Subcultures, Design Fictions and HCI Futures

We’re studying how different marginalized and non-normative subcultural practices (Steampunk Making, DIY and Hacking, Survivalism and Prepping, Cosplay and Fandom, etc.) prototype alternative paths for technology use, defamiliarize existing techno-social practices, and create alternative design spaces that challenge existing rhetorics of technological monoculture. Alongside this, we are studying the role of popular culture, media, and science fiction in conceptualizing and communicating the ethical, ideological, and social implications of new technologies, and for better understanding the ways in which public narratives shape decision making about new technologies.

Associated Publications