Understanding User Values of Wearable Computing

Wearable computing facilitates a new form of human-computer interaction and enables user mobility and connectivity. It has demonstrated its usefulness in niche applications, but its prospects in the mainstream electronics industry remain to be seen. Our understanding of wearable computing’s impact is limited. In this study, we explore user values in using wearable technology of Google Glass. Adopting the value sensitive design framework, we conducted an experiment study and collected detailed narratives by 75 college students. Our initial means-end chain analysis of data revealed a set of six values – assurance; autonomy; communication; efficiency, learning capability; and productivity in daily life—and different interplay between technological functions and user values. The diverse usage led to a digital learning environment – a "Digital Information Space" — that embodies user values and is constantly constructed by users. The study introduces the value-oriented perspective to technology adoption and offers design implications for wearable computing.