WaveWatch, an ambient information system displaying real-time web traffic data

The WaveWatch display was developed through an iterative design process, with a number of prototypes being developed before the deployment and evaluation of the final design. Overall it was found that creating an Ambient Information System that utilises 3D graphics and an ocean wave metaphor was technically feasibility. However, building the display was a complicated and lengthy process taking around 200 man-hours. This process was complicated by a number of design challenges including the creation of an aesthetically pleasing scene, the time for each scene to render, the creation of a real-time dynamic looping ocean animation and the limitations of current video playback technology. Despite these technical difficulties it was possible to combine existing technologies to create the novel Ambient Information System known as WaveWatch. An instrumental case study was performed, where the WaveWatch display was deployed in a real life office environment for a period of two weeks. After this two-week evaluation period, participants who worked in the area were given the chance to complete a questionnaire related to the utility and perceived ease of use of the display. The key finding from this instrumental case study was that the majority of respondents found the novel wave metaphor for peripheral information visualisation to be a useful tool for generating interest in the underlying data source, where the metaphor itself was perceived to be both intuitive and easy to understand.