eEtiquette

Development process

Various groups of participants consisting of kids, users, design students and etiquette experts took part in workshops that examined their everyday (communications) behavior for situations in which they felt unsure or were surprised with the behavior of others. This approach enabled them to identify the 'dos and don'ts' of communication interactions.

• Research phase

July through December 2009

• • Street lab

This interactive workshop with kids and teens was held in Berlin-Neukölln as part of the Street Lab initiated by the T-Labs Design Research Lab. The aim was to find out what rules kids adopt when using digital media. The kids first collated rules that their parents had given them as part of using new technologies. The next stage involved them breaking these existing rules in a playful way, then recreating them for themselves and creatively illustrating them.

• Lead user workshop

Experienced users of digital communications tools and social networks were asked what standards and rules they apply to digital media. The creative workshop provided insights into their everyday digital lives using cultural probes – a tool for self-observation. They also set out their personal ten golden rules on the topic of 'my digital manners'. These were then discussed in the group, supplemented and sorted. Unwritten rules were identified as part of a four-stage design research process (observe – question – compare – compile).

• Critical design exploration

Together with the Royal College of Art in London, the researchers looked into what etiquette and manners entail in the context of future technologies. The masters students came to Berlin to stage a creative street interaction event on the topic of 'Etiquette in the public space'. In accordance with the critical design approach, the students developed various critical design standpoints for interacting with new media. Several discussions with experts selected from various disciplines, such as gender, social manners, cyber research were also held. The critical and conceptual debate gave rise to valuable new insights and visions, thus sensibly supplementing the results of other ethnographically-based workshops.

Subsequently the results of the various activities and contexts were collated, filtered and analyzed. The finishing touch was added by the multicultural core team in the Creation Center by working closely with users. This gradually gave rise to the 101 guidelines for eEtiquette.

• Number of people involved

11 Creation Center staff

10 kids & teens

18 masters students from the RCA

6 industry experts

39 digital natives

Participants  

(see also "Who did it?")

• The Creation Center is part of Telekom Laboratories – the Group's central research and development unit – and is headed up by Raimund Schmolze, who is in charge of five staff. The Creation Center initiated and developed eEtiquette. Julia Leihener, supported by Roger Ibars, was the project manager for the '101 guidelines for the digital world'.

• Prof. Dr. Gesche Joost has been in charge of the Telekom Laboratories Design Research Lab since 2005. Gesche Joost supported the eEtiquette project by providing the methodology base which helped identify and formulate the hitherto unwritten laws of digital communication.

• The Royal College of Art (RCA) in London is one of the most influential schools of art and design. 18 masters students from the RCA Design Interaction Department supervised by Prof. Anthony Dunne were involved in developing eEtiquette. 

Scientific approach

• One of the scientific approaches was the design research approach which provided the basis for inspiration with cultural probes.

• The entire project was also conducted using the iterative design thinking principle – research, analysis/synthesis, ideation, conception, testing.

• The Royal College of Art also utilized critical design, which draws on design methods and tools to critically reflect on and discuss social phenomena.