Interactive environment (IE)

Usage

Personal

Smart homes

E-services

Business

IE's could be usedd by companies to introduce their products

Public sector

Information services

E-learning

Entertainment

Interactive games

Interactive TV

WWW services

Art

Interactive installations

Touch

Physical

Interaction takes place after pressing a button (like some games)

Virtual

Computer controlled or mediated services (like a chat-room, also with touch-screen interfaces)

Location

Mobile

IE is accessible everywhere (new mobile services, locative media, gps etc)

Desktop

The IE makes sense only at a certain location

Usability

Design

The IE is just to demonstrate something, new fancy gadgets. Also interactive art etc

Usable

IE, that has been designed to work on a certain task (like a simple mobile-phone vs iPhone, where a lot of additional features have been added)

Community

Single-user

The IE is designed for one participant (some art installations at a gallery that require the viewers interaction)

Multi-user

Interaction of more than 1 participant is needed (message boards for example)

Privacy

Private

The participant can be sure of his/her privacy (desktop IE's usually)

Public

The participants interactions can be followed (online communities for example)

Communication

Person-to-person

Participants use IE's to communicate with each other (chat-rooms for example)

Person-to-computer

Person uses IE to get information or just to entertain for example (online games)

Computer-to-computer

Computers use IE to follow some pre-programmed tasks

Target group

Technology-people

Fancy IE's, that use the latest technolgies (gps, 3g, wifi etc)

Students

The IE helps the students to study: online articles, tools, message boards, e-school

Children

IE's that involve gaming, communication with friends

Elderly

IE's could be designed specially for elderly's people need (e-health, but also communication with friends)