The Affect of Lifestyle Factors on Eco-Visualization Design

As people become more concerned with the need to conserve their power consumption we need to find ways to inform them of how electricity is being consumed within the home. There are a number of devices that have been designed using different forms, sizes, and technologies. We are interested in large ambient displays that can be read at a glance and from a distance as informative art. However, from these objectives come a number of questions that need to be explored and answered. To what degree might lifestyle factors influence the design of eco-visualizations? To answer this we need to ask how people with varying lifestyle factors perceive the utility of such devices and their placement within a home. We explore these questions by creating four ambient display prototypes. We take our prototypes and subject them to a user study to gain insight as to the questions posed above. This paper discusses our prototypes in detail and the results and findings of our user study.

[1]  Klaus Mueller,et al.  Color Design for Illustrative Visualization , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics.

[2]  Johnny Rodgers,et al.  Exploring Ambient and Artistic Visualization for Residential Energy Use Feedback , 2011, IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics.

[3]  Jon E. Froehlich,et al.  The design of eco-feedback technology , 2010, CHI.

[4]  Melanie Tory,et al.  Evaluating Visualizations: Do Expert Reviews Work? , 2005, IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications.

[5]  Shui Bin,et al.  Consumer lifestyle approach to US energy use and the related CO2 emissions , 2005 .

[6]  Johnny Rodgers,et al.  Smart Homes or Smart Occupants? Supporting Aware Living in the Home , 2011, INTERACT.

[7]  M. Dittmar.  Changing Colour Preferences with Ageing: A Comparative Study on Younger and Older Native Germans Aged 19–90 Years , 2001, Gerontology.

[8]  Fred Popowich,et al.  An Intelligent Agent for Determining Home Occupancy Using Power Monitors and Light Sensors , 2011, ICOST.

[9]  Andrew Glassner.  Processing for Visual Artists: How to Create Expressive Images and Interactive Art , 2010 .

[10]  Daniel Acevedo Feliz,et al.  Subjective Quantification of Perceptual Interactions among some 2D Scientific Visualization Methods , 2006, IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics.

[11]  Yolande A. A. Strengers,et al.  Designing eco-feedback systems for everyday life , 2011, CHI.

[12]  Andrew Vande Moere,et al.  Beyond Ambient Display: A Contextual Taxonomy of Alternative Information Display , 2009, Int. J. Ambient Comput. Intell..

[13]  Michael S. Horn,et al.  Learning sustainability: families, learning, and next-generation eco-feedback technology , 2011, IDC.

[14]  Cherng-Yee Leung,et al.  Is Color Preference Affected by Age Difference , 2009 .

[15]  Eli Blevis,et al.  Energy aware dwelling: a critical survey of interaction design for eco-visualizations , 2008, OZCHI.

[16]  Philippe Pasquier,et al.  Elements of Consumption: An Abstract Visualization of Household Consumption , 2011, Smart Graphics.

[17]  William Buxton,et al.  Usability evaluation considered harmful (some of the time) , 2008, CHI.

[18]  Colin Ware,et al.  Information Visualization: Perception for Design , 2000 .

[19]  John T. Stasko,et al.  A taxonomy of ambient information systems: four patterns of design , 2006, AVI '06.

[20]  Colin Ware,et al.  Visual Thinking for Design , 2008 .

[21]  Lyn Bartram,et al.  Smart Homes or Smart Occupants? Reframing Computational Design Models for the Green Home , 2011, AAAI Spring Symposium: Artificial Intelligence and Sustainable Design.