Meta-Design: Empower Humans and Communities

Abstract. The presentation will explore the concept of meta-design (“design for designers”) and its application in the context of the digital age. Meta-design involves designing frameworks and socio-technical environments enabling users and communities to actively participate in shaping their own environments and experiences in personal meaningful activities. The presentation will examine the challenges and opportunities that arise from meta-design practices by considering (1) technological (e.g.: AI versus Intelligence Augmentation), (2) social (e.g.: courses as seeds exploring alternative approaches to learning and teaching), and (3) cultural (e.g.:  a shift from consumer cultures to cultures of participation) aspects. It will identify and describe problems and case studies to illustrate and understand the complexities, design trade-offs, and the potential of meta-design in addressing design challenges of the digital age.

Bio: Gerhard Fischer is Professor Emeritus of Computer Science, and he has been a Fellow of the Institute of Cognitive Science and the director of the Center for Lifelong Learning and Design (L3D) at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He is a member of the Computer-Human Interaction Academy, a Fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery, and a recipient of the RIGO Award of ACM-SIGDOC. In 2015, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

His research has focused on new conceptual frameworks and new media for learning, working, and collaborating, design, and human-centered AI. His recent work is centered on quality of life in the digital age, social creativity, meta-design, cultures of participation, design trade-offs, and rich landscapes for learning.

Please join us in ECCR 265 or on Zoom: https://cuboulder.zoom.us/j/91008309605