People research plan

Research questions:
They will be aimed to understand both how electronics are build up and how they work as well as the way in which people tend to relate to them.

Experts:
Computer Scientist, E. A.;
Micro-electronic engineer, L. M.;
Computer recycler, E. A.;
People

People I design for, how to involve them:
At this stage, I am interested to understand the way in which people relate to electronic devices. Further, I will ask them to test my prototypes expressing their opinions about and asking them suggestions.

Research methods and motivations:
- Purposes: Understanding of
1) existing production, approaches and studies;
2) relationship that people hold with DCIDs .
- Methods:
Purpose 1) books, magazines and web-sites;
Purpose 2) interviews/questionnaire and testing prototyping.

Planning:
Throughout the rest of the first trimester I will get as much knowledge as I can about the topic I am addressing in order to develop my conceptual guideline.
During the second trimester I will prototyping and testing prototypes at first, in order to put into shape the conceptual guideline I have been developing during the first trimester. If necessary, I will contact external experts in order to let me help out in the prototyping process.

Abstract

Nowadays, many different digital communication and information devices (DCIDs) exist, even though many have the same components and functions. They allow us to interact with each other and to entertain ourselves, thus we recognize them as necessary.

The consequences of this state of the art tend to affect users’ dependency and devices’ obsolescence on a physical, emotional and contextual layer. Indeed, DCIDs answer to functional, perceptive and economical expectations; however, they are not designed in order to have a long life because they are closed systems. Thus, average users keep for granted their obsolescence and they tend to look forward the next new model. This is because, during the whole life cycle of the device, the perception that people build up with and around DCIDs depends on users’ abilities and on the context where they use them. In most cases, only professionals of the field can appropriate them, but average users cannot.

There is a design opportunity in "designing for disassembling" in order to make functions perceptible and to provide an open system. In this way, DCID development will be integrated in units that adapt to the needs of people all the time, lowering the gap between technology, people/users and environment.

Midterms submission uploaded

Abstract:
Nowadays, digital communication and information devices (DCIDs) are several and different, even if they have same components and functions. They allow us to interact with each other and to entertain ourselves, thus we recognize them as necessary.

According to that, the consequences of this state of the art tend to affect users’ dependency and devices’ obsolescence on several layers:
- physical: DCIDs answer to both functional and perceptive expectations, as they have to be easy to use, convenient and have a good look. However, they are not designed in order to be recycled and they are closed systems.
- contextual: users perceive DCIDs according to their abilities and to the context, during the whole life cycle of the device. Therefore, only professionals of the field can deal with them, but average users.
- emotional: users tend to invest them with value according to the relationship that they have build up with and around them. However, as DCIDs are easy to change because they are affordable, users keep for granted their obsolescence and they tend to look forward the last new model.

Design opportunity is in the "design for disassembling" in order to make functions perceptible and to provide an open system.