Proximal Design: Users as Designers of Mobility in the Russian North

Area of Science:

• Human-computer interaction
• Anthropology of technology
• Design studies

Background:

• Remote Arctic regions present extreme environmental challenges impacting technology performance.
• User inventiveness is crucial for adapting technology in harsh, isolated settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze how challenging environmental conditions in the Arctic stimulate user creativity and adaptation of technology.
• To define and document the phenomenon of "proximal design" in user practices.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of historical materials and ethnographic observations in the Russian North's transport sector.
• Documentation of user inventiveness in three distinct modes of proximal design.

Main Results:

• Proximal design manifests in complementing distant design machines, creating homemade vehicles (karakat), and traditional crafts (sledge-making).
• Continuous user-led modification and redesign of technology in situ enable functionality in extreme environments.
• Identified characteristics of proximal design include necessity-driven inventiveness, flexible construction, personalization, and social embeddedness.

Conclusions:

• Proximal design is a vital strategy for human-machine functionality in extreme environments.
• User-driven innovation in situ can lead to the emergence of enduring design principles.
• Understanding proximal design offers insights into technology adaptation and sustainable practices in challenging contexts.