Intertwine and Play: Techniques and Tools for Multi-Scaled Interaction design - Experiences from Public Library Space

Doctoral thesis, 2013

This dissertation addresses the topic of designing with technology as a design material for public libraries and is positioned within the field of interaction design. The topic has been addressed through a research program in ‘multi-scaled interaction design’ applied in public library space. Multi-scaled interaction design refers to the design of information technolo-gy with a focus on digital and spatial aspects in the public library domain, where projects of different scales are used to inform one another. The core of the program is to have a playful approach to designing with technology, to intertwine technology with existing public library spaces, to have multi-scaled design projects as informants, to emphasize the importance of engaging in physical, digital, social and interactional design spaces, and to commit to designing and informing the design process. The main focus of the thesis is to investigate how an increased involvement of multi-scaled interaction design can contribute to the development of public libraries, why it is interest-ing to allow interaction design into the public library domain, and which issues are relevant for interaction design in public libraries. The thesis addresses the following issues: • The complex process of engaging users and resources in the design of new library services and buildings, but also in the exploration of how new technologies impact the role and services of the library, by empirical design experiments. • The ways in which the methods and materials of interaction design can play a part in both small-scale and large-scale public library projects, by the Four space model, a toolbox for interspace design and a process toolbox for multi-scaled interaction design. • The ways in which small-scale design projects can be employed to inform a large-scale design process, by defining a research program for multi-scaled interaction design. The contribution of this dissertation is two-fold. The empirical part of the contribution is that it lays out a model, and a series of techniques and tools based on findings from the presented design experiments. The more theoretical part is the definition of interaction design in the public library context, and a program for multi-scaled interaction design.