abstract: Open Design is a crowd-driven global ecosystem which tries to challenge and alter contemporary modes of capitalistic hardware production. It strives to build on the collective skills, expertise and efforts of people regardless of their educational, social or political backgrounds to develop and disseminate physical products, machines and systems. In contrast to capitalistic hardware production, Open Design practitioners publicly share design files, blueprints and knowhow through various channels including internet platforms and in-person workshops. These designs are typically replicated, modified, improved and reshared by individuals and groups who are broadly referred to as ‘makers’. This dissertation aims to expand the current scope of Open Design within human-computer interaction (HCI) research through a long-term exploration of Open Design’s socio-technical processes. I examine Open Design from three perspectives: the functional—materials, tools, and platforms that enable crowd-driven open hardware production, the critical—materially-oriented engagements within open design as a site for sociotechnical discourse, and the speculative—crowd-driven critical envisioning of future hardware. More specifically, this dissertation first explores the growing global scene of Open Design through a long-term ethnographic study of the open science hardware (OScH) movement, a genre of Open Design. This long-term study of OScH provides a focal point for HCI to deeply understand Open Design's growing global landscape. Second, it examines the application of Critical Making within Open Design through an OScH workshop with designers, engineers, artists and makers from local communities. This work foregrounds the role of HCI researchers as facilitators of collaborative critical engagements within Open Design. Third, this dissertation introduces the concept of crowd-driven Design Fiction through the development of a publicly accessible online Design Fiction platform named Dream Drones. Through a six month long development and a study with drone related practitioners, it offers several pragmatic insights into the challenges and opportunities for crowd-driven Design Fiction. Through these explorations, I highlight the broader implications and novel research pathways for HCI to shape and be shaped by the global Open Design movement. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Media Arts and Sciences 2020

This project consists of and is driven forwards by three forces: PART ONE is the Story Behind, the environmental and political part with problems like waste management, over-consumption, and extreme lack of student housing in the Stockholm region in spite of the politicians’ promises. SECOND PART is the Collecting of Waste that are at hand, showing how much MATERIALS, still fully usable, we just discard of and the investigation of these - with a little creativity and innovation finding strategies to use them in a NEW WAY in the context of architecture, questioning the perception of second-hand materials. AND THIRDLY - reaction! The practical part, a full-scale built proposal with which I tie together this project. As a response to our consumption-oriented society, I collected whatever thrown away material at hand right here on the architecture school. With this material and the strategies discovered, I constructed a small student dwelling on a forgotten and unused space on the architecture school’s roof, making a statement towards the disappointing development of the student housing situation. / Detta projekt består av och drivs framåt av tre krafter: DEL ETT - historien bakom, den politiska delen med fokus på miljö, såsom avfallshantering, överkonsumtion, samt den extrema bristen på studentbostäder i Stockholmsregionen trots politikernas löften. ANDRA DELEN - insamlande av avfallsmaterial till hands, som visar hur mycket MATERIAL (fortfarande fullt användbart) som vi slängs, samt undersökningen av dessa. Med lite kreativitet och innovation hitta strategier för att använda materialen på ett nytt sätt inom ramen för arkitektur. Ett ifrågasättande av uppfattningen av begagnade material. DEL TRE - reaktion! Den praktiska delen, ett fullskaligt byggt förslag som sammanfattar projektet. Som en respons på vårt konsumtionsstyrda samhälle samlade jag in slängda objekt till hands på arkitekturskolan. Med detta material och med de upptäckta strategierna konstruerade jag en liten studentbostad på en bortglömd och oanvänd plats på arkitekturskolans tak - ett statement mot den negativa situationen vad gäller studentboende i Stockholm.

This design project explores the viability of DIY regenerative energy projects, while challenging Eurocentric scientific and engineering norms within a (post)colonial climate emergency. Intervening at the energy-water-sanitation-agriculture nexus from a socio-ecological standpoint, the aim of the project is to fabricate low cost urine-fed Microbial Fuel Cells using non-specialist materials and equipment, and to visualise/ materialise the energy from the devices in a tangible form, in an inherently pedagogical activity.  Stemming from a concern that high-end investigations into renewable energy technologies are insufficient in tackling sufficient socio-ecological issues in their reductionist approach, the project assesses the possibilities of energy democratization from a synergistic standpoint. Working within the framework of Regenerative Design and Appropriate Technology,  I point out that Western Technological "progress", which is often used as justification and perpetuation of colonial projects, is degenerate and inappropriate, and should be reframed as such.  Translating cutting edge bioenergy research into demystified, easy to replicate forms, a large component of the project consists of an intensive material exploration, with the goal of accessibility over efficiency as the most important factor. Aiming for the research to be distilled into a workshop form, in addition to online documentation hereof, proved beyond the reach of the timeframe. However, as a public introduction to this phase of the projects, research made during the project timeline is artistically articulated and presented to the public within the context of an exhibition, to stimulate public participation with the project and the ideas and issues contained herein.

When we are outdoors we rely on the things we bring. By questioning, if the outdoors are freely accessible and detached from our capitalistic world, I identified that to- day’s outdoor equipment industry is not only enjoying great popularity, but is also having the tendency to stay in its comfort zone, mainly engaging in ecological spheres of sustainability. With my bachelor’s thesis project, Friluftsliv för Alla?, I had the aim to initiate a shift, to broaden one’s mind, and to put a focus beyond the sustainability indicator of a product. Together with my collaborator ‘Friluftsfrämjandet’, a Swedish outdoor association, I shared concerns about social-cultural sustainability in the area of outdoor recreation, and started to look at the people who are in need of gear. An item that sparked a lot of my interest was the indispensable shelter, that is needed when we want to spend a good amount of time outside in nature. With the help of my sponsors and other stakeholders I was able to craft a fully functioning tent, that is supposed to be used and shared unconditionally.

I Sverige konsumeras i snitt över 100 000 ton ägg varje år. Skalet utgör cirka 12 procent av äggets vikt och medför därför ett avfall på 12 000 ton äggskal. Vanligast idag är att äggskalen sorteras som matavfall och genom rötning eller kompostering blir till biogas som kan användas som energi. Det pågår samtidigt en diskussion om sättet att hantera äggskal då vissa kommuner menar att de är för tunga för att omvandlas till biogas, vilket i sin tur stör processen i rötkammaren. Studien undersöker möjligheterna att använda avfallet från äggskal och genom en materialdriven designprocess skapa ett biobaserat material i hemmiljö. Det har tidigare gjorts forskning på design från matavfall och studien undersöker detta vidare genom att utforska hur ett biomaterial från en lokal resurs kan se ut. Studien presenterar hur material från äggskal enkelt kan tillverkas hemma som DIY-projekt, av även icke-designers, för att ta tillvara på avfall från hemmet. Genom utvalda designmetoder skapades ett material- och produktförslag som sedan fick testas och utvärderas av användare genom en workshop. Studien resulterade i konceptet Äggdal. Konceptet är ett exempel på hur ett äggskalsbaserat material förslagsvis skulle kunna se ut och visar på nya, potentiella användningsområden. Resultatet bidrar med kunskap kring hur vi kan tillvara på avfall och tillverka hållbara material i hemmet samtidigt som det blir ett kreativt DIY-projekt. Förhoppningsvis kan denna typ av design främja en hållbar utveckling genom minskad konsumtion och en mer ansvarsfull produktion där designers har en betydande roll i övergången till en cirkulär ekonomi. / Every year, 100,000 tonnes of eggs are on average consumed in Sweden. As the shell stands for c. 12% of an egg’s weight, this results in some 12,000 tonnes off eggshells. Currently most eggshells are sorted as food waste, which results in biogas through anaerobic digestion or composting, that in turn can be consumed as energy. However, there are discussions in a number of municipalities that eggshells are too heavy to be converted into biogas as they interfere with the process in the anaerobic digesters. This study aims to investigate whether eggshells could instead be used in a materials-driven design process in a domestic setting. Previous research has covered design using food waste, and this study builds on that by exploring how biomaterials from a local resource can be employed. Furthermore, the study presents how eggshell-based objects can easily be produced in a domestic setting as a DIY project - even by non-designers. Using carefully selected methods, a materials and production proposal was compiled and then tested in a workshop format. The result of this is a concept named Äggdal. The concept is an example of how an eggshell-based material could be formulated, but also show potential use cases for the material. As a result, this study contributes further knowledge on how food waste can be put into use as a sustainable material, while also being a rewarding and creative DIY project. This kind of design can hopefully serve to promote sustainability through reduced consumption and more responsible production methods, and that designers can play a large role in the transition towards a circular economy.

How can an alternative route to knowledge recognition create inclusive and accessible education? Can architecture and spatial practice create relevant learning opportunities for informally living Syrians in Izmir, Turkey? There is an acute access gap to quality education for marginalized communities all over the world. The formally recognized ways of producing knowledge in traditional institutions are not able to reach all parts of society. There is a need to reimagine the way we value and create learning environments, to forge alternative paths of knowledge recognition for a socially inclusive education.This thesis situates itself within the context of Izmir, Turkey, where many Syrians are currently living informally, unable to benefit from formal support and education. This requires us to rethink our approach to pedagogic strategies of empowerment for adults in an informal way. Through a review of relevant literature by educational experts, global actors, thinkers, and activists, and proof of successful practice through case studies, this thesis argues that educational empowerment can happen through critical dialogue and a desire to act for change. It proposes that not only is it possible for architecture and spatial practice to create alternative paths to learning, but also that this might innovate education and create learning environments of high quality and real impact.The research results in an architectural proposal that aims to reconnect knowledge production to real life through spatial practice. The proposal intends to bridge informally acquired knowledge with formal recognition by addressing local issues in the living environment. The project proposes self-organized courses in which communities come together to build knowledge around a certain issue. This practice opens for a collaborative opportunity to take part in the democratic debate, questioning right of access to the knowledge economy and a better living environment.The thesis concludes that this approach has a potential to create alternative paths to knowledge recognition, but that it needs to happen in a collaboration with important actors; local communities, innovators, universities, industries, governments, and NGO’s. It also discusses the appropriateness of this approach and its potential drawbacks, but states that this conversation is important to have in order to imagine a future of empowerment and social inclusion.

Vid träning av baksida lår kan det vara svårt att förstå hur muskeln aktiveras. Genom att visualisera de myoelektriska signalerna från biceps femoris och semimembranosus till den som tränar kan personen få en bättre mind-muscle connection. I examensarbetet har två teoretiska EMG sensorer skapats och simulerats, kod har skrivits för att filtrera fyra EMG signaler samt överföra dessa över BLE, kraftsensorer är kopplade och kod är skriven för att avgöra den kraftutveckling som sker i en kontraktion av baksida lår. EMG sensorerna har jämförts med SparkFuns MyoWear muskelsensor, OpenBCI Cyton board och BioNomadix BN-EMG2-T. Båda de teoretiska lösningarna anses likvärdiga med ett billigare alternativ till Cryton Board, en flerkanalig lösning till MyoWear, BN-EMG2-T är för dyr att realistiskt implementeras till examensarbetets syfte. Simuleringarna visar att kretsarna behandlar signalen enligt tänkt sätt men det gick inte att bygga en prototyp då en pandemi har begränsat KTH:s verksamhet / One difficulty when training hamstrings is the understanding of how the muscle is activated. Through visualization of the myoelectrical signals from biceps femoris and semimembranosus to the exerciser, a better mind-muscle connection can be achieved. In this bachelor thesis, two theoretical EMG sensors were created and simulated, code to filter four EMG signals and transmit them through BLE was written, also a way to calculate how much force is applied in a hamstring curl was constructed. Both EMG sensors have been compared against SparkFuns MyoWear muscle sensor, OpenBCI Cyton Board and BioNOmadix BN-EMG2-T. The theoretical EMG sensors are interconvertible to a cheaper Cyton Board, a multichannel alternative to MyoWear, the BN-EMG2-T is too expensive to be a realistic alternative for this bachelor thesis attended purpose. Simulations show that the EMG sensors behave as intended but because of a pandemic, a prototype could not be created.

Det här projektet berör människor som är engagerade i kreativt hantverk i sin hemmiljö, och de särskilda utmaningar de står inför. Arbetet har genomförts i enlighet med designprocess. Med en grund i enkätstudier, personliga intervjuer och observationer har en djupare förståelse för användargruppens situation och behov kunnat skapas. Genom sätta i målgruppens perspektiv i fokus har en iterativ process av generering och utvärdering kunnat genomföras och återkopplastill användare för att kunna säkerhetsställa arbetets riktning. Designarbetet har resulterat ett förslag på en produkt som är ämnad att underlätta kombinationen av levnadsmiljö med den miljö som gynnar användarens kreativa skapande.  Den resulterande lösningen erbjuder en möjlighet att kunna förvara redskap och annat material,överblickbart i anpassad ordning inom en armlängds avstånd. Samtidigt är det enkelt att gömma innehållet och flytta undan möbeln när ytan behövs till andra delar av vardagen. Anpassningsbarhet och flexibilitet har varit grundläggande krav för att användaren både skall få maximal nytta och kunna fortsätta använda produkten även när hens behov ändras. Detta är mycket viktigt för att kunna göra en produkts livscykel ekologiskt försvarbar. Konstruktionen är skapad för att ge produkten en bra potential att kunna vidareutvecklas för en effektiv och klimatvänlig produktion.

Sverige är ett land som generellt är bra på att hantera avfall. Däremot har avfallen ökat till den grad att det blivit svårt att hantera och matsvinnet har blivit ett stort globalt problem. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka hur användare upplever genomförandet av en Materialdriven Designprocess där en DIY (Do-It-Yourself) approach används som verktyg. Genomförandet av den materiadrivna designmetoden skulle i sin tur leda till ett mer hållbart beteende hos konsumenter. Huvudkomponenterna som har använts för att skapa ett biologiskt nedbrytbart läder var kasserad frukt från en livsmedelsbutik. Resultaten i undersökningen visar att det finns ett intresse hos många användare att tillverka egna material och produkter där de bidrar till att skapa hållbara material som ingår i en cirkulär ekonomi.

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