Hello.
This is Cindy Hsin-Liu Kao.
I'm here to present our cross-cultural study
on social perceptions towards color
changing on-skin notification displays.
This is a study conducted collaboratively
by my lab, the hybrid body lab, at Cornell University
in collaboration with National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan.
As sensor devices continue to shrink in size,
technology has moved directly onto the skin's surface.
On-skin displays have offered enhanced everyday applications
for healthcare and governmental data to notifications.
These devices will become a necessary part
of the wearer's appearance.
However, little do we know about the social and user perceptions
towards on-skin notifications.
Existing research regarding user perception
has focused on interaction with mobile and wearable devices.
Yet little has discussed output notifications devices
and on-skin for factors.
In this paper we aim to understand the user perceptions
and cultural differences towards color changing
on-skin notification displays.
We conducted a mixed method study
to identify perceptions of on-skin notification
displays via online surveys and also, to uncover
the reasons underlying these perceptions,
via semi-structured interviews.
For the online survey, we recruited
two groups of 127 participants in the US and in Taiwan.
The online survey consists of two parts.
First, participants fill out a demographic questionnaire.
For qualified participants, we probe their perceptions
with video clips of actors wearing
the on-skin device, SkinDisplay, in a public setting.
SkinDisplay adopts thermochromic-based interfaces
that change color from white to yellow, red, or blue,
when activated by underlying resistive heating traces.
It is composed of two main components, a color changing
on-skin overlay, which is connected to a custom designed
circuit board for computation and wireless communication.
Each participant watched actors wearing three different colors
of SkinDisplay and a smartwatch to receive notifications.
Afterwards they answer a follow-up questionnaire
regarding color preference, notification speed, duration,
and other associations.
Results from the online survey include two significant points.
First, skin tone is an important consideration
for color preference.
Americans noted that blue contrasted
against their pale skin tones without looking
like a diseased skin condition.
Taiwanese participants selected yellow as their second choice
because it blended in what their skin tones.
Second, most Americans, 35%, preferred that the notification
process be completed within 15 seconds
and stay for longer than 30 seconds.
Whereas Taiwanese participants, 65%,
preferred it to be complete within three seconds
and end within 30 seconds.
Based on the results from the online survey study,
the next step is to understand the reasons
and cultural factors underlying these user perceptions.
Therefore we conducted an in-depth, semi-structured
interview study.
We recruited two groups of 18 participants, from the US
and in Taiwan, with a variety of age range and skin tones.
The interview study consists of three parts.
First, we collected participants baseline perception,
such as their general color perception and opinions related
to smartwatch notifications.
We then used the SkinDisplay as a material probe.
The participants wore the SkinDisplay device
to experience the color change, and then
envisioned receiving notifications,
and shared their individual perceptions toward the device.
Afterwards, participants shared their perceptions
as to the design of the on-skin displays, notifications,
and their considerations related to wearing
the device in a daily basis.
Due to the time limit we will only
present the three most salient themes from the results
of the interview study.
Please refer to our paper for the other results.
The shifts in color perceptions were found in the study
that the general color perception changed
from neutral/positive to negative, when the device was
applied to the skin.
For the design of the device, US participants
were eager to give the device a particular graphical
appearance, as a form of customization and self
expression.
However, Taiwanese participants preferred a more practical
design for daily use that does not interfere
with everyday activities.
As for the notification, most US participants
preferred a subtle notification, which
felt more organic and connected to their bodies.
Whereas, Taiwanese counterparts reported
that a gradual transition would not
fit with their fast-paced lifestyle,
so they wanted something instantaneous.
From the results we presented, design implications
were made that user perceptions of on-skin devices
and color changing notifications are
influenced by cultural factors.
Among others, skin tone should be considered
as an important issue in the color selection
of on-skin devices for potential users.
Due to the time limit, please refer
to our paper for more details.
To wrap up, we conducted a cross-cultural study
to investigate the user perceptions towards output
on-skin notification displays and to uncover
users considerations for every day use.
Thank you for your attention.