donderdag 28 november 2013

Assignment 2

Intro:
This week we made an experience flow to focus on the activities our target group could do. What happens before, during and after the activity? You can all read this in the assignment for this week:



Summary:
This week we made a summary out of a text about Finding Time and Place for Trust in ICT Network Organizations.

“Finding Time and Place for Trust in ICT Network Organizations” by Hans Rämö"
The global network economy is all embracing in ways never before possible. The ceaseless flow of information that we try to avidly absorb has, paradoxically, contributed to an increasing lack of attention regarding, for example, the differences between physical place and abstract space and between clock time and experienced time. In ICT network organizations the boundary between the physical here and now and the virtual there and now is erased by the computer’s interface. For example, ordering merchandise or communicating over the Internet is an exceedingly easy operation.

Trust and Network Organizations
The notion of trust has been the object of continuous interest in economics, sociology, and organizations studies since at least the 1970s. Few studies have specifically explored both the temporal and spatial factors of trust. Hans Rämö contends that adequate understanding of the different conditions for trust-based cooperation and management in traditional office settings and in virtual networks requires an explicit focus on different forms of trust in conjunction with (and interactions of) aspects of time/timing and space/place.
Spatiotemporal Forms of Trust
There are four different categories that correspond to a level of abstraction.
1 Trust in Abstract Time and Abstract Space
Purely abstract conceptualizations in attempts to build formal models of cooperation, competition, and trust have replaced humans with actors or agents moving in decontextualized situations. The objective is to determine rational and optimal conflict-free maneuvers (motions) to build models of trust.
2 Trust at a Desired Instant in Time and Place
The antithesis to the above is our time-honored ability to act judiciously and wisely at a concrete and opportune occasion in real-world settings.
3 Trust Just in Time and Just in Place
Forms of trust that include weak and/or instrumental modalities in competitive market settings.
4 Trust and Timing in Virtual Space
Forms of trust in a category that have particular relevance for the understanding of trust in ICT-based network organizations.

From Clock Time and Space to Timing in Place
Nowadays time is frequently reduced to clock time, which is equated with speed and is regarded as an important yardstick against which we measure the value of our activities at work. Action and communication based on right and timely moments to act judiciously in unique situations are also encouraged virtues in management. The mutual implication of both time and space must be the ontological basis of any investigation in the social sciences. Situations that develop under the influence of clock time can be characterized as chronos time, a notion that has a long history. Chronos is defined as the “number of motion with respect to the before and the after”, which is a classical expression of the concept of (Chronos) time as change, measure, and serial order. The omnipresent characteriazaion of time as clock time is, however, only one delimited way of understanding time. Chronos, and most notably clock-time manifestation, must be augmented by the non chronological practice of time as kairos.

Concrete Places and Abstract Virtual Spaces
The difference between the two ancient Greek spatial notions of space (chora) and place (topos) is that whereas the former is an abstract geometric or cartographic extension, the latter is a concrete contextual localization, without sharp demarcations.


Spatiotemporal Forms of Trust in Network Organizations
There are three different categories of network settings.
1 Inanimate Network and Trust
In this categorization clock time (chromos) and abstract space (chora) are expressed as infinitesimal slices, such as in mathematics.
2 Instrumental Trust in Networks
Time-management concepts such as “just-in-time” are based on the idea of conjoining different production stages within the organization to those in sequence outside its boundaries, in networks of subcontractors and suppliers.
3 Trust in Virtual Net-Work(ing)
This spatiotemporal category is characteristic of another well-known management concept with a clear focus on time, the ICT-based network organization, a term typically used to refer to systems that are interlinked by advanced information technology.

Conclusion
First, the purely abstract and generally applicable form of inanimate network and trust is based on a depiction of time and space expressed as infinitesimal slices: clock time (chromos) and abstract geometrical extension (chora).
Second, trustful networking in context is a concept embracing the ability to act judiciously and wisely at concrete and opportune occasions.
Third, instrumental trust in networks is a concept based on the abstract chromos time of clocks in conjunction with a conception of concrete and meaningful place, most notably in the time-management ideas of just-in-time and just-in-place manufacturing.
Fourth, trust in virtual net-work(ing) is a communication based on human right moments to act judiciously in “virtual spaces” such as in ICT-based network organizations. 

What I personally learned from reading the article is that space and time are interesting abilities. This article has a link between Smart Life Rhythms because time and space could be used to resolve problems with time managing.

I guess that the proces of designing should be digital in the case of an ICT organization. The people who work there are mostly connected with electronic devices. In this way the employers can handle situations more efficiënt. An application to manage their time (our target group) could help employers from an ICT organization.


A day in the life of our target group
To give an introduction to our target group, we made some sketches to make things visable. Later on you can see the activities of the day in an expercience flow. These sketches were just to make things visable, this was an extra part of the assignment.

Target group: Working students with an active social life.
The day starts with waking up in the morning:
























The student goes to school:



The student is at school:

*Sketch in progress*

The student is having a drink with his friends to socialize:

*Sketch in progress*

The student goes to work:


























The sudent is making homework when he gets home after work: 



Experience flow
In order to make the experience flow, we have to make some hypotheses. This is what we think that will happen before, during and after the activity:


That's it for this week!
Next week we will do some field research. We will talk to some students who work and have an active social life to know what their needs are.

donderdag 21 november 2013

Assignment 1

Intro:
In the first assignment of the minor Smart life Rhythms we have to scope on two different target groups. We also have to make a summary out of two articles and post it on this blog. The actual assignment for this week:



First Summary
We kick off with a summary. The first summary is about Laying the Ground work for an Effective Routine.

Summary article on “Laying the Groundwork for an Effective Routine” by Mark McGuinness

Drawing the line between the “world’s demands and your own ambitions”, is the way to create something  “worthwhile”. The key to successfully drawing this line is managing the “wide gray area between the have-tos and want-tos in our lives”.

Those worthwhile achievements require “time, thought, craft, and persistence”. This time and effort will not seem worthwhile when the emails and calls are backed up. So the effort and time will be redirected, and because of this, there will never time because there will never be a clear moment. The result of this will be spending time and effort on other people’s priorities.

To combat this practice the following approach is recommended.

Creative Work First, Reactive Work Second
Set aside time for creative work. Find out when you are at your best. Book that time to be at your best, that way the most important work is done before “your energy dips and your brain slows”.

Plan the reactive work (emails and phone calls) for your second wind. People will always be waiting, so decide, professionalism or potential.

The Building Blocks of A Great Daily Routine
Start with the rhythm of your energy levels
Take notice about the time you have the most energy so that you can devote that time to “important creative work”. No meetings, don’t waste this valuable time on “administrative work”.

Use creative triggers
Decide how you work best and then put reminders of this around you to motivate yourself and tell your mind when it is time to work.

Manage to-do list creep
Your to-do list is stuff you can feasibly manage in the available time. If it is too much, it will not happen and you will loose your motivation.

Capture every commitment
Record commitments to work better with yourself and others. You know what needs to be done and you can tick them off as you do them.

Establish hard edges in your days
Set a fixed start and end time to your day at work.  Assign times for meetings, administration and so on so that you waste as little time as possible.

The goal is to have your day feel like a fundamental ritual that fits with your own “talent and inclinations”.


Second Summary
We continue with the second summary. The second summary is about harnessing the power of frequensy.

               Summary article on “Harnessing the power of frequensy” by Gretchen Rubin 

Harnessing the power of frequency
Humans work slowly and consistently. we usually overestimate the amount of work we can do in a short period of time, and underestimate what might be possible over a long period.

Anthony Trollope, a nineteenth-century writer, found out for himself that writing everyday makes it possible to accomplish greater originality this has a few reasons:
-          Frequency makes starting easier, starting a project after a break is always harder compared to when you just keep on going.
-          Frequency keeps ideas fresh, because you are constantly looking for new ways you will be able to spot surprising relationships and fresh connections between ideas.
-          Frequency keeps the pressure off, because you are writing several blogs, posts, comments a day, you don’t have to worry that this is a onetime article and therefore should be darned good.
-          Frequency sparks creativity, because you are always on the go, always writing this will make it easier to get engaged with an project and create inspiration.
-          Frequency nurtures Frequency, it will all become an habit of working, therefore will contribute the “10 minute rule” writing something good in a short period of time. This will make working easier and better (faster).
-          Frequency fosters productivity, you’re likely able to accomplish to do more work daily. Moving steadily towards a big goal, step by step you will make your way forward.  
-          Frequency is a realistic approach, you will always have enough time, because it’s already been done in short phases  instead of one big go at it. No more delay, just daily frequency.

Then again the amount of work you will put in daily sometimes wants you to make another decision for example, the boot camp method, work intensely for a very short period of time. This is perfect for people whom are  creatively blocked.

The days are long, but the years are short. Day by day we build our lives, try to make it easier on yourselves by taking small steps towards that big goal!



Project Organisation
The project organisation can be found at the bottom of this blog.


Scope target group 1
The first target group we are focussing on is people who are going to work and are stuck in traffic. First of all we filled in the template for this target group:


We also made a stakeholder map for this target group:



Scope target group 2
The second target group we are focussing on is "working students with an active social life". First of all we filled in the template for this target group:


We also made a stakeholder map for this target group:


Project Organsation and rules

Project Organsation and rules

Team:
- Randy Abraham
- Cherio Kalloe
- Tochi Odikanwa
- Peter Ehiorobo
- Franklin van der Vlies


Rules:
·        Whenever there are meetings planned, every member of the team needs to be aware/informed about it.
·        In case someone is late for a meeting or when someone has a delay in delivering the worked he/she is assigned to, it needs to be communicated  to at least one groupmember.
·        When issues arise in the group or when problems are noticed, it should be addressed in a good manner for it to be handled properly. 
·        It would help if every member would  be as clear and to the point as possible when explaining something.

·        Every member needs to respect one and other.