MAIL: a framework for critical technical practice

ABSTRACT

This paper proposes a new framework for applying Critical Technical Practice (CTP) to the area of Human Computer Interaction (HCI). Through this paper the framework is developed, justified and explained. The framework is then demonstrated using three cases. Since the conception of CTP in the late 1990s it has attracted interest from various areas, and through research is helping to yield new ways forward for problem areas, design and products in HCI. However the application of CTP has always been up to individuals and their own interpretation. The proposed framework tries to add structure through a series of easy to follow steps that the CTP adopter can use to apply CTP to their problem area, design or product. The framework is motivated by the need to provide the adopter with a straight forward way to critically think about his/her HCI arena. Ways to enable this are provided and areas for future work are discussed. The use cases presented help to demonstrate how the framework can be applied to each of these different areas.

References

1. Boehner, K., David, S., Kaye, J. J. and Sengers, P. (2004a) Critical Technical Practice as a Methodology for Values in Design, In CHI 2005 Workshop: Quality, value(s) and choice: exploring deeper outcomes for HCI products.
2. Boehner, K., Gay, G., Sengers, P., Brooke, T. and Chen, X. (2004b) Technologies for Reflection, In Reflective HCI: Towards a Critical Technical Practice, pp. 50--53.
3. Bowker, G., Gasser, L., Star, L. and Turner, B. (Eds.) (1997) Bridging the Great Divide: Social Science, Technical Systems, and Cooperative Work, Erlbaum.
4. Bunyan, M., Gibbs, M., Howard, S., Kjeldskov, J., Mecoles, K., Pedell, S. and Vetere, F. (2004) Mediating Intimacy: Supporting Strong-Tie Relations, University of Melbourne, Available from: http://www.dis.unimelb.edu.au/staff/stevenh/slides/FinalReport_DRAFT.pdf
5. Kaye, J. and Goulding, L. (2004) Intimate Objects, In Proc. Designing Interactive Systems Conference, pp. 341--344.
6. Lawrence, P. R. and Lorsch, J. W. (1967) Organization and Environment, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.
7. Marchewka, J. T. (2006) IT Project Quality Management In Information Technology Project Management of John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ, USA, pp. 244.
8. Mueller, F. F., Vetere, F., Gibbs, M. R., Kjeldskov, J., Pedell, S. and Howard, S. (2005) Hug over a distance, In Proc. CHI '05 extended abstracts on Human factors in computing systems ACM Press, pp. 1673--1676.
9. Sengers, P., Boehner, K., David, S. and Kaye, J. J. (2005) Reflective design, In Proc. 4th decennial conference on Critical computing: between sense and sensibility, pp. 49--58.
10. Swan, L. and Taylor, A. S. (2004) A Short Note on Design Troubles & Enlisting Critical Reflection, In Reflective HCI: Towards a Critical Technical Practice, pp. 54--57.
11. Wright, P., Blythe, M. and McCarthy, J. (2005) The idea of design in HCI, In Design, Specification and Verification of Interactive Systems DSVIS'2005.

Index Terms

• Human-centered computing

  • Human computer interaction (HCI)

    • HCI design and evaluation methods