As a multidisciplinary research team, we explore the design of new Internet of Things technologies and objects from a sociotechnical perspective.

Our research applies methods and advanced expertise in human-computer interaction, design, computer science, ubiquitous computing, digital fabrication, STS, and the social sciences to create technologies that connect domestic artifacts (e.g., earthenware, tableware) with embedded and networked software and hardware. We develop alternatives to normative values driving digital consumerism through designing technologies that offers new possibilities.

hiker with Capra Collector device

We develop innovative research and design strategies aimed at making technological objects more valued and enduring parts of everyday life that evolve over time. Rather than merely solving problems, our designs often create new opportunities, encouraging alternative perspectives on life and our environments through interpretation, reflection, and social connection.

William Odom Lab Director
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Min Yoo PhD Candidate
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Sam Barnett PhD Student
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Samann Pinder Master's Student
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Yumeng Zhuang PhD Student
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Görkem Bozkurt Master's Student
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Henry Lin Lab Technician
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Nico Brand Lab Technician
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Sol Kang
Tijs Duel
Markus Lorenz Schilling
Sumeet Anand
Jo Shin
Jordan White Amy Chen
Francesco Vitale
Vlad Vakiulenko
Rosario Rodríguez
Ayush Mishra
Ana Lucia Diaz de Leon Derby
Yuezhang Chen

Tal Amram
Carman Neustaedter
Ce Zhong
Erik Stolterman
Young-Woo Park
Audrey Desjardins
Ron Wakkary
Jeroen Hol
Pepijn Verburg
Doenja Oogjes
Lauren Knight
Bram Naus
Daisuke Uriu
Arne Berger
Gillian Russell

Find us at the School of Interactive Arts & Technology in our State of the Art Research Lab on the Surrey SFU campus.

We operate in the Greater Vancouver area in Canada on the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish people of the Katzie, Kwantlen, Kwikwetlem (kwikwəƛ̓əm), Qayqayt, Musqueam (xwməθkwəyəm), and numerous Stó:lō Nations.

Samann works on the circuitry of the Queue Player.

Our machine room with fume extraction, plumbing, and sound dampening.

Explore Our Lab

Co-Working Space

Our large assembly tables are perfect for collaborating, running workshops, or assembling physical products.

3D Printers

We have many 3D printers for various materials and applications.

Machine Room

We have a Wazer water jet cutter, CNC lathe, CNC mill, pressure former, drill press, brake press, vinyl cutter, and miniature precision table saw.

Coffee

We take coffee seriously, with an espresso machine, grinder and scales.

Writing Room

Our quiet space for writing and meetings.

Electronics Prototyping

For high-end electronics prototyping we have advanced soldering stations, semi-manual pick-and-place machine, reflow oven, many hand tools, and overhead extraction.

Photo Documentation

We designed and built custom furniture for photo documentation of our experiments, prototypes, and products with studio-quality lighting and various coloured backdrops.

Cozy nook

In the spirit of hygge, fika, and getting homey we crafted a nook for coffee drinking, music listening, and engaged discussions.

An overarching goal of our work is to constructively question normative assumptions in technology design and investigate possibilities for change. We share core commitments to achieve this goal.

1

Investigate Novel Research Questions through Design

We frame and explore research questions by deeply engaging with the design process, using it as a method to critically uncover new insights and perspectives about life, our environments, and the role, pace, and place of technology. Through the creation of novel technological artifacts—such as research products and prototypes—we create things that can scale to long-term field studies and be distributed publicly to collectively question what kind of technological futures we desire and what we don’t want.
2

Embrace Slow Design for the Long-Term

Designing technology that emphasizes reflection and long-term relationships over speed, efficiency, and immediate functionality is central to our practice. We create technologies that inspire people to engage deeply, think critically, and build meaningful connections with the objects they interact with and the world around them. Our work frequently generates design exemplars and contributes new concepts for advancing a theory of slow technology in design practice.
3

Challenge the current Data Economy

The current data economy thrives on the datafication of society, where everyday human activities are transformed into continuous streams of data. Through routine interactions with digital products, individuals are often unknowingly surveilled, with their data aggregated to build computational models of their habits, desires, and anxieties. We challenge this trend by creating design interventions that give individuals greater control over what data is collected and how it is used, while exploring new ways for them to repurpose their data meaningfully, with extended legibility and agency.
4

Question, Reform, & Diversify Domestic Technology

The concept of home, its location, construction, and the people who inhabit it have often been narrowly defined in mainstream technology design. "The home" is typically framed as a house, and "domestic life" is frequently depicted as involving collocated family members, (e.g., a heteronormative married couple with children). Our lab’s ongoing work collaboratively explores alternative interpretations of domesticity and home life. By working with diverse communities, groups, and individuals, we co-create new visions for connected smart technologies that reflect a broader range of values, perspectives, and priorities in future domestic technology design.
5

Invite Collaboration, Co-Design & Co-Speculation

In the spirit of design research, we strive to be both reflective and generative, embracing a broad range of collaborative approaches to design. We are dedicated to creating and envisioning new forms of technology with people and communities that are often overlooked or marginalized in the development of mainstream digital consumer products. Our aim is to co-create design alternatives that better reflect the unique values, aspirations, and needs shaping the everyday lives of those we collaborate with. Our lab takes pride in fostering a strong culture of collaboration, with a friendly, engaging, and highly creative atmosphere.
6

Create & Distribute Alternative Research Outcomes

Knowledge generated through academic research is often shared via publications that are locked behind paywalls and written in dense language, making them less accessible to the broader public. We are committed to developing alternative research outcomes that equitably and reciprocally "give back" knowledge to research participants after a project concludes. As part of this ongoing effort, we experiment with formats like short films, audio documentaries, DIY tutorials, and zines to create alternative outputs that can be shared directly with those we collaborate with.