Abstract
Contemporary design practice requires a more-than-human orientation to deal with computational artifacts. In this paper I discuss how the participation of artifacts in design activities during use time blurs categories of design, use and artifact. I use the analytical concept of design space, informed by a framework of co-performance to highlight some contours in this blurred situation. To do so I adopt a critical design approach, and present three conceptual smart thermostats based on the concepts of framing, tinkering and scripts. This contributes to awareness and discussions of design-in-use and the role of artifacts in an increasingly automated and connected everyday. I articulate some emerging implications for design and research.
Keywords
design space; design-in-use; co-performance; more-than-human design
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2024.443
Citation
van Beek, E. (2024) Contours in Blurred Design Spaces: More-than-Human Participation of Artifacts in Design-in-Use, in Gray, C., Ciliotta Chehade, E., Hekkert, P., Forlano, L., Ciuccarelli, P., Lloyd, P. (eds.), DRS2024: Boston, 23–28 June, Boston, USA. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2024.443
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Conference Track
Research Paper
Included in
Contours in Blurred Design Spaces: More-than-Human Participation of Artifacts in Design-in-Use
Contemporary design practice requires a more-than-human orientation to deal with computational artifacts. In this paper I discuss how the participation of artifacts in design activities during use time blurs categories of design, use and artifact. I use the analytical concept of design space, informed by a framework of co-performance to highlight some contours in this blurred situation. To do so I adopt a critical design approach, and present three conceptual smart thermostats based on the concepts of framing, tinkering and scripts. This contributes to awareness and discussions of design-in-use and the role of artifacts in an increasingly automated and connected everyday. I articulate some emerging implications for design and research.