This document discusses the potential issues with applying a human-centered design approach to internet of things constellations. It proposes that object-oriented ontology provides an alternative framing that views objects as having inherent qualities regardless of human observation. Design fiction is presented as a method to explore this framing by building fictional worlds. The conclusion cautions that the document is not arguing human-centered design is never useful, nor proving the philosophy underpinning object-oriented ontology.

1. Is it a good idea to design a
human centred internet of things?
Paul Coulton
Professor of Speculative and Game Design

2. Human Centred IoT

3. Invisibility and Simplicity
Invisibility Shield

4. Constellations
4
3

5. 4
3
Constellations

6. Constellations
4
3Actually I’m an
optical illusion

7. Is it all Heideggers fault?
Present at Hand
Ready to Hand

8. Speculative Realism
Quentin Meillassoux, Ray Brassier, Ian Hamilton Grant, and Graham Harman
we don't need no
stinkin correlationism

9. Object Orientated Ontology
but how do we materially engage with philosophy?

10. Alien Phenomenology
“If a physician is someone who practices medicine, perhaps a
metaphysician ought be someone who practices ontology. Just
as one would likely not trust a doctor who had only read and
written journal articles about medicine to explain the particular
curiosities of one’s body, so one ought not trust a
metaphysician who had only read and written books about the
nature of the universe.” Ian Bogost

11. Design Fiction as World Building

12. POLLY

13. POLLY

14. Smart Rhetorics

15. Constellation Rhetorics

16. Conclusions
• What are we saying?
• HCD methods are problematic for IoT
constellations.
• OOO provides an alternative framing.
• Design Fiction provides a way of
exploring the potential of that framing.
• What we are not saying?
• That HCD is not a useful framing.
• That we are proving the philosophy
behind OOO.