Thrown from Normative Ground: Exploring the Potential of Disorientation as a Critical Methodological Strategy in HCI

Title of the Paper

Thrown from Normative Ground: Exploring the Potential of Disorientation as a Critical Methodological Strategy in HCI

Paper Information

• Field of Study: Critical design methodologies and phenomenological research in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)
• Keywords: Disorientation, phenomenology, design methodology, queer theory, embodied experience, pregnant technology, autoethnography, gendered design for women, non-human design, HCI

Research Background and Problem Statement

• Identified Problems or Challenges:

  • The implicit normativity in the design and use of modern technologies (e.g., gender, orientation) often leads to design directions being controlled by mainstream discourses. However, this normativity fails to address how to flexibly explore the complex relationships between design technologies and users.
  • In the HCI field, phenomenological approaches emphasize the impact of technology on perception but pay insufficient attention to the transformative experiences of designers themselves.
  • Current critical methodologies (e.g., "friction," "defamiliarization," "queering") help reveal latent normativity in technologies but lack direct focus on the personal experiences and transformations of individual designers.

• Significance of the Research:

  • A deeper reflection on the societal and cultural impacts of "technological normativity" and the provision of more inclusive, vulnerability-oriented design tools and methodologies for designers.
  • An attempt to challenge traditional perspectives in existing design approaches by starting from phenomenology and embodied experiences, aiming to propose more creative new directions.

• Motivation and Related Work:

  • Drawing on queer theory and phenomenology (especially Ahmed's "Disorientation" theory), as well as the integration of embodied experience and critical design research, to overcome the limitations of existing studies.
  • The paper aims to explore "Disorientation" as a theoretical framework and methodological strategy to drive innovation in design thinking and technological practices.

Solution

• Methodology or Solution:

  • The author proposes "Disorientation" as a new critical methodological strategy. It is rooted in phenomenology and embodied perception, studying the transformative experiences of individuals facing ambiguity, uncertainty, and interruptions to normativity, to inspire reflection and innovation in technological design.
  • The research uses three case studies: maternal pregnancy technology, voice assistants in queer breakups, and birdwatching to establish non-human relationships. These cases employ the author's personal bodily and emotional experiences to explore "Disorientation" in understanding the complex relationships between technology, users, and designers.

• Innovative Aspects:

  • Unlike existing critical strategies, this method places the subjective experiences of researchers at the core of the research process, emphasizing "vulnerability," "confusion," and "transformative experiences" as key analytical elements.
  • The method focuses on "pre-hermeneutic" phenomena, i.e., subtle bodily experiences before normative design perspectives are formed, thereby opening up new possibilities for design.
  • It highlights the designer's willingness to undergo "being changed" during the research process to discover new knowledge and practical opportunities.

• Implementation Steps:

  1. Select and document periods of "disorientation" related to technology, body, and relationships (e.g., pregnancy, breakups, relocation to unfamiliar environments).
  2. Capture experiences during "disorientation" through diaries, making, and participation (e.g., autoethnography, self-narratives).
  3. Revisit these records and creations to critically interpret normative directions and their possible ruptures.
  4. Integrate the results into technological design recommendations, exploring how to design new, more inclusive, and critical interaction forms.

Research Outcomes

• Specific Results:

  • The proposal and validation of the "Disorientation" strategy as a methodological tool in HCI.
  • Three detailed case studies demonstrating how designers can use their own experiences for critical analysis:
    1. Pregnancy Case: A female designer reflects on the interaction between perception and technology during her pregnancy, examining the support and limitations of existing medical technologies for pregnant women.
    2. Queer Breakup Case: The designer analyzes and creates voice assistant data to explore how technology can be reintegrated into queer relationships.
    3. Birdwatching Case: By actively adjusting human-non-human relationships, the study explores new ways of environmental adaptation and technological collaboration.

• Advantages Over Existing Solutions:

  • Addresses the lack of deep focus on researchers' personal experiences in traditional methods.
  • By emphasizing subtle, uncertain, and vulnerable states of researchers, it provides an innovative space for design.
  • Promotes critical understanding based on direct bodily experiences (rather than external perspectives), combining non-human analysis with technological design.

• Experimental and Evaluation Results:

  • The case studies in the paper demonstrate how the "Disorientation" method helps researchers notice inherent rules in design technologies and use these experiences to design more inclusive systems.
  • Practical examples, such as the redesign of certain audio data, show how non-verbal or emotional modes of interaction with technology can be achieved.

• Limitations and Future Directions:

  • The high subjectivity of the methodology may limit its reproducibility and broad applicability.
  • Further exploration is needed to standardize this method within larger research systems or develop methodological guidelines through case accumulation.
  • Looking ahead, the author hopes more HCI researchers will utilize Disorientation to enrich the design field, particularly in exploring breakthroughs in urgent technological issues (e.g., climate crisis technology directions).