The digital music box: using cultural and critical theory to inform design

ABSTRACT

This work draws on studies which explore resistance to the music industry's construal of copying music files as theft. Following a previous ethnography on participants."Technology Scruples" it considers the issue as a design challenge rather than a legal problem. Drawing on critical theory it considers how value might be added to digital music by embedding it in artifacts. Three product design students were briefed to create concept designs for.digital music boxes. that would contain and display particular back catalogues of music. The paper reflects on their sketches and models and argues that critical theory can inform new approaches to design work.

REFERENCES

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.2 User Interfaces (D.2.2, H.1.2, I.3.6)
          Subjects: Theory and methods

General Terms:
Design

Keywords:
concept design, cultural and critical theory, experience-centered design