Background
In the last 30 years, there has been little innovation in workstations. The desktop metaphor has become the standard user
interface, with its pros (e.g., ease of learning) and cons (e.g., interaction constraints for skilled users, lack of context
awareness).
Objectives
In this paper, we present itsme, an Italian initiative to design the next-generation workstation. Interaction design is the basis of the project, as well
as the involvement of a wide community of contributing users.
Results
The early design phases of the project led to the definition of a new metaphor for personal computing, based on stories and
venues. The metaphor is being adopted for the development of a novel front-end for the Linux operating system, aimed at fulfilling
the needs and desires of knowledge workers.
Keywords Interaction design - Design case presentation - Innovation - Personal computing - Stories and venues