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A first-thing perspective to understand the scooter's everyday socio-material network in Taiwan

Conference paper (2017)

Authors

Yu-Wei Chang National Taiwan University of Science and Technology
Elisa Giaccardi Human Information Communication Design - IDE
Lin-Lin Chen National Taiwan University of Science and Technology
Rung-Huei Liang National Taiwan University of Science and Technology
Research Group
Human Information Communication Design (IDE) (TU Delft)
Scooter Smart mobility Thing ethnography Taiwan.
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Published Date

2017

Language

English

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Faculty

Industrial Design Engineering

Department

Human-Centered Design

Research Group

Human Information Communication Design

Abstract

In the city, mobility is calling for new forms of smartness. To understand what is needed to design thoughtful forms of smart mobility, this paper combines thing ethnography and animistic research approaches to reveal the interwoven networks of personal and social relationships that develop around scooters in Taiwanese everyday life. To this end, a three-day study with six different types of scooterists was conducted in Taipei. Cameras and sensors were directly attached to the scooters themselves, to collect data from a 'thing' perspective. The data collected were then organized and offered to professional actors, who were invited to 'speak' on behalf of the scooters. Through the performance of the actors interpreting and empathizing with the scooter's everyday life, intents, expectations and relationships between scooters and scooterists were revealed and captured. We further discussed how the socio-material networks among scooters could provoke various creative and meaningful arrangements in everyday life. Copyright is held by the owner/author(s).