As I read more about ontological design (e.g. Winograd & Flores, Fry, Willis, etc..) I’m curious how these complex ideas can be made accessible on a wider spectrum–both in terms of spreading these ideas to a wider population as well as contributing exemplars/design knowledge to ongoing theorization. For example, the notion of ontological design asks one to deeply consider the way in which they act on/in the world, the relational complexity within which this occurs and, among other things, the ongoing, systemic & perpetual effects of design (i.e. the recognition that the agency of designed things themselves shape us in complex ways as much as the designs that we introduce shape the world around us).

Among others, Anne-Marie Willis notes that few designers take the notion of ontological design into account. It’s possible that even if many designers grasp the complex notion of ontologically designing, it’s difficult to develop a meaningful–or practically accessible–starting point. I’m interested in how the concepts motivating ontological design could be better integrated and realized in everyday life. For example, Willis (drawing from Heidegger) mentions the notion of breakdown, referring to a circumstance in which “something” (e.g. a tool, system, etc..) ceases to work and the involved person–or party–has to examine the cause, how it works, and develop a creative solution. Generally, breakdowns are productive instances characterized by critical reflection & interpretation where she or he comes to a deeper understanding of the given phenomenon that broke down.

While there is a growing tradition at the intersection of critical theory & interaction design¹ (i.e. developing a device/system that questions–and thus bring to the forefront–latent cultural or political assumptions in design), I’m curious what this would look like when directly applied to ontological design and a very particular context (e.g. an urban setting attempting to move toward more sustainable practices or the everyday culture (and impact) of the domestic domain, etc..).

Essentially, manufacturing a breakdown embodied as a design intervention to intentionally open an interpretive space as a means to reveal key notions associated with ontological design (e.g. design designs you), while remaining tied to familiar everyday settings. And, along this line, which contexts should we focus these interventions on first?

^1. One of the better known examples of critical theory & interaction design are the projects carried out by Phoebe Sengers (in the Culturally Embedded Computing group). Also, as of late, my esteemed colleague Jeffery Bardzell has been making headway in the somewhat similarly related notion of Interaction Criticism.

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