Traces of Work: Developing human-centered design principles for leveraging digital traces of activity in knowledge work

The TRACE-WORK project will study how traces of computer-mediated activities help knowledge workers carry out computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW).

Digital traces such as change logs and timestamps provide cues that people use to interpret the state of work and connect back to previous activities.

But there is no well-defined concept of traces in the fields of CSCW and human-computer interaction (HCI), and the role of traces in work has not been systematically explored. Due to this knowledge gap, there are no principles to support design for interactions with traces. There is a need, especially, for human-centered principles that consider the social impact of traces.

The recent surge in remote and hybrid work has led to public concern over the role of technology in mediating people’s relationships with their workplaces; a topic that is severely understudied in CSCW.

To address these gaps and establish traces as a practically applicable concept for the design of workplace technology, TRACE-WORK will develop a typology of traces, to be applied in an empirical study of knowledge workers’ practices and experiences of using traces. Building on this, the Researcher and study participants will co-produce design principles for traces.

The researcher is uniquely positioned to successfully implement TRACE-WORK through her extensive knowledge in CSCW, her research on social dynamics in collaborative work, and her industry experience in producing design resources from research.

Through TRACE-WORK, the Researcher will develop relevant skills; obtain and apply interdisciplinary knowledge; extend her professional network; and significantly expand her field’s understanding of a critical but understudied subject; thus building up a strong research profile of high relevance to her field.

TRACE-WORK will produce high-quality scientific outcomes and practical resources, giving opportunities for publication and presentation in top-tier venues as well as direct impact on industry.