Prototyping Things: Reflecting on Unreported Objects of Design Research for IoT

Abstract

Prototypes and other 'things' have had many uses in HCI researchto help understand a problem, as a stepping stone towards a solution, or as a final outcome of a research process. However, within the messy context of a research through design project, many of these roles do not form part of the final research narratives, restricting the ability of other researchers to learn from this practice. In this paper we revisit prototypes used in three different design research projects, conducted over a period when the Internet of Things emerged into everyday life, exploring complex hidden relationships between the internet, people and physical objects. We aim to explore the unreported roles that prototypes played in these projects, including brokering relationships with participants and deconstructing opaque technologies. We reflect on how these roles align with existing understandings of prototypes in HCI, with particular attention to how these roles can contribute to design around IoT.

Materialising the Immaterial: Provotyping to Explore Voice Assistant Complexities

“…They identify that perceived futures included "mundane perfection" scenarios alongside "rich interactions" where machine intelligence often superseded human intelligence. Taylor et al [40] use provocative voice prototypes to expose tensions in VAs to Mozilla technology developers as a way to introduce Research through Design's value in the development of future VA systems. Through the use of physical objects, rather than 2D sketches, the "intention of the concepts became clearer".…”