End-user design for the Internet of Things: Supporting incremental evolution through breakdowns

The Internet of Things (IoT) is expected to produce several changes in the ways computer technologies influence our life and in how we interact with them. Computation embedded in interconnected “smart” devices surrounding us is composing an emerging infrastructure able to sense, infer and actuate in the world in unprecedented ways, changing businesses and our everyday life. Among the several challenges that such reality is introducing, there are those related to how end-users will be able to tailor their own technology. For instance, the combined diversity of devices, individual preferences, needs and contexts of use makes it unlikely, if not impossible, for any designer to address all users' needs and preferences beforehand. Moreover, these needs and preferences are likely to change, following the dynamics of everyday life and the idiosyncratic moods, ideas, and goals of individuals. End-User Development (EUD) is an approach to address end-users' specific needs and preferences by enabling them to tailor computer technologies by themselves using simple (e.g. setting parameters) and advanced techniques (e.g. macro and visual programming). With such approach, technology can be tailored by end-users to address unanticipated and changing needs during use-time.