The problem of de-sign as conjuring

Abstract

In this paper, I articulate a critique of design as conjuring (design as de-sign) and I argue that it is incompatible with the idea of user empowerment. In particular, I discuss the idea of empowerment-in-use and I highlight the role of design seams and scars in supporting it through appropriation and design-after-design. To support this argument, I draw on some recent contributions in Participatory Design (PD), Human Computer Interaction (HCI), New Media Studies, and Science and Technology Studies (STS), and I discuss three illustrative case studies from the area of digital Do-it-Yourself (DIY). I argue that restoring the sign in de-sign through design seams and scars can be a way to explore different forms and perhaps deeper levels of critical engagement and participation supporting empowerment.

Bridging cultural heritage and communities through digital technologies

“…Both these general points resonate with previous work on participatory engagement of vulnerable communities [37,65] (such as people with chronic illnesses), where establishing safeguards, dialogical means of exchange, and ethical and political considerations in terms of decision making, power, and representation are key factors to consider and address. However, these are relatively novel themes in the heritage domain, where participation supported by digital technologies has been adopted as either a curatorial approach (i.e.…”

A Schnittmuster for Crafting Context-Sensitive Toolkits

“…Furthermore, this comes with a different quality for those designing or recreating DIY electronics. Doing electronic components yourself can feel more empowering than just combining ready-made blocks that keep secret how the sensor magic is happening [35]. The experience of crafting electronics using a technique that the novice maker already feels skilled or at least interested in, supports learning through personal meaning-making [9] and embeds the new skillset organically into previous knowledges.…”

Do-It-Yourself Empowerment as Experienced by Novice Makers with Disabilities

“…So far, this tension has often been encountered as a potential site of conflict rather than seeing it as an opportunity to re-think design. For example, rather than reifying the passivity of the user through closed black-box designs, designers could create technologies open for subsequent modifications (if the user wishes to do so) and thereby provide greater opportunities for empowerment [50].…”

“…Third, empowerment is fundamentally paradoxical because it relies on a given power imbalance where one member is in a position to give power to the other [1,50]. There is (and always will be) a certain distinction between designer and user, and it still is the designer who needs to give power to the user.…”