Useless, not Worthless: Absurd Making as Critical Practice

Video

DOI

We report on the outcomes of a hackathon organised around the themes of absurd musical interfaces, questionable sonic interactions and unworkable music designs. At the core of the project is the intention to explore absurd making as a way to support critical and disruptive design practices. We reflect on how surreal, nonsensical and fragile artefacts can be helpful to stretch and critique conventional ideas of what is useful and appropriate in technology research and development. After introducing both concepts and methods that shaped the event we present a selection of useless interfaces designed by the hackathon's attendees. These musical artefacts, and the considerations around them, are then discussed as a viable means for communicating both design concerns and future visions. We also consider two features identified as playing a crucial role within the event: the discovery of contradictions and the importance of context-based ingredients.