3 Reasons #CivicTech Needs Civic Art

OTI's "People's Tech" table invited visitors to The Tech Embassy to visualize not just what different tech concepts look like today, but what they could and should look like. 

Crafting high-quality civic technology — projects and tools designed withsocial impact in mind — requires thought, creativity, and intentionality — the strength to ask:

“Will this project actually have social impact? Is it being designed for the social/cultural/political context in which it will be implemented? And if not, what steps do we need to take and what people do we need to substantially involve to get there?”

Our approach to community-building in the name of civic tech should be the same.

In a recent case study, we review how open format models (like hackathons and unconferences) can be remixed and reinvented to encourage an outpouring of “non-traditional” engagement with civic tech without alienating tech veterans. Our focus: The Tech Embassy, a a pop-up, interactive science fair for local tech and art that took place on May 3, 2014 during Washington, DC’s first-ever Funk Parade. (Yes, that’s right: A “Funk Parade” with a civic tech agenda.)

In part 4 of our 6-part study, we review the impact of playing with familiar structures (such as science fairs) and the impact of using a variety of arts for technology use, ideation, and education. Full text from this section available here.
 

3 REASONS WHY ARTS ARE ESSENTIAL FOR CREATING INCLUSIVE TECH ENVIRONMENTS:

1. Arts can radically alter an atmosphere.

The ideal environment for community-building is one that lets people self-select their level of interaction without forcing them into high contact with strangers or letting them fall through the cracks. To capture this actively welcoming, but easy-going vibe at The Tech Embassy, we made the “Technology Should…” graffiti wall the first station anyone encountered (sending a clear signal that this space sees tech through an unusual, but open perspective; an invitation to explore), included local DJs to spin funk and dance music (with a laser show!) so feet could keep tapping/moving through the space, and we left games, like Scrabble, cards, and LEGOs, scattered on non-programming tables near couches so that people would feel free to linger—or just take a time out.

2. Art changes who gets to engage.

Not everyone learns, teaches, or collaborates in the same way. Having a variety of visual, storytelling, and tactile activities (in addition to standard conversationals) allowed us to act like an unconference and let a greater number of people have the chance to participate, dig into different subjects, and even show off their own expertise in whatever media best suited their communication style.

3. Art is not divorced from technology.

The creative arts are sometimes socially stigmatized as frivolous or as distractions from “serious” stuff. (Think: politics, business, etc.) But in addition to providing individuals with alternative avenues for engaging with information, exploring the gray space between technology and art can be informative—and inspirational—for tech’s potential impact. When thought of as a variety of methods for creation and expression, art becomes essential for understanding how technology is created (as any designer will tell you) and how it could be created (as any frustrated user will tell you — if you ask).

Further, thinking of art alongside technology can help frame what additional technologies (beyond web and mobile apps) “count” when it comes to civic tech. That’s how a maker station filled with LED lights and DC Public Library’s 3D printer made their way into a space mostly dominated by software applications.

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For more from this case study, check out these excerpts: 

Part 1: Set Goals You Can Hold Yourself Accountable To

Part 2: Let Your Audience Dictate Your Design

Part 3: Structure Horizontally, Not Vertically

Part 5: Lead, But Be Leaderful

Part 6: Final Thoughts: Build With, Not For

[Full Piece] So You Think You Want to Run A Hackathon? Think Again.