Data-Enabled Futuring: Designing for and with the Invisible

In a world where data is everywhere, designers are working to find ways in which to design with this intangible and invisible new material. Data-enabled design is becoming an increasingly accepted practice to use for user research around data and for the development of data products and systems. As a methodology, it offers designers and researchers the possibility to rapidly react to user insights and to iterate even during product or system deployment. However, as the practice is reactive, it is more difficult to consider long-term consequences while performing data-enabled studies. In my PhD research, I investigate different ways to design for the future of data practices, by making futuring practices part of data-enabled design processes. My research is situated in a clinical context, where the use of more personal informatics is up and coming but where also the long-term user well-being is a primary concern.