Selective Co-presence: Diminishing Co-presence for Attention Support for Adults with ADHD
In preparation, 2026.
Overview
Working alongside other people can offer companionship and motivation while introducing distracting movement or unwanted feelings of observation. Selective Co-presence investigates whether and how diminished reality can support focused work for adults with ADHD while preserving desired aspects of sharing a space.
The project examines how different representations of a nearby person affect attention, felt presence, perceived observation, and awareness of their activity. It explores selective concealment, silhouettes, abstract activity cues, and removal, asking which information people want available and how those preferences relate to the experience of shared work.
Building on our co-design research, we are developing a prototype and evaluation that bring together proofreading performance, self-reported experience, and participants’ explanations of their preferences. The work is in preparation and aims to inform how DR can mediate co-presence around people’s attentional and social needs.