Within this course I have investigated in-depth the paper by Kuijer [2], about automated artefacts as co-performers of social practices. In collaboration with fellow students, I have conducted a design research about the influences on practices, when automated artefacts learn (infinitely) through a thing-centered perspective in a future everyday environment. In which we investigated the question: “What are the influences on practices when automated artefacts learn through a thing-centered perspective in a future everyday environment?”

 

Considering automated artefacts as co-performers in practices can bring insight to the relation between objects and people in practices. Taking a thing-centered perspective has similar aims in understanding the relation between objects and people, however the interplay between these two topics has not been a topic of research yet. Through creating a research product (video showing infinite thing-centered learning kitchen machines) showing the thing-centered perspective and discussing implications for practices in a focus group with designers, the study has brought insights into factors that influence practices. The results provide four different aspects that show influences of automated thing-centered learning artefacts on practices in a future everyday environment. These four aspects are recommended to be taken into account by designers when adopting a thing-centered perspective to design artefacts that continuously learn. Doing this has potential to understand more about the relation between objects and people, and can lead to new ways to frame and solve problems.