I have long been fascinated by the way interactive media influence our perception of the world and our capacity to act on it in meaningful ways. This has led me to study the design and use of civic media – interactive media that aim to empower and inspire democratic innovation and social transformation. Most of my work in this area takes place in the context of urban sustainability and focuses on three interrelated issues: communicating the inherent, emergent complexity that underlies sustainability; conveying sustainability as a platform for future-scaping; and evoking the political agency required to take transformative action on sustainability issues.

In my work I draw from critical theory, media studies, science and technology studies (STS), and continental philosophy. I often deploy a phenomenological approach that focuses on mediated experiences, which I attempt to situate in constellations of social power. Accordingly, I am interested in the values and assumptions that inform the design of civic media and the ways in which interacting with these media may activate the public’s political imagination – stimulate political awareness, promote democratic participation and foster new modes of citizenship.

As an assistant professor at the department of Industrial Design I am part of the Design Conceptualization and Communication (DCC) section. You can find out more about me and my work on my website: www.digitalsustainability.com.