Category: Human Data Relations
Today we all have lives that are intertwined with the digital, but they are far too fragmented across different siloes, platforms and providers, and our data sits in databases we cannot access controlled by companies or governments with primary motives other than our own welfare.
By raising awareness of data handling practices, and designing interfaces that give more visibility, control and agency to users, promoting human – data interaction, we can shift the balance of power back towards citizens.
My thesis in 3 minutes – Understanding and designing human data relations
In this video, my entry for the Three Minute Thesis competition, I explain some of the insights I've gained through my research with people about the handling and use of their personal data. I summarise how people think about their data, what we need from our data to really take control and value from it, … Continue reading My thesis in 3 minutes – Understanding and designing human data relations
The two purposes of Human-Data Interaction
I have just published this short position paper for the Human-Data Interaction through Design workshop which I will be attending at the CHI '21 conference. In the paper I outline the two very different reasons why people need to interact with data - Personal Data Control and Life Information Exploration. Click the image to read more.
Free Data Interfaces
Abstract As a response to the call for theoretical perspectives on how to move human-computer interaction closer to the human and remove barriers to flexibility, I outline that a key part of the solution involves changing the way we model, and think about, our data – that we must build for the totality of individuals’ … Continue reading Free Data Interfaces
Designing for Human Autonomy
Today I’m going to talk about designing for human autonomy. I believe this is the biggest civic challenge facing HCI today.
First, I’ll talk about two key trends that have shaped the current technology landscape - simplification and commercialisation. Then I’ll look at how users can be better empowered by adapting their products and exploring their own data. change the status quo. And finally I’ll look at the challenges involved - how to approach what is essentially a hidden problem for users, and how we might actually change the status quo. Click the image to read the presentation.
Empowering Users in a Fragmented World of Opinionated Technology
The smartphone revolution promised us that whatever you want to do, "there's an app for that". We do carry a vastly powerful portfolio of possibilities in our pockets, but we are limited. Our data is locked into different formats and apps, only usable in permitted ways. Computers should be general purpose tools you can use to achieve your goals, not constrained, walled-garden user experiences. Click the image to read more.
We Deserve the Time and Space to Be Human
As a species, we have begun a transformation as far-reaching as the industrial revolution or the invention of the printing press. We are now a digital society, living in two worlds - the physical world and the digital world that exists online, in our phones and PCs. Every human activity, from news and socializing to … Continue reading We Deserve the Time and Space to Be Human
Why Files Need to Die
Files are an outdated concept. As we go about our daily lives, we don’t open up a file for each of our friends or create folders full of detailed records about our shopping trips. Create, watch, socialize, share, and plan — these are the new verbs of the Internet age — not open, save, close … Continue reading Why Files Need to Die
Dr. Alex Bowyer 