Designing Prosocial More-Than-Human Rhetoric within Experiential Futures

Coulton, Paul and Stead, Michael and Pilling, Matthew and Crabtree, Andy and Chamberlain, Alan and Sailaja, Neelima (2024) Designing Prosocial More-Than-Human Rhetoric within Experiential Futures. In: Mindtrek '24 : Proceedings of the 27th International Academic Mindtrek Conference. ACM, FIN, pp. 36-45. ISBN 9798400718236

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Abstract

While prosocial behaviour is often described as behaviour intended to help and benefit others, it is primarily considered through an anthropocentric lens in that the others in question are principally humans. In this research, we consider designed systems whereby the prosocial benefits relate primarily to non-human actants, and although people may gain benefit, it is primarily a consequence of being part of a larger assemblage of humans/non-humans. To achieve this, we go beyond the human centred approaches, often associated with the design of prosocial interactive systems, and draw on post-humanist philosophy to create a conceptual lens that reveals and empowers alternate perspectives. Further we highlight the parallels of experiential futures and game design in that they both employ different forms of rhetoric which is subsequently revealed through interaction. This combination of post-humanist and game design framings has been developed through reflection on our research through design practice during the crafting of the different rhetorics embodied within an experiential future. Taking the form of an interactive game, our experiential future makes legible how our increased interaction with intelligent data driven products/services has associated environmental impacts. The paper presents our development of this framing with the aim of providing a scaffold upon which designers can critically examine potential futures which give greater consideration of non-human actants when designing experiential futures that encourage prosocial behaviour.