FaceValue: Exploring Real-Time Self-View Overlays to Prompt Meaning-Oriented Self-Awareness in Remote Meetings

2026-04-30

AI Summary

This study addresses the frequent misalignment between intent and perception in remote video meetings, often caused by incomplete transmission of nonverbal visual cues such as facial expressions and head movements. To mitigate this issue, the authors propose FaceValue—a technical probe that overlays private, real-time visual feedback onto users’ self-view, prompting reflection on how their nonverbal behaviors might be interpreted by others. Framing nonverbal cues as modulatable communicative resources, FaceValue introduces a novel self-awareness mechanism that avoids reductive labeling and instead emphasizes individual interpretation, shifting remote meeting systems from behavioral surveillance toward mutual meaning alignment. Findings from a multi-week qualitative study with 13 knowledge workers—including diary entries and interviews—demonstrate that participants significantly enhanced their awareness of potentially misleading cues, proactively adjusted their nonverbal behavior, and reported improved communication efficacy.

Abstract

In remote video meetings, visual non-verbal cues, such as facial expressions or head movements, are seen continuously but often only partially. This increases ambiguity compared to in-person settings and can cause misinterpretation or misalignment between intended and perceived meaning. Motivated by communication theories, we designed FaceValue, a technology probe that augments the self-view with private, real-time overlays. These overlays are subtle, suggestive prompts intended to help attendees reflect on how their cues might be interpreted by others. To invite personal interpretation, FaceValue avoids behavioral labeling and instead aims to support meaning-oriented self-awareness: recognizing when visible cues may unintentionally (mis)communicate intent. We deployed FaceValue in the wild with thirteen knowledge workers over multiple weeks, capturing perceived changes in self-awareness and behavior, and impressions on the design concepts, as self-reported by participants through diary entries and exit interviews. Participants felt FaceValue increased their awareness of potentially misaligned cues and motivated in-meeting adjustments, which they believe resulted in improved communication with other attendees. We contribute a conceptual framing that positions visual non-verbal cues as a manipulable communication resource, a technology probe that aims to foster meaning-oriented self-awareness, and empirically-grounded design insights for future meeting systems.

Problem

• remote meetings
• non-verbal cues
• self-awareness
• miscommunication
• video conferencing

Innovation

• meaning-oriented self-awareness
• real-time self-view overlay
• non-verbal cues
• technology probe
• remote meetings