Digital Technologies Supporting Commoning Practices: the case of Madeira

Abstract

Digital Commons (e.g. Free Libre and Open Source Software, Wikis, and platform cooperatives) are frequently recognised as alternatives to the exploitative and monopolistic nature characterizing the contemporary digital landscape. However, these alternatives are scarcely known by laypeople, and both activists and researchers operate to promote them. Human-Computer Interaction scholars typically engage with specific communities to co-design ad-hoc Digital Commons, while activists tend to promote predetermined off-the-shelf Digital Commons without deeply engaging with the population. This research delves into the gap between these two strategies. Namely, it leverages the abundance of off-the-shelf Digital Commons and uses a Participatory Design (PD) approach to support people in adopting pre-existing Digital Commons better aligned to their needs rather than designing and developing new ones. The PD process that constitutes the core of this research has been implemented on the remote island of Madeira (Portugal). This thesis presents two case studies hosted by two local organisations. This research leveraged the concept of Artifact Ecology to collect information on participants’ use of technologies while stimulating a reflection on their adequateness to participants’ interests and values. This phase was followed by a workshop presenting a curated set of off-the-shelf Digital Commons and proposing simple hands-on activities. Additional activities to propose other useful Digital Commons were tailored based on the specific outcomes yielded in the two groups. The empirical results of this process are encouraging both in terms of individual and collective adoption, showcasing tangible benefits for participants. The evaluation of the process highlighted the importance of integrating a playful approach, targeting the group rather than the individual, and encouraging quick explorations of the proposed digital tool right after collectively discussing it. In order to adapt the research methods to local culture and practices, the PD process has been precede by a community study. Rendering explicit the conversion of observational elements into design strategies and critically discussing them based on the empirical results is an additional contribution of this thesis to the field of PD. Furthermore, this research provides insights into the debate on Digital Commons, Artifact Ecologies, and Sustainable HCI.