'Using Cultural Probes to Explore Mediated Intimacy'   Published in 'Proceedings of OzCHI 2004: Supporting Community Interaction: Possibilities and Chalenges', University of Wollongong, 22-24th November, 2004. Copyright Jesper Kjeldskov, Martin R. Gibbs, Frank Vetere, Steve Howard, Sonja Pedell, Karen Mecoles and Marcus Bunyan, 2004. Click here to launch Adobe Acrobat reader .pdf file for full text and on screen viewing. You must have Adobe Acrobat reader installed on your computer. If you don't have Adobe Acrobat reader it can be obtained free from the Adobe website by clicking here.     Abstract: Intimacy is a crucial element of domestic life that has received insufficient attention from Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) researchers despite their rapidly growing interest in the design of interactive technologies for domestic use. Intimate acts differ from other activities, and there are unexplored opportunities to develop interactive technologies to support these acts. This paper presents the first phase of a two-part study exploring the potential of interactive technologies to support intimate relationships. We contribute to this uncharted domain of HCI research a literature review of concepts useful in understanding intimacy and methods for its investigation. We conclude with preliminary results and suggestive design ideas for interactive technologies intended to support intimacy.   Keywords: domestic technology, personal technology, intimacy, cultural probes, contextual interviews.