Abstract
This paper describes the exploratory design process of Wo.Defy, a bioresponsive wearable garment that integrates interaction design with feminist critique through an emphasis on intimacy, self-agency and self-reflection. Our research is based on a Somaesthetics framework addressing values of self-experience, poetics, materiality, and interaction semantics. Wo.Defy critically engages concepts of cultural history and identity to develop a richer understanding of design for the self. Our research design is informed by the historical precedent of the Self-Combing Sisters, a suffragette group in early 20th century Chinese society, who challenged the traditional Chinese status quo of gender roles and social conceptions of pre-arranged marriages through their chosen dress and styling of their hair. Wo.Defy contributes to the design discourse of wearable, embodied interaction by integrating cultural historical research into contemporary wearable design practice, braiding a feminist HCI agenda within a somaesthetics framework.
Chapter PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Keywords
References
Ascencao, T.: Euphoric Femme an interactive media art installation exploring women’s sexual subjectivity. In: CHI 2011 Feminism and Interaction Design Workshop (2011)
Bardzell, S., Feminist, H.C.I.: Taking Stock and Outlining an Agenda for Design. In: Proceedings: 28th ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 2010), pp. 1301–1310 (2010)
Boiten, F.A., Frijda, N.H., Wientjes, C.J.E.: Emotions and respiratory patterns: Review and critical analysis. International Journal of Psychophysiology 17, 103–128 (1994)
Cioffi, D.: Beyond Attentional Strategies: A Cognitive-Perceptual Model of Somatic Interpretation. Psychological Bulletin 109(1), 25–41 (1991)
D’Argembeau, A., Jedidi, H., Balteau, E., Bahri, M., Phillips, C., Salmon, E.: Valuing One’s Self: Medial Prefrontal Involvement in Epistemic and Emotive Investments in Self-views. Cerebral Cortex 22, 659–667 (2012)
Heimgartner, R.: Reflections on a Model of Culturally Influenced Human-Computer Interaction to Cover Cultural Contexts in HCI Design. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction 29(4), 205–219 (2013)
Homma, I., Masaoka, Y., Umewaka, N.: Breathing Mind in ‘Noh’. Breathing, Feeding, and Neuroprotection. pp. 125-134 (2006)
Homma, I., Masaoka, Y.: Breathing Rhythms and Emotions. Experimental Physiology 9, 1011–1021 (2008)
Johnson, M.K., Nolen-Hoeksema, S., Mitchell, K.J., Levin, Y.: Medial cortex activity, self-reflection and depression. SCAN 4, 313–327 (2009)
Johnson, S.C., Baxter, L.C., Wilder, L.S., Pipe, J.G., Heiserman, J.E., Prigatano, G.P.: Neural correlates of self-reflection. Brain 125(8), 1808–1814 (2002)
Kallio, T.: Why We Choose the More Attractive Looking Objects - Somatic Markers and Somaesthetics in User xperience. In: ACM DPPI 2003, Pittsburgh, PA, USA, pp. 142-143 (2003)
Kamppuri, M., Bednarik, R., Tukiainen, M.: The expanding focus of HCI: case culture. In: Proceedings: 4th Nordic Conference on Human-Computer Interaction: Changing Roles (NordiCHI 2006), pp. 405–408 (2006)
Ko, D., Wang, Z.: Introduction: Translating Feminisms in China. Gender & History 18(3), 463–471 (2006)
Lehtinen, V.: Negotiating Technology Design and Female Sexuality. In: CHI 2011 Feminism and Interaction Design Workshop (2011)
Li, J.M.: Dec-hair-ation - A Lively Perspective into China’s Zishunv. Women of China. 43-45 (2009)
Schiphorst, T.: Self-Evidence Applying Somatic Connoisseurship to Experience Design. In: CHI 2011 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA 2011), pp. 145–160. ACM, NY (2011)
Schiphorst, T.: Soft(n): Toward a Somaesthetics of Touch. In: CHI 2009 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA 2009), pp. 2427–2438. ACM, New York (2009)
Shao, Y.F.: Origins behind the customs, composition, and basic characteristics of Zishunu. Cultural Heritage (Wen Hua Yi Chan). pp. 143–151 (2012)
Shusterman, R.: Body Consciousness: A Philosophy of Mindfulness and Somaesthetics. Cambridge University Press, New York (2008)
Shusterman, R.: Soma, Self, and Society: Somaesthetics as Pragmatist Meliorism. Metaphilosophy 24(3), 314–327 (2011)
Stockard, J.E.: Daughters of the Canton Delta: Marriage Patterns and Economic Strategies in South, pp. 1860–1930. Standford University Press, California (1989)
Wang, L.J.: On the Study of the Self-Bunning Ladies. pp. 66–67 (2011)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2014 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this paper
Cite this paper
Ip, E., Chung, W.(.Y., Lee, S., Schiphorst, T. (2014). The Wearable Self: Braiding a Feminist Critique within a Somaesthetics Framework for Design. In: Marcus, A. (eds) Design, User Experience, and Usability. User Experience Design Practice. DUXU 2014. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 8520. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-07638-6_28
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-07638-6_28
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-07637-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-07638-6
eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)