Designing counter-efficient artifacts: critical educational approaches in creative coding

Digital technologies assist us in performing tasks in our daily lives thanks to interfaces and devices that are efficient and user-friendly, but conceal background operations that can jeopardise users’ agency and digital well-being. This paper introduces a critical and educational setting to foster designers to make hidden technology features tangible and visible through the development of speculative creative coding projects. Design research provides critical approaches to the socio-technical implications of digital technologies in relation to users’ cultures, backgrounds, and digital literacies. By discussing the results of a university course, the contribution identifies seven design strategies to de-emphasise digital efficiency and critically reflect on digital products. While the discovered techniques can support the work of educators and artists, the realisation of speculative projects supports students’ critical thinking development. It is especially valuable as similar opportunities are often rare in professional environments.