Designing for appropriation

Alan Dix*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

231 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Ethnographies often show that users appropriate and adapt technology in ways never envisaged by the designers, or even deliberately subverting the designers' intentions. As design can never be complete, such appropriation is regarded as an important and positive phenomenon. However designing for appropriation is often seen as an oxymoron; it appears impossible to design for the unexpected. In this paper we present some guidelines for appropriation based on our own experience and published literature and demonstrate their use in two case studies. You may not be able to design for the unexpected, but you can design to allow the unexpected.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationPeople and Computers XXI HCI.But Not as We Know It - Proceedings of HCI 2007
Subtitle of host publicationThe 21st British HCI Group Annual Conference
PublisherBritish Computer Society
ISBN (Print)9781902505954
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2007
Externally publishedYes
Event21st British HCI Group Annual Conference: People and Computers XXI HCI.But Not as We Know It, HCI 2007 - Lancaster, United Kingdom
Duration: 3 Sept 20077 Sept 2007

Publication series

NamePeople and Computers XXI HCI.But Not as We Know It - Proceedings of HCI 2007: The 21st British HCI Group Annual Conference

Conference

Conference21st British HCI Group Annual Conference: People and Computers XXI HCI.But Not as We Know It, HCI 2007
Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
CityLancaster
Period3/09/077/09/07

Keywords

  • Appropriation
  • Guidelines
  • Hackability
  • Tailorability

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