Since the end of 1980's, a number of systems to support idea-generation, called creativity support systems ... Now, Albase became an item for sale of Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. as Johobako 4.0. Page 3. Lecture Notes in Computer Science. 3. iBox.
An Approach to Support Long-term Creative Thinking and its Feasibility Hirohito Shibata and Koichi Hori Department of Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Tokyo RCAST, 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-8904, Japan {shibata, hori}@ai.rcast.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Abstract. We propose a novel method and its implementation to support long-term idea-generation in everyday life. Our system consists of two components: a management system for problems and ideas named IdeaManager, and a personal information storage system named iBox. Considering input of information in iBox as a clue event for idea-generation, iBox searches related problems and ideas in IdeaManager and presents the result if any. Its aim is to support non-intentional idea-generation. In a long-term user study, we confirm the feasibility of our approach.
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Introduction
Since the end of 1980’s, a number of systems to support idea-generation, called creativity support systems, have been proposed [4]. However, most of them have not gained widespread use. The authors believe this is because they support isolated aspects separated from professionals’ daily activities [2]. They only support short-term thinking in front of their systems. They assume that users use them while consciously generating ideas. However, considering our experiences and prior cases of idea-generation, it is obvious that a person needs to think for a long time. It is rarely necessary to generate ideas immediately and most problems or themes allow sufficient time to acquire satisfactory ideas. Moreover, there are more cases of sudden idea-generation at times when a person does not try to generate ideas consciously than the cases of idea-generation generated in intentional thinking [5]. Based on these claims, we have been pursuing a system to support long-term creative thinking in everyday life. Our everyday life is filled with stimuli. They might work as clues to generate ideas. They are chances to generate ideas. Based on the thought, ”A chance is not what is given. A chance is what we should get by ourselves”, we propose a system that amplifies chances to generate ideas. To begin with, we propose our system. Its characteristic is to cooperate with a personal information storage system used in daily life. It supports activities where information management plays an important role and original ideas are needed, for example by researchers or planners. Next, we explain the results of long-term user study of the system.
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Hirohito Shibata and Koichi Hori Tree of boxes
Idea Window
Problem Window
List of names
Related Information Window
Name Content of information
List of names
Information - Name
Keywords
- Content - Keywords
Fig. 1. A screen shot of IdeaManager
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Fig. 2. A screen shot of iBox
System Overview
Based on the observation of actual idea-generation, we have built a system to support non-intentional idea-generation in long-term daily activities (refer to [5] in details). Our system consists of two components: a management system for problems and ideas named IdeaManager (Figure 1), and a personal information storage system named iBox (Figure 2). They run on Windows 95/98/NT 4.0/2000 and are implemented using the search engine of Albase1 [3]. IdeaManager In long-term idea-generation, a person tries to seek ideas and refine them many times until he or she acquires satisfactory ones. Here, for the next trial of idea-generation, he or she must recall the problem. In order to avoid forgetting problems and their ideas, IdeaManager supports the retention and management of them. All information in the IdeaManager has its name and keywords. In the current version, only text can be stocked. Information stocked in IdeaManager is divided into following three types: problems, ideas, and related information. Information is stocked in a corresponding window. Users can view problems, ideas, and related information, side by side. Also, using link function, users can manage problems with its corresponding ideas and related information. IdeaManager provides the following basic search functions: search by keywords, full text search, search by date, and list of all information. Also, users can filter information using attributes of information, for example, deadlines, importance, and so on. Each of these functions returns a list of names. Selecting a name of the list, users can see the information with its name and keywords. iBox iBox is a personal information storage system used in various types of situations in both work and other everyday life. Actually, in our laboratory, almost all students use iBox in their actual daily activities. Similarly to IdeaManager, iBox stocks all text information with its name and keywords. iBox provides the same basic search functions as IdeaManager. Each 1
Now, Albase became an item for sale of Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. as Johobako 4.0.
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Popup problems and ideas
Information
Search iBox
IdeaManager Trial of Problem
Memo
idea-geneeration
Idea
Diary
Idea
Schedule
Generate ideas
Problem
Enhance ideas
Paper
Idea
Search Popup information
Problem Idea
Fig. 3. Cooperation between IdeaManager and iBox
of these functions returns a list of names. Selecting a name of the list, a user can see the information with its name and keywords. Cooperation between IdeaManager and iBox Our system provides two types of cooperation. A registration of information in one application triggers a search of information in another application and presents the results (Figure 3). Information stocked in iBox reflects a users’ interest. Such information may have something to do with users’ current problems and work as a hint for consideration of these problems. When information is registered in iBox, iBox searches related problems and ideas of IdeaManager and pops up the results if any. We hope that users will be able to generate or enhance ideas for searched problems or ideas using registered information as a hint. Information stocked in iBox must have novelty or emergence which Finke et al. [1] call ’preinventive properties’. A trial of idea-generation at this timing leads to a function-follows-form approach of idea-generation described by Finke et al. Also, when users recognize a problem, presenting related information might stimulate users’ consideration. Then, when a problem or an idea is registered in IdeaManager, IdeaManager searches related information in iBox and pops up the results if any. We hope that users will be able to generate or enhance ideas for registered problems or ideas using searched information as a hint.
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Long-term User Study
We carried out a long-term user study. The users were two researchers and one of them is the author of this paper. The period of study was more than seven months (221 days). During this period, the users always had notebook PCs with them and managed problems and ideas in their actual activities. Both IdeaManager and iBox saved action logs, for example registration, search, reference of information, and so on. The action logs of one of the users were then analyzed.
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Hirohito Shibata and Koichi Hori
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Behavior Analysis on Pop-up
During the experimental period, the user registered 1,242 pieces of information in iBox. During this period, iBox popped up IdeaManager 70 times and in 46 times of these pop-ups the user referred to at least one piece of information. He also registered 25 problems and 49 ideas. IdeaManager popped up iBox more than 9 times2 and in 4 of these pop-ups he referred to at least one piece of information. We analyzed his behavior during these 50 pop-ups referring to at least one piece of information. This analysis is based on retrospective verbal protocol obtained while reviewing behavior using action logs and his diary. We show some typical behavior that pop-ups effectively worked in the following. Example 1 The following is the first example for a pop-up driven by iBox. (1) The user registered information named ”Spacing effect of study” (in Japanese) in iBox. (2) Next, IdeaManager popped up and one problem and one idea were searched. (3) He referred to a problem named ”How to search in a pop-up” (in Japanese) in IdeaManager. (4) He searched two ideas linked to the above problem of step 3. (5) He referred to the ideas of step 4. (6) He registered an idea named ”IdeaManager has a effect of spacing effect” (in Japanese) in IdeaManager. (7) He linked the problem of step 3 to the idea of step 6. In this procedure, the user generated an idea for a presented problem. He reported that he had realized the pop-up effectively stimulated the new idea. He also reported that he had tried to generate ideas to combine the information of iBox and the searched problem intentionally. We think that pop-ups driven by iBox could support intentional combination of information and problems. Example 2 The following is the second example for a pop-up driven by IdeaManager. (1) The user registered an idea named ”Implementation of search by ID in iBox” (in Japanese) in IdeaManager. (2) Next, iBox popped up and 9 pieces of information were searched. (3) He registered a problem named ”Desired functions for search engine of Albase” (in Japanese) in IdeaManager. (4) He referred to some information on API of Albase in iBox. (5) He registered an idea named ”How to use the API of search engine of Albase” (in Japanese) in IdeaManager. (6) He linked the problem of step 3 to the idea of step 5. In this procedure, the user generated an idea referring to information presented by iBox. He reported that he had realized the idea of step 1 could adapt other APIs of Albase and his desired function could be substituted for a combination of other APIs. He also reported that the idea was a bit of an improvement and he could probably generate the same idea without the pop-up function. However, in this case, pop-up function afforded him to seek ideas then and there at the time. Without the pop-up function, he might not have tried to seek ideas for the registered problem and leave it as is. We think pop-ups driven by IdeaManager could support spontaneous thought when users recognize a problem. 2
There was a bug in the log. In fact, there were more pop-ups driven by IdeaManager.
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Effects and Open Problems
In this user study, we cannot necessarily discuss whether our system worked effectively or not. However, there were a number of indicators for long-term creativity support. We observed the following effects of our systems. 1) Users can feel relief because they can leave the management of problems and ideas to IdeaManager. 2) Pop-ups driven by iBox encourage users to think of intentional combination between a problem and information (Example 1). 3) Pop-ups driven by IdeaManager encourage users to not only register a problem but also try to think and generate ideas when they recognize a problem (Example 2). As open problems, we observed the following design problems of our system. 1) It is often difficult to distinguish a problem from an idea. We need to modify the design of IdeaManager or to give a clear guide to distinguish a problem from an idea. 2) If there is a lot of information presented by a pop-up, users do not feel like viewing them. We need to control the amount of information in pop-ups. 3) The current pop-up algorithm of IdeaManager is a keyword matching. Sometimes, searched information has clear relativity with registered information and it does not stimulate users’ thinking. We need to enhance the search mechanism.
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Conclusions
We presented our long-term creativity support system cooperating with a personal information storage system. The aim of this cooperation is to enable interesting information acquired in daily life to work as a clue for idea-generation. In a long-term user study, we observed some evidence that pop-up functions worked effectively. We think that feasibility of our approach has been confirmed. Now, we are enhancing our system based on the result of this study and planning a formally designed experiment. Acknowledgements Our system is implemented using the search engine of Albase implemented in Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. Especially, we thank Yoshifumi Matsunaga for quick and warm-hearted response and Eiji Ishida for implementation and technical help of Albase. Finally, we thank Kengo Omura of Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. for his helpful comments for this research.
References 1. Finke, R. A., Ward, T. B., Smith, S. M.: Creative cognition, The MIT Press, 1992. 2. Hori, K.: Toward the next-generation creativity support systems, In Proc. of JSAI AI Symposium (1996) 58-63. 3. Ishida, E.: A simple visualization system for long-term personal information storage, In Proc. of Visual ’97 (1997). 4. Kunifuji, S.: A survey on creative thinking support systems and the issues for developing them, Journal of Japanese Science for Artificial Intelligence, Vol. 8, No. 5 (1993) 552-559. 5. Shibata, H., Hori, K.: An approach to support long-term creative thinking in everyday life, In Proc. of KES 2001 (2001) (submitted).
