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Co-Designing EV Dashboards for Rural India: A Participatory Approach
No full textThe adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in rural India is hindered by literacy barriers, language diversity, and infrastructural constraints. This study focuses on designing an optimized digital Human-Machine Interface (HMI) dashboard for two-wheeler EVs to enhance usability among rural consumers. Building on insights from prior research presented at Design 2024, a user-centric approach was employed, incorporating qualitative interviews to gather authentic user feedback. Key findings emphasize the need for simplified interfaces, localized content, and adaptive displays to accommodate diverse user needs. The proposed HMI design aims to reduce the learning curve and encourage EV adoption by making digital dashboards more intuitive and accessible. This research offers actionable recommendations for EV manufacturers to develop inclusive, user-friendly interfaces that address rural mobility challenges, ultimately fostering greater EV adoption in India’s underserved regions
‘Team KAZOKU’: Fostering Mutual-Care Relationships among Citizens through Non-Parent Participation in Childcare
No full textJapan’s low birth rate gives rise to a need for mutual care among citizens to support child-rearing in society. If there is a need for public relationships to repair and sustain society for sustainable livelihoods, what can design contribute to this? This study, therefore, aimed to investigate the factors that promote and inhibit mutual-care relationships among Japanese citizens. To this end, we adopted an action research approach in which non-child-rearing people became involved with families raising children—a group we called ‘Team KAZOKU (family)’. Through a year-long study of Team KAZOKU, we found that mutual-care relationships among citizens were inhibited by three kinds of stereotypes that are commonplace in modern society— specifically, assumptions about care concepts, role expectations, and time imitations. Achieving genuine mutual care within the team required overcoming such stereotypes. These findings highlight the need for conditions and processes in which members can gradually unlearn these stereotypes while having a sense of security. This study offers an alternative perspective on service design that could help create long-term social change by identifying potentially invisible actors
Responsible Digital Service Ecosystem Design: Concept and Framework
No full textRapid advancements in digital technologies profoundly influence lifestyles, norms, cultures, and society through digital services. To address concerns regarding their negative impacts, service ecosystem design offers a promising approach for managing and adapting institutional arrangements (i.e., rules, norms, and cultures) necessary for such services. However, few studies have examined socially responsible design principles and practices in digital service ecosystems. To bridge this gap, this study introduces the concept of responsible digital service ecosystem design (REDSED). By integrating the responsible innovation approach, it presents a conceptual framework for the REDSED process for managing institutional arrangements. The proposed concept and framework support the sustainable development of digital service ecosystems while mitigating social and ethical risks
Experiencing Uncertainty: The Introduction of Liminality and Latency in Speculative Mapping of Lake Karla
No full textGeoAI technologies have expanded the analytic power of cartography by processing vast geospatial datasetsto detect patterns, generate multiscale maps, and unify siloed information. Despite their innovation, suchsystems often reinforce static spatial conventions, treating maps as neutral outputs and uncertainty, whetherwithin datasets or landscapes, as an issue to be resolved. This paper calls for a critical reorientation ofGeoAI’s epistemological foundation, proposing that uncertainty be understood not as a limitation but as thefoundation for grounding new protocols of spatial representation. Building on the two key concepts of latencyand liminality, we develop a framework for understanding uncertainty as both an epistemic gap and anontological threshold. These concepts are operationalized through three architectural drawing strategies:concealing, completing, and abstracting. Lake Karla, a climate-sensitive and politically contested landscapein central Greece, serves as a case study. Using a custom-designed radial diagram and hybrid visualtechniques, we integrate temporal and spatial data with AI-assisted media analysis to visualize the lake’sshifting identity. Our findings suggest that Lake Karla’s transformations between natural, artificial, andambiguous states cannot be captured by fixed cartographic classifications. Instead, uncertainty emerges asa core spatial feature
Sensing Beyond Graphs, Artifacts, and Matter: Data Polysensualization as a Framework for Environmental Detection in Art and Design practices
No full textThis article examines the challenge of communicating the often invisible risks of environmental pollution, focusing on metal contamination in urban soils. Using the Champ des Possibles (CDP), a former industrial site in Montreal, as a case study, we critique the limitations of traditional data visualization methods in fostering public engagement with such abstract and intangible phenomena. To address this gap, we introduce two complementary concepts: transduction and data polysensualization. Transduction refers to the process of converting abstract data, such as numerical representations of metal concentrations, into sensory signals: light patterns, soundscapes, tactile vibrations, etc. This process enables to directly perceive otherwise imperceptible environmental phenomena. Polysensualization, by contrast, is a methodological framework that prioritizes sensory engagement as the foundation for designing how transduction unfolds. Rather than focusing on material or functional outputs, polysensualization emphasizes the integration of multiple sensory modalities—vision, sound, smell, and touch—from the earliest stages of the design to create engaging and sensitive aesthetic experiences. Integrating multiple sensory modalities helps evoke a deeper emotional connection and enhance comprehension, making abstract environmental issues more relatable and impactful. Drawing on research in data physicalization and sensory ethnography, we explore the sensory perception of metals and the potential for transducing environmental data into tangible encounters. This exploration culminates in the development of Ballets Résiduels and En, Sur et Face, two research-creation projects that transforms soil contamination data from the CDP into polysensory experiences. The article provides a detailed account of the project’s design and implementation, including the role of transduction in generating sensory outputs and polysensualization as a methodology for crafting interconnected sensory narratives. We analyze the implications of this approach for fostering public understanding of complex ecological issues and enhancing engagement with critical environmental challenges
The Physiognomy of Masks: Exploring their Role As Data Carriers in Narrative Creation
No full textThis study explores the potential of masks as structured datasets that encode physiognomic, emotional, and archetypal information, influencing narrative construction and audience perception. Using a qualitative research approach, the study investigates how mask design elements—shape, gaze, and expression—impact cognitive and emotional responses in storytelling. A sequential panel of images featuring masked characters were used as stimuli, engaging participants with diverse design expertise in a narrative exercise. The selection of three masks with similar styles and one distinctly different mask (blue in colour) was intentional to examine how visual deviations influence narrative perception. This setup allowed the study to explore whether participants would integrate the blue mask into the group or perceive it as an anomaly, shedding light on how colour and stylistic consistency, shape character perception and storytelling. This meaning-making process is deeply personal yet grounded in archetypal cues, displaying the mask’s capacity to encode emotional and symbolic data. The findings reveal consistent interpretations of masks based on archetypal and emotional cues, though the study also identifies an outlier: the blue mask, which repeatedly disrupted expected narrative patterns. This raises questions about the balance of visual elements within a dataset and their effect on perception, suggesting a need for future studies to explore controlled variations in mask styles, colour schemes, and detail levels to assess their impact on narrative interpretation. Additionally, the study acknowledges limitations arising from the use of static imagery, suggesting future research incorporating movement-based methodologies for a more embodied understanding of masks in performative settings. By positioning masks as carriers of data that encode physiognomy, archetypes, and emotional depth, the study emphasizes their role in bridging tradition and innovation. This interdisciplinary approach enriches understanding of identity, perception, and storytelling, underscoring masks\u27 enduring relevance in design, education, and performance