The rhythm of Christmas
Ann Light, Daniela Petrelli · 2014
We present a study of preparation for and celebration of an English Christmas, with particular stress on temporal aspects, including duration, anticipation and repetition. We asked nine households to document their countdown to Christmas using media and diaries, and interviewed them before and after. We detail how time appears in the accounts, from the staging of collaborative preparations to the gift of attention, and consider what the collected insights offer for supporting the design of technology, given that one of our findings on media and ICT use was how it dwindles as focus concentrates on the present, and those present, for the days of the festivities. In doing so, we challenge the dominant efficiency paradigm in HCI.