Understanding power at the doorstep
Examining interpersonal power of smart doorbells through speculative design
Sofie Amalie Torp Dideriksen (Student TU Delft)
Silke Snijder (Student TU Delft)
Nazli Cila (TU Delft - Industrial Design Engineering)
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Abstract
While Smart Home Surveillance Products (SHSPs), such as smart doorbell cameras, promise safety and convenience, they also reproduce asymmetrical power relations, privileging residents while exposing neighbours, visitors, and service workers to unconsented monitoring. Existing legal and technical responses focus on compliance and system design, yet overlook the interpersonal and affective dimensions of being watched. This paper presents a design-led inquiry into speculative re-imaginings of smart doorbells, aimed at surfacing and reflecting the hidden power dynamics embedded in everyday domestic interactions. We base this inquiry on an understanding of interpersonal power from the feminist theory of Matrix of Domination, allowing us to name three dimensions that facilitate power asymmetry: Awareness, Contestation and Care. We make a call for design to further explore smart home surveillance products not just as a systemic issue, but also as a lived experience of the power they facilitate.
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