Abstract

The critical nature of some working environments, such as hospitals or search and rescue operations, gives rise to the need for timely collaboration. However, interactions are not always possible since potential collaborators may be unreachable because of the lack of a communication channel to carry out the interaction or due to their involvement in other activities. The use of adequate interaction facilitators may allow users to collaborate even in these circumstances. This paper presents a characterization of this type of situation and then introduces a set of design suggestions that may help improve opportunities for user interaction in time critical mobile collaborative settings. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.