Precarious Design

Abstract

In the post-digital Web 3.0 the world moves onwards in an accelerated and complex manner and many structures and identities are left anachronistic and economically vulnerable (publishing, journalism, music to name a few). The ”˜virtues’ of access, connectivity and sharing have been successfully sold to society whilst the older principles of individual freedom and depth of lived experience are being recontextualized and / or eroded depending on one’s perspective. Mixing theory with applied examples, this paper describes how contemporary social technologies have significantly changed our practical reality, a reality where human experience and technical artifacts have become closely intertwined. The paper explores the ontological consequences of this change and the potential in establishing ”˜Precarious Design’ practices and methods as a response to the precarious nature of our existence.