Proxemics-based mobile messenger design

Abstract

Nowadays, mobile instant messaging (MIM) is a necessity in our private and public lives. MIM applications, such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and KakaoTalk, have grown with the spread of smartphones and have become a big part of text-based mobile communication. Due to being fast, easy to use, and cost-free, the number of MIM users has increased rapidly, and people are primarily employing MIM for private use and business purposes. This dissertation aims to derive knowledge of MIM design. In particular, this dissertation uses proxemics—the theory of human’s use of space—to achieve this goal. This research explores how the theory of human’s use of physical spaces can be transformed and interpreted in MIM-use situations and provides knowledge on how to apply proxemics theory to design MIM applications. For this purpose, this dissertation includes a literature review, focus groups, design pattern development, and a field study that uses a prototype. Through three series of empirical studies, the research articulates the intimate connection between users’ MIM experiences and human experiences in physical spaces and finds the usefulness of proxemics to derive design knowledge for MIM applications. In more detail, this research understands the negative user experience of MIM based on proxemics and the analysis of various features of MIM applications revealed the proxemics-based design patterns. In addition, this research introduces a new MIM prototype with which to investigate the impact of the new MIM features on users’ proxemic experiences. Using this prototype as a technology probe, we explored the impact on users’ messaging experience through a two-week field study. The findings, discussions, and suggestions derived from this research provide insights related to the meaning of using proxemics theory in MIM design.