Case Study Three: Facilitating Informal Communication with BlendZoom

Context

  • In an in-depth interview study diving into user behaviors, challenges, creative efforts and desires in having remote informal interactions, we discovered a major limitation of popular video conferencing platforms.

  • When people attend social gatherings or interact before/after meetings, they often talk in small groups, but 1) can overhear other groups, and 2) have the option to switch to another group conversation when desired. 

  • However, the opportunity to spontaneously break up into and switch between smaller groups is not well supported by current remote technology.

Example: Some Limitations of Zoom Breakout

  • Participants are usually expected to talk in the same group for a specific amount of time;

  • There is no way for participants to know what is happening in another breakout room;

  • There is no option of switching to another group conversation without breaking social norms (e.g., politeness).

Prototype: Blending Cross-Breakout Interactions

  • Providing awareness of what is happening in another small group conversation through:

    • Real-time video,

    • Keywords,

    • Sentiment analysis;

  • Options, motivations or excuses to switch groups without being rude.