Removing the dread from digital

The recent government announcement that 'Digital Switchover' - the switching of all television broadcasts across the UK from analogue to digital - will be completed in 2012 created dread for many in the community. The simple act of watching Coronation Street was to become an unwelcome technological challenge.

Division of Applied Computing research fellow Dr Alex Carmichael and PhD student Mark Rice now plan to remove the dread of digital in a new research project that will explore how the fear of change can be reduced by making digital sets and controls easier to use.

"Unfortunately a lot of 'modern technology' tends to be designed by relatively young and technically savvy people, effectively for other young, technically savvy people," said Dr Carmichael, whose work ties in with the wider i~design project - a joint venture between the universities of Dundee, Cambridge and York, the Royal College of Art, and the Design Council.

"While many not-so-young and not-so-technically savvy people can manage to make some use of technology designed this way, others will face real difficulties along with the accompanying frustrations, and some will find it simply impossible."

One important implication of the switch to digital is that televisions will become much more like computers. For many people this is good news as it gives them greater control and more choice. However, for others it means that using their television will become much more complicated and for some this could mean too complicated.

"We have to see how we can make things much simpler to use, particularly for those people who aren't particularly comfortable with using new technology," said Mark, whose PhD project is looking into using digital television technology to help support more sociable activities, primarily for older people.

"Mostly this will involve relatively small changes to the design of the interface and remote control, based on the huge diversity of capabilities and preferences among the viewing public".

"We are also looking into ways of using the 'computing' power of digital television to support activities that are maybe more suitable for people who don't quite feel part of that 'MTV-PDA-MP3-texting-24/7-3G' generation."

Dr Carmichael and Mark are now looking for volunteers to help with their research between early 2006 and later in 2007. Particularly anyone over the age of forty (no upper limit) who accepts the potential advantages of digital technology but whose experience with it tends to be more pain than pleasure.

Anyone who wishes to get involved with the research project should contact Mark and Alex on 01382 386720.