Digital Ground: Architecture, Pervasive Computing, and Environmental Knowing (Hardcover)

by Malcolm McCullough (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"...[A] way to think about how we might intelligently respond to the computer kudzu without letting it take over the garden."
— Michael J. Crosbie, Architectural Record

"In Digital Ground Malcolm McCullough elegantly summarizes the past and present relations between architecture and computing, and constructs a solid foundation for future interaction between the two fields."
—Casey Reas, Interaction Design Institute Ivrea

"Like it or not, our physical environment is beginning to fill with embedded and ubiquitous computing devices. Are we attending sufficiently to their design and to their effects on our lives? How will they change our traditional notions of architecture? Questions largely ignored because they are too difficult—or too painful—to answer are confronted head-on in McCullough's thoughtful and provocative essay."
—B. J. Novitski, Managing Editor, ArchitectureWeek

"Malcolm McCullough's book charts a significant, unexplored terrain confronting architects and society at large. Pervasive computing is embedded, networked, ubiquitous, and capable of not only sensing and processing, but acting as well. This new form of computing holds the potential to restructure physical space and our relation to it, and McCullough provides an articulate and readable introduction to this new world, both promising and troubling. Digital Ground is a solid, early contribution to what will quickly become an important field of study for architecture, planning, and urban design."
—Dana Cuff, Professor of Architecture, University of California, Los Angeles

"This is one of the most thoughtful books in the emerging field of interaction design. It is well argued and solidly grounded in both the literature and experience of computing. McCullough provides a powerful explanation for why design—and interaction design in particular—is emerging as a liberal art of the twenty-first century. Digital Ground is important for the professional designer, the student of design, and the general public."
—Richard Buchanan, Carnegie Mellon University

Product Description
Digital Ground is an architect's response to the design challenge posed by pervasive computing. One century into the electronic age, people have become accustomed to interacting indirectly, mediated through networks. But now as digital technology becomes invisibly embedded in everyday things, even more activities become mediated, and networks extend rather than replace architecture. The young field of interaction design reflects not only how people deal with machine interfaces but also how people deal with each other in situations where interactivity has become ambient. It shifts previously utilitarian digital design concerns to a cultural level, adding notions of premise, appropriateness, and appreciation. Malcolm McCullough offers an account of the intersections of architecture and interaction design, arguing that the ubiquitous technology does not obviate the human need for place. His concept of "digital ground" expresses an alternative to anytime-anyplace sameness in computing; he shows that context not only shapes usability but ideally becomes the subject matter of interaction design and that "environmental knowing" is a process that technology may serve and not erode. Drawing on arguments from architecture, psychology, software engineering, and geography, writing for practicing interaction designers, pervasive computing researchers, architects, and the general reader on digital culture, McCullough gives us a theory of place for interaction design. Part I, "Expectations," explores our technological predispositions--many of which ("situated interactions") arise from our embodiment in architectural settings. Part II, "Technologies," discusses hardware, software, and applications, including embedded technology ("bashing the desktop"), and building technology genres around life situations. Part III, "Practices," argues for design as a liberal art, seeing interactivity as a cultural--not only technological--challenge and a practical notion of place as essential. Part IV, "Epilogue," acknowledges the epochal changes occurring today, and argues for the role of "digital ground" in the necessary adaptation.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 290 pages
• Publisher: The MIT Press; illustrated edition edition (April 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0262134357
• ISBN-13: 978-0262134354
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,122,912 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The future of interaction design, August 27, 2004

By	Thomas Vander Wal (Bethesda, MD, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is a wonderful look at the background and future of interaction design. McCullough provides wonderful depth of understanding for the reader on the many discipline that support interaction design: psychology, architecture, cultural anthropology, technology. Not only does McCullough draw the disciplines together nicely, it is done seamlessly to the reader.

My copy is now filled with highlighter marks and it a book I will be returning to for my profession and through time. If you are a fan of well developed end notes to find further information, this book is a charm.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New perspectives!, November 28, 2006

By	Seng W. Loke - See all my reviews

This review is from: Digital Ground: Architecture, Pervasive Computing, and Environmental Knowing (Paperback)

The book digital ground presents new ideas about place and technology. I was particularly struck by the idea of technologies piling up at a place -an interesting problem is how this pile of technologies can be organized into a useful whole - device ecologies, and an extensible system (hardware and software) that can grow over time (and be subject to changes, e.g. devices removed, replaced, added,etc). Another interesting idea is how certain places fulfill or serve different aspects of life or functions, and the technology at a place should then be in accordance with the corresponding aspects of life or functions at that place, or at least be attuned to or be aware of context necessary for such functions and related activities. There are also other interesting ideas and underlying theories in the book which makes it an interesting read, and not only for architects and builders but computer scientists!