Does Speculative Design Contribute to Public Understanding Of

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Doesspeculativedesigncontributetopublicengagementofscienceandtechnology?|TobieKerridge|MultiplePathways09 1

Doesspeculativedesigncontributetopublicengagementofscienceand

technology?

TobieKerridge,PhDstudent,Goldsmiths,UniversityofLondon

ForpublicationatSwissDesignNetworkSymposium09,12-13November2009,Lugano,Switzerland,pleasedonotquotewithoutpermissionfromtheauthor.

IntheUKthereisaconsiderableandgrowingbodyofscientists,fundingcouncils,

scientificsocietiesandsciencecommunicatorsfromvariousprofessionalbackgroundswhohavetakenonthetaskofengagingthepublicwithscienceandtechnology

(Burchell,2007;Wynne,2006).Recentpolicycommitmentstofundthesediverse

projectshavebeenlinkedtotheproblemofperceptionsofriskattachedtooutcomesofcontemporarytechnologiesincludingbiotechnologyandnanotechnology(Kearneset

al.,2006).InthispaperIoutlinesomewaysinwhichdesignpracticescouldcontributetothesecommitmentstothepublicengagementofscienceandtechnology,byfocusing

onMaterialBeliefs,aprojectfundedbytheEngineeringandPhysicalSciencesResearch

Council1.Additionally-andinthespiritoftheconferencethemeofMultipleWays-IwouldliketocrossovertoScienceandTechnologyStudiesforsomeassistancewitha

frameworkthroughwhichtostageatentativeandinitialdiscussionofthiscontribution.

Somecontextsforconsideration

BeforelookingatMaterialBeliefsinmoredetailIprovidesomeadditionalcontextforthediscussion.IstartbyrecoveringsomeexistinglinksbetweendesignandScienceand

TechnologyStudies(STS),largelythroughanexpositionofasymposiumonthatthemeinthejournalDesignIssues(Woodhouse&Patton,2004).Ithenfollowthroughtheselinkageswithsomeentrypointsfordesignasengagement,withadescriptionofthe

currentstateofpublicengagementofscienceintheUKasithasbeenarticulatedbySTSscholarship.FinallyIlllooktoparticularformsofdesignpracticenotablycritical

design,anddesignfordebateinparticular-thatarecharacteristicofhowdesignwas

conceptualisedintheMaterialBeliefsproject.

InanintroductoryessaytotheDesignIssuessymposiumonrelationshipswithSTS,

WoodhouseandPattondistinguishbetweenproximatedesignersanddesignbysociety(Woodhouse&Patton,2004).RecallingVictorPapanek(Papanek,1984),Nigel

Whiteley(Whiteley,1993),andothers,theconceptofDesignforSocietyprovidesamuchbroaderanddiscursivenetworkofactorsthanthedesignersandclientsthat

compriseproximatepractices.Thisextendednetworkhasimplicationsforthewaysin

whichdesignmightthenbediscussed,includingconsiderationsoftheinstitutionsresponsibleforsettingparameters,proceduresanddirectionswithinwhichproximate

designerswork.Thispatternationhasconsiderableinfluenceontechnological

innovationandservestoprivilegeparticularaccountsoftechnologybytheexclusionofothers(Woodhouse&Patton,2004,p.2).Ofrelevancetomydiscussionhereofdesign

1EPSRCgrantdetailsofMaterialBeliefsareonlineat

http://gow.epsrc.ac.uk/ViewGrant.aspx?GrantRef=EP/E035051/1


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asitcontributestopublicengagement,isthesensethatpublicconcernsaboutdesign

outcomesmightappropriatelybetakenupinapublicway(Woodhouse&Patton,

2004,p.3)sothat:

Ratherthanthrowingresponsibilityondesignersandclientsalone,withgovernmentofficialsinthebackgroundasintermittentlimitsetters,howmightdesignmoveintopublicdebate,systematicinquiry,andinstitutionalpracticesinunprecedentedways?

(Woodhouse&Patton,2004,p.3)

Inthisway,anSTSaccountofthenetworkswheredesignhasahandprovidesan

alternativetoaccountsofimproveddesigns,orbetterproducts,bytakingprocedural

focusawayfromthedesignerandthedesigntoconsidertherelationshipsbetweenmaterials,technologies,bureaucrats,institutions,usersandotheractors.Thisprepares

thegroundforreflectionuponhowpublicsbecomeconstitutedinparticularwayswithinthesenetworksofhumansandnon-humans.Elsewherethesestructureshave

beendescribedascyborgsandhybrids,andalsoasassemblages,withinthecontextofpublicengagement(Irwin&Michael,2003;Michael,2002).Whatistheroleofspeculativedesignintheformationoftheseassemblages,andwhataccountsare

achieved?Doesthisanalysisprovidetheunprecedenteddescriptionsofthe

relationshipsbetweenpeopleandtechnology,anticipatedbyWoodhouseandPatton?

IntheUKthereisanongoingefforttoaddressproblemsintherelationshipbetweenscienceandthepublic,throughpublicengagementprogrammes.Accountsof

engagementactivitiesvarywidelyacrosstheactorsinvolved,whichincludescience

communicatorsbasedatmuseums,scientificfundingbodiesandprofessionalinstitutions,think-tanksinvolvedinpolicy,scientistsengagedinresearchand

sociologistsexploringrelationshipsbetweenscienceandsociety.Governmentalaccountsofpublicengagementoftenforegroundtheformationofcitizenshiparoundscienceandtechnologyasanormativeprocess.Forexample,thisisevidentinthe

languageofarecentreportthatanticipatesaroleforpublicengagementintheformationofapublicthatisexcitedbyandvaluingscienceandconfidentintheuseof

science(DIUS,2008,p.5).Therehasbeensomecriticismthatthesedescriptionsof

engagementprivilegeaperceptionofapublicwhomisunderstandscience,orapublicwhoinappropriatelyattributerisktoparticulartechnologies.Itfollowsthatpublic

engagementcanaddressthesedeficits,andproducealiterateandtrustingpublic(Wynne,1992).Ratherthaneducatingthepublic,engagementpracticeshaveelsewhere

beenreframedintermsofprovidingmorerobustdialoguethattakeslayconcernsinto

account,andwhichalsoenabledialoguetotakeplaceatearlierstagesofscientificdevelopment.Forexample,aNanotechnologylabprovidedaccessforasocialscientist

andpublicgroupstohelpimaginewhatthesocialdimensionsmightbe,eventhough

theeventualapplicationsofthesciencearen'tyetclear(Wilsdon&Willis,2004).Thereisastrategyheretoprovideaccesstolaboratoryspacesfornon-scientists,sotheycan

thenwitnessscienceasaprocessratherthanasatechnologicalblackbox(Latour,1987).Dialogueattheseformativestagesofscientificresearchprovideopportunities

forwhathasbeendescribedasanupstreamdebateabouttheoutcomesand

implicationsofscience(Kearnesetal.,2006).Thesestrategiesoffersomeclearopportunitiesforspeculativedesignpractice,whereitcanhelpimaginehowemergent

researchwouldbecomesubjecttosocialandculturalvalues.


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Sowhatdesignpracticesinformspeculativedesign,asitmightbeperformedasan

innovativeformofpublicengagement?Ratherthanpursuingmodelsofusability,and

optimisation,designingwithtechnologycanprovideopportunitiestodiscovernewpleasures,newformsofsociability,andnewculturalforms(Gaver&Dunne,1999,p.

25).Thisperspectiveondesignresearchleadstothedevelopmentofplayfulprototypeswithambiguousfunctions,whichaimtoshiftcurrentperceptionsoftechnology

functionally,aesthetically,culturally,andevenpolitically(Gaver&Dunne,1999,p.25).

Theambitionhereisnottoiterateorimprovethedesign,buttouseparticularformsofuser-centreddesign,andmethodsfromsocialscience,toconsidertheeffectofthe

designasatriggerforreflectionsoneverydaylife.Thiscontextrelatestoconcernsin

thepublicengagementcommunityforincreasingtheopportunitiesforupstreamencounterswithscientificresearchthatencourageimaginativereflectionfromnon-

experts.

AseconddesigntrajectoryinformingMaterialBeliefsiscriticaldesign,whichaimsto

toaskquestions,provokedebate,raiseawareness,andexplorealternatives(Beaveretal.,2009,p.64).CriticalDesignhasbeendescribedasanexplorationoftheconventionsofsciencefiction,artpracticeandtheaestheticsofcinema.Herearesophisticated

representationsofidentity,offeringspacesforcomplexindividualsmovingthroughan

equallycomplex,technologicallymediated,consumerlandscape2.Thesedesignprovocationsofferalternativestoaccountsdepictingalinearprogressionofscientific

enquirythroughtostabletechnologicalproducts.TheselinearmodelshavebeenchallengedinthefieldofSociologyofScientificKnowledge3andlaterSTS,particularly

withLawsdescriptionofheterogeneousengineering(Law,1987).Accountsofcritical

designarticulatefreshroutesthroughtechnoscientificlandscapes,andmakethese

reappraisalsavailabletopublicgroupsthroughexhibitionsandpublications.Thereisanopportunityherealsoforsomedevelopmentoftheimplicitclaimsmadeforcriticaldesignandtheassociatedprojectofdesignfordebate4;whoisinvolvedindebatehere,

whatkindsofdebatetakeplaceandwhataretheeffects?

InhisdiscussionofJohnDeweysThePublicandItsProblems,CarlDisalvocontextualisescriticaldesignthroughitsabilitytoconstructthepublicbyincreasing

societalawareness,andmotivatingandenablingpoliticalaction(DiSalvo,2009).

Disalvooutlinesprojectionasawayofdescribinghowcriticaldesignmightrepresentapossiblesetoffutureconsequencesassociatedwithaparticularissuesothatthesocial

orethicalimplicationsoftechnologiescanbeconsidered.ForDisalvothereisaprospectformoreworktobedonehere,andhespecificallypointstotheopportunitiesfor

workingwithotherfieldsincludingSTStohelpanswerthequestionDoesthe

contributionofdesigntotheconstructionofpublicsreallymatter?andifsoWhen?andHow?(DiSalvo,2009,pp.61-62).Ihopetooffersometentativeresponsestothis

question,inthefollowingdiscussionofMaterialBeliefsasitaimstoextendtheseforms

2DesignInteractionssite,availableathttp://www.interaction.rca.ac.uk/information/department.html,

accessed16/6/093StevenShapinoffersanoverviewofSSKinHereandEverywhere(Shapin,1995)4DesignforDebateisdescribedinapostgraduatedesignbriefat

http://www.interaction.rca.ac.uk/briefs/designForDebate.html,accessed16/6/09


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ofdesignthroughidentifyingandbuildingrelationshipswithpublicengagementof

scienceandtechnology(PEST)throughSTS.

InthisintroductorysectionIhaveofferedsomecontextforframingadiscussionofthe

contributionofspeculativedesignforpublicengagementofscienceandtechnology.Ihavesuggestedthatitmightbefruitfultoconsideramuchbroadernetworkofactorsbeyondthedesignerandtheclient,andshownhowexistinglinkstoSTSscholarshipcan

helphere.Ithendemonstratedthatpublicengagementisanheterogeneousand

complexfield,andthatrecentdescriptionsofcitizenparticipationthattakeplaceupstreamwhenresearchisstillbeingdoneinthelabisasgoodaplaceasanytolocatea

designerlyassociationwiththisfield.FinallyIoutlinedsometypesofdesignresearch,

includingethnographicInteractiondesignandcriticaldesign,whichpreparethegroundforadiscussionofpracticethatImdescribingherearespeculativedesign.Withthis

contextinmind,inthenextsectionofthepaperIwouldliketofocusonapractice-basedresearchproject,asawayoflinkingtheseissuestoempiricaldata.

MaterialBeliefs

MaterialBeliefswasatwo-yearinterdisciplinaryprojectfundedbytheEngineeringand

PhysicalScienceResearchCouncil5.Thisfundingwaslinkedtoacallthataimedto

refreshpublicattitudestoengineeringintheUK.Theallocationofresourcestosupportthecallarearguablylinkedtoreportsfromscienceinstitutionsaboutacrisisinthe

publicperceptionofengineering6.WhileMaterialBeliefsdidnotconcretelyaimtorehabilitateattitudestowardUKengineering,theproposalarticulatedanambitionfor

speculativedesigntoleadintheformationofexperimentalconnectionsbetween

scienceandengineeringresearchtakingplaceinUKacademiclabswithpublicgroups,toprovideopportunitiesfordiscussionaboutscienceandsociety7:

ThereisaneedtocommunicateanddemocratiserecentinnovationinUKengineering,andwiththisanopportunitytochallengeandinvigoratethepublic's

perceptionofengineering.UnconventionalcollaborationmethodsusedinPPE

projectslikeBiojewelleryandRobertDoubleday'ssociologicalperspectiveonnanotechnologyresearchareextendedinthisproposal,andemployedtoframea

creativeandinnovativeprocessforrepresentingthetechnicalandsociocultural

issueswhichattendengineeringresearch,toalargeanddiverseaudience.

Thefollowingsectionsoffersomereflectiononthedevelopmentanddeliveryof

MaterialBeliefsasisrelatestosomeofthecontextualissuesdescribedabove.Idrawupondatageneratedduringthecourseoftheproject,structuringthedataasfour

historicalmoments,whichareindicativeofhowtheprojectdevelopedovertime.Istart

withadescriptionofbuildingarelationshipwithabiotechnologyresearchcentre.Ifollowonwithanaccountofprovidingaccesstothiscentreforthepublic,andthen

5EPSRCgrantdetailsofMaterialBeliefsareonlineat

http://gow.epsrc.ac.uk/ViewGrant.aspx?GrantRef=EP/E035051/16ForanexampleseethePublicAttitudestoEngineeringandEngineersreport,availableonlineat

http://www.etechb.co.uk/research/reports/public_attitudes.cfm7Extractfromthecaseforsupportdocument,accompanyingtheMaterialBeliefsproposal


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provideanaccountofaspeculativedesignproject,whichdevelopedsomeoftheissues

raisedwiththesepublicgroups.InthefinalsectionIsketchsomeexamplesofpublic

exhibitionsthatcirculatethedesignstolargerpublicgroups.Giventheheterogeneityofthedataavailablethroughtheproject,andmyowninvolvementintheproductionof

thisdataasadesigner,Idrawonamixtureofmethods.Forexample,thisincludesparticipantobservationoffocusgroupsattendedbyprojectparticipants,field-notes

writtenaspartofthetutoringofpostgraduatestudents,anddiscourseanalysisof

materialsincludingemails,interviewsandexhibitioncatalogues.

Accessingbiotechnologylaboratories

AtproposalstageMaterialBeliefsexpressedanambitiontoaccesslabs,andtomakethempermeabletonon-specialists8.Thisapproachwasinfluencedbyresearchthathad

articulatedupstreaminteractionbetweenscienceandsocialscience(Doubleday,2007).

Additionallytheproposalemphasisedbiomedicalandcybernetictechnologiesasatechnologicalfocus,respondingtoincreasedinstitutionalcapacityforbiotechnological

research.Technologiesandapplicationsanticipatedtoemergefromtheseresearchareashavebeendescribedasraisingarangeofnovelchallengesforsocietythatare

highlyappropriatefornewformsofcitizenparticipation(Burchell,2007).

Biotechnologycentreswereidentifiedthroughonlinesearches,andindividualresearcherswereapproachedbydesignerscontractedtoMaterialBeliefs,todiscuss

theirinvolvementintheproject.

MaterialBeliefsprovidedresourcesforfourinterdisciplinaryclustersthatwereeach

leadbyadesignerinsomeformofcollaborationwithscientists,researchersand

techniciansbasedinanacademicresearchfacility.Theclustersoperatedinverydifferentways,andthevariouscollaborativefeatureshavebeendocumentedelsewhere

(Dawson,2009).Thispaperwillfocusontheoutcomeofonecluster,basedattheInstituteofBiomedicalEngineering(IBE)atImperialCollegeLondon.

TherelationshipwithIBEwasnegotiatedwithTonyCass,adirectorattheinstitute.In

commonwiththeotherclusters,followinginitialcontactbyemail,filmedinterviewswereusedasaninitialexploratorytooltodrawoutsomedescriptionoffacilities,roles

andresearch.TopicswereformedduringtheinterviewwithCass,whichwasleadby

twodesigners.Thefootagewasthenpresentedasaseriesofclipsonline9.Whiletheseinterviewsarelowqualitysketchesratherthandocumentaries,usingfilmtodocument

andrepresentmomentsofdesignresearchhasbeencharacterisedasenablingdialoguesbetweenparticipants,researchersanddesigners(Raijmakers,2007).

8Extractfromthecaseforsupportdocument,accompanyingtheMaterialBeliefsproposal9Theclipsareavailableonlineathttp://www.materialbeliefs.com/collaboration/tony-c.php


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above:ViewoftheInstituteofBiomedicalEngineering,stillfromaninterviewwithTonyCass

Whilethereisscopetodiscussthesemethodsinmoredetail,IwouldliketofocusonhowthesediscussionswithCassprovidedanentrypointfortheformationofanetwork

forpublicengagement.Theinterviewsprovideaninitialdescriptionoftheresearchfromtheresearchersperspective,whichemphasisestheeventualapplicationsthat

comeoutoftheresearch.ForexampleCasscharacterisestheinstituteasparticipating

inareasofresearchincludingtissueengineering,medicalrobotics,bionicsandnano-scaleapplications.10.Hethendescribesadvancesinbionicsasfollowingonfrom

understandinghowtomakebiologyandelectronicstalktooneanotherinordertodevelophybriddevices11thatwillenablenewapplicationswhichoffersolutionsto

healthcareproblems.

Cassprovidesalinearmodelofscientificinnovation,wherescienceresearchleadstoanewtechnologythatprovidesabenefittoapatient.Thishasbeendescribedasaregime

ofeconomicsandtechnoscientificpromises(Wynneetal.,2007),whichischaracterisedbythecreationofafictiontocreateresourcestosolvehumanproblems.These

promissoryaccountsofinnovationprovideacleardivisionoflabour,betweenthose

thatdevelopthetechnologiesandthosethatusethem(Wynneetal.,2007),andthereisasensethatalternativeregimesofinnovationmightsupportnewformsofinteraction

betweenscientistsandotheractors(Wynneetal.,2007).Iwillturnnowtotwo

accountsofhowthisinitialnetworkatIBEcouldbeextendedtoincludeotheractors,andhowthisextensionlinkedbiomedicalresearchtothesocialandculturalconcernsof

theseothers,andgeneratedalternativestoriesoftechnology.

Providingaccessforothers

ImplicitinthistermspeculativedesignthatIamusing,isasensethatthereisindeedsomekindofspeculationtakingplace.Thisbegsthequestion,whoisspeculating-isthe

speculationperformedinsomewaybyadesignerandthensomehowembodiedinthe

design,ordoesspeculationtakeplaceoutthere,bythevisitortoadesignshoworthe

10Quotetakenfromcliphttp://www.materialbeliefs.com/collaboration/video/tony-c/5.mov 11Quotetakenfromcliphttp://www.materialbeliefs.com/collaboration/video/tony-c/28.mov


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readerofadesignjournal(asthesedesignsarenotproductstobeusedbyusers,but

objectsthataredistributedandexperiencedinotherways)?InthissectionIwilltryto

demonstratethatthesequestionscanbereframedthroughanassociationwithformsofpublicengagement.Illprovidetwoexamplesofhowalternativeaccountsoftechnology

canbeinvitedfromthepublicbyprovidingaccesstotheresearchthatistakingplaceatIBE.Thefirstisaneventwithasmallinterdisciplinarygroup,thesecondisaworkshop

withalargergroupcombiningstudentsfromadesignbackgroundwithresearchers

fromtheinstitute.

MindtheLoopwasahalf-dayworkshopconvenedatIBEinMarch2008.Theaimofthe

daywastobringtogetherindividualstodiscusstheartificialpancreas-aresearch

projectatIBEaimedathelpingtocontroldiabetesandtodrawoutindividualconceptionsofthetechnologyasitrelatedtopersonalexperiencesandknowledge.

Therewasnoinstrumentalobjectiveforthemeeting;ratheritwasanattempttomakeuseoftheprojectresourcestobuildanetworkofdiscussantsfromdifferent

backgroundswithaninterestinacommontechnology.ThisstrategywasdevelopedthroughadiscussionbetweentheGPandthedesignerabouttherelationshipsbetweenindividuals,systems,devicesanddata12thatformaroundtheartificialpancreas.This

conversationfollowedfeedbackfromaparticipantataneveningofdebateattheDana

centre,13aboutherexperiencesofexistingdiabetestechnology,whichincludesasensorandpumpforinsulindelivery:

IhavetostillbequiteinventiveabouthowIwearthis,sothatpeopledon'tknowthatI'mwearingit,soIhavetohavealittlepocketsewnintomyclothesandthings

whatprocessesareyouusingtogetthedesignersinearlyenough,andparticularly

thepatients,becausewedon'ttendtogetaskedaboutwhichfeatureswethinkare

important...14

Agroupoffivepeople,comprisingtheparticipant,NHSdoctoranddesignerpresentattheDanaevent,andadditionalaresearcherfromIBEdevelopingtheartificialpancreas

andafilmmaker,wereinvitedtoattendtheevent.Thesessionstartedwith

introductionsandplanningfollowedwithadescriptionoftheartificialpancreasplatformbytheresearcher,thensomereflectionsfromeachparticipant,followedby

somequestionsandanswers,andfinallysometimeforindividualreflectionaboutthe

process.Thefilmmakerfollowedtheproceedingsandcapturedmostofthesessionsothatashortfilmcouldbeeditedasadocumentoftheprocess15.

12PersonalemailbetweenaresearcheratIBEandtheauthor13Seehttp://www.materialbeliefs.com/events/dana.phpfordocumentationoftheTechnoBodies;HybridLife?event 14QuotefromaparticipantatTechnoBodies;HybridLife?event,seepreviousURLforfilmclip15Seehttp://www.materialbeliefs.com/events/loop.phpforfilmsandadditionaldocumentation


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Above:ParticipantsofMindtheLoopmeeting,thetestbenchfortheartificialpancreas

Theengineerinitiallydescribedthattheambitionoftheartificialpancreasistoprovidecontrolofbloodsugarlevelsinahumanbodyasasubstitutionforlostbiological

function:

We'velookedatthebiologyofthepancreasandquestionedwhathappenswhenthe

pancreasseesglucoseandreleasesinsulinWevetakenthatfunctionofthebetacell

andwevereplicateditusingelectroniccircuits,toprovideanartificialpancreasfortype1diabeticsbasedontheactualbiologyofthepancreas16

Ademonstrationofthetechnologyonabenchinanelectronicslabshowedhowthemicrochiprespondstochangesinbloodsugar(measuredasavoltagelevel)by

triggeringthereleaseofinsulininpulsesthatmapcloselytothebiologicalpatternof

control.Accountsofexistingtechnologyfromthediabeticpatientprovideadifferentperspective:

IrealisedIwasusingtheword"Feel"aboutthepump...thisistechnology,andit'sabsolutelyamazing,butwhenyouhavetolivewithitdayindayout,youdoactually

havefeelingsaboutthistechnologybecauseitmakesadifferencetohowyoufeel,it

affectsyourself-esteemhowyouwearit,soIrealisedthathowIfeelaboutthetechnologyisactuallyreallycomplicated

Thedescriptionofthistechnologyisunstable,asitissubjecttodivergentvaluesand

expectationsbasedonaparticularorientationtothetechnology(makingorusingfor

example).STSaccountsofthesekindsofheterogeneousgroupstalkofepistemiccommunities(Haas,1992)andhybridcommunities(Callon,2004;Callon&Rabeharisoa,2003).Hybridcommunitiesareatthesametimecollaborativeand

contrary,bringingtogetherexpertknow-howandlayexperienceintheformulationof

newandmorerobustmedicaldevices.Thereispotentialhereforspeculativedesigntolinktotheseprocesses-andperhapstoanextenttostageenvironmentsthatcontribute

totheformationoftheseheterogeneouscommunitiesnotbecausethistypeofdesign

hasaninstrumentalstakeinthedevelopmentofmedicalproducts,butfortwootherreasons.Firstlydesigncanbenefitfromthecomplexityoftherepresentationsof

16QuotefromaparticipantatMindtheLoopevent,seepreviousURLforfilmclip


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technology,andthepresentationofexperiencesfromdifferenthumanactors.Secondly

iscanpulltogethergroupswhowouldotherwisenothaveoccasiontoarticulatethese

differentformsofknowledge,again,nottocontributetodevelopmentofproducts,butinordertoprovideoccasionsforengagementbetweenexpertsandpublics.

AsasecondexampleofprovidingpublicaccesstothebiomedicalresearchenvironmentatIBE,InowfocusonaworkshopforagroupofpostgraduatestudentsfromtheRoyal

CollegeofArt.Theworkshopformedthestartofafour-weekbriefleadbyElio

CaccavaleandKerridgetitledScienceandSociety17.Ratherthanprovidinginnovationforscienceandtechnology,ananalyticalorcriticalpracticeisencouragedinthe

students.Astheheadofdepartment,TonyDunnedescribesinaninterview:

CriticalDesignusesspeculativedesignproposalstoaskquestions,provokedebate,raiseawareness,andexplorealternatives.Itsoppositeisaffirmativedesignthat

reinforcesthestatusquo.Itrejectstheideathatdesigncanonlyexistinrelationto

industryanditsnarrowagenda,anditsetsouttoexploreotherwaysdesigncancontributetosociety(Beaveretal.,2009,p.64)

Theaimoftheworkshopthenistodevelopthisquestioningrolefordesignpracticeasitrelatestoemergingbiotechnologies.Akeyissuehereistofindamechanismto

encouragearobustrelationshipbetweenthedesignstudentsandtechnology.Thiswas

accomplishedbyworkingdirectlywithresearcherswhowereactivelyengagedinlaboratory-basedexperimentationwiththetechnologiesthatwereobjectsof

inspirationforthestudents.Theoreticaldiscussionsofintangibleanddistantprocesses(inthiscasebiotechnology)areswappedoutwithmoregrounded,empirical

experiences.ThispointisdealtwiththoroughlybyWilkieandWardintheirpaper

aboutstrategiesforcriticalpracticeatundergraduatelevel,wherethecriticalstudiescanonofBaudrillard,DerridaanddeCerteauarechallengedbyempiricalparadigms

inspiredbySTSaccountsoftechnologyandsociety(Ward&Wilkie,2008,p.1).Ratherthanconductingdesk-boundresearch,studentsareinsteadencouragedtogetamongst

thephenomenaandpracticesthatexcitethem;togoout,opentheblackboxesand

untanglethecomplexitiesandnoveltytheyencounterandindoingsoprovidetheirownsituatedandpartialdescriptionsandnewdesigncontexts(Ward&Wilkie,2008,p.2).

InowfocusonanexampleofstudentworkcomingoutoftheRCAworkshopatIBE,and

therelationshipwitharesearcherthatleadtothework,togroundthisdiscussion.TheworkshopatIBEcomprisedofageneralpresentationoftheInstitute,atouroffacilities,

twopresentationsfromresearchersabouttheirresearch,anexperimenttoisolateDNAconductedinthewetlab,andawrap-upsessionwherethebriefwasset.Oneofthe

researchersfromIBEwhopresentedwasOliveMurphy,whodescribedanimplantable

blood-pressuremonitorforPatientswithchronicconditions,incorporatingapassiveradiosystemtotransmitdatatoanexternalunit.

17Furtherdocumentationandadescriptionofstudentprojectsisavailableonlineat

http://www.materialbeliefs.com/events/rca-ibe.php


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Above:WorkshopforstudentsatIBE,testinganimplantablebloodpressuremonitor

DiscussionbetweenMurphyandthestudentscanbecharacterisedasfocussingonissuesarisingfromhowbiomedicaldatasentwirelesslyfromahumanbody,mightbe

re-appropriatedbyservicesotherthantheremotehealthcare.ThisdiscussionaboutdatamonitoringwasdevelopedinNellyBenHayounsprojectCathytheHacker.Hayoun

designedpropsandmadeshortfilmsdocumentinghow you can hack your bloodpressure implant to provide fake, healthy data to an insurance company that ismonitoring the fictional Cathys lifestyle in order to make decisions on the premiumshe should pay on her health insurance18. Through an interview and follow upconversations with Murphy, Hayoundevisedhackswhichincludedattachingasensortoanenergeticpetcat,inordertogenerateasurrogatedata set, while The closingspin cycle of the washing machine also does a good job19. The influence ofHayounsaccesstotechnology,facilitiesandresearcherupontheprojectareclear,butalsoofinterestistheexperienceoftheseencountersuponMurphy,whocommentedaboutthe

experienceduringafocusgroupsession20:

Iwouldhaveassumed,Ohofcoursethisiseverybodysbenefitlikeyou,youmaynotwantoneyouknow,peoplescivillibertiesandeverythingand,anditwasNellie

whofirstraisedtheissueof,well,what,whatifyourinsurancecompanywillmake

youhaveanimplantorelsewontcoveryourhospitalexpenses...

TheseencountersprovidedHayounwithatechnicalcontexttointerpretcritically,while

Murphytakesanactiverolewithinanalternativedescriptionofherownresearch.

SomethingsimilarcanbesaidabouttheMindtheLoopmeeting,wheredifferentviewsandexperiencesofonthemanagementoftype1diabetescametogethertomakenew

typesofknowledge.Inthisway,unfinishedbiomedicalsciencebecomesencounteredbyaparticularformofpublic(studentsorpatients),withaparticularorientationtowards

18TheprojectCathytheHackerisdocumentedbyNellyBenHayounonlineat

http://www.nellyben.com/index.php?/project/biotech/ accessedon7/8/0919ibid.20ThefocusgroupinterviewwasconductedattheendoftheMaterialBeliefsprojectbyEmilyDawson,andincludedparticipantslinkedtoactivityattheInstituteofBiomedicalEngineering.Adescriptionof

methodsandadiscussionoffindingareavailableinareportavailablefordownloadat

http://www.materialbeliefs.com/pdfs/Summative-Evalution.


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thesciencethatis,asetofmotivations,agendasandimpulsesthatprovidemomentum

totheencounter.CallonandRabehorisoahavetalkedabouttheco-productionof

scienceandsocietyinthemedicalcontextoftheFrenchMuscularDystrophyAssociation(AFM),wheredoctors,patientsandpatientsfamiliescametogetherthrough

aprocessofresearchinthewildsothatdifferentformsofknowledgebecomeinterleaved(Callon&Rabeharisoa,2003).Theobjectofthelaboratoryaccessin

MaterialBeliefsisnotmedicalknowledge,aswasthecasewiththeAFMresearch.

Ratherspeculativedesignisamotivatorortriggerforacoalescingofnon-standardgroupsofpeople,expertsandpublic,inordertodiscussthewaysinwhichtechnology

inscribesformsofsociality.Intermsofcontemporaryformofpublicengagement,much

issaidabouttheneedfornewformsofdialoguebetweenexpertsandlaypublicthattakeplaceupstream,atearlierandformativemomentsinthelifeoftechnoscience.Of

theengagementpracticesthathavedevelopedupstreammodels,ithasbeensaidthatthewaysinwhichtherisksorimplicationsoftechnologiesarepresented,orthe

questionswithwhichtheengagementisstagedhavebeenpre-framedbytheengager,sothatwhatweseeisrestrictedtoeitheranaffirmationordismissalofinstitutionalconcerns,ratherthanamorefreerangingdebate(Wynne,2006).AsWynnedescribes,

thereisnoroomleftforconstructivenegotiationofpossiblealternatives,multiple

trajectories,anddifferenttechnologiesasthepre-framingoftheengagementactivityimposesanunquestionedpresumptionthatthepublicsconcernswhichweare

supposedtobeinvestigatingandlearningtounderstandareonlyinstrumentalconcernsaboutimpacts(Wynne,2006,p.218).Thereisaopportunityherefordesign

toidentifyemergingtechnologyasamalleableandcreativematerial,andtoprovidea

frameworkaroundthismaterialforencountersbetweenexpertsandparticularpublicgroupsthatleadsintothespontaneousidentificationandemergenceofissueswithin

whichtothenframealternatives.

Developingspeculativedesigns

InowfocusonadifferentaspectofMaterialBeliefs,whereissuesandconcernsabouttechnosciencearepulledintoinformthedesignanddevelopmentofprototypes.In

commonwiththeotherinterdisciplinaryclustersthatmadeupMaterialBeliefs,there

wasanambitionfortheresearchatIBEtobetransformedintomoredevelopedandresolveddesigns21.Theaimofthesedesignswastoinsomewaycombinealternative

applicationsthatwerebeingarticulatedthroughthediscussionstakingplacebetween

expertsandinterestedpublics,withresearchtrajectoriesatIBE.Additionallythedevelopmentoftheseprototypeswasconceivedastakingplacethroughsomeformof

collaborationbetweenthedesignersandtheresearchers.InthissectionIwilldescribeVitalSigns,asetofprototypesdevelopingoutofthediscussionsbetweenpublicsand

researchersattheIBE,andsubsequentlythroughalargernetworkoftechnologies,

21Theoriginalfundingproposalfocusedoncollaborationsbetweendesignersandengineers;Theaimof

thisproposalistopairexperiencedresearchengineersanddesignersthrougharesidencyprogram,leadingtoaseriesofpublicexhibitionsandengagementevents.Theseeventswillopenupareflective

andcriticalspacearoundtheroleoffuturetechnology,wheretheengineers'researchcanberepresented

tothepublicinastimulatingway


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materials,issuesandinstitutions.IreturntoSTSdescriptionsofassemblages,inorder

tocharacterisethewaysinwhichtheseprototypestookshapeasamobilisationof

differentactors,withparticularattentionpaidtoMikeMichaelsaccountofinventiveproblemmaking(Michael,2009).InthisrespectIprovidesomesnapshotsofthe

materialandconceptualcontextsthatwerecombinedandembodiedinthedesign.

VitalSignsistechnologicallybasedontheDigitalPlaster,abiomedicalmonitoring

platformthatsitsalongsideIBEresearchprojectsrelatedtopersonalisedhealthcare.

TheDigitalPlasterisabody-wornsensorthatlinkstoadistributedplatformforbodymonitoring:

Poweredbythin,flexiblebatteries,andlookingmuchlikeaplaster,thebody-worn

Sensium-enabledmonitorscanprocessandextractkeyfeaturesofthedataandintelligentlyintegrateitintoanelectronicmedicalrecordviaabasestation,usinga

power-optimisedwirelessoperatingandnetworkingsystem(Toumazou,Christofer,

2008)Wynnemightdescribethedigitalplasterasapromissorytechnology,andwhilethe

applicationisincomplete,itexistsinanumberofpartialforms.Forexamplethereisapublishedaccountofaplatformforultralowpower,wireless,biometricsensing

(Toumazou,Chris&Lee,2005)andamonitoringplatformthatincludesabodysensor,

thoughitissmallandnotyetminiaturisedtothepointofbeingplaster-like22.WhiletheDigitalPlasterisprimarilydiscussedasamedicalproduct,itisalsolinkedtoother

markets:

Monitoring'healthandwellness'hasapplicationstosport,bymonitoringphysical

statesduringperiodsofprolongedactivityandstress.Constantmonitoringbuildsa

morecompletepictureoffitnessandphysiologicalchangeovertimethanconventionalsamplingtechniques.23

Thereisasensethatthisisatechnologyflexibleenoughtoperformacrossdifferentcontextsofuse,andforVitalSigns,thecoretechnologiesofthebiometricsensorpatch

andtheabilitytosendthedataacrossthenetworkweredecoupledfrommedicaland

sportsapplications.InthiswayVitalSignswasinitiallyconceivedasasetofproductsforpresentingacompletepictureofphysiologicaldata,thoughthecharacteristicsof

thatpicture,andthemotivationforpicturingwereatthisstageopen.

Existingproductsusemobilephonenetworkstotransmitsenseddata.ForexampletheAlertMesystemisadistributedsuiteofsensorsthatattachtoproductsratherthen

people,sothatthehomeownerreceivesSMSmessageswhenadoorisopened,orwhenthecentralheatinghascomeon24.Elsewheretherearearangeofproductsforparents

tomonitortheirchildren,variouskindsofbabymonitors,devicesthatattachtoachilds

shoethatislinkedtotheanalarmonaparentskeyfob.Technologiesarearrangedin

22AdescriptionofTheSensiumLifePebbleisavailableonlineat

http://www.toumaz.com/public/page.php?page=sensium_pebble (accessedon7/8/09)23FromthePersonalisedHealthcareresearchsectionoftheIBEwebsiteavailableathttp://www3.imperial.ac.uk/biomedeng/research/personalisedhealthcare (accessedon8/8/09)24AlertMEisamodularandwirelesslylinkedIntelligentHomeSecuritysystem,detailsaboutthe

productisavailableonlineathttp://www.alertme.com/


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configurationsthatbringhumansandnon-humanstogetheracrossdistances,

frequentlythroughapplicationsthataimtoprovideformsofcontrolorreassurance.

Thesemoremundaneexamplesofassemblagesforcontrolareattimesdisruptedandquestionedthroughextremeversionsthatcanmakeusfeeluncomfortable.Anexample

isCottonwoolKids,adocumentaryproducedforCuttingEdge,aseriesbroadcastonUKChannel4.HereananxiousparentmeetsanengineerinhisofficeatReadingUniversity,

tohearaboutatrackingdevicethatwouldbeimplantedinherdaughtersbody.The

engineerdescribes:

Youcouldprovideasortofvirtualfence,sowhenshegoesoutsideacertainarea,or

ifshegoesintoacertainplaceyoudon'twanthertogoto,thenyoucouldathome

havethisredlightflashing(Neale,2008)

Themothersdesperation,theengineersconvictioninatechnologicalsolutionandthe

silentpresenceofthedaughtermakeforuncomfortableviewing,andperhapsour

notionsofwhatisreasonableorethicalintermsofhowandwhytechnologiesareconfiguredareraised.Thesequestionsremainsettledorobscuredintheencounters

withmoremundanetechnologies.InMichaelsaccountofTechnoscienceandEverydayLife,thesevarioussocialorderingsofpeopleandtechnologyexistalongsideone

another:

Inallthis,technoscienceasacirculationnecessarilytiestogetherwhathavepreviouslybeenseenasseparatethehumanandthenonhuman,thenaturalandthe

social;orratheritisconstitutivelyproductiveofhybridswhoseontologicalandpoliticalstatusisambiguousandmultiple.(Michael,2006)

Aroleofspeculativedesignistoactwithinthenetworksithasestablishedbybringing

togetherandlayeringtheseambiguousandmultipleaccountswithinitsobjects.Theseobjectsthenareaboutmultiplyingmeanings,andprovidingadditionalcomplexity

(Michael,2009),ratherthanclosingdownaroundparticularproblemsasstableproducts.

VitalSignsrepositionstheDigitalPlasterasaplatformforchildmonitoring.Itdevelops

someofthethemesbroughtupinthestudentsworkaftertheirvisittotheIBE,whichincludedtheissuesofsurveillanceandtrustsuggestedinHayounsandotherstudents

work,andfromdiscussionsaboutdatamanagementduringtheMindtheLoopmeeting.

ToalargeextentVitalSignsdevelopstheconversationbetweenthemotherandtheengineerinCottonWoolkids.Ratherthananimplantedtransponder,sensors

embeddedinaskinwornpatchmeasurebiometricdata,whichistransmittedthroughamobilephonenetworkandbecomesembodiedinthebehaviourofthreedevices,sothat

thechildsheartrate,movementandbreathingcanbemonitoredinrealtime.Twosets

oftheprototypesweremade,ablueandapinkset,foraboyandforagirl,andadoptingotherfeaturesofthedesignlanguageusedinthemonitoringproductsdescribedearlier.


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Above:StillfromCottonWoolKidsDocumentary,theVitalSignsprototype

VitalSignsareworkingprototypes;theyareUSBdevicesthatincorporateanLED

display,ormotorsforactuation.Thedevicesuseanembeddedmicrocontroller25attachedtoapurposebuiltprintedcircuitboardalongwithawirelessmodulesothat

dataforthecontrolofthedevicescanbetransmittedovertheairaswellasviatheUSBsignal.Theprocessofdesigninganddevelopingfunctionaldevicescanbeseenasa

strategyforinvolvingotherpeople.Forexamplethecircuitboardswereassembledat

IBEandthisleadtoconversationswithresearchersaboutsolderingsmallcomponents,thecaseswereinitiallyprintedusingarapidprototypingtoolalsoatIBE,programming

codewasdiscussedandsharedwithforummembersattheArduinowebsiteandthe

deviceswereputtogetherwithhelpfromdesignersattheInteractionResearchStudio.Inthiswaythedesignprocessenlistsabroadernetworkofpeople,andsothedesign

outcomesthenembodyabroaderrangeofconcernsandattitudes.Thismightbetheorisedasabroader,messierassemblage,andinpracticeitmeansthatthereare

moreopportunitiesforotherstoencounterandtobecomeembroiledwiththe

prototypes,whichspiraloutinmanyconceptualdirections,raisingquestionsaboutamultitudeofindistinctissuessurroundingscienceandtechnology(Michael,2009,p.

10).ItistotheseopportunitiesIwouldliketoturnforinthefinalsectionofthispaper,

whichwillexplorehowspeculativedesignswerecirculatedtolargerpublicgroups.

Circulatingspeculativedesign

IntheprevioussectionsIhavedescribedhowabiomedicallabcanbeaccessedandaninterdisciplinarygroupestablished,thenhowparticularpublicgroupscanask

questionsaboutresearch,andthenhowthesesquestionsorissuesbecomeembodiedindesigns.Inthisfinalsection,Illprovidesomeexamplesofengagementpracticeswith

publicgroupsoutsideofthelaboratory,focussingonexhibitions.Designisfairlyaccomplishedwhenitcomestodoingexhibitions,andarguablyfordesignpracticesthat

donotleadtocommercialproducts,theexhibitionmightbeseenasthemainarena

25EachdevicecontainsanArduinoNanoboard,whichisapopularplatformforphysicalcomputing

applicationsinartanddesigneducation.Arduinoisanopensourcehardwareandsoftwareenvironment

seehttp://www.arduino.cc/


15/18


wheredesignartefactsareencountered.Theaimofthissectionistoconsidersome

featuresofthepublicconstitutedthroughtheeventswhereMaterialBeliefsoutcomes

whereexhibited.

Onewayofconsideringthemake-upoftheexhibitionpublicistothinkabouthowtheeventmakesitselfavailabletovariousgroups.MaterialBeliefswasinstalledinfoursections,whereeachsectioncomprisedoftheoutcomesfromoneoftheclusters,so

VitalSignswasexhibitedwiththethreeotherprojects;Neuroscope,Carnivorous

DomesticEntertainmentRobotsandBonsaiCells.ThefourMaterialBeliefsprojectswereincludedinanumberofgroupexhibitions,includingNowhere/Now/Hereat

LABoralCentrodeArteyCreacininGijn,CrossingOveratTheRoyalInstitutionof

GreatBritaininLondonandTouchMeFestivalinZagreb.Eachshowhadadifferentcuratorialambition,"enquiryincontemporarydesign","exchangesinartand

biotechnologies",and"artattheintersectionofscienceandtechnology"26.Inthisway,theseeventsarecomposedofhierarchiesofresources,fromtheissuesandtechnologies

ofindividualprototypeslikeVitalSigns(anxiousparentsandbiometricmonitoring),whichsitswithinthebroaderaimsofMaterialBeliefs(designersandengineersforpublicengagement),whichisinturnsubjecttocuratorialthemesandambitions.The

exhibitioncaninturnbeseeninthecontextoftheinstitutionalaimsofthevenue,and

eventheconstitutionorpolicyofthebodiesthatresourceorfundthevenue.Tosomeextentthecompositionofthosevisitingtheexhibitionreflectsthesedifferent

hierarchies;someonemightattendbecausetheyareapatronoftheRoyalInstitution,orperhapstheyareacolleagueofthecurator,oranothermightbesubscribedtoan

internetmailinglistaboutbiomedicalfutures.Theexhibition-goingpublicisnota

generalpublic,butaself-selectinggroup,whereindividualsinitiallyidentifywitha

particularexhibitionresource,andwheretheymaybeambivalenttootherresources.

Above:VisitorswithVitalSignsprototypesattheNowhere/Now/HereexhibitionatLABoral,anda

displayforMaterialBeliefsattheCrossingoverexhibitionattheRoyalInstitution

Howcanwetalkaboutexhibitionsintermsofpublicengagement?Theorisingabout

theseeventsmeansturningawayfromaconceptionoftheexhibitionofscienceand

26Statementsaretakenfromcatalogueorbrochuresforeachofthethreeexhibitions


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technologyashavinganinstrumentallyeducationalrole27.Insteadofaccountingfor

publicengagementbyprovidingvisitormetrics,orevaluatinglearningoutcomes,we

canagainturntoSTSforanalternativeframework.ArecentexamplewhereSTSagendashavebeenexplicitlylinkedtoanexhibitionformatisthecurationofMaking

ThingsPublic,installedatZKMinKarlsruhein2005.Inhisintroductiontoaneditedvolumetoaccompanytheexhibition,co-curatorBrunoLatourwrites:

Anexhibitioncannotdomuch,butitcanexplorenewpossibilitieswithamuch

greaterdegreeoffreedombecauseitissogoodatthoughtexperiments,orratherGedankenaustellung.Oneofthoseattemptsistodesignnotoneassemblybutrather

anassemblyofassemblies,sothat,muchlikeafair,visitorsorreaderscancompare

thedifferenttypesofrepresentation.(Latour,2005)

ForLatourthereisaninterplaybetweentheserepresentations,whichleadsto

questions,includingWhatchangedoesitmakeinthewaypeoplemakeuptheirmind

tobeattachedtothings?.Ratherthanfencing-inparticularinstancesoftechnosciencelikethediscoveries,innovationsandapplicationsofthesciencemuseuman

alternativeaimforanexhibitionthenmightbetouncoverhowparliaments(thatisthemechanismformakingthingspublic)mightbeenlargedorconnectedormodified

orredrawn.Thereisanopportunityforspeculativedesignpracticestomakethemost

ofpublicexhibitionsasawayofprovidingresourcesforwhatMichaelhasdescribedas"creativeorinventiveproblemmaking"(Michael,2009,p.6).

Conclusions

InthispaperIhaveprovidedatentativeaccountofthecontributionofspeculative

designtopublicengagementofscience.ScienceandTechnologyStudiesweredrawnuponasatheoreticalmethodologywithwhichtoconsiderempiricaldatafromMaterial

Beliefs,adesign-leadpublicengagementprojectfundedbytheEPSRC.Thepaperopenedbysuggestingthreecontextsthroughwhichtoconsidercontribution,an

accountofliteratureprovidinglinksbetweenSTSanddesign,abriefdescriptionof

contemporarypublicengagementpracticeandrelatedliteraturefromSTS,andexamplesofdesignapproachesthatinformedspeculativedesignasitwaspractisedin

MaterialBeliefs.

ThepaperthenprovidedfourhistoricalsnapshotsfromMaterialBeliefsthroughwhichtodevelopthesecontextualtreatmentsofthequestionofcontribution.Theywere

accessingabiotechnologyresearchcentre,providingaccesstothatenvironmentforothers,developingspeculativedesignsandthencirculatingthesedesignsbeyondthe

labtolargerpublicgroups.Byinitiallybuildingrelationshipswithlaboratories,

speculativedesignprovidesagroundfordiscussionsbetweenresearchersandnon-expertsaboutincompletetechnologies,andthesediscussionsarguablyconstitutenew

formsofinteraction(Wynneetal.,2007)thatsupportalternativeaccountsofthosetechnologies.Itwasshownthatbyresourcinglaboratoryaccessforparticularpublic

groups,non-technicalandemotiveaccountsofthetechnologywerecombinedwith

27ForexamplethestrategyofinstitutionslikeNMSIgroup,whichincludestheScienceMuseumin

London,isto"toinspireandengageouraudiences"(NMSI,2007).


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technicalandoperationalknowledge.Theseframingsweresustainedbyspeculative

design,intermsofprovidingaframeworkforaformofresearchinthewild(Callon&

Rabeharisoa,2003),whichratherthanbuildingheterogeneouscommunitiesinordertogeneratenovelmedicalortechnicalknowledge,wouldinsteadtestandrespondto

contemporaryformsofpublicengagementthroughthedesignofalternativetechnologies.Itwasthendemonstratedthatthequestionsarisingfromtheselaboratory

encountersbetweenresearchersandthepubliccouldbeinterleavedwithother

conceptualresources,alongwiththetechnicalandmaterialresourcesofthelab,andembodiedindesignprototypes.Finallytherewasabriefdiscussionofhowthe

circulationoftheseprototypesinpublicexhibitionsmadetheseissuesavailableto

others,andthatalthoughtheprototypesweredispersedwithinahierarchyofconcernsandagendas,theexhibitionencouragedmattersofconcernratherthanmattersof

fact(Latour,2005).

Acknowledgements

ThispaperisaninitialandpartialversionofanempiricalchapteraboutMaterialBeliefs,formingpartoftheauthor'sPhDthesis.Asonereviewerobserved,ithasthe

characterofaworkingpaperratherthanaresearchpaper,andtheauthorisgratefulfor

theopportunitytowritethisaccount,eventhoughtheresultisalittleunsettled.

MaterialBeliefswasbasedattheInteractionresearchStudio,intheDepartmentof

DesignatGoldsmiths,UniversityofLondon,andwasfundedbytheEngineeringandPhysicalSciencesResearchCouncil.TheprojectwasmanagedbyAndyRobinson,while

designersJamesAuger,ElioCaccavale,TobieKerridge,JimmyLoizeauandSusana

Soaresleadfourclusters,supportedbycollaborationswithSteveJackman,AleksandarZivanovic,JulianVincent,KevinWarwick,SlawomirNasuto,BenWhalley,Mark

Hammond,JuliaDownes,DimitrisXyda,DavidMuth,TonyCass,OliveMurphy,NickOliver,DianneFord,LuisaWakeling,JulieDanielsandAnnaHarris.

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