This is the title of my next paper. Here is the abstract:
This research aims to develop an approach to design in order to support relational nature of human capacity for action. Supporting relationality asks for a different approach or sensitivity to the ways we perform design practice. Rather than trying to control, predict or prescribe actions and relations of users, designers may design for actions more emergent and relations more fluid. Moreover, designers need to consider the performative aspects of design that require a broader notion of design process, which extends the scope of design to include design-in-use. In this broader landscape of design, designers also need to revisit their roles and the traditional boundaries between designers and users. The study follows a research through design approach and synthesizes various perspectives and approaches from feminist Science and Technology Studies, Participatory Design, Seamful Design and Actor-Network Theory. In the paper, we introduce an analysis of previous design cases and approaches that demonstrate different ways of addressing the relational character of human capacity for action. As a result of our analysis, we suggest six qualities to sensitize design: visibility, multiplicity, relationality, accountability, duality and configurability. Finally, we discuss some strategies to inscribe these qualities into design process. Our analysis involves design cases only from interaction design field, but we see a broader relevance to other design domains.
