Making space for material entanglements: A diffractive analysis of woodwork and the practice of making an interactive system
Charlotte Nordmoen, Andrew P. McPherson
DIS'22: ACM SIGCHI Conference on Designing Interactive Systems (DIS)
Session: Crafting & Materials
Abstract
A shift in perspective is underway in design research and human-computer interaction (HCI) from humans as the centre of attention to considering complex assemblages of human and non-human stakeholders. While this shift is often approached from a broad ecological level, there is opportunity for a more local shift in understanding our day to day meeting with the material world. Drawing on the posthuman theories of Karen Barad, we explore the creation of a digital interactive system as a material-discursive practice in which matter and culture are inseparably entangled. We seek a fresh look at the process rather than the outcome of interactive system design through a diffractive reading of four traditional woodworking practices and an auto-ethnographic account of the development of a digital sensor and actuator apparatus as a way to find alternative ways of attending to materials in HCI.
DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1145/3532106.3533543
WEB:: https://dis.acm.org/2022/
Video Presentations of DIS 2022