Eva Knutz

The poetics of design fiction

Design fiction is an emergent field within HCI and interaction design the understanding of which ultimately relies, so we argue, of an integrative account of poetics and design praxis. In this paper we give such an account. Initially, a precise definition of design fiction is given by drawing on the theory of possible worlds found within poetics. Further, we offer a method of practicing design fiction, which relies on the equal integration of literary practice with design practice. The use of this method is demonstrated by 4 design projects from a workshop set up in collaboration with a Danish author. All of this substantiates our notion of a poetics of practicing design fiction, and through our critical examination of related work we conclude on how our approach contribute to HCI and interaction design.

Materiality in probes: Three perspectives for co-exploring patient democracy

Abstract The overall aim of this paper is to increase designers’ understanding of how materiality can be of value in probing. Initially, we position ourselves in relation to existing approaches to probing. Hereafter, we introduce three different theoretical perspectives on materiality in order to make some useful conceptual distinctions. The explanatory strength of each perspective is then exemplified through a case study, where probing was used extensively as a method of co-exploring cancer patients’ individual and social needs. The contribution of the paper lies in offering a detailed understanding of how the materialising of probes can be used as different modes of inquiry in co-exploring activities. Through these, we define a more holistic picture of the cancer patient in a societal context both as individual, as family member, as patient and as citizen, in relation to how individual participation in own treatment might be configured.

Why Health Care Needs Design Research: Broadening the Perspective on Communication in Pediatric Care Through Play

Today’s pediatric health care lacks methods to tap into the emotional state of hospitalized pediatric patients (age 4–6 years). The most frequently used approaches were developed for adults and fail to acknowledge the importance of imaginary experiences and the notion of play that may appeal to children. The scope of this article is to introduce a new design-oriented method of gathering information about the emotional state of pediatric patients using an experimental computer game called the Child Patient game (CPgame). The CPgame was developed at a Danish hospital, and the results of the preliminary tests show that games could serve as a system in which children are willing to express their emotions through play. The results are based on two comparative analyses of the CPgame through which it is possible to identify three different types of players among the patients playing the game. Furthermore, the data reveal that pediatric patients display a radically different play pattern than children who are not in hospital. The inquiry takes an interdisciplinary approach; it has obvious health care-related objectives and seeks to meet the urgent need for new methods within health care to optimize communication with young children. At the same time, design research (i.e., the development of new knowledge through the development of a new design) heavily impacts the method.