``Can you do it for me?'': Understanding Use-by-Proxy in Interactive Systems

Anonymous

Keywords: collaboration, intermediate interaction, Proxy-User, Human-Mediated Technology, asymmetric collaboration

TL;DR: Proxy-users are uneven collaborations where a user asks another person to use an app for them; so, the user using the app is not motivated directly by the outcome of the interaction.

Abstract: ``I can't reach'', ``my hands are full'', ``I'm driving''---can you do it for me? If using a smartphone is challenging for a user because of either physical or cognitive encumbrances, they often ask another person to perform the desired task on their behalf. In this situation, the user with the motivation or goal to perform the task is not directly using the device, but is instead working through an intermediary, a use-by-proxy, where the proxy-user has limited initiative. Through a qualitative study, we probe this use-by-proxy phenomenon. We explore triggers, frequencies, and breakdowns that confound use-by-proxy interaction. We identify the challenges both for the end-user and the proxy-user (e.g., that proxy-user input is a deficient form of interaction for both the main user and the proxy user) and discuss consequences and implications for the design of this uneven collaborative interaction.

Track: HCI/visualization