Abstract
This paper introduces the notion of ‘design as facilitation’ identifying some of the places it features in current research, and how it informs design of interactive social systems, such as multi-user communication technologies. This research is motivated by the shift in focus from the technical to the social in technology. A parallel shift in the notion of design practice is suggested in the move to understand interactive systems in relation to users as seen in design theory and interaction design research and methodology (Dourish 2001), (Preece et al 2002), (Winograd 1997). By examining the commonalities that exist in four different perspectives on design practice from current research, and providing a summary of the concerns interactive systems designers face, this paper proposes this shift be defined as a move towards incorporating ‘facilitation’ into the notion of design practice.
Keywords
facilitation, user centred design, participatory design, interactive social technologies, interaction design, Human Computer Interaction, communication, social software, design theory
Citation
Hagen, P. (2004) Notions of Practice: Design as Facilitation for Interactive Social Systems., in Redmond, J., Durling, D. and de Bono, A (eds.), Futureground - DRS International Conference 2004, 17-21 November, Melbourne, Australia. https://dl.designresearchsociety.org/drs-conference-papers/drs2004/researchpapers/64
Notions of Practice: Design as Facilitation for Interactive Social Systems.
This paper introduces the notion of ‘design as facilitation’ identifying some of the places it features in current research, and how it informs design of interactive social systems, such as multi-user communication technologies. This research is motivated by the shift in focus from the technical to the social in technology. A parallel shift in the notion of design practice is suggested in the move to understand interactive systems in relation to users as seen in design theory and interaction design research and methodology (Dourish 2001), (Preece et al 2002), (Winograd 1997). By examining the commonalities that exist in four different perspectives on design practice from current research, and providing a summary of the concerns interactive systems designers face, this paper proposes this shift be defined as a move towards incorporating ‘facilitation’ into the notion of design practice.