Redesigning Search for an Extended Digital Workspaces

Our workspaces have made a lot of progress with changes in digital technology. In particular, the commercialization of the Internet has expanded the digital workspace and given users new options and capabilities. Users have more storage space by leveraging cloud systems from multiple services. However, this rapid increase in capacity and diversity has resulted in several side effects. Users used to store files indiscriminately because of the large amount of storage that doesn’t shrink. The interface not integrated into one unified system was insufficient for users to manage and connect various storage services. As a result, users often struggle to navigate and manage their digital workspaces.

In this thesis, I explore ways of leveraging design to connect fragmented digital workspaces and help users quickly navigate their works. My research investigates theories and processes of how people decide and behave to access the information they want. First, I developed a conceptual model based on Pirolli and Card’s information foraging theory. Then, through exploratory research, I identified users’ hardships working in their digital workspaces through a virtual user workshop and an online survey. Finally, in the generative research stage, I suggested an expanded searching system based on the conceptual model of information foraging theory and the insights of exploratory research.