Understanding Tailorable Technology Use through Social Representations Theory

This research utilizes social representations theory to inform the study of tailorable technologies. Specifically, we investigate how social representations theory can be used as a mechanism to understanding technology tailoring-in-use. The work extends earlier tailorable technology design work by looking at the processes by which people tailor technology during use. It also extends social representations theory by applying it in the emerging domain of technologies that are defined in-use by users and not through predetermined goals of a design team. Together these two domains support the notion that technology and interaction constitute an emergent combination that cannot be generalized beyond the local interactions of groups. It is therefore critical for us to have the tools to understand this new order and social representations theory and tailorable technology use proved an excellent platform to consider this challenge.