Activity Theory and System Design: A View from the Trenches

An activity theory model and a mediating artifacts hierarchy were employed to help identify the needs for tools for customer support engineers who documented solutions to customer problems, a knowledge authoring activity. This activity also involves customer support engineers who assist Hewlett-Packard software product users. The particular tools to be designed were knowledge-authoring tools embedded in the customer support tracking application suite, SupportTracker.1 The research analyzed the role of tensions between the elements of Engestr

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2002
• Where: CSCW
• Authors: Patricia Collins, Shilpa Shukla, David F. Redmiles
• Keywords: Activity Theory Model, CSCW 2002, Customer Support, Mediating Artifacts, Social Sciences