G. Michelis - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by G. Michelis
Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, 2004
In many environments, the landscape of space and artefacts is evolving and changing with the task... more In many environments, the landscape of space and artefacts is evolving and changing with the tasks at hand. Integrating digital media and computation in these environments has to take into account the fact that people will configure space functions and tools according to the situation, organising use in unexpected ways. In this article, we present and discuss how the issue of configurability is dealt with, in a series of field trials with design students. The aim of these trials was to construct, for architecture and interaction design students, a mixed-media environment for inspirational learning. The results include physical infrastructure in space and in furniture as integral parts of the interaction technology and the creation of composite representations called ''mixed objects'', which blend digital and non-digital media in one design artefact. Configurability has to be supported at different levels (infrastructures, artefacts, functions) and across the physical and digital realms.
ACM SIGGROUP Bulletin, 2003
Most of the available knowledge management systems pay little attention to two important aspects:... more Most of the available knowledge management systems pay little attention to two important aspects: the need of supporting emerging communities of interest together with the official organizational structure; and the need of cluing together knowledge associated with any kind of involved entity including people, communities, and informal knowledge. The MILK system enhances knowledge discovery and sharing by providing services addressing these aspects and supplying innovative interfaces and interaction styles. The goal of MILK is to become a familiar environment integrated in the every-day activities of dynamic modern workers. To meet the users' needs, the solution proposed by MILK roots in ethnographic analysis capturing the common practices within an organization.
Fourth Annual IEEE International Conference on Pervasive Computing and Communications Workshops (PERCOMW'06)
In this paper we present a technological approach to support individual and cooperative interacti... more In this paper we present a technological approach to support individual and cooperative interactions in collaborative learning environments. We designed and implemented prototype applications that allow to interact with a shared display by means of infrared-enabled mobile phones. The aim is to develop a technique to decouple personal and presentation devices. An experimental evaluation, based on a survey carried out with students from our university, is presented.
Proceedings of DARE 2000 on Designing augmented reality environments, 2000
In this paper we distinguish between two spatially oriented system design paradigms: weak and str... more In this paper we distinguish between two spatially oriented system design paradigms: weak and strong augmented reality. The weak augmented reality paradigm is then applied in the design of a system supporting cooperation and knowledge creation within a design centre. The system has been designed on the hints we got from two subsequent ethnographies of the work practice of creative designers. Since the design centre moved to a new location between our two sets of observations, we clearly focused our attention on the impact that space arrangements had on the practice of its members. The comparison between the two settings in terms of layout, ICT equipment, changes occurred in the practices and attitudes of the designers throughout these years, lead us to design a collaborative environment weakly augmenting the place where designers are working.
Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2003
Workflow Management Systems are one of the main technology for supporting Business Processes and ... more Workflow Management Systems are one of the main technology for supporting Business Processes and they need to be as flexible as possible. One relevant issue arising from integration between WfMSs and corporate Information Systems is that of undo strategies, policies and mechanisms. In this paper the state of the art for the undo problem and the solution adopted in the
ACM SIGGROUP Bulletin, 1999
Adaptability of workflow models can be achieved if the specification module of the Workflow Manag... more Adaptability of workflow models can be achieved if the specification module of the Workflow Management System (WMS) is based on a theoretical kernel, allowing minimal effort for the creation of a workflow model capable of providing, when necessary, any view (and the related services) the users may want of it. The specification module of the Milano WMS has been developed on the basis of the above assumption [2, 3], so that it supports the articulation of complex work processes. Milano [1] is a system integrating in the user workspace a WMS with a multimedia conversation handler, and, finally, an object repository where an organizational handbook is stored.The workflow models of Milano constitute a small subcategory of ENS (Elementary Net Systems), namely Free-Choice Acyclic ENS. Free-choice Acyclic ENS have some nice, efficiently computable, properties: there is a synthesis algorithm from Elementary Transition Systems (ETS) to ENS so that the user can have different views of the work...
Over two decades of research in the field of Interaction Design and Computer Supported Cooperativ... more Over two decades of research in the field of Interaction Design and Computer Supported Cooperative Work convinced us that the current design of workstations no longer fits users' needs. It is time to design new personal computers based on metaphors alternative to the desktop one. With this SIG, we are seeking to involve international HCI professionals into the challenges of designing products that are radically new and tackling the many different issues of modern knowledge workers. We would like to engage a wider cross-section of the community: our focus will be on issues of development and participation and the impact of different values in our work.
Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 1988
Most of the equivalence notions for concurrent systems proposed in recent years are defined in te... more Most of the equivalence notions for concurrent systems proposed in recent years are defined in terms of sequences (posets) of observable actions, and therefore they are not suitable for comparing two systems whose actions are defined at different levels of detail. In this paper a new equivalence notion for concurrent systems (more precisely for contact-free S-labelled EN systems) is introduced: namely Exhibited Functionality-(EF-) equivalence. EF-equivalence is defined in terms of observable global states transformations. Its main characteristics is that it takes into account the structure of the global states of the system in terms of the local states of its components, so that it characterizes the locality of any state trasformation performed by the system components. Each EF-equivalence class of contact-free S.observable EN systems, a subclass of S-labelled EN systems, is shown to contain one and only one simple and pure contact-free EN system.
Interacting with Computers, 2002
Abstract The last decade,has witnessed,a growing,interest in what,technology,can,do to sustain co... more Abstract The last decade,has witnessed,a growing,interest in what,technology,can,do to sustain communities. Within the Campiello project innovative information technologies have been adopted to support the dynamic,exchange,of experiences among,people living in cities with high levels of tourism, in this way reducing the progressive diminishing of identity suffered by the local communities of these cities. The system developed has been used, for an
Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW), 2000
Workflow management systems are considered a hot technology. Nevertheless, up to now they have no... more Workflow management systems are considered a hot technology. Nevertheless, up to now they have not had the diffusion other packages such as productivity tools, e-mail systems and groupware platforms have. We believe that this fact is due to the many limitations of current workflow technology (weak support for changes; complex exception handling mechanisms; limited openness to and integrability with other system components; ...) and that radically new workflow management systems should be designed and developed in order to offer adequate products to the market. In this paper we outline the main innovative features of the workflow management component of the MILANO system making it highly flexible and adaptable. A particular attention is paid to its modelling framework which is based on a class of net systems well supported by efficient algorithms and to the services it offers to both workflow designers and actors. The most relevant aspects of the MILANO workflow management system are also illustrated through a realistic example.
An effective negotiation of the organizational change (mainly if it is connected to the applicati... more An effective negotiation of the organizational change (mainly if it is connected to the application of computer based technologies) needs that all the involved parties reach a conscious agreement about the expected behaviours of the whole organization and of the subsystems constituting it. It needs, therefore, more formalization (in the mathematical sense) and a closer attention to the communication problems inside the organisation. Superposed Automata Nets are proposed as a formal and communicable tool for designing and discussing the organizational change. Their application in a negotiation context is presented by means of an example taken from a working group conducted by some of the authors with the workers of a large Engineering Compan
... Alessandra Agostini, Giorgio De Michelis, Katia Petruni Laboratory for Cooperation Technologi... more ... Alessandra Agostini, Giorgio De Michelis, Katia Petruni Laboratory for Cooperation Technologies Dipartimento di Scienze dell'Informazione Università di ... handling mechanisms are basic features of Workflow Management Systems, but generally either they are too restrictive with ...
Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, 2004
In many environments, the landscape of space and artefacts is evolving and changing with the task... more In many environments, the landscape of space and artefacts is evolving and changing with the tasks at hand. Integrating digital media and computation in these environments has to take into account the fact that people will configure space functions and tools according to the situation, organising use in unexpected ways. In this article, we present and discuss how the issue of configurability is dealt with, in a series of field trials with design students. The aim of these trials was to construct, for architecture and interaction design students, a mixed-media environment for inspirational learning. The results include physical infrastructure in space and in furniture as integral parts of the interaction technology and the creation of composite representations called ''mixed objects'', which blend digital and non-digital media in one design artefact. Configurability has to be supported at different levels (infrastructures, artefacts, functions) and across the physical and digital realms.
ACM SIGGROUP Bulletin, 2003
Most of the available knowledge management systems pay little attention to two important aspects:... more Most of the available knowledge management systems pay little attention to two important aspects: the need of supporting emerging communities of interest together with the official organizational structure; and the need of cluing together knowledge associated with any kind of involved entity including people, communities, and informal knowledge. The MILK system enhances knowledge discovery and sharing by providing services addressing these aspects and supplying innovative interfaces and interaction styles. The goal of MILK is to become a familiar environment integrated in the every-day activities of dynamic modern workers. To meet the users' needs, the solution proposed by MILK roots in ethnographic analysis capturing the common practices within an organization.
Fourth Annual IEEE International Conference on Pervasive Computing and Communications Workshops (PERCOMW'06)
In this paper we present a technological approach to support individual and cooperative interacti... more In this paper we present a technological approach to support individual and cooperative interactions in collaborative learning environments. We designed and implemented prototype applications that allow to interact with a shared display by means of infrared-enabled mobile phones. The aim is to develop a technique to decouple personal and presentation devices. An experimental evaluation, based on a survey carried out with students from our university, is presented.
Proceedings of DARE 2000 on Designing augmented reality environments, 2000
In this paper we distinguish between two spatially oriented system design paradigms: weak and str... more In this paper we distinguish between two spatially oriented system design paradigms: weak and strong augmented reality. The weak augmented reality paradigm is then applied in the design of a system supporting cooperation and knowledge creation within a design centre. The system has been designed on the hints we got from two subsequent ethnographies of the work practice of creative designers. Since the design centre moved to a new location between our two sets of observations, we clearly focused our attention on the impact that space arrangements had on the practice of its members. The comparison between the two settings in terms of layout, ICT equipment, changes occurred in the practices and attitudes of the designers throughout these years, lead us to design a collaborative environment weakly augmenting the place where designers are working.
Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2003
Workflow Management Systems are one of the main technology for supporting Business Processes and ... more Workflow Management Systems are one of the main technology for supporting Business Processes and they need to be as flexible as possible. One relevant issue arising from integration between WfMSs and corporate Information Systems is that of undo strategies, policies and mechanisms. In this paper the state of the art for the undo problem and the solution adopted in the
ACM SIGGROUP Bulletin, 1999
Adaptability of workflow models can be achieved if the specification module of the Workflow Manag... more Adaptability of workflow models can be achieved if the specification module of the Workflow Management System (WMS) is based on a theoretical kernel, allowing minimal effort for the creation of a workflow model capable of providing, when necessary, any view (and the related services) the users may want of it. The specification module of the Milano WMS has been developed on the basis of the above assumption [2, 3], so that it supports the articulation of complex work processes. Milano [1] is a system integrating in the user workspace a WMS with a multimedia conversation handler, and, finally, an object repository where an organizational handbook is stored.The workflow models of Milano constitute a small subcategory of ENS (Elementary Net Systems), namely Free-Choice Acyclic ENS. Free-choice Acyclic ENS have some nice, efficiently computable, properties: there is a synthesis algorithm from Elementary Transition Systems (ETS) to ENS so that the user can have different views of the work...
Over two decades of research in the field of Interaction Design and Computer Supported Cooperativ... more Over two decades of research in the field of Interaction Design and Computer Supported Cooperative Work convinced us that the current design of workstations no longer fits users' needs. It is time to design new personal computers based on metaphors alternative to the desktop one. With this SIG, we are seeking to involve international HCI professionals into the challenges of designing products that are radically new and tackling the many different issues of modern knowledge workers. We would like to engage a wider cross-section of the community: our focus will be on issues of development and participation and the impact of different values in our work.
Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 1988
Most of the equivalence notions for concurrent systems proposed in recent years are defined in te... more Most of the equivalence notions for concurrent systems proposed in recent years are defined in terms of sequences (posets) of observable actions, and therefore they are not suitable for comparing two systems whose actions are defined at different levels of detail. In this paper a new equivalence notion for concurrent systems (more precisely for contact-free S-labelled EN systems) is introduced: namely Exhibited Functionality-(EF-) equivalence. EF-equivalence is defined in terms of observable global states transformations. Its main characteristics is that it takes into account the structure of the global states of the system in terms of the local states of its components, so that it characterizes the locality of any state trasformation performed by the system components. Each EF-equivalence class of contact-free S.observable EN systems, a subclass of S-labelled EN systems, is shown to contain one and only one simple and pure contact-free EN system.
Interacting with Computers, 2002
Abstract The last decade,has witnessed,a growing,interest in what,technology,can,do to sustain co... more Abstract The last decade,has witnessed,a growing,interest in what,technology,can,do to sustain communities. Within the Campiello project innovative information technologies have been adopted to support the dynamic,exchange,of experiences among,people living in cities with high levels of tourism, in this way reducing the progressive diminishing of identity suffered by the local communities of these cities. The system developed has been used, for an
Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW), 2000
Workflow management systems are considered a hot technology. Nevertheless, up to now they have no... more Workflow management systems are considered a hot technology. Nevertheless, up to now they have not had the diffusion other packages such as productivity tools, e-mail systems and groupware platforms have. We believe that this fact is due to the many limitations of current workflow technology (weak support for changes; complex exception handling mechanisms; limited openness to and integrability with other system components; ...) and that radically new workflow management systems should be designed and developed in order to offer adequate products to the market. In this paper we outline the main innovative features of the workflow management component of the MILANO system making it highly flexible and adaptable. A particular attention is paid to its modelling framework which is based on a class of net systems well supported by efficient algorithms and to the services it offers to both workflow designers and actors. The most relevant aspects of the MILANO workflow management system are also illustrated through a realistic example.
An effective negotiation of the organizational change (mainly if it is connected to the applicati... more An effective negotiation of the organizational change (mainly if it is connected to the application of computer based technologies) needs that all the involved parties reach a conscious agreement about the expected behaviours of the whole organization and of the subsystems constituting it. It needs, therefore, more formalization (in the mathematical sense) and a closer attention to the communication problems inside the organisation. Superposed Automata Nets are proposed as a formal and communicable tool for designing and discussing the organizational change. Their application in a negotiation context is presented by means of an example taken from a working group conducted by some of the authors with the workers of a large Engineering Compan
... Alessandra Agostini, Giorgio De Michelis, Katia Petruni Laboratory for Cooperation Technologi... more ... Alessandra Agostini, Giorgio De Michelis, Katia Petruni Laboratory for Cooperation Technologies Dipartimento di Scienze dell'Informazione Università di ... handling mechanisms are basic features of Workflow Management Systems, but generally either they are too restrictive with ...