Our lives are composed of multiple rhythms, but many of us, living in Western industrialised societies, believe that the world is moving ever faster. Many of us also feel the range of negative impacts that this supposed condition of acceleration brings to everyday life, to social interac- tions and to the natural world. From attempting to reconfigure our bodies through caffeine and other stimulants to working longer hours to manage the rush, or wondering how it is damaging our environment, we all eventually experience a sense of powerlessness regarding this supposed rule of acceleration. Acceleration, however, does not correspond to how the world is, but how it is presented for some people, in some situations. The notion of acceleration as a universalised condition is just an expression of dominant narratives of time, which are embedded in accounts of what it means to be modern or postmodern, and which have been recently demystified in the social sciences and the humanities. The world is comprised of multiple temporal expressions, which con- tinue to play important roles in our lives, despite being disregarded within dominant narratives. This thesis analyses the role of these narratives as well as different approaches to time in design. It suggests that the hegemony of such accounts has been restricting design practice in three main ways: 1. by monopolising designers’ understandings of time and precluding the exploration of alternative expressions and more recent theoretical work on time; 2. by locating temporality within technological artefacts and systems and ignoring the breadth of expressions beyond and around these technologies; and 3. by simplifying proposals for a diversification of temporal notions that would otherwise contribute to promoting more varied perceptions of rhythms. This simplification is particularly noticeable in the outcomes of the Slow Technology and Slow Design movements, which have failed to acknowledge such narratives and have become integrated in them rather than challenging them. The research proposes Temporal Design as a new perspective on time in design, one focused not on a particular rhythm or temporal expression, but on the multiplicity of ways in which we all inhabit time, in its contrasts, combinations, changes and superpositions. Temporal Design is based on three principles: 1. identifying dominant narratives and attempting to challenge them so as to reveal more nuanced expressions of time; 2. drawing attention to specific alternative temporalities; and 
3. tactically exposing networks of times so as to illustrate multiplicity and variety. The research invites designers to disturb taken-for-granted notions as a method of approaching principle (1) outlined above. It discusses the limitations of current Speculative and Critical De- sign approaches to tackling more complex issues of time, proposing instead a critical affirmative attitude toward approaching principles (2) and (3) outlined above. Temporal Design is explored in this research via three design interventions, namely the Family Clock, the Printer Clock and the TimeBots, which have been performed in both family homes and schools. The interviews conducted in the context of these interventions showed how domi- nant narratives are deeply embedded in the language used to describe temporal expressions. The interviews, however, also demonstrated how multiple temporalities are manifest beneath these concepts, how practices come together to construct multiple expressions of time and how temporal interpretations are essentially detached from issues of value. Most importantly, the interventions demonstrate how designers can foster temporal empathy, and disclose more nuanced, situated and complex temporalities and rhythms. Many authors have argued that design has the power to change perceptions of the world. By shifting the focus from individual modes to diversity, Temporal Design attempts not only to change the way designers perceive and approach time, but also to change more broadly the way designed artefacts and systems come to affect temporal perceptions among the general public. Perhaps through design, we will all come to recognise that acceleration is not the rule, but just one among many expressions of the rich temporal texture that constitutes time in the world.

Technostress is an emerging and significant psychological phenomenon associated with the use of technology. It impacts human behavior and distracts from living a healthy and meaningful life. As humans increasingly encounter computational technology on a daily basis, there is a need to understand and manage the anxieties and tensions that can result from these interactions. Using the lens of critical design, this thesis explores this concept of technology induced stress and promotes reflection, personal growth and awareness through three different design research methods. It further builds on the topic of slow technology which unfolds in the form of a design fiction, design probe and design artifacts, challenging our understanding of technostress while embracing constructive discussions and creative designs to speculate the human-technology relationship. / Master of Fine Arts

During the Covid-19 pandemic, students has been forced to spend more time studying alone at home, which in some cases has led to increased stress and anxiety. This thesis explores qualities in Slow, Calm and Persuasive technology, together with temporal concepts in theory and qualities derived from ideation, with the aim to explore which qualities should be considered while designing for supporting self-reflection on time spent while studying. The process in this thesis is explorative, moving from ideation, to digital and physical prototypes, with the authors reflections and experiences driving the process forward and experience sessions with participants that were used to ground the experience through their reflections and new perspectives. Through evaluating the reflections and experiences with tools and design principles, the work ends up with the four qualities flow, tension, unfolding and balance as suggestions to work with in future research on designing for supporting self-reflection on time spent while studying.

This work aimed to investigate how Slow Technology, designed with textiles and temporality, can increase reflection in the interaction between humans and technology. This was important to investigate because the amount of information, and the speed at which it is delivered and expected to be processed, exceeds our capacity. This contributes to the fact that the space for reflection is getting smaller and smaller in our efficient contemporary world. Using other types of materials, such as textiles, enables the investigation of which qualities of use and properties can be highlighted and increase reflection. The work was conducted with Research Through Design as a research strategy and a prototype was created to conduct user tests. Furthermore, data was collected through observations and semi-structured interviews and were analyzed using thematic analysis. The analysis resulted in four themes that together indicated that the participants experienced increased reflection when interacting with the prototype.

In this paper, I explore the emerging field of voluntary implants as seen in the DIY biohacking scene. My work on such implants focuses specifically on implantable Radio frequency Identification capsules. With the approach of research through design, I have undergone an iterative process, combining research and prototyping methods to externalize insights and knowledge generated along the way, in an effort to bring shed light on the new ideas and design considerations that arise when we embed computer technology in our bodies. By challenging the status quo, and setting aside my preconceptions through speculative design, my work has resulted in a working prototype, inspired by the ideology of slow technology. Elmer, the memory machine, is a device that enables the implantee to capture memories in point of time via their implants. Here user are can record and review moments of everyday life, merely through a timestamp — a design decision that contributes to the debate on topics like convenience, privacy, and the right to be human.

In the present thesis a landscape of slow technology in the domestic home is explored to contrast the prevailing fast paced constant-on-and-connected devices of today. Through 3 technology probes (provotypes) deployed in 7 different homes, different parts of this landscape has been unfolded showing what slow technology might mean for interaction designers, from the user perspective, and what potentials it might carry. Potentials include delaying the availability of our devices, working with different layers of intrusiveness, looking into the distant future, and the introduction of small rituals, and routines in our everyday life. As a methodological contribution the novel hybrid slow provotype is proposed.