Blockchain and Beyond: Understanding Blockchains Through Prototypes and Public Engagement

Abstract

This paper presents an annotated portfolio of projects that seek to understand and communicate the social and societal implications of blockchains, DLTs and smart contracts. These complex technologies rely on human and technical factors to deliver cryptocurrencies, shared computation and trustless protocols but have a secondary benefit in providing a moment to re-think many aspects of society, and imagine alternative possibilities. The projects use design and HCI methods to relate blockchains to a range of topics, including global supply chains, delivery infrastructure, smart grids, volunteering and charitable giving, through engaging publics, exploring ideas and speculating on possible futures. Based on an extensive annotated portfolio we draw out learning for the design of blockchain systems, broadening participation and surfacing questions around imaginaries, social implications and engagement with new technology. This paints a comprehensive picture of how HCI and design can shape understandings of the future of complex technologies.

Fear of Missing Out: Constrained Trial of Blockchain in Supply Chain

“…Therefore, we advocate for companies to adopt a human-computer interaction-centered approach in training their employees on blockchain technology. We refer to a recent study [60], which proposes interactive workshops as an effective means to enhance understanding of blockchain technology.…”

(Un)making AI Magic: A Design Taxonomy

“…For instance, allegorical steering wheels have been used to challenge the myth of the autonomous car and its related narratives [77], and custom PCBs satirically intended to predict luck and harmony, have been designed to actually make us reflect on the beliefs and assumptions of superhuman capabilities and objectivity that we project on AI [41]. With complex technological infrastructures, a range of design practices needs to be brought together to articulate the multiple mechanisms at play [89]. Critical and Speculative projects, however, often remain marginal practices, and their effects are limited to public debate, rather than getting embedded in actual product development processes [127].…”

Exploring the Accessibility of Crypto Technologies

“…Previous work highlighted several barriers to crypto adoptions: poor understanding and distrust of crypto [6,7,35,45], as well as poor usability in crypto technologies [6,15,24,46]. The underlying mechanics of blockchain technologies are complex and often obscure to the general public, creating a great deal of misunderstanding and distrust in crypto, and discouraging adoption [6,31,45]. There is also ideological distrust of crypto's decentralized, deregulated nature, which may be perceived as risky and more prone to fraudulent activity in fnancial contexts [35,45].…”

“…We are moving toward a more decentralized iteration of the World Wide Web, often called the emergence of Web3 [10,16,47]. This is characterized by the growth of crypto: applied blockchain technologies such as cryptocurrencies or Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) [16,31,42]. Crypto empowers users by decentralizing record-keeping, making peer-to-peer transactions anonymous, transparent, and secure.…”