Project2
Project-2: Identification and Analysis of Existing Meta-Design Environments
In this project you will be working to define the concept of meta-design, identify existing meta-design environments, and provide an objective analysis of their features, success, and failures. Success/failure in these cases can be measured many ways from the number of people that utilize meta-design features to the skill level required to participate.
Objectives:
Once you have selected and analyzed environments try to answer the following questions:
- In what ways do these environments support meta-design?
- Are they more successful or less successful than the other environments you analyzed, why?
- Finally, taking all of the above into account, what design guidelines or principals would you employ when building your own meta-design environment?
Starting Points:
Start by researching existing literature. What are the core properties of a meta-design environment? What differentiates meta-design environments from design environments?
Possible examples: Yahoo Pipes, Microsoft Macros
Table 1: Related Work—Selected Web 2.0 Environments with Unique Features
| Site | Objectives | Interesting Unique Aspects |
| iTunes U | distribute digital lessons by faculty members from “certified institutions” | control via input filters; material can not be remixed and altered by consumers; support for mobile learning |
| YouTube | video sharing website | weak input filters; extensive support for rating |
| Encyclopedia of Life (EoL) | document the 1.8 million living species known to science | development of an extensive curator network; partnership between the scientific community and the general public |
| Google-Maps | maps and task-related directions | evolution of commercially developed mapping information with users’ additions |
| Google-SketchUp and 3D Warehouse | model the whole world in 3D | very large repository of 3D models created by volunteers; the 3D Warehouse is organized in collections by curators |
| Scratch | programming environment and support for sharing creations | socio-technical environment to build communities in education for creativity; the Scratch Warehouse hosts 1.2 Mio projects |
| PatientsLikeMe | enables patients who suffer from life-changing diseases to converse | site based of contributions from patients complementing sites created by health experts and organizations |
| Crisis Informatics | explores the synthesis between broadcast news and information provided by involved people | technology-mediated support for public participation & assistance in mass emergencies & disasters |
| Stepgreen | collaborative constructed library of energy saving actions | shared repository of tips and recommendations by citizen contributors for saving money and being environmentally responsible |
Sponsors: Jane Meyers (jane.meyers@colorado.edu) and Gerhard Fischer
