Recentering Reframing as an RtD Contribution: The Case of Pivoting from Accessible Web Tables to a Conversational Internet

Abstract

Design produces valuable knowledge by offering new perspectives that reframe problematic situations. Research through Design (RtD) contributes new frames along with design work demonstrating a frame's value. Interestingly, RtD papers rarely describe how reframing happens. This gap in documentation unintentionally implies a romantic account of design, it implies that the first step of an RtD project is to have a brilliant idea. This is especially problematic in cases where the reframing causes a pivot that leads to a new research program. To help address this gap, we describe a case where through a series of three design experiments we experienced a research pivot. We describe how our work to improve web-table navigation for screen-reader users broke our frame. The break led to a new research program focused on constructing a conversational internet. This paper offers our case along with reflection on reporting design work that drives reframing.