探討網誌之溝通經驗應用於行動生活裝置設計

Abstract

2004年台灣的手機滲透率為全球之冠，台北、高雄等城市均積極佈建完善無線公共網路建設，無線寬頻網路打破距離的障礙並解決網路速度的問題，人們所感受到的行動生活是以行動裝置延伸數位化生活方式，如：手機（Cell phone or camera phone）、數位個人助理（PDAs）、智慧型手機（Smartphone）、筆記型電腦（Notebook）等等，讓人們可隨時隨地與他人溝通、取得所需資訊與個人化服務、管理。有鑒於行動科技與生活應用之整合發展趨勢，提供人們享受行動 生活所帶來之便利性，已成為目前行動科技產業最重要的議題，而在台灣高普及率的手機與無線寬頻網路將是未來行動化生活最好的基礎。 而現階段通訊產業所提供的相關功能與服務，人們所採用的仍以基本功能為主，如：通話、簡訊，我們認為未來結合多元通訊技術的行動生活應用，更趨於多樣化，全新的生活體驗也為世界帶來新的視野，相對的，人們對於未來行動生活的期盼，更是工業設計師迫切想了解的。針對未來行動生活，為尋找行動裝置設計上的突破點，必須根植於人們現有的溝通經驗，企圖發現是否還有新的溝通需求與期望，進而轉化到行動裝置設計上。 近日新興的溝通形式，如：網誌、或稱部落格（Weblog, or blog），提供讓人們可以透過網路以各種內容形式分享他們的數位生活經驗。本研究採取脈絡探索方法，對於目前網誌行為的觀察與探討， 透過建立網誌活動之關聯圖表（Affinity Diagram）以及質性分析使用者文章的屬性及動機，歸納出四個網誌溝通特質：個人空間（Personal space）、自我展現（Self-expression）、生活記錄（Life record）與社交延伸（Social extension）。最後透過腦力激盪法（Brainstorming）整合三個觀點的資訊：使用者脈絡探索、未來科技發展、現有產品概況，針對未來行動生活，提出三個未來行動裝置的設計方針：（一）行動裝置必須拓展使用者的個性識別（Mobile devices must explore its user’s identity）；（二）行動裝置必須增強使用者的社交關係（Mobile devices must enhance users’ social relationships）；（三）行動裝置必須主動鼓勵使用者與他人溝通（Mobile devices must encourage users to communicate with others）。本研究希望完整呈現人們對於現有溝通工具的認識、以及對於未來行動生活的期望，整理出有效的設計方針以供設計師參考。

Today, people in Taiwan have entered the era of mobile communications. Mobile penetration in Taiwan has reached 110 percent in 2004. The mobile technology and wireless internet service are well received by Taiwan users. To explore new directions of mobile applications, we need to investigate users’ experiences in technology-mediated communication. Communication products such as Weblog (blog) services provide a platform for people to share their digital contents of different formats through the internet. We argue that the existing blogging activity could provide insights of users’ experience, and point out new directions for future mobile communication. To understanding the user’s blogs experience, a contextual inquiry study is conducted in this study to investigate how people use blog service and how it affects users’ social activity. The focus is to understand the fundamental needs of communication from users’ blogging experience, and to apply the finding in the future mobile-based communication. Through contextual study, we can have better understanding on how and why new communication tool, like blog, is used and the way to influence their lives. We discover four attractive characteristics of blogging activities: personal space, self-expression, life record, and social extension. After that, we discuss our findings in terms of how to direct the future development of mobile technology and propose three design guidelines of future mobile devices. Mobile devices must carry its user identity, enhance users’ social relationships, and encourage users to communicate with others actively. It is our hope that documentation of users’ existing communication experience supports new theoretical insights, and helps ground the design and users’ needs of future mobile communication.