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critical interface design

In my observations of design culture, critical discussions of ethics, morals, and culture flourish in architecture, fashion, and graphic design. However, I have yet to see similar discourse for interface design. This learning group seeks change that.

what is critical interface design?

venn diagram

"When we look for specific literature on interface design, we mainly find two types of books: declarations of intent in the form of good design principles, and books that describe patterns based on previous experiences. The weakness of both types is that they encourage an innocent approach to interface design. At a time when interfaces are a very important part of our culture, there is a need for much more mature reflection on how we want them to be designed." - Rosa Llop

any examples?

I think we're at the beginning of a more long-term approach to building things on the internet. Here are some things made by other people that are in the same vein of thinking.

A thinking framework

I want to see us ‘become together in space.’ A​nd I hope that instead of saying ‘virtual reality’ we could start thinking ‘shared reality.’ ​ There’s an incredible little poem by Audrey Tang (Taiwanese free software programmer, currently the first transgender minister in Taiwan) that’s been particularly relevant to me recently:

When we see ‘internet of things’, let’s make it an internet of beings.

When we see ‘virtual reality’, let’s make it a shared reality.

When we see ‘machine learning’, let’s make it collaborative learning.

When we see ‘user experience’, let’s make it human experience.

When we hear ‘the singularity is near’, let us remember the plurality is here.

The most inspiring future I can think of is really the one of a plurality of voices conversing together — and of us finally recognising that nature and humanity and technology are one and the same thing together, all elements of the dynamic, vulnerable ecosystem that planet Earth is — a connected, collaborative network.

questions/trends i've been pondering

  1. How do we build things that can potentially last forever?
  2. Is there more to product design that satisfying instant gratification culture?
  3. How might we incorporate psychological health into product design?
  4. Are there pitfalls to clean & simple? What are they?
  5. What are the foundations that should be included in the product design practice?
  6. What can history tell us about the future of product design?
  7. Balance of business and ethics
  8. The dopamine release of high frequency consumption of online media (addiction)
  9. Critique, collaboration, and ideation are words often used in design. They all point to one conclusion: Diversity leads to better solutions. Product design suffers from singularity (visual aesthetic + product thinking) due to its infancy. How might we begin to explore plurality?

readings

how does this work?

I'm thinking of setting up discussion groups that work in this order:

  1. Discussion on concerns of current interface design
  2. Discussion on how to address those concerns in future interface design

extra

If you would like to create a discussion, use branching...[details tbd]