The group feedback session on Tuesday was really helpful for this project—my classmates were able to see my prototypes in person and had a lot of helpful advice. They gave me ideas and thoughts on potential pieces, and the direction they see it going—Nick was especially excited about pieces that incorporate old technological geek-fad artifacts (like the Casio Calculator Watch) into jewelry—and helped me refine my concept.
I had originally been thinking about this project as a way to carve out a space for women that are interested in the technology/geek/hacker culture, but am increasingly realizing that it is both not quite what I’m trying to do and also could bring in a lot of gender issues that have less to do with my project. Instead, we decided that the concept should deal more with simply providing people with a way to express their personal style through their electronic accessories instead of having to conform to the current state of “gadget” design. While not quite as “deep” as a more gender-leaning position might have been, it is much truer to the inspiration for the project and still completely relevant to many people.
An additional conversation with my mom (who holds a PhD in media psychology) helped refine the concept further. We came to the conclusion that it could actually do more than just give them a way to combine tech and style, and actually somewhat address the issues surrounding the digital divide. Having technology integrated seamlessly into parts of life that we are already familiar with and have positive feelings about reframes technology as a friendlier experience. Depending on the pieces I’m able to generate, it could actually work towards normalizing technology by turning a personal object into a piece of technology, blurring the lines between reality and technology.