Human-digital entanglements: From designing for "use" to designing for "inhabitation"
Jennifer Ferreira, Victoria University of Wellington
Wednesday 22nd April 2026. 12:00. Online.
This talk is a conceptual experiment in applying an entanglement lens to empirical work, offering new ways to reimagine collaboration, design, and responsibility in increasingly complex sociotechnical systems. I propose that we no longer simply 'use' systems; we reside within them, our social dynamics enabled and constrained by our habitats. Drawing on empirical work conducted across various domains (financial, Indigenous, and virtual reality), the talk examines the implications of framing technology as an active participant in our lives and reframing design as the intentional creation of meaningful relations.
Speaker Bio
Dr. Jennifer Ferreira is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Engineering and Computer Science at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, where she co-leads the Emerging Technologies, People, and Practices research group. Her interdisciplinary research integrates HCI, CSCW, and Empirical Software Engineering research perspectives to examine the situated work and cultural practices surrounding emerging technologies.