Design Speech Acts. “How to Do Things with Words” in Virtual Communities

Abstract

Cyberspace is language based (Cicognani, 1996; Cicognani, 1997; Winograd and Flores, 1986), and so are Virtual Communities (VCs). We propose that VCs are ideal places to experience and enhance a language for design. Design in a VC can actually be performed using speech acts that in-real-life wouldn't perform any design. We call these acts 'design speech acts'. We present, as a starting point, a list of verbs which can be used in a VC for design and the implications of using these verbs to design cyberspace. We present a methodology for structuring and defining design speech acts, so that a language for design in a VC can be subsequently developed. We are developing a specific environment for a virtual community in which designers can articulate their needs and produce text-based design objects.