CFP: CHI 2004 Workshop:

Identifying Gaps between HCI, Software Engineering, and Design, and Boundary
Objects to Bridge Them

Organizers:
Bonnie E. John (HCI Institute, Carnegie Mellon University)
Len Bass and Rick Kazman (Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon
University)
Eugene Chen (AM+A California)

A useful concept for bridging gaps between disciplines in interactive
system development (e.g., usability engineering, software
engineering, visual design, interaction design) is that of boundary
objects. Boundary objects serve each discipline in its own  work and
also act as communication devices to coordinate work across
disciplines.  A "storyboard" can be considered a boundary object. A
designer uses a storyboard to express and explore ideas in the space
of presentation and navigation; a usability analyst uses the same
storyboard to perform an early usability test; a software engineer
uses it as part of the specification of the interface code. The
storyboard performs different functions for each discipline, yet
provides common ground for discussing intersecting concerns.

This two-day workshop will collect examples of existing boundary
objects, identify characteristics of boundary objects that
successfully span disciplines  and those that fail to do so, identify
gaps between disciplines in need of boundary objects, and propose new
boundary objects to bridge those gaps.

Participants will be selected based on their experience bridging gaps
between disciplines.  Experiences illuminating the lack, or failure
of boundary objects are just as valuable to this workshop as
successful experiences.

Prospective participants are invited to submit a 2-3 page position
statement that includes:

(1) Background: Your professional position in interdisciplinary teams
and a short description of some projects you have worked on.
(2) Position: Your observations of gaps between disciplines, and the
attempts to bridge them with boundary objects or other methods.
(3) Sample Materials: a description of a boundary object you have
used (if any).

Submit position papers to [log in to unmask]

Important dates: Jan 12, 2004 - position paper due
Feb 23, 2004 - notification of acceptance/rejection
April 25.26 - workshop will be held.

--
Len Bass
Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pa  15213
phone: (412) 268-6763, fax: (412) 268-5758
internet: [log in to unmask]  www.sei.cmu.edu/staff/ljb