Critical Design Patterns
What is critical design?
Critical design is an approach to design based in critical theory. This design type uses methods such as design fiction and speculative design proposals to challenge assumptions, conceptions about the role of objects, or technologies play in everyday life. Critical design plays the role of product design but emphasizes neither commercial purpose nor physical utility.
Challenge: Use current events, research in a field to make a critical design pattern of a phenomena
Team: Individual work
Time: 2 weeks
Approach:
I chose to focus my critical on a field that I had worked tangentially to for the past 3 years ,Brain Computer Interfaces (BCI). I learned quickly from attending conferences, symposiums and meetings about prosthetic research the keynote speakers are often experts in BCIs and although there are researchers in the field with a high awareness of the ethics surrounding their technologies I often think that the way BCIs are talked about in the wider public domain lacks depth and insight of both understanding of the technologies and the potential ethical dilemmas that come with them. I therefore chose to make a critical design about BCIs to extrapolate the research I have seen and heard about in this field to emphasize, dramatize and extrapolate the developments occurring in brain mapping and neural engineering particularly in the development of Optogenetics and map these developments on day to day social needs and anxieties.
Background in Optogenetics
Optogenetics uses a biological technique that involves using light to control neurons that have been modified genetically to express light sensitive ion channels to control cells in living tissue. This technique can be used for neuromodulation to control the activity of individual neurons in real time. This neuromodulation method has been used on freely moving animals to alter behaviors. The method works through the insertion of a molecule that can convert light into electricity into a single neuron and the brain is then stimulated with light to switch the neuron on or off. Nature Methods chose this process for "Method of the Year" in 2010 across all fields of science and engineering.
Ideation
Using the field of optogenetics as a jumping point for critical design I extrapolated the technology for use in humans to control their day to day behaviors. I then looked to the Maslow Pyramid of Needs and asked if one day we could turn off our most basic needs that make us human what would the implications of that be in our day to day lives and how will this technology be marketed and sold to us in the future? From these basic needs I developed and app that could pair with a BCI of the Future and coined it The Habit Controller.
Emotional Design
In the design of the app I decided to design for the self sacrificing emotion. This emotion was defined by (Fokkinga and Desmet, 2013) as a mix of reluctance and sacrifice. I imagine that the future user of this device is giving up something that makes them themselves in order to better their life in the way they see fit.
Realization
Habit Controller Advertising Campaign
What if you could wake up every morning and decide the type of person you want to be? The Habit Controller and an Implant could help you achieve your goals.
* Fingerprint Identification ensures proper pairing with bluetooth connection
*Recommended* for use in fully mature brains only Males above 25 and Females above 21. Parental Permission required if under 18.
With the help of an implant you could control your most basic desires and needs.
Start Everyday with an intention. Decide what feelings you need that day to achieve your goals. And share with your social network to let people know how dedicated you are to your resolutions. In case of critical needs you can override these settings however your status will be updated on your social network when you override your settings.
Discussion
In the proposal of the Habit Controller I aim to start a dialogue about BCIs of the future and question how our social pressures to achieve and share our progress could influence the development of this technology in the future. I pose the following questions in my work:
What does it mean to turn off your needs and desires? Will you still be yourself?
How will these needs affect each other?
What will motivate a person to turn on/ off needs?
Will there be a feedback loop of changes in behavior?
What if your controller fell into the hands of someone else?
Works Cited
Fokkinga, S., & Desmet, P.M. (2013). Ten Ways to Design for Disgust, Sadness, and Other Enjoyments: A Design Approach to Enrich Product Experiences with Negative Emotions
Deisseroth, K. (2010). Optogenetics. Nature Methods, 8(1), pp.26-29
Mcleod, S. (n.d.). Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Retrieved April 13, 2018, from https://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html
Designing for a physical user journey
Challenge: Design a site specific application to takes the user on a journey to create an immersive experience with their surroundings
Team: 3 Interaction Design Students
Time: 8 hours of Design Studio time before presentation
Proposal
Follow the journey of a movie the uses one city and its landscapes for filming.
Reflection:
Since the app requires the user to visit specific locations, we try to be flexible and provide many points of entry – i.e not restrict the user to a specific order or movie.
The optimum route in sequential order (from the movie) is suggested but the user can choose otherwise.
The temporal experience is user controlled, to let users with differing levels of interest take the time they need to explore the material