PhD Thesis

Overall, the thesis undertakes a mixed methods approach to addressing interaction design issues within the context of movement. By advocating making as a generative activity, this research produces a series of artifacts drawing from notions of embodiment that is used to ‘tease out’ knowledge, which is then reflected upon and iterated. These corresponding artifacts embody and imbue designerly intention, subsequently raising pertinent questions of what it means to be connected in an ever evolving digital world, and how we can distinguish, address and begin to design for/with information realities relating to the natural and artificial.

Ultimately the thesis offers three main contributions to designers and researchers: (1) the Stages of Performativity framework that serves to increase awareness of the temporal aspects when designing for activities (2) A proposed model of the makers prototyping process and its corresponding seduction loop phenomenon (3) a series of non-prescriptive artifacts intended to be aspirational such as the Blackbox, Heel hook, Morpheel, Griptile and Climbing Sleeve prototypes.
These contributions could be of particular interest to those intent on utilizing a maker driven prototyping practice by primarily proposing a comprehensive account of the transactions occurred during my prototyping process conducive to heightening awareness and cognition towards athletes engaged in extreme sports. The hope is to inspire an active role in designing experiences that enhance or support physical activities rather than impeding them.

In addition, this research approach advocates the unpacking or engagement with technological materials as a means for extending understanding and defining their functions in for the sake of employing them for thought provoking, prototyping endeavors to challenge complex and seemingly established systems while simultaneously providing a discourse in regards to the advancements of connected technologies towards a more humanizing experience.

Finally, it is suggested that the probing of alternate realities by means of constructive design exploration is an essential step towards sketching meaningful engagement when considering the role that we desire technology to play in our lives.