Before You Make a Thing: some tips for approaching technology and society by Jentery Sayers.
From the webpage:
This is a guide for Technology and Society 200 (Fall 2018; 60 undergraduate students) at the University of Victoria. It consists of three point-form lists. The first is a series of theories and concepts drawn from assigned readings, the second is a rundown of practices corresponding with projects we studied, and the third itemizes prototyping techniques conducted in the course. All are intended to distill material from the term and communicate its relevance to project design and development. Some contradiction is inevitable. Thank you for your patience.
An extraordinary summary of the Prototyping Pasts + Futures class, whose description reads:
An offering in the Technology and Society minor at UVic, this course is about the entanglement of Western technologies with society and culture. We’ll examine some histories of these entanglements, discuss their effects today, and also speculate about their trajectories. One important question will persist throughout the term: How can and should we intervene in technologies as practices? Rather than treating technologies as tools we use or objects we examine from the outside, we’ll prototype with and through them as modes of inquiry. You’ll turn patents into 3-D forms, compose and implement use scenarios, “datify” old tech, and imagine a device you want to see in the world. You’ll document your research and development process along the way, reflect on what you learned, present your prototypes and findings, and also build a vocabulary of keywords for technology and society. I will not assume that you’re familiar with fields such as science and technology studies, media studies, critical design, or experimental art, and the prototyping exercises will rely on low-tech approaches. Technical competency required: know how to send an email.
Deeply impressive summary of the “Theories and Concepts,” “Practices,” and “Prototyping Techniques” from Prototyping Pasts + Futures.
Whether you want a benign impact of your technology or are looking to put a fine edge on it, this is the resource for you!
Not to mention learning a great deal that will help you better communicate to clients the probable outcomes of their requests.
Looking forward to spending some serious time with these materials.
Enjoy!