The Extended Encounter: Kicking Against Methodology

Thor Magnusson

Image credit: Thor Magnusson

• oral
• Paper PDF link
• Presence: in person
• Duration: 16
• Type: long
• Session: Theory in Practice

Abstract:

Methodologies from the field of Human-Computer Interaction have been used in musical instrument design for many decades. However, evaluating a computer system is considerably different from the evaluation of a new musical instrument. This paper argues that while HCI methodologies and evaluative taxonomies can be useful conceptual instruments for designers, they eventually must be transcended. The paper introduces the metamethod of the extended encounter as a critical analytical framework that can incorporate other methods. Grounded in linguistic skepticism, this approach shifts attention from verbal accounts toward alternative forms of understanding through mindful listening and observation.