facilitators regarding design challenges and choices. The resulting approach was evaluated and continuously improved in four trials with 37 students. Our findings suggest that this approach is useful to support the design of repeatable collaboration processes. Our study further serves as an example of how a design approach can be developed and improved following a multi-method design science approach.

Designing computing systems for frontline firefighting is an open challenge. As of today, little computing support exists for such hazardous environments and designers struggle to build appropriate systems that fit the complex configuration on the frontline. Following Christopher Alexander’s understanding, design is about producing living transformations of existing configurations, it requires a thorough understanding of the situation on-site. Alexander introduces pattern languages as a means to describe existing configurations and to make them accessible for design, to link ethnography and design. This thesis therefore develops a pattern language of firefighters’ activities at the frontline to transform the existing practice into a design space for computing support. Grounded theory, as a qualitative method to identify patterns in empirical data, and action research, as a framework that allows studying the interaction between new technologies and existing practice, solidify the methodology of pattern research and are applied to conduct and analyze workshops with French and German firefighters at professional training facilities. Workshops comprise the observation of existing practice, the active participation in firefighting exercises and the introduction of novel artifacts. Linked up as a pattern language, 16 patterns describe the configuration of frontline firefighting. The patterns detail how firefighters organize the division of roles and tasks, how they deal with information in a dynamic environment, how they form a social binding, improvise, provide safety and prepare their work. While similar individual patterns have been described for firefighting and other high reliability professions, the pattern language, beyond these aspects, provides an integrated perspective on the frontline work; it allows developers to reflect technological concepts and supports the participatory design process of ubiquitous computing systems.