Products as Agents

Metaphors for Designing the Products of the IoT Age

Conference paper (2017)

Authors

N. Cila Hogeschool van Amsterdam
Iskander Smit Info.nl
Elisa Giaccardi Human Information Communication Design - IDE
Ben Kröse Hogeschool van Amsterdam
Research Group
Human Information Communication Design (IDE) (TU Delft)
Internet of Things Interaction design Metaphor Agency Networked products
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Published Date

2017

Language

English

Reuse Rights

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Faculty

Industrial Design Engineering

Department

Human-Centered Design

Research Group

Human Information Communication Design

Abstract

Design-based inquiries into the networked products of the Internet of Things (IoT) lack a coherent understanding of the effect of such products on society. This paper proposes a new taxonomy for networked products, which would
allow articulation on their current state and future, and provide insights to designers for creating meaningful and aesthetic products of IoT. Central to this framework is the proposition that our current product-scape should be
understood as a distribution of material agencies and best analyzed through the metaphor of “agency”. We identify three types of agencies, i.e., the Collector, the Actor, and the Creator, and discuss how this approach could create new design methodologies to create more meaningful
networked products that would empower people in their everyday lives.