To appear in: Proceedings of Graphics Interface 2000, Montréal, Canada.

The ChatterBox: Using Text Manipulation in an Entertaining Information Display

Johan Redström, Peter Ljungstrand and Patricija Jaksetic
PLAY: Applied research on art and technology
Interactive Institute, Box 620, SE-405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden
{johan.redstrom,peter.ljungstrand,patricija.jaksetic}@interactiveinstitute.se
http://www.playresearch.com/

Abstract

The ChatterBox is an attempt to make use of the electronic "buzz" that exists in a modern workplace: the endless stream of e-mails, web pages, and electronic documents which fills the local ether(-net). The ChatterBox “listens” to this noise, transforms and recombines the texts in various ways, and presents the results in a public place. The goal is to provide a subtle reflection of the local activities and provide inspiration for new, unexpected combinations and thoughts. With the ChatterBox, we have tried to create something in between a traditional application and a piece of art: an entertaining and inspiring resource in the workplace. This poses several interesting questions concerning human-computer interaction design, e.g., information and display design. In this paper, we present the ChatterBox, its current implementation and experiences of its use.

Keywords

Art, entertainment, awareness, ambient displays, calm technology.

© 2000