UCLIC Seminar, 13 December 2023. Mark Perry

Recording of UCLIC Research Seminar of Mark Perry, Brunel University London.
Title: Resolving ambiguity in symmetrical interactions: “Do I scan you or you scan me?”
Abstract: This presentation will examine colocated payment in China using mobile phones, focusing on the impact of interface design on interactional progression. Specifically, it addresses the problem of interactional ambiguity, where a transaction can be executed by either user on their mobile device. App-based digital payment in China functions differently to most other card- or digital methods of payment in the rest of the world because QR codes are used, rather than near-field or cryptographic authentication. Because mobile phones have both an interactive display and cameras, QR codes offer users a symmetric model of control: payments can be initiated by either transactor, and the progression of this interaction may be 'driven', in the normal way, by the seller, or in its novel form, by the buyer. While this functional symmetricality offers flexibility around the organisation of the payment process, it also introduces interactional ambiguity, and users will need to do work to resolve the directionality of control. We use video analysis to examine the social co-ordination of QR-based store payments, showing how conversational, visual, spatial, and temporal cues are used to shape transactional progress and resolve interactional difficulties around this problem of ambiguity. In doing so, we develop the concept of the 'working customer', where the labour of dealing with payment shifts away from the shop worker on a till towards the customer on their mobile phone. We will conclude with design implications for mobile payment systems and new forms of transactional interaction.
Bio: Mark Perry is a Professor of Human-Computer Interaction in Computer Science at Brunel University London, and a Visiting Professor in Design Informatics at The University of Edinburgh. He is an interdisciplinary researcher with interests spanning cognitive science, design, computing and social science, and is probably best described as a 'user studies' researcher. Mark's research involves studying peoples' practical use of digital technology to support interaction design and CSCW - covering digital payments and mobile money, emerging financial services, digital displays, video production, automotive media, and domestic technologies. He has previously served as TPC for ACM CHI and the ACM's SIGCHI Executive Committee (Volunteer Development). Mark has held a Royal Society fellowship to study digital money in China, as well as EPSRC grants on digital money, partnering with fintechs, payment providers, and the Bank of England. This research was carried out with Christian Greiffenhagen (Hong Kong Polytechnic University) and Rongyu Li (East China University of Political Science and Law).