"Designing Post-humanity" Live at UXmatters (Blogged by Bruce Sterling)

What happens when *everything* is designable? When the boundaries between humanity, technology, and the larger environment disappear? Designing Post-humanity: Everyware In the Far Future, the latest installment of my column on user experience and ubiquitous computing in UXmatters, takes a look at these questions. Post-humans, ubicomp, and science fiction may seem like strange territory for user experience professionals, but by considering these kinds of futures today, we make many important decisions about who we will [all!] be tomorrow.

**Update: Bruce Sterling just posted about it in his Beyond the Beyond blog at Wired. Thanks for noticing, Bruce!

local tags: bruce_sterling, design, everyware, interaction_design, ubicomp, ubiquitous_computing, user_experience

New Ubicomp Podcast & Everyware Column

Two quick updates on things happening other places.

First, the latest installment of Everyware: Designing the Ubiquitous Experience (my column for UXmatters) was published back in March. It explores the world of Vernor Vinge's story Synthetic Serendipity from the experience design perspective. Vinge is justly reknowned as an SF author, but what makes Synthetic Serendipity worth reading closely is the dense collection of ideas it shares: augmented reality, wearable computing systems, a network-based co-creation economy open to all participation by people of all ages, the games vs. reality inversion, generational differences in adaptation to technological change, etc.

Mostly, I like Synthetic Serendipity as an entry point into the ubiquitous computing space because it presents a picture of the future from the viewpoint of an ordinary kid, who has ordinary concerns; go to school, play video games, stay out of trouble with friends.

In the companion piece in draft now, I look much further ahead, exploring scenarios that consider what happens when the boundaries separating humans from the environment blur and dissolve, and humanity itself becomes an object of design.

Second, and related, Jeff Parks just posted the podcast of a group discussion on ubiquitous computing that he organized at the IA Summit in Memphis. You'll hear me along with Jeff, Steve Baty, Will Evans, Matthew Milan, John Tirmandi, Joe Sokohl, Todd Zaki Warfel as we share examples, ideas, and questions about the intersection of user experience and ubiquitous computing. Thanks to Jeff for making this happen - it was a fun session, and I hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed recording it.

local tags: everyware, iasummit2009, ubicomp, ubiquitous_computing, user_experience

Launching "Everyware" My New UXmatters Column

First Fictions and the Parable of the Palace is the inaugural installment of "Everyware: Designing the Ubiquitous Experience," a column exploring user experience and design in the era of ubiquitous computing. 'First Fictions' considers the profound design implications of foundational visions of ubiquitous computing imagined by technologists such as Mark Weiser and John Seely Brown, and finds precedent for these sorts of techno-social futures in the poetic parables of Jorge Louis Borges.

"Everyware" will be a journey through the expanding wavefront of the ubiquitous experience as it impacts design, covering topics ranging from ubiquitous computing to near-field communication, pervasive computing, The Internet of Things, spimes, ubicomp, locative media, and ambient informatics.

I hope it's as good to read as it has been to write. And keep the comments flowing!

local tags: design, everyware, internet_of_things, spime, ubicomp, ubiquitous_computing, user_experience