Socio-technical walkthrough: designing technology along work processes
Abstract
How can the documentation of concepts for complex socio-technical systems, such as the adoption of groupware, be incorporated into practices of PD? Documents are important in supporting participants in their decision-making and in serving as a guidance for the ongoing project. To create such documents a mix of abstract graphical models and illustrative material can be used. There is evidence which suggests that they can be successfully employed if they are embedded into a communication process which is facilitated in a specific manner: The socio-technical walkthrough (STWT) that supports a participatory process during which concepts of such systems are (re-)considered step by step. A case study describes the challenges and benefits of the STWT paying special attention to aspects such as facilitating strategies, required preparation, training, characteristics of the diagrams, and accompanying work.
