Björn Franke

The Stuff Between Us: Designing Interactions Beyond the Object
Symposium and Exhibition
Zurich University of the Arts
Zurich, Switzerland
October 4–5, 2013

The design of a technology is also always the design of an interaction. Hence, the subject of design extends beyond the formal aspects, appearances, and interfaces of technologies to encompass the interactions, behaviors, and qualities of life that emerge from them. As designed interactions influence individuals and societies, technology cannot be considered neutral. This necessitates that the political, social, and psychological effects of technology assume a more prominent position within the ethical and social discourse surrounding design.

Currently, however, technological development is increasingly driven by notions of innovation and economic efficiency, as well as the goal of increasing shareholder value, rather than an ethical debate that addresses more complex human needs. A deterministic view of technology renders its development unstoppable, irreversible, ungovernable, and, above all, incontestable, thereby preventing a nuanced perspective: either you are for it or against it. A danger also lies in the possibility that technological development overwhelms us and overtakes our attempts at contemplation. Without a differentiated debate, our relationship with and design technologies becomes somnambulistic.

This symposium examines the current state of interaction design from three perspectives. First, from the standpoint of interacting with technologies, not only in terms of more effortless control or reactive responses but also in terms of their mediating effects and influence. Second, from the perspective of interacting through technologies. Technological artifacts increasingly mediate interpersonal communication and, thus, human relationships. The promise of new communication channels, for example, often lures us into a private world that, rather than allowing us access to the world's knowledge, reinforces our pre-existing views. Third, from the perspective of thinking about possible or alternative ways of living through fictional and speculative design objects, which thereby become objects of debate and forms of interacting with possibilities of existence.