Dear Joël
I find the subject of the project really interesting.
Without knowing whether the formulation "invisible networks" is your own concern or it belongs to the larger description of the project that you are part of, I would propose that you look for literature related with the empirical examination of infrastructures.
I propose you to look for infrastructures and get inspired on how to approach networks and the design of "hidden connections". I guess that before designing "hidden connections" one has to make them visible (while acknowledging the implications that such move make bring). People like S.L. Star have been concerned with "invisibility" but instead of drawing on the notion of networks, they were more interested in infrastructures. Could you, perhaps, see that a smart home's electronic system is part of its infrastructure?
From such standpoint, and only for contributing to your inspiration, I would recommend that you read some ethnographically-informed literature that has discussed the invisibility of infrastructures/networks (and the people that constitute them) as a matter of practice (see the small reference list below).
As for the steering part of the affordances that you mentioned, I would recommend that you study the following:
Akrich, M. (1992). The de-scription of technical objects. Shaping technology/building society, 205-224.
Readings that deal with infrastructures and invisibility.
Star, S. L. (1999). The ethnography of infrastructure. American behavioral scientist, 43(3), 377-391.
Star, S. L., & Strauss, A. (1999). Layers of silence, arenas of voice: The ecology of visible and invisible work. Computer supported cooperative work (CSCW), 8(1-2), 9-30.
Monteiro, E., Pollock, N., Hanseth, O., & Williams, R. (2013). From artefacts to infrastructures. Computer supported cooperative work (CSCW), 22(4-6), 575-607.
Bowker, G. C., & Star, S. L. (2000). Sorting things out: Classification and its consequences. MIT press.
(In this one you may look at the first chapter: Some tricks of the Trade in analyzing classification for the notion of "infrastructural inversion")
Best Regards
Angelos Balatsas-Lekkas
Ph.D Fellow
Technical University of Denmark
DTU Management Engineering
Division for Technology and Innovation Management
Produktionstorvet, Building 426, Room 119
DK - 2800 Kgs. Lyngby
Denmark
Mobile: +45 50 21 49 48
Office: +45 45 25 45 45
www.man.dtu.dk
________________________________________
From: PhD-Design - This list is for discussion of PhD studies and related research in Design [[log in to unmask]] on behalf of Joël Gähwiler [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Wednesday, August 12, 2015 11:14 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Networks, Relationships and Things
Dear list members
I'm currently starting with a research project that looks at everyday objects (things) and their interconnections.
As more and more of these things are digitally connected, they begin to form invisible networks, for example in a smart home.
Our goal is to find a model which designers can use to design these hidden connections,
similar to have the ability to design the form of an object and steer its affordance.
If someone has done or stumbled upon some research that goes in this direction, please give me a note!
Best,
Joël
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