Reimagining Human-Thing Interactions Through Iterative Posthumanist Design Speculations

Abstract

This research delves into the evolving interactions between humans and things through a posthumanist lens, reconsidering traditional human-centered narratives by leveraging technological advancements. It investigates how emerging technologies, notably LLMs, reshape human perceptions and experiences via a series of material-driven design speculations. The research articulates three Research through Design projects that utilize thing-perspective text in their interaction to stimulate posthumanist reflection: ‘Beau,’ the public robot; ‘Areca,’ the everyday appliance; and ‘Kami,’ the conversational agent. Beau and Areca have progressed from development to deployment studies, while Kami is in the design ideation phase. These projects are part of an iterative research journey, each encapsulating distinct questions, drawing on insights from preceding analyses. I aim to provide empirical insights into the dynamics between humans and technologically advanced things, encouraging researchers to adopt a posthumanist perspective to enrich their comprehension of human experiences in an increasingly entangled world.