Abstract
Building on prior work we examine design research challenges posed by working with new technological applications of Blockchain within multidisciplinary research. Drawing from recent design research of others, we articulate the value – and associated challenges – of Participatory Design creative approaches involving co- design of similar ‘black box’ technologies. We go on to report on three workshops, including one in which we invited technologists and designers to work together to talk through and materially represent their tacit understandings of how two Blockchain applications – BITNATION and Trust Stamp – work. We demonstrate how creative methods are useful in enabling critical reflection and knowledge exchange providing a useful bridge between radically different disciplines; to counter emerging technologies’ ‘unconscious image’ as magic; and to valuably inform on future oriented design implications.
Keywords
participatory design, emerging technology, blockchain, ‘black box’ technology
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2018.296
Citation
Manohar, A., and Briggs, J. (2018) Designing InWith Black Box Technologies and PD, in Storni, C., Leahy, K., McMahon, M., Lloyd, P. and Bohemia, E. (eds.), Design as a catalyst for change - DRS International Conference 2018, 25-28 June, Limerick, Ireland. https://doi.org/10.21606/drs.2018.296
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Designing InWith Black Box Technologies and PD
Building on prior work we examine design research challenges posed by working with new technological applications of Blockchain within multidisciplinary research. Drawing from recent design research of others, we articulate the value – and associated challenges – of Participatory Design creative approaches involving co- design of similar ‘black box’ technologies. We go on to report on three workshops, including one in which we invited technologists and designers to work together to talk through and materially represent their tacit understandings of how two Blockchain applications – BITNATION and Trust Stamp – work. We demonstrate how creative methods are useful in enabling critical reflection and knowledge exchange providing a useful bridge between radically different disciplines; to counter emerging technologies’ ‘unconscious image’ as magic; and to valuably inform on future oriented design implications.