Theory

Design and technology discourses are often accompanied with implicit and explicit appeals to values. But what exactly do we mean by these values and how do they shape design practice and design artifacts?

Collecting, archiving, and sharing stories has been identified as possible practices to advance social justice, especially given the low cost and accessibility of digital technologies. But is it possible that the same collective force that is gained through large archives of stories masks and even betrays stories—taking away from what is meaningful and worthwhile in the acts of storytelling and listening?

This theoretical exploration revisits the term “unintended consequences,” drawing upon an illustrative vignette to show how it is used to dismiss vital ethical and political concerns.

Building on the history of the Victorian ‘philosophical toy’ Feminist Philosophical Toys presents a re-imagined set of paper machines as feminist materials for designers to think with.

Can utilitarian framings of a problem constrain our thinking about it?

How can data creation and visualization foreground the interdependent and reciprocal relationships between human and plant bodies? How can artistic interventions open up new possibilities and ethical orientations toward more-than-human communities and bring forth their complex entwinement with the local environment?

How can games engage students critically with science?

Do the dominant framings of free speech work to undermine it for marginalized communities? Do moderation policies on online platforms limit participation?

Digital participatory media such as collaborative games create environments that vary in their capacity for social engagement and learning. This research looks closely at such environments to tease out whether and how the design of such environments relate to the quality of social interactions mediated by them.

Fostering Social Connectedness Through Physiologically-Informed Design