Everyday design: comparing families, hobbyist jewellers, and steampunk enthusiasts

This thesis reports on a descriptive multiple-case study that portrays the practices of three groups of everyday designers as a way to inform the design of interactive technologies. Previous research describes cases of appropriation and everyday design where people creatively transform and adapt design artifacts; however, there is still a gap in our understanding of how individuals precisely design and make things. The aim of this study is to discern the similarities and differences between the practices of the selected cases of everyday designers: family members, hobbyist jewellers, and steampunk enthusiasts. Based on the theory of practice, the analytical framework combines goals, outcomes, materials, tools, competences, and strategies to holistically describe those cases of everyday design. The findings point to a reconfiguration of how objects and technologies should be designed, but also a reflection on how designers can create materials, tools, and structures to support heterogeneous and creative design practices.