{"product_id":"how-artifacts-afford","title":"How Artifacts Afford - The Power and Politics of Everyday Things (Design Thinking, Design Theory)","description":"\u003cb\u003eA conceptual update of affordance theory that introduces the mechanisms and conditions framework, providing a vocabulary and critical perspective.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTechnological affordances mediate between the features of a technology and the outcomes of engagement with that technology. The concept of affordances, which migrated from psychology to design with Donald Norman's influential 1988 book, \u003ci\u003eThe Design of Everyday Things\u003c\/i\u003e, offers a useful analytical tool in technology studies—but, Jenny Davis argues in \u003ci\u003eHow Artifacts Afford\u003c\/i\u003e, it is in need of a conceptual update. Davis provides just such an update, introducing the \u003ci\u003emechanisms and conditions framework\u003c\/i\u003e, which offers both a vocabulary and necessary critical perspective for affordance analyses.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe mechanisms and conditions framework shifts the question from \u003ci\u003ewhat\u003c\/i\u003e objects afford to \u003ci\u003ehow\u003c\/i\u003e objects afford, \u003ci\u003efor whom\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eunder what circumstances\u003c\/i\u003e. Davis shows that through this framework, analyses can account for the power and politics of technological artifacts. She situates the framework within a critical approach that views technology as materialized action. She explains how \u003ci\u003erequest\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003edemand\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eencourage\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003ediscourage\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003erefuse\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eallow\u003c\/i\u003e are mechanisms of affordance, and shows how these mechanisms take shape through variable conditions—\u003ci\u003eperception\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003edexterity\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003ecultural and institutional legitimacy\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePutting the framework into action, Davis identifies existing methodological approaches that complement it, including critical technocultural discourse analysis (CTDA), app feature analysis, and adversarial design. In today's rapidly changing sociotechnical landscape, the stakes of affordance analyses are high. Davis's mechanisms and conditions framework offers a timely theoretical reboot, providing tools for the crucial tasks of both analysis and design.","brand":"Penguin Random House","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51306287792416,"sku":"9780262554107","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0836\/3661\/7504\/files\/9780262554107.jpg?v=1772776215","url":"https:\/\/creativebysanchez.com\/products\/how-artifacts-afford","provider":"Creative By Sanchez","version":"1.0","type":"link"}