Tailoring Public Displays for Small, Co-located Groups

Public displays used to foster awareness have typically focused on the problem of providing information across remot locations or within large groups whose members lack awareness of each other’s activities or interests. We have, however, identified many additional benefits for an awareness system that displays information within a small, co-located group in which the members are already highly aware of each other’s activities. Using Semi-Public Displays, shared displays scoped for small groups, we make information that is relevant to the group members visible and persistent in the environment, promoting collaboration and providing lightweight information about group activity.