Idea support method to make people aware of the side effects of convenience

This study aimed to establish methods for supporting ideas that raise awareness of the side effects of convenience. Often, when conceptualizing artifacts and mechanisms, emphasis is placed on ``making things convenient.'' However, there is a concern that this emphasis may inadvertently give rise to new problems. This phenomenon arises when an optimum is reached, leading to what we term the ``side effect of convenience.'' It is imperative to not only consider the intended convenience of new ideas but also to focus on potential side effects. Our objective was to devise a method that facilitates thinking about ideas from a broader perspective. The proposed method aimed to heighten awareness of these side effects during the ideation process by focusing on the variable actions associated with ideas. For instance, transitioning from a book to an e-book would change the action of ``turning the page'' to ``swiping.'' This presents these changes in action as sentences designed to induce awareness of potential side effects. To evaluate the effectiveness of our method, we conducted an experiment involving participant engagement and analyzed the impact of presenting these awareness-inducing sentences. Our findings revealed that such presentations prompt participants to consider alternatives and contemplate ideas from different angles.