居家環境中照片的意義

Abstract

近年來數位影像科技大幅地進步，數位照片相關產品的功能變得越來越強大，價格也越來越便宜。因此，數位照片裝置的普及率以很快的速度上升，使得數位相機市場即將趨於飽和。為了找出潛在的數位照片相關產品未來發展方向，使用者的照片使用經驗成為數位照片相關產業在創新需求時的關鍵議題。

從傳統照片到數位照片，照片的形式改變了，數位照片比傳統照片更容易儲存也更容易分享。拍照漸漸變成一個日常活動，人們時常透過照片與親友分享生活經驗與情緒。這表示不僅是照片的形式有所改變，照片對於使用者的意義也有了不同。照片不再只是紀錄特定事件的媒體，而在人們的情感溝通上扮演了重要的角色。

本研究以家庭為主要的研究場域，採用脈絡訪查法(Contextual Inquiry)探查家庭脈絡下的日常照片使用經驗，經由在受訪者家中進行實地的訪談與觀察來了解照片與家庭成員的關係，家庭中的照片使用行為，與數位影像科技對家中照片使用行為的影響。根據對人們的照片使用行為與人們對家中傳統照片與數位照片的態度的探索，本研究歸納出七種照片在家庭中現有的使用上的意義，包括紀錄個人或家庭的歷史、保存記憶、代表所愛的人、分享經驗、展示成就、藝術創作與發展社交關係。此外研究中對實體照片與數位照片間差異的理解，也說明了不同世代間因為對數位科技接受程度不同而產生的照片分享斷層，與資訊產品因對家庭生活造成負擔而難以進入家庭的現象。相信本研究對家庭中照片使用經驗的探討，與依據研究結果所提出的未來數位照片科技應用發展方向，將讓未來的數位照片相關產品或服務更能符合使用者生活中的需求。

In the last few years, digital photo technologies have had a great improvement. Digital photo applications have become more powerful and cheaper than ever. It is also true that digital photo devices are getting popular. With the growing popularity, however, the digital camera market is near saturation. In order to find out new directions for potential digital photo applications, to uncover users’ needs on photo usages has become the key issue in the digital photo industry.

This study explores relationships between family members and photos, features of home photo usages, and influences of digital photo technology on home photo usages through Contextual Inquiries. In-field interviews and observations on informant families’ daily photo usages and attitudes toward photos at home are conducted.

Through the in-field studies, understandings about the present usage and attitude of people toward both conventional and digital photos in the family are revealed. According to these findings, seven different meanings of photos at home to family members are identified, including creating personal or family histories, preserving memories, substituting for one’s love, sharing experiences, manifesting achievements, creating artwork, and developing social relationships. Besides, the differences between printed photos and digital photos in these uses help us explain the big gulf of photo sharing between generations and the difficulties for adopting computing technology at home. Based on the knowledge above, new directions for the applications of future digital photo technologies that actually fit in with users' needs are pointed out.