The Deep Body

WORKSHOP FRAMING
Design approaches in the last two decades have shown extensive interest in and developed diverse strategies for taking users’ bodily capabilities and embodied experiences into account both within the design process and in the design outcomes. This workshop focuses on one specific way in which users’ bodies have been characterized and addressed by design practice across such diverse approaches as wearable technologies, design for self-tracking, somadesign, etc.: ‘the deep body’.

In this context, ‘the deep body’ refers to the various manners in which design activities engage with users’ bodies with the consideration that they possess an internal dimension, whether literal or metaphorical, that can be explored through embodied design. Based on this definition, the workshop will actively engage participants in a collaborative exploration of the now and future of ‘deep bodies’ in design. We will utilize presentations, discussions and embodied and speculative ideation and so build a collection of fictional abstracts that outline design approaches and outcomes, and practice-oriented definitions for considering the ‘depth’ of the body.

This one-day workshop invites researchers and practitioners to discuss how bodies are conceptualized, utilized, and engaged with in design as things with depth. Throughout a mixture of presentations, discussions, and embodied and speculative design activities, we aim to critically engage with the ‘depth’ of how bodies are considered in design practices. 

KEY THEMES & GOALS

1. Defining ‘Bodies’ and ‘Depth’: exploration of how we define and conceptualize bodies in design. It includes discussions on the fluid and ever-changing boundaries of bodies, from molecular definitions and biological processes to more-than-human perspectives. We will also critically examine metaphors like surface/depth and inside/outside and ask what it means to look ‘inside’ or under the skin of oneself or others, considering technological, biomedical, psychological, empathic and other approaches.

2. Dealing with Depth through Designs: exploration on how design can lead to deeper understanding of bodies. We will explore various design approaches, such as design as excavation, where biological knowledge and innovation potential beneath the surface are uncovered; design as translation, where bodily experiences are made visible, tangible, or manipulable; and design as guidance, where design helps users understand, manage, and repair their bodies to meet personal goals and challenges.

3. Methods for Understanding Deep Bodies in Design: exploration of methods that prioritize bodies as central to the design process. These methods include using one's body for sketching ideas, role-playing to immerse in design contexts, sensitizing exercises to heighten bodily awareness, and observing from both first- and third-person perspectives. We will also explore the use of body maps and other techniques and how they deepen our understanding of bodies in design, critically reflecting on current methods and speculating on new approaches.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE
To register, we invite candidates to fill out the form (https://forms.gle/hyKyyoppNdELa3FD6) before October 7th. Participants must be registered to the Mindtrek conference with a 'visitor/author' pass or a 'workshop' pass.

WORKSHOP STRUCTURE
Show & Tell (2 hours): You will briefly present and reflect on your visions, allowing everyone to recognize the diverse perspectives on deep bodies in design by contrasting and discussing each other's work. 

Embodied Ideation (1,5 hours): You will work in groups to select one of the presented works and engage in embodied ideation activities, such as bodystorming or sketching. Using simple materials, you'll create speculative designs that will lay the foundation for the upcoming role-playing session. 

Lunch (1 hour)

Role-playing & Presentations (2 hours): You will use your ideas to engage in role-playing, imagining characters and contexts to explore the societal impacts of your designs. After preparing, your group will present these visions by acting them out in character. 

Reflective Discussions & Writing Fictional Abstracts (2 hours): You will reflect on the opportunities and challenges of understanding deep bodies in design, combining and critiquing different approaches. This session will also focus on writing Fictional Research Abstracts and discussing next steps, including possible publications and future collaboration. 

ORGANIZERS
Harun Kaygan is Associate Professor of Design Culture at the University of Southern Denmark, Kolding. He is interested in the cultural and political role and implications of design practices and outcomes. His current research concerns how design engages with users’ bodies and well-being today.

Çağlar Genç is a postdoctoral researcher in the Gamification Group at Tampere University. His current research focuses on the intersection of MtH and interaction design. He explores human augmentation technologies to investigate interaction and communication opportunities among humans and non-human entities.

Oğuz ‘Oz’ Buruk is an Assistant Professor of Gameful Experience at Tampere University, Finland. His research focuses on designing  gameful environments for various contexts such as body-integrated technologies, computational fashion, posthumanism, urban spaces, extended reality and nature. He frequently emlpoys methods such as speculative design, design fiction and participatory design.

Ida Jørgensen is a postdoc at the University of Southern Denmark, Kolding. Her research focuses on how the (gendered) body is imagined, modeled and enacted in design of games and playable artifacts and technologies.

Linas Kristupas Gabrielaitis is a doctoral researcher at the Gamification Group, Tampere University, Finland. His research focuses on games-playing and diagrams-mapping as ficto-speculative practices for more-than-human design.