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urbanhermes: Social Signaling with Electronic Fashion
Christine M. Liu
MIT Media Lab
20 Ames St. Cambridge, MA 02139
cml@media.mit.edu
Judith S. Donath
MIT Media Lab
20 Ames St. Cambridge, MA 02139
Judith@media.mit.edu
ABSTRACT
Fashion signals are displayed to indicate access to
information. Consistent, timely, and meaningful signal
displays are only made possible if one is well-connected.
While fashion is typically associated with clothing or
personal objects, fashion can also transpire within the
domain of electronic media. Idea-based fashions flourish
on online communities centered on weblogs or discussion
lists, where a concept emerges, diffuses throughout the
virtual network, and fades as soon as something newer
materializes. While production / disposal tactics of
material-based fashions limit the signal refresh rate, an
absence of materiality enables electronic fashions to cycle
as quickly as the flow of information. We present the
design of urbanhermes as a communicative accessory that
integrates the fresh, dynamic, fluid nature of electronic-
based fashion signals within the tactile, face-to-face
environment of a physical space. This paper presents the
prototype and design discussion within the framework of
fashion as a social signal.
Author Keywords
Social signals, signaling theory, fashion, urban space,
accessories, wearables, mobile devices
ACM Classification Keywords
H.5.3 [Group and Organization Interfaces]: Theory and
Models; J.4 [Social and Behavioral Sciences]: Sociology
INTRODUCTION
Social signaling is a fundamental method we use for
forming impressions. We emit and read signals everyday,
ranging from posture and language to merchandise and
commodities. The reliability of a signal rests squarely on
costs within the domain of the quality being signaled.
Because high-cost signals are more difficult to replicate
easily, they are therefore more reliable [5,7]. Use of signals
for impression formation directly rests upon their reliability.