Thinking about design: What (more) can STS learn from the design of technology?

DATE Tuesday May 11, 2010

TIME 2:30 PM – 4:30 PM

PLACE Bissell 728, 140 St. George Street

Everyone is welcome, no RSVP necessary

For some time now, Science and Technology Studies (STS) has used the concept of “design” as a way of unpacking the black box of technology.  STS scholars have looked at the design process as a site of contestation, where varying interests, values, and assumptions come to influence the form and function of particular technologies.  Numerous case studies have been conducted, in which students have studied and even participated in the design of technology.  What have we learned from these empirical studies?  And what more can STS learn from the design process?

This presentation will discuss how “design” has become a key metaphor within the STS literature and what effect (if any) this has had on design practices.  I will review major theoretical approaches to the design of technology—most notably Actor-Network Theory, Critical Theory, and Social Construction of Technology—and contrast these in terms of their framing of the design process.  I will also discuss a number of empirical studies, focusing in particular on studies of information and communication technologies.  While these studies have enriched our understanding of what it means to “design,” I argue there are still major gaps in our knowledge and our ability to influence design practices.  The goal of this talk is to spark further discussion between theorists and practitioners as to how STS theory and design practices might benefit each other.

Patrick Feng is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication and Culture at the University of Calgary.  He received his Bachelor's in Arts & Science from McMaster University and his master's and Ph.D. in Science and Technology Studies from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.  He works in the field of science and technology policy, examining social, legal, and ethical issues arising from the use of new technologies.  He has written on issues ranging from online privacy to the development of health information systems to policy responses to risks such as BSE.

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