Home > Research > Publications & Outputs > A Toaster for Life

Electronic data

Links

Text available via DOI:

View graph of relations

A Toaster for Life: using design fiction to facilitate discussion on the creation of a sustainable Internet Of Things

Research output: Contribution in Book/Report/Proceedings - With ISBN/ISSNConference contribution/Paperpeer-review

Published
Publication date27/06/2016
Host publicationProceedings of Design Research Society Conference 2016
EditorsPeter Lloyd, Erik Bohemia
PublisherDesign Research Society
Pages3049-3068
Number of pages20
Volume8
<mark>Original language</mark>English
EventDRS 2016 : Future Focused Thinking - Brighton, United Kingdom
Duration: 27/06/201630/06/2016

Conference

ConferenceDRS 2016 : Future Focused Thinking
Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
CityBrighton
Period27/06/1630/06/16

Publication series

NameProceedings of DRS 2016
Volume8
ISSN (Print)2398-3132

Conference

ConferenceDRS 2016 : Future Focused Thinking
Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
CityBrighton
Period27/06/1630/06/16

Abstract

This paper presents a design fiction created by the author – the Toaster For Life. The design is an initial prototype that seeks to embody Sterling’s concept of spimes which when viewed simply, are a class of near future, sustainable, manufactured objects designed to make the implicit impacts of a technological product’s entire lifecycle more explicit to its potential users. This paper argues that when properly understood, spimes act as a rhetorical device that can be used as a lens through which designers can speculate and reflect upon sustainable technological product futures whilst also critiquing the unsustainable production and consumption practices that define our current lifestyles. To make this case, the paper contextualises the Toaster For Life in relation to the spimes concept, the unsustainability of Internet of Things products and sustainable design praxis; and reflects upon the design fiction methodology used to highlight the potential benefits of such an approach.

Bibliographic note

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.