How interactive artifacts "change" over time: a visual analysis

Not only are people or contexts subject to change in the trajectory of artifact use, many interactive products or systems themselves also change over time. Joining the trend of longitudinal studies of user experience with cognitive, behavioral, social or historical perspectives, we propose an artifact-centered temporal approach for analyzing interactive artifacts over time. In this paper we introduce one way to analyze an interaction from a temporal perspective, and how to represent changes over time in a visual way. We present a form of visual diagrams focusing on temporal changes of functions, interfaces and goals. Examples of these diagrams are developed and discussed. We reflect on the use of visual analysis as a tool for developing a better understanding of artifacts and their use over time, and discuss the limitation, advantage, and implications of the proposed visual analysis method. We conclude with the call that, when imagining future use of interactive systems, designers can gain valuable insights by methodologically examine how interactive artifacts change over time.