On Speculative Enactments

Speculative Enactments are a novel approach to speculative design research with participants. They invite the empirical analysis of participants acting amidst speculative but consequential circumstances. HCI as a broadly pragmatic, experience-centered, and participant-focused field is well placed to innovate methods that invite first-hand interaction and experience with speculative design projects. We discuss three case studies of this approach in practice, based on our own work: Runner Spotters, Metadating and a Quantified Wedding. In distinguishing Speculative Enactments we offer not just practical guidelines, but a set of conceptual resources for researchers and practitioners to critique the different contributions that speculative approaches can make to HCI discourse

Writing about Technology

An argument can be made that all journalism now is tech journalism, and perhaps the same can be said for much of today\u27s non-fiction writing. Technology has become so pervasive and ubiquitous in the modern industrialized world that almost any subject will have a tech component. Do you need to speak geek to write about technology? Is the ability to speak geek enough? Join a few of the nation\u27s leading tech journalists as they discuss what it takes to write about technology well, and future considerations for those interested in writing about technology and its place in our lives