Five ceramic objects to seed conversations about AAC futures

Between Things is a collection of interactive ceramic objects designed and created by Fin Tams-Gray, Katie Brown and Graham Pullin. This design collection aims to seed conversations about AAC which the designers and co-researchers believe are not being had enough. Through the lens of speculative design (Anthony Dunne and Fiona Raby, 2001) each object identifies an area within the field of AAC which is important and yet we feel is not being considered when designing AAC futures: such as turn taking and returning to previous points in a conversation. Between Things is important as a series of placeholder objects to start conversations about AAC without being anchored to the frustrations of reality - and to be able to discuss each of these specific topics in isolation. For example, it’s hard to talk about being comfortable with silence without referring to body language, or turn taking, because naturally these things are entangled and related. Between Things allows an observer to focus on specific issues around AAC and investigate each separately, but also be able to see the relationships between each. Between Things was fabricated in Duncan of Jordanstown Collage of Art and Design in Dundee’s ceramics workshop by Katie Brown with assistance from Sean Kingsley, with embedded technologies designed and implemented by Fin Tams-Gray. This project was created in the context of our collaborations with coresearchers Jamie Preece and Emma Sullivan. A demo video of Between Things was shared during our Communication Matters keynote talk last year (Graham Pullin, 2023). This poster will showcase Between Things’ final physical and technical forms using large format striking imagery, and communicate the intent, outcomes, and ethos of the project.