Digital Ground: Architecture, Pervasive Computing, and Environmental Knowing

I can just 2nd these lines written by Professor Buchanan "This is one of the most thoughtful books in the emerging field of interaction design. It is well argued and solidly grounded in both the literature and experience of computing. McCullough provides a powerful explanation for why design--and interaction design in particular--is emerging as a liberal art of the twenty-first century. Digital Ground is important for the professional designer, the student of design, and the general public." --Richard Buchanan, Carnegie Mellon University This is a MUST and falls there in the stellar production of William J. Mitchell...Don't Miss this Book!!!

Malcom McCullough might be one of the wisest voices I've come across in my reading of late. His exploration of the intersection of ubiquitous computing and architecture in Digital Ground is rigorous in its details but thorough in its scope. He not only does the specific topic justice but by the end he synthesizes issues of philosophy, computation, and architecture into the most cognizant argument for sustainability I've heard to date. In general he shows how pervasive computing is not just "new" but how it throws into relief very old ideas that formed our current economic culture. In discussing contextual or situated computing, he doesn't simply provide techno-fetishistic conjecture, he dives deep into what place is, the topology of places we know and will continue to know, the qualities of a place as an assemblage of value, and how value itself is determined. While only pieces of Digital Ground bare particular relevance to my personal research his ideas have led me to invaluable lines of inquiry. I can't imagine it doing anything less for you. Reading this book is time-well-spent.

The book digital ground presents new ideas about place and technology. I was particularly struck by the idea of technologies piling up at a place -an interesting problem is how this pile of technologies can be organized into a useful whole - device ecologies, and an extensible system (hardware and software) that can grow over time (and be subject to changes, e.g. devices removed, replaced, added,etc). Another interesting idea is how certain places fulfill or serve different aspects of life or functions, and the technology at a place should then be in accordance with the corresponding aspects of life or functions at that place, or at least be attuned to or be aware of context necessary for such functions and related activities. There are also other interesting ideas and underlying theories in the book which makes it an interesting read, and not only for architects and builders but computer scientists!

This book is a wonderful look at the background and future of interaction design. McCullough provides wonderful depth of understanding for the reader on the many discipline that support interaction design: psychology, architecture, cultural anthropology, technology. Not only does McCullough draw the disciplines together nicely, it is done seamlessly to the reader. My copy is now filled with highlighter marks and it a book I will be returning to for my profession and through time. If you are a fan of well developed end notes to find further information, this book is a charm.