The Known Stranger

Abstract

Striking up a good conversation with new acquaintances is often a difficult problem. In this paper we report on the perceptions of wearable device users who were given real-time personalized topic suggestions during a conversation with a person they just met. Suggestions were generated using a ranking recommendation algorithm, and were delivered via Google Glasses. We conducted a study with 38 pairs of strangers, who received such suggestions while conversing for the first time. Participants found the suggestions to be helpful, but only at the right moments, and for certain types of speakers. Our results contribute to the understanding of how communication interventions influence people's experience and behaviors, and enhance interpersonal interactions. Our study also presents design implications for applications on wearable devices to facilitate conversations between strangers.