Work Cultures in Multimedia Production Hilda Tellioglu & Ina - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

1

ALP-IS - 19-22.2.2005 - Carisolo ALP-IS - 19-22.2.2005 - Carisolo

Work Cultures in Multimedia Production

Hilda Tellioglu & Ina Wagner

Vienna University of Technology Multidisciplinary Design Group http://media.tuwien.ac.at

2

Contents Contents



Introduction – Studies in CSCW



Our study



Multimedia Production: Definitions & Statistics



Web-Based Systems & Web Engineering



Our Cases

⋯

Webcom

⋯

Telecom

⋯

Archcom



Visual Communication



Role of Partnerships & Networking



Discussion: Work Culture

3

Introduction – Studies in CSCW Introduction – Studies in CSCW



Few examined culture directly, many had cultural aspects as an underlying theme ⇒ work practices depend on context and are cultured



Work practices in software companies (Tellioglu & Wagner, 1999, 2001)



Small Australian design companies (Robertson, 1998)



Occupational communities (Elliott & Scacchi, 2003)



Organisational context as shaping design practice

⋯

shift of attention from mentoring to consulting changed people's perception of help desk (Halverson et al., 2004)

⋯

it is possible to develop a 'negiotiated culture' in dev. teams (Krishna et al., 2004)



Culture as a feature of organisation, work practice or specific occupational communities

⋯

measuring organisational cultures (Hofstede et al., 1990) + large surveys ⇒ values & cultured practices + categories on the level of values + distinctions on the practice level

⋯

useful to describe cultural difference, but not clear how to translate into differences of concrete work practice

⋯

“... we found considerable differences in practices for people who held about the same values.” (p.90)

4

Our Study Our Study



We studied work practices in multimedia companies.



Our focus was on identifying and understanding differences of work cultures.



We carried out ethnographic studies of design practice in multimedia production teams.

⋯

• pen-ended qualitative interviews, participatory observations, video- &

audio-based work practice analysis of multimedia production & social interactions

⋯

to understand the cultural aspects of observed context, values, beliefs & practice

5

Multimedia Production: Definitions & Statistics Multimedia Production: Definitions & Statistics



Multimedia is a combination of digital & ordinary media to novel web- based solutions for communication.



Multimedia includes a variety of communication forms, web sites, online shop systems & Intranet/Extranet solutions.



Current challenge = integration of different media



Less & less multimedia CD-ROMs, more & more content management & data administration systems, systems enabling B2C or B2B, to some extent: 3D visualisations (AR, VR)



The most of the multimedia production companies (Sandberg & Augustsson, 2002)

⋯

are small (5-16 employees)

⋯

are constituted by young free lancers

⋯

have high turnover

⋯

• utsource some of the work

⋯

do not invest in further training of its staff



82% of their turnover is enabled by business activities with other companies and only 18% by products for consumers.

6

Web-Based Systems & Web Engineering Web-Based Systems & Web Engineering



Web-based systems

⋯

document-oriented; static or dynamic; focus: look & feel of web sites, visual creativity, skilled application of multimedia in the presentation layer; determined by their content; mediate applications & data; have to be produced within very short time; impossible to plan the processes formally & test the results thoroughly



Web engineering

⋯

is different from software engineering; defines the scientific & organisational principles & approaches that govern the creation, application & maintenance of web-based systems and applications (Murugesan et al. 2001); offers systematic, theory- based process guidance & involves more than just graphic design & content creation; is multidisciplinary & requires the combination of several skills



Characteristics of work practices in multimedia companies

⋯

iterative

⋯

multiplicity & special role of representations

⋯

lack of design methods & best practice examples

⋯

cooperative

⋯

relevance of ‘intensional networks’ & strategic partnerships

7

Our Cases Our Cases

WEBCOM TELECOM ARCHCOM Type Commerce-oriented web design company Function-oriented service creation team Best practice company Products Communication-design- solutions for the Internet, CD-ROM & print Innovative telecommunication services Web applications with database integration for contemporary architecture Architectural design Employees 8 persons including 4 free lancers Team of 4 persons 4 persons, including 2 free lancers, 1 external programmer, 1 external graphic designer History Founded in 1994 In 2002 bought by another company Part of a large, international telecommunications company In 2002 the team was dissolved Founded in 1996 Qualifications

• f the

employees Web graphic designer Web publisher Web production manager Customer supporter Graphic designer Texter Web programmer Web content specialist Web information specialist Web designer Web production manager Multimedia architect Web content strategist Web Information specialist Web programmer

8

Webcom: Webcom: The commerce-oriented web design company

The commerce-oriented web design company



Work practices are organised in a straight forward manner

⋯

project establishment phase

−

1st meeting with customers to gather the main requirements

−

research about the customer & customers' competitors in the Internet

−

creation of an offer in a standardised format

−

• ne single graphic design in the offer

−

if the design is accepted by the customer ⇒ an

• rganising meeting between creative director,

customer supporter & graphic designer

⋯

creative phase

−

result: the graphic design of the web site

⋯

iterative detailing phase

−

implementation of the design

−

prototypes available for customers

−

test/evaluation of the prototypes by the customers ⇒ change requests to the designers “Each phase of the design process is usually punctuated by a presentation to the client at which the designers obtain approval from the client (often called sign-off) about the work that was performed during that phase” (Newman & Landay, 2000, p.267)

Cover page (1 page) Project team which can also include partners working together in the current project (1 page) Introduction: status quo of the customer and brief description of the problem domain (1 page) Goals / requirements: goals of the web site and requirements (1 page) Content description: contents planned to be presented in the web site are identified with a corresponding title and described shortly (1 page) Content explanation: why and how is the design of the content, which sources are used (1 page) Content mix (1 page) 3 example contents (each 1 page) Newsfeed: with diagrams ( 1page) Newsfeed: support (1 page) Branding: logo (1 page) Home page (1 page) Detail view (1 page) Further development of the site (1 page) Administration (1 page) About us (1 page) References (1 page) Excursus 1: the use of the Internet, numbers and trends (5 pages) Excursus 2: what makes web sites successful (3 pages)

9

Webcom: Webcom: The commerce-oriented web design company

The commerce-oriented web design company



Characteristics of work processes

⋯

standardised processes ⇒ to keep the costs low

⋯

deadlines

⋯

controlling of work-in-progress

⋯

approval of managing director

⋯

use of visualisations

⋯

use of guiding themes

⋯

reuse of design elements

⋯

documentation of project documents as in paper-based graphic design companies



Expertise in graphic design

10

Webcom: Webcom: Controlled individual work

Controlled individual work



People simultaneously working on 3-4 projects, small teams



Transparent information about ongoing projects & the progress status



Most of the work carried out individually, at times controlled intensively



Establishment of process & temporal structures

⋯

deadlines, reviews, checking the status, quality & quantity of the work, co- workers present in the office, personal communication, checking the work-in- progress on people's screen, e-mail as communication medium ...



Ad-hoc quick & dirty fixes, control of unexpected contingencies ⇒ controlled improvisation



Feedback to colleagues about their work ⇒ controlled cooperation ⇒

11

Our Cases Our Cases

WEBCOM TELECOM ARCHCOM Type Commerce-oriented web design company Function-oriented service creation team Best practice company Products Communication-design- solutions for the Internet, CD-ROM & print Innovative telecommunication services Web applications with database integration for contemporary architecture Architectural design Employees 8 persons including 4 free lancers Team of 4 persons 4 persons, including 2 free lancers, 1 external programmer, 1 external graphic designer History Founded in 1994 In 2002 bought by another company Part of a large, international telecommunications company In 2002 the team was dissolved Founded in 1996 Qualifications

• f the

employees Web graphic designer Web publisher Web production manager Customer supporter Graphic designer Texter Web programmer Web content specialist Web information specialist Web designer Web production manager Multimedia architect Web content strategist Web Information specialist Web programmer

12

Telecom: Telecom: The function-oriented service creation team

The function-oriented service creation team



Work process of iterative cycles

⋯

initialisation phase

−

idea for new products/services for a trade fair

−

research about standards, technical challenges, possibilities for implementation, offers

• f competitors, market demands & possible cooperation partners (in the Internet,

professional magazines & published studies)

−

focus on new products that are highly interesting for potential customers & challenging for design & development

⋯

service creation phase

−

a 1st very simple user interface, focus on the development of the system's functionality

−

revision & enhancement of the original product idea

−

exploration of alternative technical solutions in case of unexpected problems ⇒ a fully developed executable ready to present at a trade fair event

⋯

presentation phase

⋯

enhancement & adaptation phase

−

by using the feedback of visitors ⇒ 'sample' on the demonstration server, accessible for customers

⋯

implementation phase

−

carried out by the software engineering team

13

Telecom: Telecom: The function-oriented service creation team

The function-oriented service creation team



Characteristics of work processes

⋯

speed of the design & development ⇒ a very important success factor

⋯

use of the products of the large company ⇒ sometimes constraining dependencies

⋯

ad-hoc design of problem solutions ⇒ improvisations in design work (Ciborra, 2002) e.g. streaming & downloading

⋯

the design of the wallet ⇒ design tinkering

(Ciborra, 2002) ⇒

14

Telecom: Telecom: The function-oriented service creation team

The function-oriented service creation team



Frequent ad-hoc meetings

⋯

to discuss the current situation (e.g. work-in-progress, problems with partners) & solutions for different functionalities or issues concerning the user interface

⋯

simultaneous use of multimedia

15

Telecom: Telecom: Cooperative development

Cooperative development



Chaotic communication but well-organised work environment, no hierarchy in the team



Team members always present & involved in all decisions ⇒ “the consensus is the product” (M1)



Important: to have fun while working, to be open to critique & discussion, to act as a competent team member, to participate actively in the design process



“Garage company”: most of the work carried out in the isolated team

⋯

no acceptance & appreciation by the software engineering team

⋯

differences in style, working culture, methods & priorities

⋯

clash of working cultures between both teams

16

Our Cases Our Cases

WEBCOM TELECOM ARCHCOM Type Commerce-oriented web design company Function-oriented service creation team Best practice company Products Communication-design- solutions for the Internet, CD-ROM & print Innovative telecommunication services Web applications with database integration for contemporary architecture Architectural design Employees 8 persons including 4 free lancers Team of 4 persons 4 persons, including 2 free lancers, 1 external programmer, 1 external graphic designer History Founded in 1994 In 2002 bought by another company Part of a large, international telecommunications company In 2002 the team was dissolved Founded in 1996 Qualifications

• f the

employees Web graphic designer Web publisher Web production manager Customer supporter Graphic designer Texter Web programmer Web content specialist Web information specialist Web designer Web production manager Multimedia architect Web content strategist Web Information specialist Web programmer

17

Archcom: Archcom: The best-practice company

The best-practice company



Design process as 'best practice'

⋯

applies to the planning activities, the use of methods & the documentation

−

project plan in form of a spreadsheet

−

to-do-ĺists

⋯

thorough research e.g. for the design

• f the search function

⋯

detailed sketches of navigation & graphic layout

⋯

detailed descriptions of the data

⋯

use of UML & coding conventions

18

Archcom: Archcom: The best-practice company

The best-practice company



Design process as 'best practice' (cntd.)

⋯

design representations prepared in different media

⋯

use of artifacts simultaneously, switching between formats & media with ease

⋯

product structure

−

a short history of the company

−

requirement analysis

−

technical description

−

description of deployment & use

−

flash animation

−

prototype

−

storyboard

−

glossary

19

Archcom: Archcom: Multidisciplinary teamwork

Multidisciplinary teamwork



Highly developed communication culture



Weekly jour fix meetings ⇒ for communicating, cooperating intensely, solving problems together, making design decisions, planning next steps



Project manager as moderator of decision processes ⇒ in-depth discussion of benefits & disadvantages of a suggested solution, users' perspective in the team, confrontation of designers with user requirements



Detailed & thorough meeting minutes including

⋯

decisions taken about the functionality & user interface

⋯

changes & enhancements of the database model

⋯

modifications of web pages

⋯

business logic

⋯

• pen questions

⋯

responsibilities of team members

20

Visual Communication Visual Communication



Visual culture of multimedia designers ⇒ to create & read design representations (artefacts) in different media & format



Visual artefacts are

⋯

produced as part of discussions, as integral part of explanations, developments & arguments

⋯

reused in follow-up meetings

⋯

annotated with supplements, modifications & comments



Visualisations as “network-organizing devices”

(Henderson, 1995) ⋯

to support individual & cooperative thinking &

• rganising, to keep the design concept present, to

coordinate the work around it, to illustrate the design ideas, to convince others of the design idea & to mobilise their cooperation (Schmidt &

Wagner, 2002)

21

Visual Communication Visual Communication



Different techniques for visualisations ⇒ different visual artefacts

⋯

sketches on paper, (high fidelity) mock-ups (Newman & Landay, 2000), prototypes, flow charts, annotated printouts of web sites as composite visualisations (Archcom), storyboards (Webcom), site maps (Newman & Landay, 2000)

22

Role of Partnerships & Networking Role of Partnerships & Networking



Several forms of cooperating

⋯

cooperation with specialists

⋯

contracting out

⋯

mergers, joint ventures, strategic partnerships

⋯

cooperation in the Internet



Varying cooperative arrangements



Rules of cooperating



Personal networks ⇒ “intensional networks” (Nardi et al., 2002)

23

Discussion: Work Culture Discussion: Work Culture



Beliefs, values & norms used to characterise occupational communities are reflected in work practices (Elliott & Scacchi, 2003).



We can see them in certain interactions & in the choice of methods & tools.



These constellations develop into something sufficiently robust which we may call 'work culture'.



In our cases we tried to analyse

⋯

the images & presentations of self

⋯

the organisational forms

⋯

the complexity of work

⋯

the values & criteria

⋯

the styles

24

Discussion: Webcom Discussion: Webcom

WEBCOM Image/ presentation of self Combining web design with high quality graphics Organisational form Part of network of specialised companies and free lancers Acts as virtual company Clear internal hierarchy Complexity of work Low complexity: highly standardised products (websites) Predictable tasks Values/criteria Graphic design as identity Priority of commercial success before quality High efficiency of work process Re-usability High speed – timely delivery Style Dominant, controlling project manager Combining routine procedures with quick and dirty fixes Some amount of controlled improvisation Observing conventions of the print medium



Webcom operates in a highly competitive environment.

⋯

little ambition to go beyond usual formats & almost no space for experimentation & innovation

⋯

conflict between the requirements & skills of good graphic design & the competence needed to design for easy technical implementation

25

Discussion: Telecom Discussion: Telecom

TELECOM Image/ presentation of self ‘Garage company’ Organisational form Semi-independent work team within large SW engineering department Teamwork With obligation to use resources of international mother company Complexity of work Highly innovative products High complexity due to: Working with new releases of technologies High time pressure Uncertainties because of changing requirements, delayed delivery of components, etc. Values/criteria Teamwork based on consensus-orientation, inclusiveness, openness Focus on realistic, usable solutions Having fun, being relaxed in one’s work Style Improvisation and bricolage No common style, self-trained Chaotic communication



The team at Telecom practices a survival strategy.

⋯

in weak position, isolated, exposed to all kinds of intrigues

⋯

singled out as the ones that should demonstrate to the engineering department that there are better, more innovative ways of developing products

⋯

extreme focus on improvisation, ad-hoc solutions & conspicuous success

26

Discussion: Archcom Discussion: Archcom

ARCHCOM Image/ presentation of self Forum for contemporary architecture Organisational form Intensional network of specialists with a strong leadership Unity of project manager and user representative Complexity of work High complexity due to: Diverse user requirements Technical infrastructure Values/criteria High professionalism Best practice orientation High use value of product Timely delivery Style Efficient internal communication with emphasis on: Articulation work Methods Excellent documentation Visualisation Translation work (from technical to user language) Use cases



Archcom is a highly professional team.

⋯

strong drive to impress and convince the client

⋯

an interdisciplinary team ⇒ strong focus on a systematic approach, methods & visual representations