Browsing by Author "Colombino, Tommaso"
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- Text DocumentA Reformulation of the Semantic Gap Problem in Content-Based Image Retrieval Scenarios(COOP 2010: Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Designing Cooperative Systems, 2010) Colombino, Tommaso; Martin, Dave; Grasso, Antonietta; Marchesotti, LucaThis paper considers the notion of the “semantic gap” problem – i.e. how to enable a machine to recognize the semantic properties of an image – as it is commonly formulated in the domain of content-based image retrieval. Drawing on ethnographic studies of design professionals who routinely engage in image search tasks we seek to demonstrate the means by which aesthetic and affective concepts become associated with images and elements of images within a cooperative design process of selection, discussion and refinement and how these often do not correspond to the unused semantic tags provided in image libraries. We discuss how we believe the problem of the semantic gap is misconstrued and discuss some of the technology implications of this.
- Text DocumentAgentville: supporting situational awareness and motivation in call centres(COOP 2012: 10th International Conference on the Design of Cooperative Systems, 2012) Colombino, Tommaso; Castellani, Stefania; Grasso, Antonietta; Willamowski, JuttaCall centres are high pressure work environments where agents work strictly according to shifts and time schedules. Typically, agents are grouped into teams with supervisors from whom they receive only periodic performance feedback. It is a challenge to maintain high motivation and performance amongst the agents in this environment. Agents may lack awareness of their individual status with respect to their objectives, and the performance of their team and the call center as a whole. In this chapter we describe the design of a system that we are building to provide the agents with real-time information on their work environment’s status and on potential improvements in performance, while hopefully also improving their work experience. The solution is based on the introduction in the call centre of some game mechanics whose selection and instantiation has been informed by case studies conducted by the authors
- Conference PaperAssessing the Intent and Effectiveness of Carbon Footprint Calculators(Proceedings of 17th European Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work, 2019) Boulard, Cécile; Castellani, Stefania; Colombino, Tommaso; Grasso, AntoniettaIn the context of addressing global warming issues, one of the possible approaches is to provide individuals with tools that support change toward greener practices, as for example around commuting. This paper illustrates a study that we conducted on the effectiveness of self-tracking of commuting data where participants received daily feedback on the financial costs and CO2 emissions associated to their mobility practices. In the results, we describe situations where users do not accept the data and the models utilized to represent them, highlighting a limitation that diary instruments (and underlying models) of this type would have in supporting people to question and possiblychangetheirmobilitychoices. Onthebasisofthestudyfindings,wealsodescribe a new model aimed at overcoming some of the limitations that the study showed, in particular by better connecting the individual environmental impact with the collective one.
- Text DocumentAsymmetrical collaboration in print shop-customer relationships(ECSCW 2007: Proceedings of the 10th European Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work, 2007) O'Neill, Jacki; Martin, David; Colombino, Tommaso; Watts-Perotti, Jennifer; Sprague, Mary Ann; Woolfe, GeoffreyThe service provider-customer relationship, although not perhaps considered a typical collaborative relationship, is clearly collaborative work. However, such work is constrained by the very (service) nature of the relationship. Customer-service provider interaction can be characterised as interaction at the boundaries of organisations, each of which is likely to have their own workflows and orientations. Many service organisations attempt to facilitate this interaction by configuring their customers, using standardised forms or applications. In this way they bring the customers workflow into line with their own. In this paper we describe field work examining one particular service relationship
- Text Document‘Colour, it’s just a constant problem’: an examination of practice, infrastructure and workflow in colour printing(From CSCW to Web 2.0: European Developments in Collaborative Design Selected Papers from COOP08, 2008) Martin, David; O'Neill, Jacki; Colombino, Tommaso; Roulland, Frederic; Willamowski, JuttaThis paper examines the work to control colour in graphic design and printing focusing on the reasons why practitioners do not implement ‘colour managed’ (CM) workflows. CM workflows should allow for successful transfer and reproduction of colour information from e.g. computer to print. However, the technical requirements – in terms of equipment ‘set-up’ and knowledge – prove to be beyond most of those working in the industry. We examine the reasons for this and the different cooperative practices that designers and print workers use in the ‘real-world’ to control colour. This paper contributes to studies of cooperative work and technologies by providing a critical appraisal of infrastructure and workflow as a means of supporting cooperative work in design and printing.
- Conference PaperConfigurations of the User in the Trajectory of Wheelchairs in India: Learnings for the Socio-technical Design of Smart Assistive Devices(Proceedings of 21st European Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work, 2023) Tuteja, Kanika; Colombino, Tommaso; Tixier, MatthieuMany features of a wheelchair affect users' actions in a manual wheelchair, determining the overall mobility performance. Based on an ethnographic study of wheelchair users in India, we develop a trajectory analysis centered on the wheelchair as an artefact and the stages in its lifecycle from design to use. This paper focuses on the decisions made and practices in the production and acquisition phases and the consequences further down the line for the end user. In particular, we focus on how different configurations of the user across production and acquisition can make it difficult for users to find a wheelchair well adapted to their situated needs once they bring the artefact into their home and daily routines.
- Conference Paper“The Device Is Not Well Designed for Me” on the Use of Activity Trackers in the Workplace?(COOP 2016: Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on the Design of Cooperative Systems, 2016) Masson, Cécile Boulard; Martin, David; Colombino, Tommaso; Grasso, AntoniettaThe workplace, with its central place in peoples’ lives, can be considered as a key site for promoting better health practices. From this perspective, companies are considering providing employees with activity trackers and supportive services aiming at improving employee health. As an initial exploration of possibilities and challenges for activity trackers in the workplace we undertook the following study: a qualitative study of 13 users of activity trackers within our company. Our main findings are that the successful adoption of activity trackers within the workplace is not straightforward, unless for short term intervention, since all participants stopped wearing them within 3 months. In this case we also saw that the use of activity trackers generated various frustrations and raised a number of concerns around end-user configurability, usefulness and privacy and control of data. The findings can have broad implications in designing and developing adequate wellness solutions at the workplace.
- Text DocumentLessons Learnt Working with Performance Data in Call Centres(COOP 2014 - Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on the Design of Cooperative Systems, 2014) Colombino, Tommaso; Hanrahan, Benjamin; Castellani, StefaniaThis paper details the treatment of performance data in outsourced call centre operations, as encountered by a team of researchers throughout the course of a project. This project aimed at improving support for performance and motivation management in an outsourced customer care contact centre for a large telecommunications company. In particular, we focus on how the practices of capturing, aggregating, and presenting data reflect the operation's overall concern with "reporting upstream" and accountability. As well as, how the technological and organizational infrastructure of the call centre is shaped accordingly. We then discuss some emergent consequences of this organization of data management, which in particular take the form of some tensions between the emergent needs for data at certain levels of granularity and aggregation within the actual operations of the call centre, and its relative accuracy and availability.
- Conference PaperTowards a Trajectory Analysis of Wheelchair in an Indian Context(Companion Proceedings of the 2023 ACM International Conference on Supporting Group Work, 2023) Tuteja, Kanika; Colombino, Tommaso; Tixier, MatthieuOur research investigates the trajectory of a wheelchair based on an observational fieldwork study in India. The fieldwork comprises four months of observational studies and interviews of different environments, including house visits, rehabilitation centers, surgical shops, hospital settings, and production houses. The thematic analysis describes an artifact proceeding through various stages, from production, acquisition, use, and discarding of the assistive device. To understand the challenges faced by people with a physical impairment, we examine the crucial decision points in the trajectory and put the user on the spot. Drawing on the fieldwork, we describe the elements involved that may or may not allow the users to make confident decisions, such as cost, retrofitting, etc., and how often it is too late to re-consider the choices made in the first place. We are interested in the diverse backgrounds and viewpoints of the other actors involved in the process, and the aim is to present the complexity of the whole ecosystem of the artifact.