slow technologycritical reflection & future directions

william odom, richard banks, abigail durrant, david kirk, james pierce

designing interactive systems 2012 workshop | june 12

overview

w. odom, r. banks, a. durrant, d. kirk, r. banksintroduction

motivation for workshop

schedule for the day

organizers

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slow technology

background

“creating technology that surrounds us and therefore is a part of our activities for long periods of time”

(Hallnas and Redstrom, 2001)

w. odom, r. banks, a. durrant, d. kirk, r. banks

designing for solitude, reflection

Background w. odom, r. banks, a. durrant, d. kirk, r. banks

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slowing down productivity tools

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ethnographic accounts of slowness

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slowing consumption

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movement toward craft cultures

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designing for multiple lifespans

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goal of workshop

workshop goal w. odom, r. banks, a. durrant, d. kirk, r. banks

critically reflect on our own slow technology work

forge understanding of the limitations, challenges and opportunities characterizing contemporary design space

workshop schedule

schedule / morning w. odom, r. banks, a. durrant, d. kirk, r. banks

morning session

 9-9:30 | introduction to the workshop

9:30-10:30 | presentation of positions on ‘Slow technology is…’ 10:30-11 | coffee break 11-12:30 | continue presentations + conclude with group discussion

group discussion of overarching themes

goal: explore the underlying values of ‘slowness’ in technology

workshop schedule

schedule / afternoon

afternoon session

14:00-15:30 | (re)design of ‘fast’ technologies exercises

15:30-16:00 | coffee break 16:00-17:30 | presentations of the redesigns

discussion of redesigns and values implicated in slow tech

concluding discussion on future directions

w. odom, r. banks, a. durrant, d. kirk, j. pierce

who we are

organizers

William Odom | Carnegie Mellon University

Richard Banks | Microsoft Research Cambridge

Abigail Durrant | Newcastle University

David Kirk | Newcastle University

James Pierce | Carnegie Mellon University

w. odom, r. banks, a. durrant, d. kirk, j. pierce

afternoon session

schedule / afternoon

14:00-15:30 | (re)design of ‘fast’ technologies exercises

15:30-16:00 | coffee break 16:00-17:30 | presentations of the redesigns

discussion of redesigns and values implicated in slow tech

concluding discussion on future directions

w. odom, r. banks, a. durrant, d. kirk, j. pierce

(re)design briefs

(re)designing

aim: develop a ‘slow tech’ alternative to this ‘fast’ technology and report back on your design decisions

option 1 email – email give instantaneous communication but lacks the craft and care of handwriting

option 2 sat nav – sat nav gets you somewhere quicker and more efficiently but you lose the sense of achievement of finding your way

option 3 clock – a clock will mean you arrive on time but it might stop you from pausing to reflect

w. odom, r. banks, a. durrant, d. kirk, j. pierce

(re)designing considerations

(re)designing w. odom, r. banks, a. durrant, d. kirk, j. pierce

what might be lost when moving to ‘fast’ technologies’?

what are core values associated with slow technologies?

what does it mean to conceptualize slowness when it comes to technologies?

what values are lost?