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Research

Mark Zachry's Research Group Archive

The following research group descriptions are archived because they are no longer offered, the faculty member is on sabbatical, or the group is taking a break. Please contact the faculty member or an advisor to learn more about these groups.

Autumn 2023

Designing UX Research Studies with Generative AI 

Co-Directed by PhD student Pitch Sinlapanuntakul and Dr. Mark Zachry

In this DRG, we will be exploring the intersection of UX research processes and the capabilities of generative AI. Specifically, our aim is to uncover synergies that can elevate the process of designing UX research studies effectively and ethically, with the assistance of generative AI. Students participating in this DRG will:

  1. Participate in a research study early on in the quarter to gain direct understanding of quasi-experimental research as a participant
  2. Assist in qualitative analysis
  3. Apply their participation experience to iteratively co-design a complex experimental-based UX research study with a generative AI tool (i.e., ChatGPT)
  4. Present/propose their research study and receive constructive feedback
  5. Reflect weekly on experiences to develop an understanding of integrating AI tools into the research design process

We are looking for 20 students who:

  1. Are interested in learning about UX research and AI in research 
  2. Have experience with an iOS iPhone device

No prior experience is required, but experience in qualitative coding is a plus. Willingness to work on a team-based design project is required. 

This is a 2-credit DRG offered to undergraduate (HCDE 496) and graduate (HCDE 596) students. Students in this DRG will be required to attend weekly meetings on Wednesdays, 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm, and are expected to spend 3 to 5 additional hours weekly outside of class contributing to their work in the DRG. In-person attendance at the first meeting of the DRG (September 27) is required. Please note that anyone who cannot attend the first meeting will be dropped from the DRG. Please reach out to Pitch Sinlapanuntakul (wspitch@uw.edu) or on the HCDE Slack with any questions.

Summer 2023

AI in UX: A Cross-cultural Investigation 

This project is an exploratory investigation of how UX professionals use AI in their design work. We will investigate the reasons practitioners use AI, the information they obtain from it, how they use it in their work, and the challenges they face. We will also examine the potential limitations and ethical considerations associated with the use of AI in professional work. The results of this study will provide valuable insights into current UX work and inform the design of future conversational agents for this field. The results of our project will be combined with those of a team in South Korea, enabling cross-cultural comparisons. 

Research activities in this DRG will include recruiting and scheduling study participants, conducting interviews following an existing protocol, analyzing qualitative and light quantitative data, and preparing a report of results. The last phase of this research will include collaboration with a team of international researchers. 

Ideal qualifications: 

  • Experience conducting semi-structured interviews. 
  • Experience analyzing qualitative data. 
  • The DRG will meet Tuesdays (June 20 – August 15) from 4:00-5:30 p.m. Including the meeting time, participants should expect to spend ~6 hours per week on the research. DRG participants will register for 2 credits (HCDE 496 or 596).  

Spring 2023

Augmented Reality Avatars in Online Group Interactions

Co-directed by PhD student Weerachet (Pitch) Sinlapanuntakul and Dr. Mark Zachry

The implementation of digitalized avatars is one potential solution to reduce Zoom fatigue. Unlike virtual reality (VR), the augmented reality (AR) experience does not entirely occlude the real environment. Knowing this, to what extent would people be willing to adopt AR avatars? How do they influence the ways in which we virtually interact in a group? In this DRG, we aim to examine the relationship between the use of AR avatars and online synchronous collaboration experiences.

During the Spring quarter, DRG participants will run experimental sessions and assist in recruiting participants and analyzing qualitative data. We are looking for 6 to 8 students who have experience with or a desire to learn about 1) research facilitation; 2) qualitative analysis; 3) AR avatars; and 4) online group collaboration. This is a 2-credit DRG offered to undergraduate (HCDE 496) and graduate (HCDE 596) students. Students participating in this DRG will be required to run sessions in-person and participate in weekly meetings.

If you have any questions, please contact Weerachet (Pitch) Sinlapanuntakul at wspitch@uw.edu.

Winter 2023

Augmented Reality in Online Group Interactions

Co-directed by PhD student Weerachet (Pitch) Sinlapanuntakul and Dr. Mark Zachry

The implementation of digitalized avatars is one potential solution to reduce Zoom fatigue. Unlike virtual reality (VR), the augmented reality (AR) experience does not entirely occlude the real environment. Knowing this, to what extent would people be willing to adopt AR avatars? How do they influence the ways in which we virtually interact in a group? In this DRG, we aim to examine the relationship between the use of AR avatars and online synchronous collaboration experiences.

During the Winter quarter, we will explore the literature around AR avatars and online group interaction, design the study’s mechanics, run pilot sessions, and recruit participants to prepare for the study deployment in the Spring quarter. Mechanics of the study may include but are not limited to creating webform questionnaires, prototypes for user tasks, and documents/databases used to store data. DRG participants may also have the opportunity to continue involvement with this project after the quarter ends during a planned DRG in the Spring.

We are looking for 6 to 8 students who have experience with or a desire to learn about 1) quasi-experimental research design; 2) AR avatars; and 3) online group collaboration. This is a 2-credit DRG offered to undergraduate (HCDE 496) and graduate (HCDE 596) students. Students participating in this DRG will be required to attend in-person, weekly meetings on Thursdays at 11:30 am, and will be expected to spend approximately 4 to 5 hours outside of class each week contributing to the DRG.

If you have any questions, please contact Weerachet (Pitch) Sinlapanuntakul at wspitch@uw.edu. 

Spring 2022

Translating Research to Practice: Visualizations for Foster Care Practitioners

Co-directed by Dr. Mark Zachry and PhD student John Fowler

Are you curious about the design of user experiences for people exploring complex data in web-based dynamic visualizations? Are you interested in the foster care system and related public policy decisions? In this DRG, we are exploring the intersection of these two domains through the development and testing of a new visualization tool we have created to support the exploration of national, multivariate data associated with the experiences of foster youth. 

This quarter, we will be working on UX design and user research related to the visualization tool we have developed through preliminary research. We are particularly interested in gaining insight around how social workers understand dynamically visualized data to explore how foster youth transition out of the foster care system and into adulthood. This quarter, we will be conducting a national level usability study using remote testing tools. 

The DRG will include a maximum of 8 students who have experience with web-based visualization techniques and/or remote user studies. Interest in the experiences of foster youth and the social systems that support them is a plus.

The DRG will be conducted in a hybrid (online and in-person) configuration with team meetings every Monday. Participants may register for up to 2 credits, undergraduate (HCDE 496) and graduate (HCDE 596). 

Spring 2022

Designing TikTok Videos to Explain Wikipedia

Led by: Julie Vera, PhD Student, HCDE 
With guidance from faculty advisor Professor David McDonald and Professor Mark Zachry

This DRG will meet Mondays from 4:30-5:30pm, location TBD

We are looking for:

  • Up to 40 undergraduate or masters students

  • Folks with experience or a strong interest in TikTok, video production, or visual storytelling

  • Nice to have:

    • Interest in Wikipedia or other collaborative knowledge platforms

    • Interest in science communication or communication for public audiences

    • Interest in the design of learning or how-to experiences

  • You do not have to be an expert on Wikipedia to participate!


About the DRG:

In this DRG, we will be thinking of new ways to introduce students to Wikipedia as a concept and platform. We will be designing TikTok videos that explain some important features and concepts of Wikipedia so that they feel equipped to contribute. We will follow a flexible design process to create short-form videos that are informative as well as fun and engaging. Participants in the DRG can expect to be lightly onboarded onto Wikipedia. 

Students participating in the DRG will:

  • Conceptualize ways to introduce high-school and college-aged students to Wikipedia via TikTok

  • Get (lightly) onboarded onto Wikipedia

  • Think about what concepts are important to people who are just joining the platform

  • Use a “how might we” approach to design video material that addresses important Wikipedia concepts

  • Storyboard potential video content and collaborate with other students on audio and visual components

  • Prototype TikTok videos for public consumption

  • Respond to weekly reflection prompts about Wikipedia, content ideas, and design process


Expectations:

  • Attend weekly meetings (in-person; time 4:30 - 5:30pm on Mondays)

  • Work in the DRG for 2 CR (6 total hours a week, including “class” time) 

  • Later in the quarter, we may choose to be remote and asynchronous due to the nature of the work


Winter 2022

Translating Research to Practice: Visualizations for Foster Care Practitioners

Co-directed by Dr. Mark Zachry and PhD student John Fowler

Are you curious about how to visually communicate research findings in the context of a specific audience? Are you interested in the foster care system? In this DRG, we are exploring the intersection of these two domains through a visualization-focused survey of foster care research.

Participants will help with a study aimed at understanding how visualizations are used in research on the experiences of foster youth. We are particularly interested in gaining insight around how social workers understand research related to the foster youth transition period out of the foster care system and into adulthood. This Winter quarter, our primary venture as a group will be interviews to to better understand how practitioners in this field make sense of visualizations and the subsequent design of visualizations to be evaluated by members of the community. Opportunity to optionally continue with carrying out a study will be available for students in the Spring quarter.

The DRG will include a maximum of 8 students who have experience with or a desire to learn about (1) visualization techniques; (2) user studies; and (3) foster care.

The DRG will be conducted as in-person, on campus meetings every Thursday morning. This is a 2-credit research group offered to undergraduate (HCDE 496) and graduate (HCDE 596) students. 

Autumn 2021

Translating Research to Practice: Visualizations for Foster Care Practitioners

Co-directed by Dr. Mark Zachry and PhD student John Fowler

Are you curious about how to visually communicate research findings in the context of a specific audience? Are you interested in the foster care system? In this DRG, we intend to explore the intersection of these two domains through a visualization-focused survey of foster care research.

We are looking for students during Fall quarter to help with a study aimed at understanding how visualizations are used in research on the experiences of foster youth. We are particularly interested in gaining insight around how social workers understand research related to the foster youth transition period out of the foster care system and into adulthood. As part of this research, we will be reading literature on foster youth with a specific focus on how visualizations are used by practitioners in the child welfare system. This Fall quarter, our primary venture as a group will be doing a survey of how visualizations are used in foster care research and beginning the design of a user study to better understand how practitioners in this field make sense of visualizations. Opportunity to optionally continue with designing and carrying out a study will be available for students in the Winter and Spring quarters of 2022.

Winter 2021

Understanding the collaborative behaviors of Spanish Wikipedia editors 

Co-directed by PhD student Taryn Bipat, and Professors David McDonald and Mark Zachry

While collaboration in the English Wikipedia has been researched extensively, these other language editions remain understudied. To further understand this challenge, we will explore the perspectives and experiences of the Spanish Wikipedia editors.

We are looking for fluent Spanish speakers for the Winter Quarter to help with conducting interviews with editors from the Spanish Wikipedia. We are interested in understanding the editing experiences of these editors and the interactions they have with other Wikipedia editors. 

Activities of this research group will include working with the research team to recruit participants, conduct interviews, analyzing data and potentially write a conference paper to present the results to the broader community. 

This DRG will require you to interview editors in Spanish. We are looking for students who are fluent in speaking and reading Spanish.  Furthermore, we are looking for students, who have experience with or a willingness to learn (1) qualitative coding and (2) user behavior on online collaborative systems.  Students interested should also be available for a 2-hour class each week and about 4-5 hours of work outside of these meetings.

Spring 2020

Online Experiences of People who were in Foster Care

Co-directed by PhD student John Fowler, and Professors David McDonald and Mark Zachry 

Are you curious about the ways that online platforms are used to amplify the voices of individuals in marginalized communities? Are you interested in the foster care system? Do you believe in centering the feedback of individuals who have first-hand experience with the strengths and weaknesses of a system? In this DRG, we intend to explore concepts like these through a focused exploration of an online community moderated by, and centering the expertise of, former foster youth.

We are looking for students during Spring quarter to help with a study aimed at understanding how former foster youth in an online community discuss their experiences. We are particularly interested in gaining insight around the transition period out of the system and in to adulthood. As part of this research, we will be reading literature around online communities and social computing with a specific focus on foster youth and other marginalized populations. Our primary venture as a group will be qualitatively coding user comments from an online community that is geared toward the priorities and experiences of former foster youth. (Please note that we will be reading comments that often include discussions of traumatic events.)

We are looking for a maximum of 8 students who have experience with or a desire to learn about (1) qualitative coding; (2) user behavior in online communities; (3) foster care.

This is a 2-credit research group offered to undergraduate (HCDE 496) and graduate (HCDE 596) students. The application form is now closed. If you have any questions, please email John Fowler at johnf26@uw.edu.

Beyond Makerspaces

Summer 2019

Interested in design? hacking? invention? tinkering? Curious about other people who are and the spaces in which they work? Intrigued by alternative modes of production? In recent years, the maker movement has captured the imagination of a broad cross-section of society. Makerspaces of different types have emerged across the Seattle area, including many locations in the heart of the city, in rural settings, and even on the UW campus. Some of these efforts have thrived while others have dissolved or been re-imagined into alternative formations.

This summer DRG will focus on enacting community strategy in the maker movement. Our initial focus will be on sustainability, and our effort this summer will be gathering key experts, industry and technology representatives, and community leaders in Seattle to build relationships, have discussions, and work together toward sustainable solutions. We will work with members of the maker community to bring together technical and sociopolitical perspectives to discover a pathway for fostering sustainable, relational community design in the maker movement.

Our focus will be conducting research (interviews, observations, secondary sources) to design and conduct an event to be held in August. Together, we will use a research-driven approach to design the event, which we now envision as a retreat. Students can expect to learn and practice community strategy, participatory design, and ethnographic methods for user/stakeholder research and engagement. Participants will also have the opportunity to learn and practice collaborative analysis of the data to generate actionable findings, including documentation of the collaborative process itself, and to improve upon the event model for future iterations.

Required Availability

  • Attend our 2-hour meeting each week on Wednesdays from 1 to 3 p.m (starting with the kick-off meeting on June 26). Our initial and final meetings during the summer will be held at UW; our other weekly meetings will be held in downtown Seattle makerspaces.
  • Work 4 hours each week outside of meetings
  • Register for 2 credits for summer quarter of HCDE 496/596

This DRG is open to both undergraduate and graduate students. Depending on space availability, preference will be given to students already admitted to an HCDE program. We anticipate that a team of 5-8 students will participate in this DRG.

This DRG will be jointly led by Mark Zachry (University of Washington), Ann Shivers-McNair (University of Arizona), Clarissa San Diego (Founder and CEO, Makerologist) and Rex St. John (Senior Manager, IoT Ecosystem, Arm). Please direct any questions to Mark Zachry (zachry@uw.edu). 

Do conflicts make the Spanish editions of Wikipedia better?

Spring 2019

Co-directed by PhD student Taryn Bipat, and Professors David McDonald and Mark Zachry 

How many times has Wikipedia articles saved you from failing a homework assignment? Those articles would not have been of so much help if it were not for the contributors. These contributors do not always agree with each other. In this DRG, we will address how the conflict arises in the Wikipedia community.

To further understand this challenge, we will explore how editors behave across the various language editions of Wikipedia. While collaboration in the English Wikipedia has been researched extensively, these other language editions remain understudied. The goal of this project is to understand editor behavior in the English and Spanish language edition of Wikipedia.

We are looking for students during Winter quarter to help with a study understanding how conflict occurs between Wikipedia’s editors in the English, French, and Spanish Wikipedias. As part of this research, we will be exploring the literature around editor conflict and multilingual Wikipedia. We will be qualitatively coding editor comments in each language to understand how conflict arises across different language platforms.

We are looking for students, who have experience with or a willingness to learn (1) qualitative coding and (2) user behavior on online collaborative systems (3) Reading comprehension in Spanish is necessary. 

Do conflicts make the French editions of Wikipedia better?

Spring 2019

Co-directed by PhD student Taryn Bipat, and Professors David McDonald and Mark Zachry 

How many times has Wikipedia articles saved you from failing a homework assignment? Those articles would not have been of so much help if it were not for the contributors. These contributors do not always agree with each other. In this DRG, we will address how the conflict arises in the Wikipedia community.

To further understand this challenge, we will explore how editors behave across the various language editions of Wikipedia. While collaboration in the English Wikipedia has been researched extensively, these other language editions remain understudied. The goal of this project is to understand editor behavior in the English and French language edition of Wikipedia.

We are looking for students during Winter quarter to help with a study understanding how conflict occurs between Wikipedia’s editors in the English, French, and Spanish Wikipedias. As part of this research, we will be exploring the literature around editor conflict and multilingual Wikipedia. We will be qualitatively coding editor comments in each language to understand how conflict arises across different language platforms.

We are looking for students, who have experience with or a willingness to learn (1) qualitative coding and (2) user behavior on online collaborative systems (3) Reading comprehension in French is necessary. 

Do conflicts make the English Wikipedia better?

Spring 2019

Co-directed by PhD student Taryn Bipat, and Professors David McDonald and Mark Zachry 

How many times has Wikipedia articles saved you from failing a homework assignment? Those articles would not have been of so much help if it were not for the contributors. These contributors do not always agree with each other. In this DRG, we will address how the conflict arises in the Wikipedia community.

We are looking for students during Winter quarter to help with a study understanding how conflict occurs between Wikipedia’s editors in the English Wikipedia. As part of this research, we will be exploring the literature around editor conflict and multilingual Wikipedia. We will be qualitatively coding editor comments to understand how conflict arises across different language platforms.

We are looking for students, who have experience with or a willingness to learn (1) qualitative coding and (2) user behavior on online collaborative systems. 


Do conflicts make the French, Spanish and English editions of Wikipedia better?

Winter 2019

Co-directed by PhD student Taryn Bipat, and Professors David McDonald and Mark Zachry 

How many times has Wikipedia articles saved you from failing a homework assignment? Those articles would not have been of so much help if it were not for the contributors. These contributors do not always agree with each other. In this DRG, we will address how the conflict arises in the Wikipedia community.

To further understand this challenge, we will explore how editors behave across the various language editions of Wikipedia. While collaboration in the English Wikipedia has been researched extensively, these other language editions remain understudied. The goal of this project is to understand editor behavior in the English, French and Spanish language edition of Wikipedia.

We are looking for students during Winter quarter to help with a study understanding how conflict occurs between Wikipedia’s editors in the English, French, and Spanish Wikipedias. As part of this research, we will be exploring the literature around editor conflict and multilingual Wikipedia. We will be qualitatively coding editor comments in each language to understand how conflict arises across different language platforms.

We are looking for students, who have experience with or a willingness to learn (1) qualitative coding and (2) user behavior on online collaborative systems (3) Reading comprehension in either French or Spanish is necessary. This DRG will be organized into three separate committees for each language.

Being a part of this DRG would require attending a Saturday Wikipedia workshop on January 12 from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. During the quarter, the DRG will be held every Wednesday from 4-5 p.m.

This is a 2-credit research group offered to undergraduate (HCDE 496) and graduate (HCDE 596) students. If you are interested in participating, please fill out this google form.

Do conflicts make Wikipedia better?

Spring 2018

How many times has Wikipedia articles saved you from failing a homework assignment?  Those articles would not have been of so much help if it were not for the contributors. These contributors do not always agree with each other. In this DRG, we will address how the conflict arises in the Wikipedia community.

To further understand this challenge, we will explore how editors behave across the various language editions of Wikipedia. The English language Wikipedia is notable for its enormous database but there are also 288 other active language editions. While collaboration in the English Wikipedia has been researched extensively, these other language editions remain understudied. The goal of this project is to understand editor behavior in the English, French and Spanish language edition of Wikipedia.

We are looking for up to 8 students during Spring quarter to help with a study understanding how conflict occurs across Wikipedias. As part of this research, we will be exploring the literature around editor conflict and multilingual Wikipedia. Additionally,  we will replicate prior methods used to understand this platform to check whether prior assumptions still hold true across different language samples and in present day Wikipedia.

We are looking for students, who have experience with or a willingness to learn (1) qualitative coding and (2)user behavior on online collaborative systems. It is not necessary but French and Spanish language skills will be helpful.

This is a 2-credit research group offered to undergraduate (HCDE 496) and graduate (HCDE 596) students. Students will meet for 1 hour every week (Tuesday 4-5pm)  and should commit around 4 hours outside of class time.

Supporting Collaborative Search with ComeTogether

Spring 2018

Led by Mark Zachry, Ray Hong, and Mia Suh

Do you search for places using services like Yelp, Airbnb, or TripAdvisor? Have you ever searched for places to go with your partner, family members, or friends?

This research group will extend our ongoing research into how to improve distributed collaborative searching to support group decision-making. Through previous work, we have designed, developed, and evaluated a new approach called  Collaborative Dynamic Queries (C-DQ). Recently our team created a system called ComeTogether, which allows a group of people to search for recreational locations together. This winter quarter we will design and conduct a deployment study with real users.

Activities for this research group will include working with the research team to develop interview protocols, conduct pre-/post-interviews, analyze data, and potentially prepare a research paper. We are looking for students with prior experiences or interest in qualitative research. We plan to work with 5-6 students who have an interest in the topic and/or have prior experience in conducting interviews and analyzing qualitative data. To enroll, you must be admitted to an HCDE degree program and should have completed some coursework, such as HCDE 313/418/518 or HCDE 417/517.

Working Conditions in the Online Economy

Autumn 2017

Led by Postdoctoral Research Associate, Dr. Toni Ferro

Background

The emergence of the online economy (also known as the gig economy, the platform economy, the on-demand economy, or the peer economy) raises new questions about the working conditions of a variety of workers. The research discussed in this DRG will examine the working conditions of house cleaners working through Handy and/or Taskrabbit. This research has been funded by the National Domestic Workers Alliance.  

Description

The members of this directed research group will have the opportunity to participate in data analysis and discussion of qualitative data. The data will have already been gathered through interviews and focus groups with house cleaners and their advocates. Data analysis will consist of systematic coding using qualitative data analysis tools. Members will also be encouraged to discuss the themes they are finding in the data. This work may lead to a conference poster or paper.

Credits: 2 credits

Requirements

1 weekly meeting on Wednesday, 4:00-5:00pm
5 hrs outside of meeting doing project related work

Qualifications

Members must be upper level undergraduates or graduate students interested in the working conditions of workers in the online economy. To enroll, you must have already completed HCDE 313 or have graduate standing in HCDE.

Picture to Practice: Visualizing Everyday Technology Use

Spring 2017

The focus of this DRG is the development and refinement of a mixed methods approach for understanding technology use in context, combining tool-based visualization, reflection exercises, interviews, and participatory design. Our approach will aim to inform and inspire new possibilities for context-sensitive designs.

In brief
How do you think about your technology use? Given the time needed and the tools required, how would you picture your interactions with technology visually? Ultimately, what stories would your interactions with technology tell about you, and about others? Starting in autumn quarter, this DRG will aim to answer some of these questions, as well as to ask a few new questions along the way.

Who we are
This DRG is offered by Professor Mark Zachry with Michael Gilbert and Elizabeth Churchill, User Experience Research (and former HCDE alum) and Director of User Experience at Google, respectively.

Who we’re looking for
We’re planning to work with a small group of students (6-10) who have proven experience in design (Illustrator, Photoshop, and the like), visualization (Javascript, D3.js, etc), or research techniques (our approach to interactions with technology will be largely qualitative). In the context of this applied research project, DRG participants will have opportunities to develop these skills while applying them.

What we’ll aim to do
During the quarter, we’ll put our own technology use under the microscope. We will aim to start with a brief background in current methodologies to understand technology use, including Experience Sampling Methodology (ESM), diary studies, mobile device app usage analysis, and the ensuing abstractions, representations, and visualizations that result. From there, we will look at our own mobile device usage. Utilizing the methodologies above in a participatory design process, we will aim to better understand and reflect on our interactions with the myriad technologies that surround us on a daily basis.  

Please note that data and conclusions generated by these processes will be shared with Google, who may use it to improve Google's existing products and services or to develop new ones. Ultimately, the research group will aim to have this work culminate in a submission to a relevant research conference in HCI.

If you’re interested…
Please contact Professor Mark Zachry (zachry@uw.edu) with a statement of interest and a list of your qualifications (Adobe design tools, Javascript/D3 production, or research). Please note that you must be a student already accepted into an HCDE program (BS, MS, PhD) to register. All participants will register for 2 or 3 credits, depending on the scope of research they intend to accomplish during the quarter. The DRG will likely be offered for all quarters during the academic year.

Picture to Practice: Visualizing Everyday Technology Use

2016-2017

The focus of this DRG is the development and refinement of a mixed methods approach for understanding technology use in context, combining tool-based visualization, reflection exercises, interviews, and participatory design. Our approach will aim to inform and inspire new possibilities for context-sensitive designs.

In brief
How do you think about your technology use? Given the time needed and the tools required, how would you picture your interactions with technology visually? Ultimately, what stories would your interactions with technology tell about you, and about others? Starting in autumn quarter, this DRG will aim to answer some of these questions, as well as to ask a few new questions along the way.

Who we are
This DRG is offered by Professor Mark Zachry with Michael Gilbert and Elizabeth Churchill, User Experience Research (and former HCDE alum) and Director of User Experience at Google, respectively.

Who we’re looking for
We’re planning to work with a small group of students (6-10) who have proven experience in design (Illustrator, Photoshop, and the like), visualization (Javascript, D3.js, etc), or research techniques (our approach to interactions with technology will be largely qualitative). In the context of this applied research project, DRG participants will have opportunities to develop these skills while applying them.

What we’ll aim to do
During the quarter, we’ll put our own technology use under the microscope. We will aim to start with a brief background in current methodologies to understand technology use, including Experience Sampling Methodology (ESM), diary studies, mobile device app usage analysis, and the ensuing abstractions, representations, and visualizations that result. From there, we will look at our own mobile device usage. Utilizing the methodologies above in a participatory design process, we will aim to better understand and reflect on our interactions with the myriad technologies that surround us on a daily basis.  

Please note that data and conclusions generated by these processes will be shared with Google, who may use it to improve Google's existing products and services or to develop new ones. Ultimately, the research group will aim to have this work culminate in a submission to a relevant research conference in HCI.

If you’re interested…
Please contact Professor Mark Zachry (zachry@uw.edu) with a statement of interest and a list of your qualifications (Adobe design tools, Javascript/D3 production, or research). Please note that you must be a student already accepted into an HCDE program (BS, MS, PhD) to register. All participants will register for 2 or 3 credits, depending on the scope of research they intend to accomplish during the quarter. The DRG will likely be offered for all quarters during the academic year.

If you have any questions about the technology or the general scope of the project, feel free to reach out to Michael Gilbert (mdgilbert@google.com).

Meetings
This DRG will meet on Thursdays, 4-5.

Organizing HCI: Designing a Task Group to Shape Perceptions of Human Computer Interaction

Who We Are Looking For
Do you have a keen interest in Human Computer Interaction (HCI)? A desire to explore the field in a collaborative setting? A desire to share your knowledge with those in the larger community? Have you ever wanted to participate in the design of a tool intended to facilitate the process of online teamwork and distributed coordination?
 
Overview
In spring quarter, the Organizing HCI research group will focus on creating an online project group to both elevate the public’s perception and understanding of human computer interaction and, through that process, to create a tool that helps those same online groups work together.
The primary focus of this research group will be to explore how human computer interaction is represented in one of the largest, most widely recognized and definitive reference sources used by people today – Wikipedia. In a series of task sprints, members of the group will:
  • Develop a strategic campaign for organizing its efforts
  • Research knowledge standards and best practices in the field to contribute to article content
  • Jointly participate in the design of a Chrome plug-in tool to support the group’s efforts by visualizing its collaborative efforts
  • Prepare a research poster and paper describing the DRG’s efforts during the quarter
The goal for the quarter is to engage the research group participants in a design conversation about a newly formed group and its efforts in support of discovering the design requirements for a tool to support such collaborative efforts. Following techniques of participatory design, all research group participants will have opportunities to engage in ideation, sketching, and prototyping activities related to the new tool. Together, we will develop new ideas for how the system design should be implemented to support desirable forms of distributed social interaction focused on advancing knowledge about our field.
 
The Experience
During the quarter, everyone in the Organizing HCI research group will participate in a project to improve HCI-related content in Wikipedia. By reflecting on our own practices in this project, we will concurrently develop the requirements for a system that would ideally support such collaborative online efforts among teams of like-minded but distributed individuals. During the quarter, the group will engage in design discussions about the tool, including conversations about its functionality and interface. Please note that participants in the research will need to have a user account on Wikipedia, but do not need to have prior editing experiences.
 

Consuming Information: Identifying usage patterns associated with free online information resources

The internet contains a wealth of resources that provide high-quality information to the public for free. How do people decide which of these websites to visit when they want to learn something new? This directed research group will focus on developing a survey to find out where learners turn to find high-quality information on the internet, whether they are interested in digging deep into a particular subject, or getting a high level overview. 

Our general research questions include:

  • What free online resources are most popular with people interested in learning particular subjects, and why?
  • How do students use these free online resources to supplement official (university-provided) learning resources?
  • How does the way content is presented in these websites and in search engine queries influence who uses them, what they are used for, and how popular they are?

The research group is structured to run for two quarters. In Winter quarter, group members conducted a literature review and developed a set of survey questions, identified target populations, and piloted the survey. In Spring quarter, students will deploy the survey to the target population, and analyze the results.

The results will be published online and shared with a non-profit foundation that seeks to understand the information-seeking behavior of people who use publicly available online information resources. Students who participate in the research group (either quarter) will be listed as research contributors. 

This group is not currently accepting new participants. If you have any questions, please send an email message to Mark Zachry (zachry@uw.edu). 

Current Research in Social Computing
 
This reading group, designed for doctoral students preparing to conduct research related to social computing, meets weekly to discuss recently published research in the area. Group participants nominate articles for discussion and take turns leading discussions. The group is co-facilitated by Professor Mark Zachry (HCDE) and Professor David McDonald (iSchool).
Group size is limited. If you would like to participate, please contact Mark Zachry (zachry@uw.edu) with a statement about your research interests. The group meets TBD. 
 
Organizing HCI: Taking a User-Centered Design Approach to Improving Small Group Coordination
 
Offered jointly with Professor David McDonald and Michael Gilbert
 
Who We Are Looking For
Do you have a keen interest in the broader issues of Human Computer Interaction (HCI), the desire to explore those issues in a collaborative setting, or the desire to share your knowledge or particular experience with HCI to those in the larger community? Have you ever wanted to participate in the design of a tool intended to facilitate the process of online teamwork and distributed coordination (because, really, who hasn't)? If so, well, you are in luck.
 
Overview
For the autumn quarter, the Organizing HCI research group's focus will be two-fold.  First, the group will continue the design and evaluation of a tool to facilitate small group coordination in online spaces, taking a human-centered approach to the ongoing and iterative development of this tool.  And second, both through the evaluation of this tool and through continued interaction within the online group, we aim to elevate the public's perception and understanding of human computer interaction through contributions to one of the most widely recognized and definitive reference sources used by people today – Wikipedia.  In a series of task sprints, members of the group will:
  • Research knowledge standards and best practices in the field to contribute to article content around the topic of Human Computer Interaction.
  • Create detailed personas outlining the needs and motivations of distributed online team members, as well as use case scenarios in which these personas would be active.
  • Evaluate the current incarnation of our Virtual Team Explorer, a custom tool created to facilitate online group work within the project space,using these scenarios and personas.
  • Prepare a research poster and paper describing the DRG's efforts during the quarter.
The goal for the quarter is to engage the research group participants in a design conversation about the means and mechanisms behind online group work, as well as the utility of the online tools we have created to support such collaborative efforts.  Together, we will develop new ideas for how the system design should be implemented to support desirable forms of distributed social interaction focused on advancing knowledge about our field.
 
The Experience
During the quarter, everyone in the Organizing HCI research group will participate in a project to improve HCI-related content in Wikipedia.  Throughout this process, the group will reflect on the means by which this content is organized and distributed efforts are mediated to inform the personas and scenarios that will structure the evaluation of our Virtual Team Explorer.
 
tl;dr
Be a part of a directed research group that will first, participate in an online WikiProject intended to increase understanding of issues and articles related to Human Computer Interaction, and second, will use the experience from #1 above to inform the evaluation of a tool intended to help ours and other.
 
Haystack Exchange: Designing a Technology to Support New Forms of Social Interaction
 
In spring quarter, the Haystack Exchange research group will focus on iteratively designing a new web-based technology for encouraging transactions of services among groups of people who are socially linked. The goal for the quarter is to engage the research group participants in a design conversation about a newly deployed technology that they will all be using during the quarter. Following techniques of participatory design, all research group participants will have opportunities to engage in ideation, sketching, and prototyping activities related to the new system. Together, we will develop new ideas for how the system design should be developed to support desirable forms of social interaction.
 
Motivation
Recognizing the potential for social media to transform human relationships, this project seeks to explore the characteristics of a system that would help facilitate mutually beneficial transactions among people who are willing to share expertise with each other. Our challenge this spring quarter will be developing our system in such a way that it supports these kinds of transactions in a useful way, reflecting the values of people who want to interact with one another around their different forms of expertise.
 
The Experience
During the quarter, everyone in the research group will use the Haystack Exchange system to trade skills (e.g., editing, tutoring, image production) with others in the research group Periodically during the quarter, the group will engage in design discussions about the system, including conversations about its functionality and interface. At the end of the quarter, all participants will present an alternate system design, repositioning the technology in a new use-case scenario. These designs will be evaluate for appropriateness and technical feasibility.
 
Design and Development for Social Translucence: The Re:Flex Project (2013)
 
Join our research group in spring 2013 to participate in the development of Re:Flex, a social behavior visualization tool attached to Wikipedia. This tool is at an advanced stage of development, and we are preparing to invite developers and UX specialists to participate in the next phase of the research project. Project opportunities in the spring quarter include development of new plug-ins for the tool bar and user experience design. You can learn more about Re:Flex from our recent research poster.
 
Individuals interested in joining the group should have proven experience with some aspect of website or tool design, from conception to completion (a portfolio showing finished products is preferred).
Development Roles
Individual interested in participating in a development role related to the project should have either:
  • At least one year of experience with relevant web technologies (Javascript, jQuery, HTML, CSS), or
  • Experience with interactive visualization of large data sets, using tools like D3, Protovis, etc.
UX/UI Roles
Individuals interested in participating in a ux/ui roles may either be involved in toolbar modeling from conception to high-fidelity prototype (design), or the set up an evaluation test of the toolbar using something like Mechanical Turk (theory/operations). Prior experience in one or the other of these areas is needed.
Individuals should also have experience with frequently used design applications (including Photoshop, inDesign, etc), or experience with prototyping full-featured web applications using tools like Axure, Balsamiq, etc.
 
Meeting Time
The research group will meet Wednesdays, 5–6 pm.
 
Joining the Group
If interested in joining the group, please contact me via email (zachry@uw.edu) with a statement about your interests and your qualifications to participate in a development or ux/ui oriented role. Space in the group is limited so if there are more people interested in participating than we have room to accommodate, I will prioritize based on relevant skill sets.
Current Research in Social Computing (2013)
 
This reading group, designed for doctoral students preparing to conduct research related to social computing, meets weekly to discuss recently published research in the area. Group participants nominate articles for discussion and take turns leading discussions. The group is co-facilitated by Professor Mark Zachry (HCDE) and Professor David McDonald (iSchool).
Group size is limited. If you would like to participate, please contact Mark Zachry (zachry@uw.edu) with a statement about your research interests. Meeting time and location will be announced.
Communicative Practices in Virtual Workspaces (CPVW)
 
The Communicative Practices in Virtual Workspaces research group investigates emergent uses of digital technologies to coordinate work activities. Specifically, the group is concerned with developing knowledge about novel applications and integration of such technologies in the work of organizations—whether those organizations be  corporations, project-based federations of knowledge workers, or affiliated contributors to social media projects. Adopting and extending ideas from computer supported cooperative work, technical communication, human-computer interaction, and related fields, the group uses varied methods to explore communicative practices in virtual workspaces.
Participants will have the opportunity to work on existing projects and to propose work in complementary areas of inquiry. All research will support the group's overarching goals of investigating best practices and designing virtual tools associated with work activities in contemporary organizations. Projects for the group include:
  • Development of techniques for understanding social maneuvers (e.g., identity formation, regulation of behavior) in online interactions
  • Exploration of methods for using computer-use data to create visualizations that support reflective knowledge work
  • Development of tools for sensemaking about online work activities
The group will meet once per week to share results and discuss ongoing projects. The size of the research group is limited. People interested in participating should contact Mark Zachry (zachry [at] u.washington.edu) with a message explaining their interest in the group and indicating what types of activities they might like to work on during the quarter. Students with strong backgrounds in Web 2.0 technologies, visual design, and/or programming are particularly encouraged to apply. Participants in this research group will enroll for 1-3 credits (graded cr./no cr.) through HCDE 596 (for graduate students) or HCDE 496 (for undergraduate students).
Social Perspectives on the Design of Online Communities
 
Social psychology research and theory can improve our understanding of the adoption and use of social media. This research group will explore the connections researchers have made between social psychology theories of individual behavior and behavior in group settings and the design of social media technologies. The group will consider the impact of social psychological theories such as theories of collective effort, interpersonal bond formation, goal setting, social comparison, persuasion, group identity formation, technology diffusion, and technology acceptance on research methodologies and design considerations of social media technologies. The group will read works by such researchers as Kraut, Resnick, Rogers, and Venkatesh, to identify themes, underlying compatibilities, and tensions among the different authors’ applications of social psychology theory to social media.
Questions to be considered include:
  • In what ways are social psychology studies and theories applicable to individual and group behavior in online social media contexts?
  • What impacts do social psychology theories have on HCI research methodologies and design of systems supporting online communities?
  • How do specific theoretical lenses help reveal (or obscure) invisible work, issues of in/exclusion, and organizational power dynamics?
The research group will meet weekly for seminar-style discussions of assigned readings. Participants will be responsible for reading all assigned materials, analyzing ideas across texts, contributing to an annotated bibliography, and actively participating in discussions. Meetings will be held Mondays, 3:30-4:30. Participants will enroll for 2 credits.
The group is designed for graduate students who have already completed HCDE 501. Group size is limited. To request an add code, please contact Professor Zachry.
Networks and Ecologies
 
Researchers have long conceptualized human interactions with (and through) technology using varied theoretical frameworks to account for the roles and  relationships of people, information, genres, and infrastructures. This research group will explore major contributions in two of the most notable frameworks: networks and ecologies. Examining the work of researchers from Human-Computer Interaction, Computer-Supported Cooperative Work, Rhetoric, and Science and Technology Studies, the group will systematically consider the role that different conceptualizations of the human/technology relationship play in driving theory development, empirical research, and design. The group will read works by Nardi, Star, Spinuzzi, and Latour, identifying themes, underlying compatibilities, and tensions among the different authors’ network- and ecology-based theories.
Questions to be considered include:
  • How are human actions constrained or enabled by the technologies they use?
  • What do different understandings of human and technology interactions potentially contribute to designs that would improve computer-mediated collaborations?
  • How do specific theoretical lenses help reveal (or obscure) invisible work, issues of in/exclusion, and organizational power dynamics?
The research group will consist of a small, weekly 2-credit discussion seminar. Participants will be responsible for reading all assigned materials, analyzing ideas across texts, and actively participating in discussions.
The group is designed for graduate students and would be most appropriate for those who have already completed HCDE 501. Group size is limited. Meetings will be held Thursday afternoons. To request an add code, please contact Professor Zachry.