Aesthetics of Felt Asymmetry Show others and affiliations
2026 (English) In: CHI 2026 - Proceedings of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) , 2026, article id 561Conference paper, Published paper (Refereed)
Abstract [en]
Our bodies mediate every interaction with technology, yet - as soma design and feminist HCI remind us - the body is not a neutral canvas. We introduce and examine felt asymmetries - somaesthetic experiences of difference in the body - as a site for generative and critical engagement in interaction design. Through an autobiographical design exploration, and a series of somatic explorations with nine designers including individual inquiries and workshops, we sensitised to, articulated, and shared personal experiences of asymmetry. We draw from these explorations to contribute: (1) Opening a design space exploring the aesthetics of felt asymmetries; (2) Reflections on engaging with asymmetry in design, e.g. as a design material, an estrangement activity or doorway into intimate experience; (3) Considerations for creating technologies that resonate with, rather than erase, the asymmetries of lived experience. We argue that bodily asymmetries are not only to be accommodated in design, but embraced as aesthetic resources - sources of joy, tension, and creativity.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) , 2026. article id 561
Keywords [en]
Asymmetry, Autobiographical Design, Autobiographical Methods, Body Plurality, Soma Design, Somaesthetics
National Category
Design Human Computer Interaction Other Engineering and Technologies
Identifiers URN: urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-382929 DOI: 10.1145/3772318.3791749 Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-105038714452 OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kth-382929 DiVA, id: diva2:2065492
Conference 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI 2026, Barcelona, Spain, April 13-17, 2026
Note Part of ISBN 9798400722783
QC 20260603
2026-06-032026-06-032026-06-03 Bibliographically approved