As digital technologies increasingly permeate public spaces, the concept of “Digital Trust” has become a critical issue. Digital Trust refers to the confidence that individuals and communities place in the technologies and organizations managing public digital systems. Despite its importance, the design of Digital Trust is often led by governmental and corporate entities, with little consideration for the lived experiences of the communities that interact with these technologies. This exclusion often leads to mistrust and skepticism, particularly when transparency is lacking.
Tara Karpinski’s research, conducted as part of her Professional Doctorate
in Arts + Creative, addresses this challenge by employing a situated design approach. This method emphasizes embedding the design process within the specific social, political, and cultural contexts where these technologies are implemented. Through this approach, the research aims to develop prototypes for digital trust interfaces and protocols that are more transparent, equitable, and rooted in community experiences.
The research is grounded in situated epistemology, which posits that all knowledge is contextually bound and partial. It involves long-term, immersive studies within communities to uncover authentic technological experiences. These insights inform an iterative process of prototype development through site-specific aesthetic and performative actions. The ultimate goal is to foster transparency and empower communities to take an active role in the design of digital technologies in their environments.
Within this research, the aim is to produce concrete prototypes that reflect community needs and improve transparency in urban digital technologies. Additionally, it aims to contribute to the broader field of Digital Trust by developing new frameworks and methodologies for situated design, with applications in both academic and professional settings.
‘My practice is situated in between different actors, in this shape-shifting middle many things can happen.’
Tara Karpinski is a designer, researcher and educator working in the realm of social practice. She holds a BA in photography and art history from the Savannah College of Art & Design (USA), and an MA from the Sandberg Instituut (NL). Her Master studies were funded by a Netherland-America Foundation grant.
Living in cities developed around data and acting within the inscrutable structure of our techno-society demands art and design that can help understand how we relate to these rapidly changing surroundings and to reflect on that relationship. The research group Situated Art and Design responds to this exigency by fostering a situated turn in art and design through a diverse portfolio of interdisciplinary research projects in partnership with academic and cultural partners, as well as with government and industry.
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