Cameras as cultural probes in requirements gathering — Exploring their potential in supporting the design of assistive technology

A pre-requisite for a human-centred design approach to technology development is gaining an intimate understanding of not only the people for whom the technology is being designed, but also the contexts within which they will be using it. This paper explores the use of cameras as cultural probes for gaining this understanding. In this study, probes were included as part of the requirements elicitation methodology for an EU FP7 research project, MOBISERV, developing an integrated intelligent home environment for the provision of health, nutrition and mobility services for older adults. During the initial phase of the project, modelling user requirements for MOBISERV components, disposable cameras were adopted as one of several methods for eliciting information. They were given to older adults (potential end users of the system) enabling them to provide an insight into personal aspects of their own lives. This paper presents the approach and gives a description and evaluation of the method used, considering the information obtained and its impact on enabling contextualisation of the issues and raising awareness of user needs.