{"id":589,"date":"2016-04-29T17:39:36","date_gmt":"2016-04-29T17:39:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.plymouth.ac.uk\/artsinstitute\/?p=589"},"modified":"2016-04-29T17:39:36","modified_gmt":"2016-04-29T17:39:36","slug":"feature-anachronistic-intervention-steampunk-performativity-participatory-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.plymouth.ac.uk\/artsinstitute\/2016\/04\/29\/feature-anachronistic-intervention-steampunk-performativity-participatory-design\/","title":{"rendered":"Feature: “Anachronistic Intervention: Steampunk, Performativity & Participatory Design”"},"content":{"rendered":"

BY SIMON LOCK<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"OLYMPUS<\/a><\/p>\n

The term Steampunk emerged in the 1980s as a classification for a branch of fictional literature and film. It imagines a modern world, but with knowledge, skills and materials as they were during the late Victorian era. The \u201csteam\u201d element of the name is due to the preoccupation with steam engines as the main source of power. The \u201cpunk\u201d part derives from its similarities with and relationships to the cyber-punk genre of fiction.<\/p>\n

Since the term was originally coined, it has been adopted by an emerging craft and lifestyle movement, the participants in which share a common set of ideals and aesthetics. This includes the love of \u2018authentic\u2019 materials (such as wood, brass, leather, etc.) and an emphasis on DIY, tinkering and mastery of technology.<\/p>\n

Members of this movement participate in real-world groups and events such as Steampunk festivals like Crewe Convivial<\/a> and nightclubs like White Mischief<\/a>, as well as finding a place within academia with publications such as the Journal of Neo-Victorian Studies<\/a>.<\/p>\n

We at Bottlejack and Hastener<\/a> make use of Steampunk in the creation of digital artwork (including such things as interactive gallery installations and computer-mediated performance).<\/p>\n

\"DCIM100GOPRO\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In our approach to Participatory Design (PD), we are interested in how the technological \u201ctime-shifting\u201d and anachronism can be exploited as a fantasy interventional strategy to engage audiences and help unleash creative design possibilities. By using the aesthetics and ideals of Steampunk, participants are freed to indulge in fantasy imaginings of possible behaviours and hypothetical activities.<\/p>\n

PD has been around for many years and has been extensively used in the development of interactive systems. Its main aim is to involve users (or audience members) in the design process, helping designers to gain an empathetic understanding of their needs and desires.<\/p>\n

As Bottlejack and Hastener, we use various performative strategies to engage members of the general public from real-world social contexts to participate in design and evaluation \u201cworkshops\u201d. We focus particularly on what has been termed “playful arenas”<\/a> such as themed nightclubs, cabaret events, festivals and fairs where role-play, fantasy performance and audience participation are all encouraged and embraced. In so doing we tap into a resource of potential participants with a wealth of existing performative skills and abilities.<\/p>\n

\"lock1\"<\/a>Most recently we have used these techniques to explore the act of Portrait Photography as a performative and aesthetic activity at public events (for example, at the recent Exeter Phoenix Steampunk Yule Ball<\/a>. In particular, we focus on the iconic role of the photographer as enactor of numerous theatrical processes, aided by a rich and varied supporting cast of posing subjects, elaborate equipment, thematic props, scenery and other vintage paraphernalia.<\/p>\n

We are not alone in seeing the potential of performative approaches to Participatory Design. Aspects of role-playing have been used in PD approaches since the 1980s, with a various authors describing their experiences of using performance techniques. Kuutii\u00a0et al<\/em><\/a>, for example, advocates involving both designers and participant users as spectators and actors at the same time – what Boal<\/a> refers to as \u201cspect-actors\u201d.<\/p>\n

Sato and Salvador<\/a> propose the concept of the \u201cFocus Troupe\u201d: focus groups, but with an additional performative twist. These are based around the usual focus group activities, but also make use of dramatic vignettes acted out by live performers. This helps to set the context for focus group discussions by introducing the new product or device concept that is being designed.<\/p>\n

Similarly, Burns et al<\/em><\/a> make use of an approach they call \u201cInformance Design\u201d (inform + performance), where actors present performances to an audience of around 30 designers in order to open up dialogue and discussion. These performances often involve improvisation around a prototype device and promote the development of key characters within its context of use.<\/p>\n

\"lock2\"<\/a>All of the above approaches offer a number of benefits to designers. Firstly, because they are enactive and experiential, they enable designers to better imagine the world of the user\/audience and thus empathize more deeply with them. Secondly, the performances act as a focal point for discussion, improving communication between various stakeholders involved in the design process.<\/p>\n

Our approach to Participatory Design in workshops is partly observational in that we document interesting and intriguing occurrences as they arise. Unlike purely observational approaches however (such as many forms of ethnography) we aim to proactively intervene and disrupt in order to gain additional insight and explore new ideas.<\/p>\n

In the portrait photography example mentioned earlier, we use this approach to explore and develop various aspects of the experience, including:<\/p>\n