DesigningthePast
AlessandroSoro,JennyferLawrenceTaylor,MargotBrereton
QueenslandUniversityofTechnology(QUT)
Brisbane,QLD,Australia
{a.soro,jen.taylor,m.brereton}@qut.edu.au
ABSTRACT
Thispaperchallengesthepositionthatdesignisafutureorienteddiscipline,andratherturnsan eyetothepastaspotentialmaterialforre-design.Weclaimthatwhatwecall‘thepast’isfarfrom static,monolithic,immutable,andisrathersubjective,fluid,andconstantlyrenegotiated.People constantlyengageinre-designingthepastbyre-elaborating,reckoning,andplainlyforgetting.The rewritingofthepast,suchasinhistoricalrevisionism,isoftenseenasanattempttowipe-out,and hencere-inscribeandperpetuate,injustice,oppression,andevengenocide.Withthispaperwecall formorecouragetotakeownershipofthepastassomethingmalleable,totakeresponsibilityforit, andinsodoingtoopenupdesignopportunitiestoapluralityofvoices.
KEYWORDS
Design;Pasts;Futures;Post-colonial;Post-humanist;Feminist;Theory.
ACMReferenceFormat:
AlessandroSoro,JennyferLawrenceTaylor,MargotBrereton.2019.DesigningthePast.In CHIConferenceon HumanFactorsinComputingSystemsExtendedAbstracts(CHI’19ExtendedAbstracts),May4ś9,2019,Glasgow, ScotlandUk. ACM,NewYork,NY,USA,10pages.https://doi.org/10.1145/3290607.3310424
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Butitiseasytounderstandthatwhenyousay thatsomethinghasbeenłdesignedž,youare notonlyauthorizedbutforcedtoaskwhether ithasbeenwellorbadlydesigned.Thespread ofdesigntotheinnerdefinitionsofthings carrieswithit,notonlymeaningand hermeneutics,butalsomorality.Moreexactly, itisasifmaterialityandmoralitywerefinally coalescing.Thisisofgreatimportancebecause ifyoubegintoredesigncities,landscapes, naturalparks,societies,aswellasgenes,brains andchips,nodesignerwillbeallowedtohide behindtheoldprotectionofmattersoffact. Nodesignerwillbeabletoclaim:łIamjust statingwhatexistsž,orłIamsimplydrawing theconsequencesofthelawsofnaturež,orłI amsimplyreadingthebottomlinež. BrunoLatour[25]
INTRODUCTION
AfamousquoteattributedtoSirWinstonChurchillgoes:łHistorywillbekindtome,forIintendto writeit.žOurunderstandingofthepastrestson‘facts’that,whenconsideredwithintheirbroader social,cultural,andpoliticalcontext,tendtoopenuptonegotiations,interpretations,omissions,or plainandsimplemanipulation.Doesdesignhavearole,forbetterorworse,intheseprocesses?The conceptthatdesignisafutureorienteddisciplineissoentrenchedinthedesignresearchliterature thatitspotentialtodealwithafleetingpresentand(seemingly)immutablepastalmostpasses unnoticed.Designersproducełvisionsofbetterfuturesandmakethosethingshappenž[24]oralso łimaginethat-which-does-not-yet-exist,tomakeitappearž[26].Inthispaperwetaketheconceptof
futureorientationembroideredinmostdefinitionsofdesignasaspringboardtoaskanintentionally provocativequestion,ortochallengethereadertoamentalexperiment,ifwelike.Morespecifically, weelaborateonLatour’scritiqueoftheeverexpandingcomprehensionandextensionofthedesign discipline[25],sothattherangeofissuesthatareviablesubjectsofdesigncomestoincludemoreand morethingsthatwerepreviouslytakenasmatteroffact.AccordingtoLatour,oneconsequenceof thisbroadenedscopeisthatdesignersneedtotakeresponsibilityforthoseissues,tofacethełethical dimensionwhichistiedintotheobviousquestionofgoodversusbaddesignž[25].Inthisrespect,the futureorientationofthedesigndisciplineseemstoestablishalimitedliabilityofsorts:whetherwe recognisetheerrorsofthepast,orarenostalgicaboutitsglories,thepastinthedesignprocessis generallyconceivedmoreascontextthanassubject.
Henceourquestion: Isthescopeofdesignlimitedtofuturethings,orcanthepastbedesignedaswell? Inthefollowingsectionswesetouttodiscussthatthepastisahumanmadething,andaflexible oneforthatmatter.Reasonsforchangingthepastabound,somemoreworthythanothers,andpeople engagewithre-designingthepast,accidentallyorintentionally,ateverymomentoftheirlife.This paperoffersacalltoengagemoreconsciouslywiththepastassomethingmalleable.Thishasthree mainimplications:firstly,apastthatisdesignedanddesignableinvolvesgreaterresponsibilitiesthan onethatisimmutableandtakenforgranted;secondly,insofaraspossiblefuturesrestonexistingpast conditions,adesignablepastopensupfurtherpossibilitiesfordesign;thirdly,apastthatisopenfor designandre-designis,byextension,openforappropriationbyapluralityofvoicesthatotherwise wouldhavefewer,ifany,chancesofbeingheard.
THEPAST
Forbeingafutureorienteddisciplinedesignisratherattunedtoexploringandconsideringthepast.At theveryleast,itisclearthatgooddesignresearchshouldbeframedagainstthepreviousart(andits historicalcontingencies)soastohighlightthenoveltyofanintervention,itsscopeandlimits,andwith thesethecontributiontoknowledgeoftheresearch.Wycheandcolleaguesdiscussedhowhistorical
analysiscaninformdesigninwaysthatenrichandcomplementethnographicallyinspiredmethods, e.g.bymakingevidenttheerrorsofthepast,defamiliarisingthepresent,andexploringthesocial andculturalimplicationsofdifferentdesigndecisions[38].Yet,theyseemtoconceiveofthepastas crystallisedindocumentsandprecedentdesigns,distinctfrompersonalexperience,oritsrecollection, thatiselicitedandgatheredseparatelytołbreathelifeandpersonalmeaningintothehistoricaldataž [38].Thedifficultyofconceivingthepastasfluidrelatesinpartwithhowweexperiencetimeand causality(thesocalled psychologicalarrowoftime)andinpartwithadistinctlyhumanistworldview thatassignsaprivilegedviewpointtothehumanobserverofanygivenhappening.Insuchworldview factsareonething,distinctfromthe(human)memoryofthem,andwhilememorycanfade,attention canlapse,perceptioncanfailus,thefactsmustintuitivelyrestuntouched,unchangeable:ifwedropa glassofwinethatshatters,noamountofre-designwillmatterforthatonebrokenglass.
Onamorepersonallevel,however,somethinglesstangible,(perhapsthecircumstancesinwhich theglassbroke,orwheretheglasswaspurchased?),makesthisonebrokenglassimportantand memorableoverinfiniteotherevents,andindifferentwaysfordifferentobservers.Facts,asthey happen,becomepartofourconsciousnessonlythroughsituatedexperienceandinterpretationas weencounterthemthroughthelensesofthepersonal,social,andculturalcontextsinwhichwe areembedded.Aswegoaboutourdailylives,forexamplewhenweattendaconference,whatwe internaliseduringtheeventandsubsequentlycarryforwardreflectstheconfigurationsofourinner worldandpreoccupationsofthepresent,aswellasthoseofotherdelegatesthatwemeet.
Wemightbringtoaconferenceourcurrentresearchinterestsandprogramsofwork,questionsand problemswithwhichwearegrappling,andideasaboutwhatwewanttodonext.Theformalpaper presentationsandinformalencountersfromtheconferencethatresonatewithusandinspireusare thoseonesthatmightconfirm,extend,orconfrontthesepreoccupations.Thesearethethingsthat weinviteintoourinnerworldandcarryonintothefuture,whileotherdetailsfadeintoobscurity. Peoplecanhavedifferentexperiencesandmemoriesofthesameevent,andthesamepersoncould haveexperiencedthesamethingdifferently.Ifweweretohaveencounteredthesameconference withadifferentsetofpreoccupations,analternativestateofmindwouldhaveledustodifferently constructingourpastmemoryofit.Whenwelaterrelatethesefactsandimpressions,theychange, asourmemoryandexperienceofthemchanges.Fromonenarrationtoanother,eventschangeshape, acquirenewsignificance,orcanberelegatedtothemarginsiftheirrelevancetoourpresentlife becomeslessobvious.
Memoryisnotapassivecontainer[2]andtheprocessofforgettingandrenegotiatingthememories ofthepastiskeytoremembering.Asknowledgeismade,shared,andpassedon,frompersonto person,orfromgenerationtogeneration,facts,memoriesandinterpretationsarecontinuouslyevolved inaprocessbetterunderstoodaspracticeandperformance,thanascontentanddata.Andeach performanceisalwaysuniquetoacontext,regardlessofitssupposedfidelitytosome(past)original.
[...]throughGeschichte,Heideggerhasin mindanotionofhistorythatispresently influential,ahistorythatformsthebasisfor certainpossibilitiesinagivenmoment.[...] Heideggerurgesthatwenotconceiveoftime asaseriesof‘nows’thatstringtogetherthe past,present,andfuture.Instead,heposits thatone’sinvolvementsarealways characterizedbyduration.Inotherwords,we donotliveinaseriesofpresentmoments disappearingintothenext;rather,welive acrossatimespanthatisconstitutedbyan overlappingofthepastandthefutureinthe presentmoment.Inasense,thereisno present,onlytheinterplayofpastandfuture.
[...]Thepastorientsourperceptions,andis revealedinitssignificanceaswetakeup opportunitiestowardspecificends.
RandallTeal[35]
Abookreading,amovieprojection,adance,areneverthesame,becausetheperformersandthe audienceandthecontext,social,cultural,political,arealwaysdifferent.Writtenaccounts(e.g.abook, asdifferentfromourreading)areequallyfluidandnegotiable,notonlybecausetheystemfromthe samesituatedandsubjectiveexperiences,butmoreingeneralbecausetheirmeaning,beyondtheraw signs,remainsopentohermeneuticaldebate.Booksaresubjectto(re-)interpretationbasedonnew
understandingsoftheauthors’overallbodyofwork,ontherediscoveryoffirstdrafts,ontherevision ofpartspreviouslyredactedinaprocessofeditingorcensorship.Documentaryevidencetakeson newsignificanceastheauthors’intentbecomesapparent.Toseedifferentconceptualisationsofthe pastitisusefultoturntosiblingdisciplinesofdesign,forexampletoarchitecture.Architectural designpracticetendstoengagedeeplywiththepast,possiblyduetoitslongstandingtradition,with aliteraturedatingbacktothefirstcenturyBC(‘DeArchitectura’bytheRomanarchitectVitruvius) andwithbuildingsstillstandingfromasfarbackasthe4thmillenniumBC[31].A7000yearold buildingquestionstherelevanceofour‘present’asaprivilegedviewpoint,andputsintoperspective thehumanlifespan.Moreover,thedesignforanewbuildingorinfrastructurewillalwaysemergein conversationwithwhatexistsalready,seennotjustas‘previousart’toimproveandsupersede,but ratherasinterdependentelementsofabigger(andlongerlasting)picture.Tealdiscussedtheinterplay ofhistory,theory,andpracticeinarchitecturaleducation[35].Henotesthatłgooddesignemerges whenonerecognizesthatallaspectsoftheprojectareco-evolvingandco-informingž,aconcept thatresonateswithbestdesignpracticeinHCI.Tealhoweverincludeswithinthese‘aspects’afluid conceptionofhistorythathecalls‘dynamictemporality’aconceptthathedescribesinrelationto MartinHeidegger’sGeschichte:łanotionofhistorythatispresentlyinfluential,ahistorythatforms thebasisforcertainpossibilitiesž[35].AccordingtoTeal,sinceourapprehensionofthesignificance ofthepastiswhattrulymatters,thefactthatthisisconstantlyevolvingindicatesthatł[...]thepast haschanged,andperhapsmoreimportantly,thatthepast can changež[35].
Theconceptofdynamictemporalityiskeytoourvisionofdesigningthepast,aswewilldiscuss ingreaterdetailbelow.Fornow,ifweacceptthattheonly‘past’thatmattersistheonethatisstill effective,throughmemory,evidence,orartefacts,weshouldbyextensionrecognisethatthepastis humanmade,andassuchitcanbedesignedandre-designed.Theanthropologistandfilmmaker TonOttoexploredthismalleablenatureofthepastindesign,byreflectingonhisinvolvementinthe co-creationofculturalperformanceswiththreedifferentcommunitiesinNorthernEurope,Papua NewGuinea,andNorthernAustralia.Ottosuggeststhatthedesignprocessconsistsinweaving connectionsbetweendesiredfuturesandthepaststhatmakethosefuturespossible[28]:łdesigning andplanningforchangeinvolvesthesimultaneousconceptualizationofapastthatmakesthedesired futurepossible.Apossiblefutureneedsapossiblepasttomatchž.Inthispaperourgoal(admittedly, quitebold)istooperationalisetheseideas,andseethroughtheirconsequences.Weofferexamplesof waysinwhichdesignerscancreativelyengagewiththepastinwaysthatcan,andwill,changeit,
WhateveragreementsnottouseH-bombshad beenreachedintimeofpeace,theywouldno longerbeconsideredbindingintimeofwar, andbothsideswouldsettoworkto manufactureH-bombsassoonaswarbroke out,for,ifonesidemanufacturedthebombs andtheotherdidnot,thesidethat manufacturedthemwouldinevitablybe victorious
TheRussell-EinsteinManifesto[17]
toopenuppossibilitiesforpreferredpresentsandfutures.Weshouldemphasiseherethatweuse thetermłDesigningthePastžfiguratively,butrecognisethatpastsaremultipleandsubjective.We finallyreflectontheopportunitiesandresponsibilitiesemergingfromacceptingthepastnotasgiven, static,monolithic,immutable,butratherassubjective,fluid,performed,andconstantlyrenegotiated.
RE-DESIGNINGTHEPAST
Onefundamentalwaythatresearchersanddesignersworktoimaginethefutureistosurveyworks ofthepast,toidentifyagapin,oranewframingof,whathasbeenseen,tomarryitwithacurrent context,andtouseittoinspirequestionsaboutpossiblefutures.Thiswayofproceedingmoves accordingtoacertainconceptualisationoftime(unidirectional,asymmetrical)thatanchorsthe designer’sviewpointtoapresentpointintime,driftingfrompasttofuture.Wediscussnextways totakedifferentpaths;Wewilldiscusshowtheideasofłwhatisžandofłwhatwillbežtelescope intodesignatakenforgrantednotionofłwhatwasžwheninfacttheseareopenforrenegotiation withrespecttoeachother.Wediscussthreeaspectsofthedesignprocessthatlendthemselvesto newunderstandingsofhowdesigncanengagewithmultiplepasts:designas dialogue,designas storytelling,anddesignas critique.
DialogueswiththePast
Theideaofdesignasłinitiatingchangež[23]suggestsadiscontinuitybetweenpastsandfutures,and betweenbeforeandafterthedesigneffort.Whilethereisalsoagreementthatdesignis(orincludes)a process(andtheorists,e.g.Latour[25],andeducators,e.g.Leifer[11],oftenremarkthat‘alldesignis redesign’,eveninthoseextremecasesof‘radicalbreak’[16]),stillasomewhatcreationistlanguage emergesfrequently,intermssuchas‘ideasgeneration’,‘innovation’,andofcoursethebeatingheart ofdesign,‘creativity’.Whatdidn’texistbefore,amobilephone,anApp,anidea,amassdestruction weapon,suddenlyappearsandchangestheworldirreversibly.
Suchdiscontinuitymaydrawattentionfromthefactthatdesigningthefutureisalsoinherently aboutdesigningthe(soontobe)past.Morecrucially,designingforapreferredfutureimpliesdesigning arangeofpotentialpaststhatwewillhavetodealwith.So,forexample,weneverintentionallydesign futuresinwhichhumansnolongerexist;yet,thosefutures,byourownmaking,aretodayverymuch possible.In1955,inaclimateofłtitanicstrugglebetweenCommunismandanti-Communismžand shortlyafterthetestsofthefirstthermonuclearfusionbombs,theRussel-Einsteinmanifesto[17] invitedtoreflect:łShallweputanendtothehumanrace;orshallmankindrenouncewar?žAtthe momentofwriting,neitheroneofthesefutureshasmaterialised,yet,alargepartofthepolitical discourseeversincehasbeenshapedbythetheoreticalpossibilityofboth.Oneproductivewayto movepastthe‘invention’discontinuityistoembraceTeal’sconceptof‘dynamictemporality’[35], andseeadesignsituationasanoverlappingofmutablefuturesandpaststhatshapeeachotherasthe
designevolves.Schöndescribeddesignersasfacilitatorsanddesignasa‘reflectiveconversation’[29] withtheconstraintsandmaterialsofaparticulardesignsituation.Asdesignersengageinaseriesof interventionattemptsandreflections,orsee-move-see,eachstepre-configuresnotonlythedesigners’ understandingofthesolution,butalsotheirunderstandingandposingoftheactualdesignproblem [30].Problemandsolutionco-evolveandinfluenceeachother,livinginalwaysrenewingdesigned worldsbasedonchangesthatwereintroducedateachonestep.
Butasthedesignerunderstandingoftheproblem,andthenatureoftheproblemitself,evolves, sodoestheknowledgeofitsscopeandlimits,aswellastheattitudestowardsthedesignspace. Technologiesthatwerenotappealingsuddenlybecomenecessary;researchavenuesthatseemed unproductivesuddenlybecomefullofopportunities.Theactofseeing,movingandseeingthen, developsadesignthroughcontinuousrenegotiationofthepast(whatexists)withthepresent,the visioninthemind’seyeandonthepagethatdevelopinaconstantconversation[18].
SimilarlytowhatDourishnotedaboutcontext[14],conceptualisingthepastasastaticand monolithicbackdropagainstwhichthepresent(oraction)happens,failstocaptureitsdynamicand performednature.Ifthepastonlyexiststhroughourmemoryandunderstandingofit,weneedto acknowledgethat,likememory,thepastiscontinuallyperformed,rehearsedorrenegotiated.This renegotiationincludesthenewunderstandingsthatemergefromadesigninterventionasdesigners interrogatethepresentthroughthelensofthepastinordertoprepareforthefuture.
DesignersasStorytellers
Blythenotedthatdesignisalwaysunderstoodinthecontextofanarrative,tothepointthatthe narrative,sometimescanrenderthedesign(orprototype)redundant[7].Designersengageinstorytelling,shapingthenarrativeofpossiblefutures,justasmuchasinactualmakingorprototyping. Herewesuggestthatnarrativescandomorethanenvisioningnearfutures[19].Narrativescentred on(notnecessarily)nearpastscouldservethesamepurposeofde-familiarisingthepresentand invitingspeculation.ThecyberpunknovelsofWilliamGibsonareoftencitedasexamplesofdesign fictions.Herewesuggestthatothergenrescouldservethepurposeofopeningupthepossibilitiesfor designjustaswell.Twoexamplesarethe steampunk genre,thatspeculatesonalternativepastsby placingmoderntechnologiesintheVictorianage,andtheimaginaryworldscreatedbytheJapanese animatorandfilmmakerHayaoMiyazaki,thatexplorethemesofpacifismandenvironmentalism. AnotherexamplecanbefoundinthevisualnarrativescreatedbytheAustralianAboriginalartist MichaelCook.Inhiswork‘MajorityRule’heasksłWhatifIndigenouspeoplewere96percentof theAustralianpopulationandnon-Indigenouspeopledefinedasthefourpercent?ž[12]Eachoneof hiscarefullychoreographedpicturesshowsthesameAboriginalmanrepeatedagainandagain,in staticposesandidenticalbusinessclothing,drivingattentiontoissuesofdiversity,oppression,and discrimination.Narratives,howeverbroadornarrowinscope,contributetochangeourunderstanding
Thebeliefinthelinkbetweenindustrial developmentandsocialprogresswasstrong. Socialproblemscouldbesolvedwithscientific rationality.Salubriousandfunctional apartments,clothesandeverydayobjectsfor themassesweretobeproducedindustrially.
LiamBannon&PelleEhn[3]
Authoritativeknowledgereferstothoseways ofknowingthataretakentobelegitimate, consequential,worthyofdiscussion,and usefulforjustifyingactionsbypeopleengaged inaccomplishingsomeconcertedtask.Asit turnsout,thereisanintimaterelationship betweenthematerialitiesofhumanactivitysettings,artifacts,andtechnologies-andthe politicsofauthoritativeknowledge. Technologicalchangecanthereforebean occasionforeithertheexpansionofexisting formsofauthoritativeknowledge,orfortheir transformation.
LucySuchman[33]
andmemoryofthepastbyforegroundingcertainthemesoverothers,andcaninterrogatethewaysin whichthepastisalwaysencounteredaslocatedwithinparticularsocialprojectsandculturalsettings. Inourpreviousresearchwehaveexploreddesignstoreconcile‘modern’lifestyleswith‘traditional’
ritualsandvalues,andengagepeopleoverdistanceandacrossgenerations.Inthiscontext,fears aboutthefuturemanifestincertainprejudicesaboutoldage[26],resultinginturninadominant narrativeofageingasphysicalandmentaldecline,andoftechnologicalineptitude[32].Ontheother hand,reminiscencesofourpastcanshapehowweimagineourfuture,andviceversaourcurrent experiencecaninvestwithnewvaluethememoriesofpastritualsthatonceweusedtotakefor granted.Pastsharedexperiencesofacupofteacanbereimaginedintoanewcontextinwhichchild andparentwhousedtoshareteaafterschoolandworkarenowadultchildandolderparentlivingin differentpartsoftheworld,butstillseekingtoconnectthroughafamiliarandhabitualmedium[10]. Atechnologicalinterventionthencanendowofnewmeaningthepast,andthroughitthepresent andfuture.Designsconceivedunderthesetermscanbeconduciveofchangeandrenovation,notjust intechnology,butinpeople’swaysofbeing[1].
DesignersasCritics
ModernprofessionaldesigndevelopedintheaftermathofWWI,asaresponsetoitshorrorsand apromisinglookintoafutureofsocialchangereachedthroughamarriageofartandtechnology [3],avisionclearlyrootedinamodernistbrandofhumanism,onethatseekstoestablishhuman dominionovernaturethroughscientificprogress,technology,andindustrialisation[20].Assuch itinheritsatroubledrelationshipwiththosewhomforvariousreasonshavealesscentralrolein science,technology,anddevelopment(oftenobfuscatedbehindanonymouslabels:‘users’,‘recipients’, ‘informants’).AsRosiBraidottipointsout:łthewomen’srightsmovement,theanti-racismanddecolonizationmovements,theanti-nuclearandpro-environmentmovementsarethevoicesofthe structuralOthersofmodernityž(p.37)[8].Thesevoicescometodesignintheshapeofspeculative design[15],feministHCI[4, 5],post-colonialcomputing[21],experimentaldesign[22],adversarial design[13],andmore.Theseworksactonatleasttwolevels.Ontheonehandthesedesignsłholdup amirroronsocietyandchallengeitž[3]tolookoutsideofmainstreamconsumeristandcapitalist framings.Ontheotherhandtheyinviteacademicstoreconsiderestablishedethical,epistemological, andmethodologicalpositions[9, 36].Hereonemoreparadoxaboutdesigningthefutureemerges whenfuturetechnologyendsupre-inscribingandevenreinforcingexistingdivides,injustice,and inequalities,orsimplyignoringexistingskilledpracticewhenthesedonotlegitimateanoveldesign (i.e.,makethedesignerindispensable[33]).BellandDourishevidencedthisaspectintheircritiqueof thefutureorientationofmuchUbicompresearch:łthecentralityofubiquitouscomputing’słproximate futurežcontinuallyplacesitsachievementsoutofreach,whilesimultaneouslyblindingustocurrent practicež[6].Yet,avisionofwhatwecando,asdistinctfromourideaofwhatweshoulddo,what
wethinkisright,whatavisionofabetterworldislike,isbasedonreflectingonwhatwehavedone before,individually,asadesigncommunity,andasasociety.Designcanshow,ifnotnecessarily rectify,themanywaysinwhichhistoryhasbeenwrittentosilencesomevoicesortoamplifyothers. Forexample,onekeylegacyofthecolonialeffortacrosstheworldistherenamingofplacesand landmarks[36].Erasingthenamesoftheplacesandreplacingthemwithforeigntoponymiesmeant thatcultureswhoseheritagewaslargelyembodiedinnarrativesrootedinCountryandlandwouldsee theirconnectiontolanguage,histories,andknowledge,fatallyweakened.Otherexamplesincludethe misattributionoftechnicalinnovationsfromfemaleinventorstotheirmaleco-workers(seee.g.[37]) orthesystematicdenialofscientificadvancesbynon-Westerncivilisations(seee.g.[20])bordering sometimesinrisiblehypothesesofextraterrestrialdesigns,thatsadlycontinuetohavesometraction. Designscanembodyideasaboutmistakesinthepastthatwedonotwanttoreplicate,defining
Figure1:Ataxonomyofpastsandfutures, derivedfromDunneandRaby’sPPPP frameworkofProbable,Plausible,Possible,Preferablefutures[15]. momentsofprogressthatwewanttoadvanceorreproduce,waysofthinkingandtheoriesthatwe wanttoperpetuateorchallenge.Technologiescanreinventthepastbyembodyingpluralistviews, ratherthantranslatingbetweenthem;canrevitalisewaysofmakingandsharingknowledgethat inthepasthavebeenmarginalised.Andempoweredbytheseepistemologiescanreclaimnames, languages,voicesandhistoriesthathavebeensilenced.Thismayinvolveturningapossiblyinsolent lookatthełauthoritativeknowledgež(see[33])ofthepastsasmaterialfordesign.
CONCLUSION
Toconcludethispaper,wewishtoproposeasaframeworkofsortsourpersonalre-elaborationof thetaxonomyoffuturesdescribedbyDunneandRabyintheirbook‘SpeculativeEverything’[15]. TheframeworkispresentedinFig1;withrespecttoDunneandRaby’s,ourframeworkisflipped,so thatthefuturesfaceleft,orbackwards,toalsoquestiontheassumptionofthefutureassomething layingahead,andofthepastassomethingleftbehind(seeforexample[27, 34]).InspiredbyTeal’s ‘dynamictemporality’[35],thereisnodefined‘present’butonlyaninterplayoffuturesandpasts.In ourframework,thefirstconeisthatofthe authoritativepasts thatinformtheprobablefutures;as DunneandRabinote,thisiswheremostdesignersoperate[15].Becauseauthoritativepastsarein highdemand,theyareascarceresource:therearearelativelysmallnumberofauthoritativepasts. Theyalsocomewithideologicalassumptionsthatunderpinthelegitimacyoftheiruseindesign. LikethatwhichSuchmancalls‘authoritativeknowledge’[33],authoritativepastscanbechallenged andtransformedthroughdesign.Thenextconedelimitsthespaceof apocryphalpasts,thepastsof alternativenarratives,unofficialaccounts,tamedprovinces,andrebelprophets.Theheroesofthe apocryphalpastsdon’tgetachapterinthehistorybooks,andwhentheydo,theirnameismisspelled. Ifauthoritativepastsarescarce,apocryphalpastsareplenty,andcaninformamultitudeofplausible futures.Finally,therecomestheconeofthe abandonedpasts.Thesearethestoriesthatarenottold anymore,astheyhavebeenevicted,forsaken,silenced,orplainlyforgotten.Thesearethepaststhat
aretoopainfultolivewith,toodangeroustonarrate,toounpopular,toocontroversial,orperhaps simplyinconsequential.Thesepastsareintimate,blurred,plural,troubled,andvariable.Thesearethe paststhatmakethepossiblefutures,thealmostpossible,andthenot-quite-yet-possible.Inthispaper wehavetriedtostimulatedebatearoundthepossibilityfordesigninterventions,notonlytoshape thefuture,butalsotoshapethepast.
ToparaphraseWilliamGibson,Thepastisstillhere-it’sjustnotveryevenlydistributed.Withour callweseeknottoproposearevisionistagenda,onethaterasestheerrorsofthepasttoreplaceit withamoretolerableone.Plainly,webelievethattherangeofpossiblepastsisjustasrichandopen asthelandscapeofPPPPfuturesofferedbyDunneandRaby.Wearguethatthepastoffersanequally richvarietyofpossibilities,whichincludeauthoritative,apocryphal,abandoned,butalsoreclaimable, resilient,contested,andcertainlymanymore.Designpracticeanddesignresearchareinanideal positiontochannelcontrolledcollisionsbetweenthisinfiniterangeofpastsandfutures.
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