Smart Everythings Agency, Power, Responsibility and Participation

This paper argues for a future research agenda that re-orients the design of internet-of-things applications, in particular within the Smart City context, with the aim to counter the prevailing technological opportunism that drives innovation in this field. I discuss why participation of stakeholders in the design of such technology is essential, but also needs to evolve to recognise its political dimension. Possible pathways for such a re-politicising of participation in design are discussed with concepts of Agonistic Design, Critical Design and Design in Use. Alongside these methodological concerns, I argue, it is necessary to also rethink our underlying theoretical understanding of the relationship between humans and technology. To reflect the intimate entanglement, I propose to look at post-humanist theories and new materialism. The goal of this position paper is to provoke discussion and critical reflection.