Technical Mentality: Principles for HCI Research and Practice

This paper presents a reflection on the role of ontological inquiry in HCI research and practice. Specifically, we introduce philosopher Gilbert Simondon’s proposal of technical mentality, an onto-epistemology based on direct knowledge of technical objects and systems. This paper makes the following contributions: an analysis of Simondon’s ontological critique and its connection to technical mentality; a reflection on the ethical and practical implications of Simondon’s proposal for systems research; an example of technical mentality in practice; and a discussion of how technical mentality might be extended into a design program for HCI through four principles: extension, integration, legibility, and expression.