For our project, we are using ubiquitous computing to augment the digital workspace. With the onset of restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, more people are completing computer-based work and studies from their homes, where they often have smaller or more limited workspaces than they would have in corporate work environments or classrooms. Our user base is broad, but will focus on people who work remotely from home with limited digital and physical workspaces. Our aim is to design an ubicomp product that supports the augmentation of the at-home workspace that is compact, flexible, and potentially portable.

The motivation for our idea came from our individual experiences learning and working remotely. All day we find ourselves sitting for hours at over-crowded desks, or even on floors when no desks are available, managing windows on our monitors, trying to pay attention to lectures and meetings while our necks, wrists and eyes strain. We also saw the hardships of our friends and loved ones: teachers teaching remotely from their living room couches, students staring into screens a foot away from them for 8 hours a day. We knew there had to be better ways to work and learn remotely, so we channeled our frustrations toward coming up with them.

Our ideation process was based on individual observations. Before the first meeting, we observed different environments to find out possible problems that users might experience within different spaces. We discussed what we observed from different environments and narrowed our selection down to one problem space. With this process, our group realized that many people suffered from remote work due to limited workspaces.

We decided to focus on the expanded workspaces to augment the digital workspace outside of the single computer screen, so that people can easily access and work with the information they need at the same time. After determining the scope, we individually sketched 4 concept ideas. We presented our ideas in our class and got feedback from classmates and our professor. We reflected the feedback to redefine our scope and classified our concept under the three concepts: a foldable screen, digital notebook, and a smartboard.

Concept 1: Foldable/Rollable Screen

This concept explores the idea of having a portable screen that's easily attachable to walls and surfaces. Either rolled up like a yoga mat or unfolded like a sleeping mat, the screen functions as a standalone device that users can take with them to do work wherever they go. No more sitting at an overcrowded desk staring into a screen 12 inches from your face for 8 hours a day. Now users have the option to put their screen on a wall and do their work while standing! Perfect for folks who sit through meetings all day who want a healthy and portable alternative. Especially suited to folks like teachers who are used to standing before an audience for hours every day. The device pairs well with a laptop to extend your typical digital workspace. You can even put two on your wall--one big one small--to extend your capability.