Edge effects: the design challenge of the pervasive interface

ABSTRACT

In biology they describe as 'the edge effect' the tendency for a greater variety and density of organisms to cluster in the boundaries between communities. As in nature, so too in a networked economy: variety, density and interaction are success factors. The trouble is that most of us work inside traditional environments, not between them - in a company, profession, or university. Stuck in boxes, we miss what's going on at the edge. My talk at CHI is therefore about two edge developments that are transforming our work in fundamental ways: pervasive computing, and social agendas for innovation.

INDEX TERMS

Keywords:
beyond the desktop, innovation, pervasive computing, social agendas for innovation, social context of computing