Interaction through spells : establishing traces of nvisible onnections

Abstract: In post desktop and co-located collaborative computer interaction as well as in real world settings, there are usually both private and shared work threads going on. For example: private, individual activities such thinking, taking notes, (dreaming…) and the shared collaborative work tasks such discussing, presenting or producing sketches or document drafts etc. A central issue in collaborative activities is to share awareness of the ongoing activity as an option for the co-workers to influence the shared work process. Significant passages in cooperative activities are the configurations of common tasks, such as entering, leaving or changing the users acting and participation in shared activities. Spells introduce real-world user interfaces that provide tools to allow the users to easily and intuitively express how and when they intend to contribute to interactive activities. This expression both makes the user and the co-workers able to reveal and interpret the interactive environment and signaling meaning for all participants. The Spells is a metaphor system for interaction within co-located collaborative work settings. The Spells are supported by a platform for implementing artifacts that supports the Spells based on that platform two prototype systems have been implemented cases of the Spells, Magic Bowl and iwand. The Spells provide a user interaction form that bridges gaps between co-located entities, addressing both people and devices in a world of ubiquitous computing.