Meta-Design and Social Meta-Design and Social Creativity: Making All Creativity: Making All

Voices HeardVoices Heard

INTERACT 2007 PANELINTERACT 2007 PANEL12 September, 200712 September, 2007Rio De Janeiro, BrasilRio De Janeiro, Brasil

John C. ThomasJohn C. ThomasIBM T. J. Watson Research CenterIBM T. J. Watson Research Center

jcthomas@us.ibm.comjcthomas@us.ibm.comwww.truthtable.comwww.truthtable.com

Major Problem: Major Problem:

• Humanity’s Biological and Cultural Humanity’s Biological and Cultural History has Prepared us well for a History has Prepared us well for a World … World …

Major Problem: Major Problem:

• Humanity’s Biological and Cultural Humanity’s Biological and Cultural History has Prepared us well for a History has Prepared us well for a World …World …

• That no longer exists! That no longer exists!

Worse:Worse:

• Many of the same traits that were Many of the same traits that were previously useful for survival are now previously useful for survival are now lethally counter-productive; e.g.:lethally counter-productive; e.g.:– Radical GreedRadical Greed– Focus on what is Large, Fast, and Salient Focus on what is Large, Fast, and Salient – Race for superior weaponsRace for superior weapons– Help our own in-group at the expense of Help our own in-group at the expense of

all other out-groupsall other out-groups

Designers and the Design Designers and the Design Process:Process:

• Can easily perpetuate and accelerate Can easily perpetuate and accelerate the downward spiral because: the downward spiral because:

• Designers are also human with their Designers are also human with their own biological and cultural biasesown biological and cultural biases

• The Design Process can easily be an The Design Process can easily be an extension of cultural biases extension of cultural biases

Potential Exit Potential Exit Strategy?Strategy?

• Meta-design process that utilizes Meta-design process that utilizes diversitydiversity– Among CulturesAmong Cultures– Among Individuals within a Culture Among Individuals within a Culture

•Age DiversityAge Diversity•Sub-culture DiversitySub-culture Diversity•Ability DiversityAbility Diversity

• To Create a Space of Possibilities that To Create a Space of Possibilities that extends even beyond the union of extends even beyond the union of current cultures and individualscurrent cultures and individuals

An obvious example An obvious example metaphor:metaphor:

• The hottest (natural) temperature recorded The hottest (natural) temperature recorded on earth’s surface was 134 F, 56.7 Con earth’s surface was 134 F, 56.7 C

• The coldest (natural) temperature recorded The coldest (natural) temperature recorded on earth’s surface was -128.6 F, -89.2 Con earth’s surface was -128.6 F, -89.2 C

• But, a designer can clearly extrapolate and But, a designer can clearly extrapolate and design for 5000 C or -373 C. design for 5000 C or -373 C.

Similarly, dimensions of Similarly, dimensions of cultural & individual variation cultural & individual variation can generalize can generalize

• Using the existing range of ways that Using the existing range of ways that gender relationships exist in real cultures, gender relationships exist in real cultures, one can imagine, postulate, consider many one can imagine, postulate, consider many non-existent relationships and what they non-existent relationships and what they may entailmay entail

• Individuals differ in terms of visual acuity, Individuals differ in terms of visual acuity, color perception and so on; one can color perception and so on; one can imagine higher acuity, sensitivity to other imagine higher acuity, sensitivity to other frequencies of radiation, etc.frequencies of radiation, etc.

One can also synthesize and One can also synthesize and generalize across culturesgeneralize across cultures

• Example: Christopher Alexander’s Pattern Example: Christopher Alexander’s Pattern Language for physical architecture was constructed Language for physical architecture was constructed from examples of “what worked” across multiple from examples of “what worked” across multiple culturescultures

• A Pattern is a named solution to a recurring A Pattern is a named solution to a recurring problemproblem

• A Pattern language is a lattice of Patterns that A Pattern language is a lattice of Patterns that cover a domaincover a domain

• Example: People’s Access to Natural Water in Example: People’s Access to Natural Water in London, Paris, San Antonio, San Francisco, RioLondon, Paris, San Antonio, San Francisco, Rio

• Example: Gradient of Privacy in Private Dwellings. Example: Gradient of Privacy in Private Dwellings.

A Pattern Language is meant to A Pattern Language is meant to provide:provide:

• Not a “template” or “fixed solution” to be Not a “template” or “fixed solution” to be repeated precisely … nor a set of “building repeated precisely … nor a set of “building blocks” that can only be inter-related in a blocks” that can only be inter-related in a fixed number of ways…but a true fixed number of ways…but a true LANGUAGE; that is, a LANGUAGE; that is, a generative foundationgenerative foundation for finding, formulating, and analyzing for finding, formulating, and analyzing problems as well as problems as well as tools of thoughttools of thought for for providing solutions.providing solutions.

Voices of the Unheard:Voices of the Unheard:“Who Speaks for Wolf?”“Who Speaks for Wolf?”A proposed socio-technical patternA proposed socio-technical pattern

• Available in Available in Liberating Voices! A Liberating Voices! A Pattern Language for Pattern Language for Communication Revolution Communication Revolution

• www.cpsr.org/program/sphere/www.cpsr.org/program/sphere/patternpatterns s

• Largely based on Paula Underwood’s Largely based on Paula Underwood’s “Who “Who Speaks for Wolf?”: A Native American Learning Speaks for Wolf?”: A Native American Learning Story.Story. San Anselmo, CA: Tribe of Two Press. San Anselmo, CA: Tribe of Two Press.

Voices of the Unheard: Voices of the Unheard: Who speaks for Wolf?Who speaks for Wolf?Visual by www.PDIimages.comVisual by www.PDIimages.com

Voices of the UnheardVoices of the Unheard

• A lot of effort and thought goes into decision making A lot of effort and thought goes into decision making and design. Nonetheless, it is often the case that bad and design. Nonetheless, it is often the case that bad decisions are made and bad designs conceived and decisions are made and bad designs conceived and implemented primarily because some critical and implemented primarily because some critical and relevant perspective has not been brought to bear. relevant perspective has not been brought to bear. This is especially often true if the relevant This is especially often true if the relevant perspective is that of a stakeholder in the outcome. perspective is that of a stakeholder in the outcome. Make sure Make sure everyevery relevant stakeholder’s perspective relevant stakeholder’s perspective is brought to bear early.is brought to bear early.

More socio-technical More socio-technical patternspatterns

•http://www.cmi-patterns.org/

ReferenceReferencess

• Alexander, C., Ishikawa, S., Silverstein, M., Jacobson, M., Fiksdahl, I. And Agnel, Alexander, C., Ishikawa, S., Silverstein, M., Jacobson, M., Fiksdahl, I. And Agnel, S. (1977) S. (1977) A Pattern LanguageA Pattern Language. New York: Oxford University Press.. New York: Oxford University Press.

• Bayle, E., Bellamy, R., Casaday, G., Erickson, T., Fincher, S., Grinter, B., Gross, Bayle, E., Bellamy, R., Casaday, G., Erickson, T., Fincher, S., Grinter, B., Gross, B., Lehder, D., Marmolin, H., Potts, C., Skousen, G. & Thomas, J. (1997) Putting B., Lehder, D., Marmolin, H., Potts, C., Skousen, G. & Thomas, J. (1997) Putting It All Together: Towards a Pattern Language for Interaction Design. Summary It All Together: Towards a Pattern Language for Interaction Design. Summary Report of the CHI '97 Workshop. SIGCHI Bulletin. New York: ACM. Report of the CHI '97 Workshop. SIGCHI Bulletin. New York: ACM.

• Desurvire, H. and Thomas, J. (1993). Enhancing the performance of interface Desurvire, H. and Thomas, J. (1993). Enhancing the performance of interface evaluators using non-empirical evaluation methods. evaluators using non-empirical evaluation methods. Proceedings of the 37th Proceedings of the 37th Annual Meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, Annual Meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, 1132-1136. 1132-1136. Santa Monica, CA: Human Factors and Ergonomic Society.Santa Monica, CA: Human Factors and Ergonomic Society.

• Thomas, J. and Carroll, J. (1978). The Psychological Study of Design. Thomas, J. and Carroll, J. (1978). The Psychological Study of Design. Design Design StudiesStudies, , 11(1), 5-11.(1), 5-11.

• Thomas, J. and Kellogg, W. (1989). Minimizing Ecological Gaps in Interface Thomas, J. and Kellogg, W. (1989). Minimizing Ecological Gaps in Interface Design. Design. IEEE Software,IEEE Software, pp. 78-86. pp. 78-86.

• Thomas, J., Kellogg, W.A. and Erickson, T. (2001). The Knowledge Management Thomas, J., Kellogg, W.A. and Erickson, T. (2001). The Knowledge Management Puzzle: Human and Social Factors in Knowledge ManagementPuzzle: Human and Social Factors in Knowledge Management. The IBM Systems . The IBM Systems JournalJournal, , 4040(4).(4).

• Thomas, J., Danis, C. & Lee, A. (2002). Who speaks for Wolf? Thomas, J., Danis, C. & Lee, A. (2002). Who speaks for Wolf? IBM Research IBM Research Report, Report, RC-22644. Armonk, NY: IBM Corporation.RC-22644. Armonk, NY: IBM Corporation.

• Underwood, P.(1993). Underwood, P.(1993). The Walking People. The Walking People. San Anselmo, CA:San Anselmo, CA: Tribe of Two Tribe of Two Press.Press.

• Underwood, P. (1983). Underwood, P. (1983). Who speaks for Wolf: A Native American Learning StoryWho speaks for Wolf: A Native American Learning Story. . Georgetown TX (now San Anselmo, CA): A Tribe of Two Press, 1983.Georgetown TX (now San Anselmo, CA): A Tribe of Two Press, 1983.

Creativity Innovation and Change

Fear; Reactionary Politics and Beliefs

Laws, regulations, cultural “brakes”