Wabi-sabi in the design of ICT : aestheticising digital imperfections

• 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.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Data- och informationsvetenskap -- Människa-datorinteraktion (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Computer and Information Sciences -- Human Computer Interaction (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Människa-dator interaktion

Human-Computer Interaction

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

kon (subject category)