This master thesis has been carried out within the framework of Interactive
Institute’s Static! project, which investigates interaction and product design as
a way to increase energy awareness and stimulate changes in energy behaviour
among the general public. The thesis narrows the scope by focusing on young
people and the personal objects they use on a daily basis and investigates how
interaction design can be used, in combination with conceptual design and a
speculative approach, to change existing attitudes and behaviours regarding
their energy use and consumption. The investigation was carried out in form
of a design project, where the exercise in design methodology played an equal
important role as the actual outcome from the design project. Many new and
non-traditional design methods were used and explored in a both dynamic
and reflective design process.
The design project resulted in three themes of conceptual design proposals,
represented by sketches and mock-up models without technical functionality,
which exemplifies how existing personal objects can be re-designed in order to
raise energy awareness among young people. The provocative behaviours
inherited in the design proposals are all illustrative examples of how
interaction design can be used to achieve reflection through interaction. The
master thesis introduces speculative re-design and suggests that it can be used
for giving provocative properties to re-interpretations of existing objects.
Speculative re-design resides in the span between critical design and realworld
products and its provocative and speculative nature suits well in order
to achieve reflection through interaction, preferably over a longer period of
time. Introducing speculative re-design as an approach to interaction design
also suggests that it can be used even in a broader sense, applied in different
contexts and situations in order to achieve actual changes of existing attitudes
and behaviours.
Keywords
interaction design, reflection, energy awareness, personal objects,
speculative re-design, conceptual design, provocative design, critical design,
prototypes, design methodology
Complete Thesis as PDF
List of Master Theses in Interaction Design
interaction design | chalmers
