What we talk about when we talk about context

Pers Ubiquit Comput (2004) 8: 1930

DOI 10.1007/s00779-003-0253-8ORIGINAL ARTICLEPaul DourishWhat we talk about when we talk about contextReceived: 16 June 2003 / Accepted: 30 September 2003 / Published online: 5 December 2003

Springer-Verlag London Limited 2003Abstract The emergence of ubiquitous computing as a

new design paradigm poses signicant challenges for

human-computer interaction (HCI) and interaction

design. Traditionally, HCI has taken place within a

constrained and well-understood domain of experiencesingle users sitting at desks and interacting with

conventionally-designed computers employing screens,

keyboards and mice for interaction. New opportunities

have engendered considerable interest in context-aware

computingcomputational systems that can sense and

respond to aspects of the settings in which they are used.

However, considerable confusion surrounds the notion

of contextwhat it means, what it includes and what

role it plays in interactive systems. This paper suggests

that the representational stance implied by conventional

interpretations of context misinterprets the role of

context in everyday human activity, and proposes an

alternative model that suggests dierent directions for

design.Keywords Context-aware computing

Ethnomethodology1 IntroductionOne of the major research directions for human-computer interaction (HCI) over the past few years has been

exploring the novel forms of interaction that can be

achieved by integrating computer technology with the

everyday physical world in which we live and work. This

line of research goes by a number of namesubiquitous

computing (Weiser 1991), context-aware computing

(Dey et al. 2001), pervasive computing (Ark and Selker

1999), embodied interaction (Dourish 2001), and more.

Although the nomenclature varies, the central ideas are

largely the same. Extrapolating from current trends in

the development of low-cost and low-power devices,

ubiquitous computing proposes a digital future in which

computation is embedded into the fabric of the world

around us. In this world, our primary experience of

computation is not with a traditional desktop computer,

but rather with a range of computationally-enhanced

devicespieces of paper, pens, walls, books, hammers,

etc. The opportunity implied by this ubiquitous computing vision is to capitalise on our familiarity, skill and

experience in dealing with the everyday world around us.

The world can become an interface to computation, and

computation can become an adjunct to everyday interaction.There are many signicant research issues that this

vision encompasses, but two have become particularly

prominent in HCI. The rst is the...