Doctoral Thesis Defense: Einar Sneve Martinussen

Doctoral Thesis Defence: Einar Sneve Martinussen

Einar Sneve Martinussen is set to defend his PhD thesis ”Pockets and Cities. Investigating and revealing the networked city through interaction design” at AHO on Tuesday 6th October.

Trial lecture 10.00 How does interaction design contribute to popular cultural discourses of technology? How does this relate to urban spatial practices?
Disputation 12.00

About the thesis
This thesis is about investigating and revealing the networked city through interaction design. The ‘networked city’ describes an emergent urban condition where digital technologies and wireless communication are increasingly important across everyday urban life. The thesis explores the emergence of the networked city through practice-led interaction design research. The design and cultural spread of a film series titled Immaterials plays a central part in this practice. The Immaterials films visualise common, yet invisible, urban technologies. As illustrated by these films, the thesis takes a discursive approach to design research that uses interaction design to explore and communicate complex technological issues, and further as a catalysts for engaging with wider cultural discussions around emerging technologies. Alongside the practice-led aspects the thesis develops an interdisciplinary analytical position on the networked city and interaction design that draws together concepts from design and urbanism with culture studies and theories of everyday life. This analysis is further connected to how interaction design might be used to expand or stir the cultural conceptualisations of networked city life.

About the Candidate
Einar Sneve Martinussen (1982) is an interaction designer and researcher working with everyday life, technology and cities. He holds a master’s degree in design from the Oslo School of Architecture and Design (AHO), but also has a background from architecture, urbanism, music and technology. His work includes visualisations, films, inventions, interactive products and exhibitions. Einar lectures and writes about design, technology and culture, and teaches interaction design at AHO.
Einar is also a part of the Oslo-based design studio Voy.

Supervisor
Professor Andrew Morrison, Institutt for design

Adjucation committeee

• Professor Guy Julier, University of Brighton Principal Research Fellow in Contemporary Design at the Victoria & Albert Museum, UK. First opponent.
• Assistant Professor Aylish Wood, Reader in Film Studies, School of Arts, University of Kent, UK.  Second opponent.
• Professor Tim Anstey, Chair of PhD Program, AHO. Coordinator of the committee.

Head of Ceremony
Leder for Institutt for design, professor Rachel Troye

Welcome!