Provocations from #vanlife investigating life and work in a community extensively using technology not designed for them

Abstract

Research on how lived experiences with technology intersect with home and work are core themes within HCI. Prior work has primarily focused on conventional life and work in Western countries. However, the unconventional is becoming conventional-several rising subcultures are coming into prominence due to socio-economic pressures, aided by social media. One example-#vanlife-is now practised by an estimated three million people in North America. #vanlife combines travel, home, and work by their occupants (vanlifers) living full-time in cargo vans that they usually convert themselves into living spaces. We present a portrait of vanlifers' current technology practices gleaned through ~200 hours of feldwork and interviews. Following a thematic analysis of our data, we identifed unique opportunities for integrating technology across culture, design, homesteading, ofine organization, and gaming. We have distilled these opportunities into eleven provocations to inspire critical design and informed inquiry for technological interventions for #vanlife.