[ecrea] cfp interfaces: method and critique for designed cultures

INTERFACES: METHOD AND CRITIQUE FOR DESIGNED CULTURES

June 24-25
The Centre for Interdisciplinary Methodologies
The University of Warwick, UK

Interfaces mediate any number of social issues and practices, from
financial trading, business performance and ‘smart’ cities, to
collaboration, media literacies, or the mediation of identity. Every
social, economic or political practice that relies on a computer screen
or similar technical device, whether this be a Bloomberg terminal, a
‘performance dashboard’, an organization website or a social media
platform, is expressed through an interface. As the goal of many
interfaces is to be invisible, seamless or intuitive, and since they
require specific forms of expertise and design literacy in order to be
studied, they are often ignored in social science and humanities
research. And yet, as culture becomes ‘datafied’ and screens of all
sorts are embedded and naturalized in urban and domestic settings, the
study of interfaces cannot be left to user experience (UX) or
human-computer interaction (HCI) designers. Indeed, the so-called data
revolution means that social science and humanities research is
increasingly interface work. We make interfaces. Our objects of inquiry
are manifested via interfaces. Interfaces, in other words, are the
medium of data.

This two-day event builds on recent intellectual work on interfaces
(Hookway 2014, Halpern 2015, Drucker 2014, Andersen and Pold 2011,
Galloway 2012, Chun 2011) to ask: How can we study culture and society
through a focus on interfaces? How can we conduct research with
interfaces? That is, how can we reflect on but also develop interfaces
as part of our research? What historical legacies, of perception,
attention, and control, can help us makes sense of contemporary
interfaces? What are the critical possibilities for interface studies
beyond the paradigm of usability?

The event will feature invited presentations from leading experts,
training workshops, a roundtable discussion and a ‘networking’ dinner.
The program is aimed at PhD candidates, but is open to anyone across the
social sciences and humanities whose work engages with interfaces.
Attendance is free, but places in the workshop sessions are limited. Ten
travel bursaries of £200 are available to help with travel and
accommodation.

Confirmed participants include:
Orit Halpern (The New School, author of Beautiful Data)
Christian Ulrik Andersen (Aarhus University, editor of Interface Criticism)
Søren Bro Pold (Aarhus University, editor of Interface Criticism)
Olga Goriunova (CIM, University of Warwick)
Noortje Marres (CSISP, Goldsmiths)
Hendrik-Jan Grievink (Art Director and Designer, Next Nature)
Carolin Gerlitz (Digital Methods Initiative, University of Amsterdam)
Michael Dieter (CIM, University of Warwick)
Nathaniel Tkacz (CIM, University of Warwick)

Event Website and Programme: http://cim-interfaces.net/

Register: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/cim/events/interfaces

The event is supported by the Economic and Social Research Council
(Advanced Training and Multidisciplinary Training) and the Centre for
Interdisciplinary Methodologies.


-----------------------
Nathaniel Tkacz - Assistant Professor  | CIM
<http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/cim/people/academic/nathaniel-tkacz> 
-
The University of Warwick

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