There are various new kinds of products that designers should pay attention to in ubiquitous computing environments. One such product is ambient media. Key characteristics are to use the peripheral awareness ability of humans and to apply dynamic ch...
There are various new kinds of products that designers should pay attention to in ubiquitous computing environments. One such product is ambient media. Key characteristics are to use the peripheral awareness ability of humans and to apply dynamic changes embedded in physical environments as elements of design representation. The research aims to identify dynamic design elements and to suggest design application methods for ambient media. In particular, the focus is on identifying the impact of the dynamic design elements of ambient media on the peripheral awareness of users.
This paper presents four key results. First, it built a theoretical basis on ambient media in design. The term was redefined for the design domain, and the characteristics and types were analyzed. Second, four dynamic elements: tempo, continuity, intensity and rhythm were identified as the new design subjects. Third, the relationship between the design elements and the peripheral awareness of users was identified through an experiment. Tempo is the one that supports peripheral awareness and reduces interference. Continuity increases peripheral awareness but has high interference. Intensity is good at reducing interference while not being effective for peripheral awareness. Lastly, application methods were suggested for the design of ambient media. This paper contributes by building a theoretical basis on design research that is expended due to the development of information technology. The dynamic design elements can be further developed for a new design language and its application in the design practice.