[Preview] Making New Worlds - Transformative Becomings with Soma Design

[Preview] Making New Worlds - Transformative Becomings with Soma Design
Anna Ståhl, Madeline Balaam, Rob Comber, Pedro Sanches, Kristina Höök

CHI'22: ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems
Session: Design for Self

Abstract
Soma design is intended to increase our ability to appreciate through all our senses and lead to more meaningful interactions with the world. We contribute a longer-term study of soma design that shows evidence of this promise. Using storytelling approaches we draw on qualitative data from a three-month study of the soma mat and breathing light in four households. We tell stories of people's becomings in the world as they learn of new possibilities for their somas; and as their somas transform. We show how people drew on their somaesthetic experiences with the prototypes to find their way through troubled times; and how through continued engagement some felt compelled to make transformations in how they live their lives. We discuss the implications for the overarching soma design program, focusing on what is required to design for ways of leading a better life.

WEB:: http://programs.sigchi.org/chi/2022/program/content/69033
Presentation Video:: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvlBEyPYZXw
DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1145/3491102.3502018
Video previews for CHI 2022 papers

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