We invite you to submit an abstract to the track Speculation, Design, Public and Participatory Technoscience: Possibilities and Critical Perspectives at EASST 2010 in Trento, Italy, 2-4 September 2010.

Over the past decade there has been an increasing engagement between design and STS. One emerging and novel area of exchange is concerned with exploring the ways in which practices of ‘speculative design’ and STS concerns of publics, participation, politics as well as expectations come together to inform one another, to critique one another, and to collaborate in developing new modes of co-production of contemporary technoscience. Although such associations are promising, they are nascent and in need of articulation and critical examination.

For this track we are soliciting participation from STS scholars, design researchers and practicing designers. Our objective is to present a range of scholarly approaches and exemplary projects in order to critically explore the practices of Speculative Design.

The deadline for abstract submissions is 15 March, 2010.

Submission instructions are available online at: http://events.unitn.it/en/easst010/abstract-submission

About EASST:
The EASST_010 conference is the biennial forum of the European Association for the Study of Science and Technology (EASST) for contributions on topics from the range of disciplines found within science, technology and innovation studies. The particular focus for the 2010 conference is that of practice and performance. Science and technology, are seen as performative domains of the “social”, situated practices rooted and grown in a sociomaterial context.

More About the track ‘Speculation, Design, Public and Participatory Technoscience: Possibilities and Critical Perspectives’
By speculative design we refer to a set of design practices and outcomes that are moving away from common notions of design as “problem-solving” or “styling”, towards framing design as a means for surfacing and materialising issues and contributing to the formation of publics and futures. In this move, design is increasingly cast as a possible mode of intervention into technoscience, thereby establishing renewed associations with STS. With speculative design the performativity of the object comes to the fore as a concern for both designers and theorists, as its objects and outcomes are often brought into being to, and interpreted as, materially and discursively enacting values, identities, agendas and beliefs. A challenge for STS then is to describe and characterise the performativity of the objects of speculative design in new ways that avoid recourse to the familiar positions and debates concerning ‘the political of artefacts’.’

For this track we are solicit participation from STS scholars, design researchers and practicing designers. Our objective is to present a range of scholarly approaches and exemplary projects in order to explore and outline this field of convergence. Within the track, presentations will be organised thematically.

Key questions we hope to address include the following:

– How does a convergence of STS and speculative design reframe the notion of intervention?
– How does the convergence of STS and speculative design perform issues of politics and the political?
– How does speculative design operate to articulate issues, and what are its limitations in these endeavours?
– What kind of futures and expectations are performed in the doing of speculative design?
– How can we understand novel objects and materiality as forms of engagement and involvement?
– What are working strategies for supporting this convergence of STS and ‘speculative’ design?
– What are the limitations of STS methodologies in contributing to the design process and analysing the objects of design?
– What are limitations of design practice and methods to seriously taking up STS concepts and methodologies?

Regards,

Carl DiSalvo, Georgia Institute of Technology
Alex Wilkie, Goldsmiths, University of London
Tobie Kerridge, Goldsmiths, University of London

There are still some outposts of industry amongst the bars and retaurants on the gentrifying streets of east london. This building is on Orsman Road near regents canal in Shoreditch. It’s now used as artists studios but as I passed I had a vision of engineers engaged in research, sat in workshops with calibrated tools. This was a vingette of engineering from the 50’s and 60’s, and likely straight from NASA’s beautiful image archives.

Ah how times have changed. Buildings change, our attitudes about what engineering is have perhaps changed, and through this project we hope to give an idea of how research is changing. More ambitiously, the project asks – how should we describe the relationship between the outcomes of research and our experiences of change? With this in mind we’re been busy visiting engineering departments to interview researchers about what they do and why they do it. I’ll shortly add videos and other documentation to this site, so stay tuned. There are some initial details on this page, get in touch if you want to open your doors and talk about your own work.

Material Beliefs is interested in exploring technologies that are being used to repair and extend the functions of our bodies.

While popular representations of these technologies create discussion and excitement, with your help we would like to show an account of current research activity, and how it is expected to lead to new products and services.

This is a chance for you to talk about the opportunities offered by the technologies you are engaged in, and to describe your enthusiasm for what you are doing.

Let us know if you would like to be interviewed about your work, and we can arrange a visit to suit you.

RESEARCHER – 2 POSTS
Up to £34,888 pa incl
Part time (0.2ftte) 14 months fixed term
New Cross, London

Material Beliefs is funded by the EPSRC and based in the Interaction Research Studio, within the Department of Design, Goldsmiths, University of London. Material Beliefs will focus on technologies which blur the boundaries between our bodies and materials. How can we deploy design to invigorate a public discussion about the value of these forms of hybridity?

The aim of this project is to pair experienced research engineers and designers through a residency program, which will lead to a series of public exhibitions and engagement events. You will be supported in the creation of a collaborative residency based in an engineering department at a UK university. There are two broad phases to the role, with a seven month period of exploratory research followed by a seven month period of design and development.

You will have a Postgraduate design qualification or equivalent and be an experienced maker with a range of design skills and research portfolio. You will have an interest in challenging the role of design research and also have the ability to work in a team and on your own using own initiative.
Excellent communication and organisational skills are also essential.

For further information:
www.goldsmiths.ac.uk/personnel
hr@gold.ac.uk
020 7919 7999
Please quote ref: 07/95RE

Closing date: Monday 26 March 2007 by 5.00pm Interview date: week commencing 9 April 2007

Committed to equal opportunities

Material Beliefs Workshop – 18th April 2007

A one day workshop in London to explore partnerships between engineers and designers for public engagement.

The overall theme of Material Beliefs is to encourage a public debate over the impact of technologies which give rise to novel interactions between our bodies and materials. In what ways will we become extended, dispersed, improved, displaced, or empowered by new arrangements of engineering around and within our bodies?

The workshop is a one day event on April 18th. A group of 30 will be drawn from engineering and design backgrounds, as well as from science communication and social sciences.

In the morning there will be a range of short presentations about recent collaborations between designers and engineers. Moving into the afternoon, there will be a set of activities aimed at creating a model for embedding designers within UK engineering departments, and to hopefully set up some collaborations.

If you be interested in attending the workshop – to see what is going on and to contribute to the activities – please contact Andy Robinson or Tobie Kerridge:

andy@materialbeliefs.co.uk
tobie@materialbeliefs.co.uk

In particular we’re looking for engineers who work in a field related to the project theme (bodies and technology), and are looking for the chance to do exciting collaborations with designers for public engagement.

Thank you for your interest, more details will be posted shortly.

Material Beliefs is an EPSRC public engagement project.

Initially you will be working closely with the co-investigator and researchers to create a programme of collaboration between research groups based at the Department of Design at Goldsmiths, University of London, and Engineering faculties at universities across the UK. Other team members include a film-maker, a photographer and a design consultancy.

Later you will work with the researchers to organise a series of events which show the outcomes of these collaborations to a range of audiences. Events will include large exhibitions, public and higher-ed workshops, a symposium and smaller presentations and debates.

There will also be an opportunity to get involved with other outputs, which will include academic papers, online content and printed project documentation.

You are likely to have broad experience in event organisation within science communication, and preferably be interested in helping to develop a clear and innovative evaluation methodology. Most project activity will take place in London, so it’s an advantage if you are based there.

Other requirements:
• Good communication skills, public speaking, writing and editing
• Familiarity with web based applications, blogging and content management
• Existing links to a network of science communicators
• Links to science and engineering university departments in the UK
• A background in academic research is an advantage

This will be a freelance contract for 50 days over the next 24 months, with a day rate of £160.

Please send a CV and two references with a covering letter to:

Tobie Kerridge
Department of Design
Goldsmiths College
Lewisham Way
London SE14 6NW

t.kerridge@gold.ac.uk

Closing Date: 9th February 2007