These British researchers studied the question, “How should a spectator experience a user’s interaction with a computer?” The issue is becoming important because interactive technologies are becoming more common in cultural, artistic, and entertainment applications.

They developed a taxonomy that places all interactions on a two-dimensional grid. The y-axis shows effects (hidden; partially revealed/hidden, transformed; revealed; and amplified). The x-axis shows manipulations, which contain the same range of topics as the y-axis. So, in the lower left of the grid (hidden effects, hidden manipulations),

we see what is traditionally considered to be private interaction, an example being any interface located in a private booth such as [a] photo kiosk. On the top-right, we see the most public interactions in which both the effects and manipulations that caused them are revealed to the spectators. An interactive white board belongs in this area, as do many conventional examples of single display groupware (SDG) in which people collaborate openly around a shared display.

The authors have given the four segments of their grid more dramatic and memorable labels. The lower left (hidden effects, hidden manipulations) is called secretive; the upper left (revealed effects, hidden manipulations) is called magical; the lower right (hidden effects, revealed manipulations) is called suspenseful; and the upper right (both effects and manipulations revealed) is called expressive.

The point of all this, of course, is for performers to be conscious of the spectators’ impact on the activity. Performances can be orchestrated to involve spectators in a predictable way, rather than having it happen in a haphazard manner. Orchestration is obvious in stage performances, but “orchestration may also be seen in exhibitions where docents manage visitor flow and explain concepts and technologies.” The authors “believe that designing the customer experience will become an increasingly important aspect of mainstream HCI as computers continue to migrate from the workspace into our everyday lives, more often appearing in our public spaces--our theatres, galleries, museums, exhibitions and even the city streets.”