March 10, 2011
University of Michigan, School of Information
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Leah will give a talk to the School of Information at the University of Michigan on “Slow Technology”.
Abstract
Slow technology: technology that’s good, fair, and maybe even clean
The slow food movement has prompted our society to rethink what we eat and how our food consumption impacts society and the planet. This talk proposes an analogous approach to technology development–an alternate model for the production, distribution, and consumption of consumer electronics that emphasizes technological diversity, artisanal production, and “slow” consumption. I will raise and discuss several questions, including: what kind of technologies can be artisanaly produced–handcrafted in small batches? what benefits might we reap as consumers of slow technology? what benefits might we expect as designers and manufacturers? what tools need to be built to support a slow technology ecology?
The term slow technology was originally introduced by Swedish design researchers Lars Hallnas and Johan Redstrom in a 2001 paper that championed designing technology to promote reflection. This talk builds on their foundational work to envision an ecology that encompasses production and consumption in addition to design.
