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- Fors, Per, 1988-, et al.
(författare)
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An Intuition-Based Approach to Sustainable ICT : Insights from Eco-Ethica
- 2019
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Ingår i: Tetsugaku Companion to Japanese Ethics and Technology. - : Springer. - 9783319590257 - 9783319590271 ; , s. 181-200
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this chapter we draw on the Japanese philosopher Tomonobu Imamichi in order to further develop our understanding of the relationship between Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and ecological sustainability. Our main contribution is an intuition-based approach to design for sustainability, which, for instance, means to design ICT products in a way that invokes feelings of wastefulness or misuse if used in an unsustainable manner. In contrast to persuasive approaches – which have mainly focused on raising awareness, nudging decisions, or stimulating positive behavior through gamification – we rely on the human tendency to unconsciously and effortlessly formulate mental heuristics or intuitions, when exposed to consistent feedback. The claim is that people can learn to associate perceptual cues with environmental impact, and by that will be empowered to make more sustainable choices. Based on the implications of Imamichi’s Eco-ethica, we suggest that this approach can be more fruitful for encouraging sustainable choices than both awareness raising and behavior manipulation.
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| 3. |
- Laaksoharju, Mikael, 1977-
(författare)
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Wabi-sabi in the design of ICT : aestheticising digital imperfections
- 2018
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Ingår i: Wabi-Sabi. - Tokyo, Japan : Chiyoda Cres Co., Ltd.. ; , s. 162-163
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- ICT is, at least in theory, promising perfection. It is the ideal vehicle for organisations that strive for predictability and efficiency. The correctness of algorithms can be proven, data can be verifiably accurate, and computations can be precise to any desired extent. However, in practice this is just a mirage. Any piece of software of reasonable complexity contains bugs, data is often incomplete and erroneous, and computations need to be approximated for practical reasons. The two first types of imperfections are caused by humans – by the programmers of the software and by the users who input information. The third type of imperfection is usually due either to the binary modelling of decimal numbers or limitations of computational resources. We can add a fourth type of imperfection, namely the small risk of random errors in the memory structures of computers, which is most often associated with cosmic radiation.The common reaction when an imperfection in ICT is noticed is to request it to be immediately fixed. This makes perfect sense in a utility-focused value system, but if we instead would approach the imperfection as wabi-sabi, we would perhaps be able to regard it as something more than a disturbing error. It could enrich the experience of using mundane organisational ICT systems by unveiling authorship and character. It could also serve as a reminder of our reliance on technology: the greater the negative effect of the imperfection, the more conceited was our reliance on an essentially fragile construction.An undesired imperfection in code could be remedied in a way that leaves no trace of it ever having occurred, but that also means that the artifact’s history is lost. Tracelessly fixing an error deprives us of experiencing the maturation of an artifact and binds us in a non-temporal present in which development is a result rather than a process.Wabi-sabi has been addressed to some extent in design research (e.g. Tasaknaki & Fernaeus, 2016). However, this research has focused largely on the visible and tangible features of technology – not on the hidden binary, algorithmic mechanics of ICT and how these impact organisations – but within the domain of digital games there is a clear example of wabi-sabi in a subculture that reveres imperfections – glitches – for what they reveal about the construction of a game and for the hidden affordances that they offer (see e.g. Stryder7x). This subculture could be categorised as striving toward hedonic goals but some lessons for professional organisations could still be gleaned by studying its dynamics.In the current society there is a widespread tendency to value increasing productivity and efficiency, with little concern for how this impairs human experiencing. Aestheticising digital imperfections may be an avenue to better appreciate human fallibility, the (digital) material, and chance as inevitable characteristics of digital artefacts. From a rational point of view, contemplation over the ubiquitous imperfections could very well teach ICT-powered organisations to become more resilient and less vulnerable to technological breakdowns.
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