CACTI Lab: Challenging Climate Tech Mental Models & Form Factors.
We have very specific mental models and expectations of what climate change interventions and technologies should look like. In this project, we will break free of these norms by leveraging Interaction Design to investigate new form factors, probing everyday devices that are often ignored, and envisioning new types of interactions. Students will use prototyping techniques to investigate these interactions. Our goal is to evaluate how these new interventions might contribute to ongoing climate change literacy efforts.
Logistics: This is a full-time summer position. That means the typical commitment is 40 hours per week for 10 weeks this Summer (May 26th - Aug 2nd). In addition to working independently, student researchers should be prepared to participate in 1-hour team meetings.
Research Artifacts: The team will summarize their findings in a 5 - 8 paged paper. There will also be an opportunity to document your research experience in an ACM Interactions reflection piece or Design Research article.
To Apply: If this work interests you, I invite you to submit an essay using the following prompt: 1) Why are you interested in this project? 2) What has been your experience with climate change?; 3) What is your definition of Interaction Design? (Total essay length: ~3 paragraphs).
My goal is to build a community of emerging scholars interested in leveraging human-centered methodologies to design for equity in future climate change interventions and public transit interfaces.