M. Asad, S. Fox, & C. A. Le Dantec. Speculative Activist Technologies. In iConference 2014 Proceedings, pages 229–243, 2014.

Abstract

This paper explores the specific needs activists have of the technologies they use to manage their operations and promote their causes. To begin this exploration, we conducted two critical making workshops with participants who self-identified as activists and used craft materials—such as cardboard, color markers, pipe cleaners, etc.—to create speculative technologies to find commonalities across different forms of activist work, be it technological, organizational, or procedural. The needs and concerns expressed in the workshops were articulated through the participants’ designs; they materialized their critiques, reflections, and explorations through their crafted prototypes. These prototypes point to opportunities for creating new design interventions to address the challenges and needs unique to activist organizations. The work suggests the need for more value-sensitivity and context-appropriateness in the design of interactive systems.