How smart is your doorbell?
Opening doors to dialogue in the neighbourhood
S.A. Snijder (TU Delft - Industrial Design Engineering)
N. Cila – Mentor (TU Delft - Human Technology Relations)
S.A.T. Dideriksen – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Human Technology Relations)
Hein Wils – Graduation committee member
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Abstract
More and more smart doorbells (SDBs) are making their way to the front doors in the Netherlands. Equipped with camera and microphone, owners experience the benefit of convenience and feeling safe. However, due to its big field of view, those living around the smart doorbell can be captured too. This might lead to many issues, including social tensions in the neighbourhood. Little research has been conducted about lived experiences around smart doorbells.
This project aimed to explore social dynamics around smart doorbells in the neighbourhood. Inspired by a research-through-design approach, an interview study and scenario-based roleplaying provided insights about current critical awareness, tensions experienced, how these are dealt with and barriers and drivers to dialogue. There is little knowledge and critical awareness about SDBs, both from owners and neighbours. When they are aware of the doorbells, neighbours experience discomfort due to now knowing about, having no access to and no control over smart doorbell footage. There are many factors that lead them to avoid the SDB and related issues. However, people don’t just ‘talk to their neighbours’, as they experience many barriers to dialogue. A set of speculative doorbells was designed with the aim to encourage dialogue.
Four concepts were iteratively prototyped and tested, from which two were combined into the final speculation: ‘the___doorbell’. The adjective ‘smart’ has been removed, inviting people to question what ‘smartness’ means in relation to the doorbell. This speculative doorbell consists of one body and three different lenses, each their own character and expressiveness.
Imagined in an alternative present, the___doorbell and it’s owners are shown in a concept video. Through watching this video, the social, honest and curious doorbell aim to encourage a rich critical reflection, covering multiple of the identified social tensions in the neighbourhood. The video is presented with an ‘instruction manual’, carefully guiding the reflection and dialogue when used in a group setting.
The concept was evaluated in groups and by individuals. With its light-hearted presentation, the__doorbell invited to talk about smart doorbells related to social dynamics in a nuanced yet critical way.
This project presented dialogue as a short-term intervention on a neighbourhood level, but might also stimulate dialogue with the other actors involved, including policy-makers.