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In this paper, we reflect on our experiences of designing, developing, implementing and using a number of real world, functional, multi-touch enabled Interactive Collaborative Environments (ICEs). We created an ICE in our university in order to explore issues of interaction design and of user experience in these types of environment. This ICE has been in use for the last 4 years and has been the focus of a number of empirical studies and observations. In addition we have also undertaken considerable consultancy and contract research work for a range of commercial clients as they seek to deliver innovative environments for collaboration that suit their own needs for collaboration. These consultancies have included a mobile collaborative environment for a county police force in California, the redesign of a multinational pharmaceutical company's meeting rooms, the design of an oil rig control system and an innovation centre for an international call centre. In this paper we aim to distill these experiences and to provide theoretical and practical advice for designers of ICEs. Our theoretical position derives from the application of conceptual integration, to create `blended spaces' -- environments where the design of physical and digital spaces are closely integrated. We have also identified five key themes of interaction in ICEs derived from our own observations and those of others who have been looking at collaboration over a number of years. We present these themes as a critical design framework, TACIT, that focuses on Territoriality, Awareness, Control, Interaction and Transitions in ICEs. We then present two case studies of the blended spaces and TACIT framework in use. The paper concludes by looking at the opportunities for creative collaboration that the next generation of interactive blended spaces provides.

Multi-surface environments (MSEs) combine several of surfaces in a variety of physical arrangements to form a seamless information space. The large surfaces, such as tabletops and wall-displays are often used as a shared space to coordinate efforts, and handheld devices, such as tablets and smartphones are regarded as personal space supporting individual tasks. MSEs have shown benefits for supporting co-located activities, especially the ones involving rich data exploration, such as complex collaborative problem-solving and decision-making activities. However, the diversity of MSE also raises questions and challenges, as different configuration and devices factors of MSE can be suited for different kinds of activities, and developing collaborative activities in MSE remains complex. This dissertation studies how MSE can support users' collaboration in general, and collaborative learning specifically. It provides insights on how the configuration and form factors of devices in MSE shape users' collaborative behaviors, and offers implications on designing collaborative activities in MSE. It also contributes with a rapid prototyping tool, which can be easily used by non-experts, such as teachers, to create collaborative decision-making activities in MSE.; Les environnements multi-surfaces (MSE) combinent plusieurs surfaces dans une variété d'arrangements physiques pour former un espace d'information continu. Les grandes surfaces, telles que les tables et les écrans muraux, sont souvent utilisées comme espace partagé pour coordonner les efforts, et les périphériques portables, tels que les tablettes et les smartphones sont considérés comme des espaces personnels prenant en charge les tâches individuelles. Les MSE ont montré des avantages pour soutenir les activités co-implémentées, en particulier celles impliquant une exploration de données riches, telles que des activités collaboratives complexes de résolution de problèmes et de prise de décision. Cependant, la diversité des MSE soulève également des questions et des défis, car différents facteurs de configuration et dispositifs de MSE peuvent être adaptés à différents types d'activités, et le développement d'activités de collaboration dans les MSE reste complexe. Cette dissertation étudie comment les MSE peuvent soutenir la collaboration des utilisateurs en général et l'apprentissage collaboratif en particulier. Elle fournit des informations sur la façon dont la configuration et les facteurs de forme des périphériques des MSE façonnent les comportements collaboratifs des utilisateurs et propose des implications pour la conception d'activités collaboratives dans des MSE. Elle offre également un outil de prototypage rapide, qui peut être facilement utilisé par des non-experts, tels que des enseignants, afin de créer des activités de prise de décision collaboratives dans des MSE.

Multi-surface environments (MSEs) combine several of surfaces in a variety of physical arrangements to form a seamless information space. The large surfaces, such as tabletops and wall-displays are often used as a shared space to coordinate efforts, and handheld devices, such as tablets and smartphones are regarded as personal space supporting individual tasks. MSEs have shown benefits for supporting co-located activities, especially the ones involving rich data exploration, such as complex collaborative problem-solving and decision-making activities. However, the diversity of MSE also raises questions and challenges, as different configuration and devices factors of MSE can be suited for different kinds of activities, and developing collaborative activities in MSE remains complex. This dissertation studies how MSE can support users' collaboration in general, and collaborative learning specifically. It provides insights on how the configuration and form factors of devices in MSE shape users' collaborative behaviors, and offers implications on designing collaborative activities in MSE. It also contributes with a rapid prototyping tool, which can be easily used by non-experts, such as teachers, to create collaborative decision-making activities in MSE.; Les environnements multi-surfaces (MSE) combinent plusieurs surfaces dans une variété d'arrangements physiques pour former un espace d'information continu. Les grandes surfaces, telles que les tables et les écrans muraux, sont souvent utilisées comme espace partagé pour coordonner les efforts, et les périphériques portables, tels que les tablettes et les smartphones sont considérés comme des espaces personnels prenant en charge les tâches individuelles. Les MSE ont montré des avantages pour soutenir les activités co-implémentées, en particulier celles impliquant une exploration de données riches, telles que des activités collaboratives complexes de résolution de problèmes et de prise de décision. Cependant, la diversité des MSE soulève également des questions et des défis, car différents facteurs de configuration et dispositifs de MSE peuvent être adaptés à différents types d'activités, et le développement d'activités de collaboration dans les MSE reste complexe. Cette dissertation étudie comment les MSE peuvent soutenir la collaboration des utilisateurs en général et l'apprentissage collaboratif en particulier. Elle fournit des informations sur la façon dont la configuration et les facteurs de forme des périphériques des MSE façonnent les comportements collaboratifs des utilisateurs et propose des implications pour la conception d'activités collaboratives dans des MSE. Elle offre également un outil de prototypage rapide, qui peut être facilement utilisé par des non-experts, tels que des enseignants, afin de créer des activités de prise de décision collaboratives dans des MSE.

[EN] Combining multiple displays in the same environment enables more immersive and rich experiences in which visualization and interaction can be improved. Although much research has been done in the field of multi-display environments (MDEs) and previous studies have provided taxonomies to define them, these have usually consisted of partial descriptions. In this paper, we propose a general taxonomy that combines these partial descriptions and complements them with new evidences extracted from current practice. The main contribution of this paper is the summarization of the key dimensions that conform MDEs and a classification of previous studies to illustrate them., This work is supported by Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and funded by the European Development Regional Fund (EDRF-FEDER) with Project TIN2014-60077-R. It is also supported by fellowship ACIF/2014/214 within the VALi + d program from Conselleria d’Educació, Cultura i Esport (Generalitat Valenciana) and by fellowship FPU14/00136 within the FPU program from Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sport

National audience; Multi-surface environments (MSEs) are becoming increasingly common. They combine numerous surfaces in a variety of physical arrangements to support a wide range of tasks and interactions. In this context, my PhD research focuses on applying collaborative learning activities in MSEs, which includes exploring appropriate design of interactions and collaboration in MSEs, and providing a framework to rapidly develop collaborative learning activities in MSEs.