Unstable Design Lab

At the Unstable Design Lab we interweave anthropology, art, design, and engineering to imagine the future of human-technology relationships. Specifically, we explore how instability, the idea that technology may challenge humans, or not work as humans expect, is a quality we should embrace in design in order to live more humanely, creatively, and sustainably with technology. The Unstable Design Lab is directed by Laura Devendorf and is currently accepting research students. For inquiries, email unstabledesignlab@gmail.com.

The Unstable Design Lab is pleased to announce the creation of a 6-week experimental weaving residency for the summer of 2019. Application deadline is January 31st. Apply now! 

Unstable Design Lab website

Publications

• Austin Toombs, Laura Devendorf, Patrick Shih, Elizabeth Kaziunas, David Nemer, Helena Mentis, and Laura Forlano. 2018. Sociotechnical Systems of Care. In Companion of the 2018 ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing (CSCW '18). ACM, New York, NY, USA, 479-485. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3272973.3273010 (Jersey City, NJ — Nov. 3 - 7, 2018).
• Kristina Andersen, Laura Devendorf, James Pierce, Ron Wakkary, and Daniela K. Rosner. 2018. Disruptive Improvisations: Making Use of Non-Deterministic Art Practices in HCI. In Extended Abstracts of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA, '18). ACM, New York, NY, USA, Paper W11, 8 pages. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3170427.3170630 (April 21-26, 2018, Montreal, Canada).
• Jen Liu, Daragh Byrne, Laura Devendorf. 2018. Design for Collaborative Survival: An Inquiry into Human-Fungi Relationships. In Proceedings of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI '18). ACM, New York, NY, USA, Paper 40, 13 pages. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3173574.3173614 (April 21-26, 2018, Montreal, Canada).
• Josephine Klefeker and Laura Devendorf. 2018. String Figuring: A Story of Reflection, Material Inquiry, and a Novel Sensor. In Extended Abstracts of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA. '18). ACM, New York, NY, USA, Paper LBW086, 6 pages. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3170427.3188570 (April 21-26, 2018, Montreal, Canada).
• Laura Devendorf and Daniela K. Rosner. 2017. Beyond Hybrids: Metaphors and Margins in Design. In Proceedings of the 2017 Conference on Designing Interactive Systems (DIS '17). ACM, New York, NY, USA, 995-1000. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3064663.3064705 (Edinburgh, United Kingdom, June 10-14, 2017).

Additional Publications