Flipping the techno-hedonist persona; a summer comfort case

Description

In the past few years, the use of air-conditioning in households has increased rapidly, from almost no use to 30%. This phenomenon is ironic, because increased energy demand contributes to further climate change. Moreover, cooling tends to displace other, more inclusive and sustainable forms of summer comfort, such as shading and night ventilation.
This talk highlights how the “techno-hedonist persona” (an assumed user often targeted by designers) contributes to this development. Designing for this persona, which prefers easy pleasure and convenience through technology, stimulates and perpetuates unsustainable lifestyles.
In collaboration with design students, attempts were made to change this persona. This has resulted in 16 design fictions that illustrate what it would mean for summer comfort to design for an opposite persona. This effort encourages broader conversations about how designs affect quality of life and what this means for future living environments.

Period	24 Oct 2023
Event title	DRIVE : Design Research Innovation Festival 2023
Event type	Seminar
Location	EindhovenShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International