Small Spaces, Many Places: A Phenomenological Analysis of Technology-Mediated Placemaking in Small Spaces
Letter Of Changes: Thank you to the reviewers for their thoughtful and useful reviews. Based on the feedback, we have made the following changes:
1. Updated the abstract to better reflect our method.
2. In §3.2, we have added details on how the impact of altering the prompts across different participants did not lead to different types of sketches. We hypothesize that the lack of impact of changing prompt wording is caused by a general familiarity with floorplans as a way to describe domestic spaces.
3. Also in §3.2, we have presented a sample of questions we asked the participants.
4. We have expanded the discussion section with insights in one existing, and one new sub-section:
a. §6.3: Added examples of potential research directions, reflecting our insights which we believe should be considered for further research.
b. §6.4: A new sub-section on "The Role of Technology in Placemaking": We have expanded insights on how technology impacts placemaking.
Other Information:
R1 noted that a further exploration of how individuals negotiate boundaries and ownership within shared spaces could enrich the paper. We have touched upon boundary negotiation in §4.1 and §5.5, but we did not study how individuals negotiate ownership within these nebulous boundaries. We believe this could be an exciting area for future research, and have added context and information this to §6.3.
The meta-reviewer asked whether we were surprised by the finding that technology helps form places for leisure. We were not surprised by the finding. In retrospect, that may have been because our methodological grounding led us to find meaning only while working through the data – leading to potentially surprising findings just "making sense."
Keywords: domestiCHI, small space, placemaking, minimalist living, places
TL;DR: This paper investigates placemaking in small, constrained space, revealing key phenomena and distinct types of places emerging from the creative use of technology-challenging assumptions that placemaking is enhanced in big spaces
Abstract: This paper explores the concept of placemaking within small, constrained spaces, challenging implicit assumptions in past human-computer interaction work that creating meaningful "places" requires large spaces. Our study focuses on individuals living in settings like van homes, co-living spaces, and other environments characterized by their limited physical dimensions and the creative use of technology within these confines.
We examine the phenomenon of individuals employing technology to transform their environments into multi-functional "places" that reflect personal significance and utility. We used a phenomenological method: data collection through semi-structured interviews and a diary study; reduction to approach this phenomenon with a sense of openness and curiosity; and finally, investigating the meaning our participants attribute to their spaces in the act of placemaking. Through this method, we identified four elements - boundaries, temporality, mastery, and future-thinking - that contribute to placemaking in small spaces. Additionally, we outline seven distinct types of places that emerge in these environments, such as leisure places and work places. Our findings suggest that even in physically restricted settings, individuals can effectively create diverse and meaningful places through the strategic use of technology and spatial arrangement. This paper contributes to broader discussions on human-building interactions and offers insights for designing technologies that enhance placemaking in various spatial contexts.
Submission Number: 31
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