Artifacts for shared spaces: An exploration in more-than-human-centred design practice
| dc.contributor | Aalto University | en |
| dc.contributor | Aalto-yliopisto | fi |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Pejoska, Jana | |
| dc.contributor.author | Felta, Liga | |
| dc.contributor.department | artmed | fi |
| dc.contributor.school | Taiteiden ja suunnittelun korkeakoulu | fi |
| dc.contributor.school | School of Arts, Design and Architecture | en |
| dc.contributor.supervisor | Niinimäki, Matti | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2023-09-03T15:02:18Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2023-09-03T15:02:18Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2023 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Recently, there have been more and more attempts to open up interaction design research and practice to consider not only human stakeholders but all life. Anthropocentric practices and the underlying humanist views are being reconsidered, however, there is still a scarcity of more-than-human design methods and understanding of how to design for more-than-human cohabitation. The thesis explores shared urban spaces as a context for interaction design and an imaginative space of interactions that notice, value and include nonhuman stakeholders. The thesis aims to contribute to understanding of more-than-human design processes and methods by providing a case study of designing for more-than-human interaction and a list of questions to consider when designing for more-than-human cohabitation. The research consists of two conceptual stages – research for design and research through design. Firstly, desk research has been conducted to anticipate the future design context regarding cities, biodiversity and climate change. Secondly, a two-week observation was conducted in various green zones in the cities of Helsinki and Espoo in a manner of multispecies ethnography. The research through design stage focused on prototyping and producing an artifact – an inter-active urban bee hotel, A Home For 152 Solitary Bees. The prototype was placed for observation in a garden in Riga, Latvia, on April 18, 2023. Observation and reflection have provided grounds for inquiry through design practice and iterative prototyping. Urban green zones have been established as a valuable context for more-than-human inter-action design with an increasing importance. During the observation, the practice of noticing other species revealed several themes in terms of more-than-human design research, such as Approaching other species, Taking time, Discomfort, and Gathering data. Ideation and prototyping of speculative artifacts revealed the gap between the actual and the probable. During the first 60 days, the urban bee hotel had not attracted inhabitants, suggesting a need for an alternative approach towards testing and iteration. The thesis set out to explore shared urban spaces as a context for interaction design, and to design for more-than-human interaction, imagining alternative narratives that notice, include and value nonhuman stakeholders in shared urban realities. Prototyping, placing the artifact in an outdoor environment, and observation over time has, on the one hand, revealed limitations of the methodology, but on the other hand – provided valuable knowledge and suggestions gained through practice. | en |
| dc.description.notification | Media files notes: A Home For 152 Solitary Bees prototype video documentation Description: A video of a working interactive urban bee hotel prototyped during the design phase of the thesis. Riga, Latvia, July 2023. Media rights: CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 | |
| dc.format.extent | 74 | |
| dc.format.mimetype | application/pdf | en |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://aaltodoc.aalto.fi/handle/123456789/123033 | |
| dc.identifier.urn | URN:NBN:fi:aalto-202309035370 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en |
| dc.programme | Master's Programme in New Media | fi |
| dc.programme.major | fi | |
| dc.subject.keyword | more-than-human design | en |
| dc.subject.keyword | interaction design | en |
| dc.subject.keyword | prototyping | en |
| dc.subject.keyword | more-than-human cohabitation | en |
| dc.subject.keyword | design research methods | en |
| dc.subject.keyword | speculative design | en |
| dc.subject.keyword | urban green zones | en |
| dc.title | Artifacts for shared spaces: An exploration in more-than-human-centred design practice | en |
| dc.type | G2 Pro gradu, diplomityö | fi |
| dc.type.ontasot | Master's thesis | en |
| dc.type.ontasot | Maisterin opinnäyte | fi |
| local.aalto.electroniconly | yes | |
| local.aalto.openaccess | yes |
